The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-06

| Sir: I have the honor 10 IIano 1LS 80 -
| lowing report of the loss OIL the Alllall'e
! Maria Teresa:
On November / at 1 a. m. I found that
it was blowing hard, and went on the
| lower bridge. We had left Watlings
| island light abeam at 10 o'clock, and up
| 10 midnight the weather was pleasant,
| and all went we'll with the ship, although
we had trouble in keeping the pump IN
! the forward fireroom from being choked
| with coal. The wind continued to in
crease in force until perhaps ) a. M,
there were times all Gay when it bieW as as
! hard as ever. The direction was about
| northeast. The sea continued TO rise I'M
til perhaps 6 P m; there was vas, a 9 ftar
! came on deck l relieved the second mate,
Mr.. Johnson, so that he could go below
| to fight the water. About $3.50 the nrst
mate, Captain Locate, came up, and ne
| also went below to work. Captain chit
| tenden, who was on deck almost as soon
as I, gave his attention TO the pumps, es-
! in the forward freroom. There We're
many new leaks. When heavy sea
struck the sides the plates Leaked at the
butts and seams, showing. that al
! ter the fire they had resumed their Tor
mer appearance, but were not tight;
| There was at the mainmast an inch OF
! thwart ship vibration, and only half an
inch longitudinal vibration. While max
! ing this examination, about 4:30 a. m,
| Captain Chittenden was thrown down
| and fell on the chain, hurting his side and
| back enough to temporarily disable MIN.
| He continued to give us valuable advice.
At a. m. we made signal to the vulcan
| and Merritt to go to windWard. Whlch
| they did as we'll as they could. Up to /
| o'clock a m. we were running the star
board main engines and had steam on the
| two central boilers, but the trouble IN the
| forward fireroom caused the steam to run
| low and tighten fires under the Starboard
after boiler, and we stopped the engine
The pump for keeping the water from
the forward compartment was driven by
a belt. and when the sea broke over the
bows the belt became wet ana slipped.
AS soon as the water was up to the floor
place in the forward fireroom the rolling
of the ship washed into the coal bunkers
and carried the coal out, choking the
pump and carrying the floor plates about,
which made 1t difficult and dangerous TO
work there. About clock called for
volunteers to hoist coal and water INTO
the ash hoist. Everybody responded, and
the work was continued as long as It
seemed of any use. About 3;5O a. m. II
was reported that water was coming into
one of the starbOard forward coal bunk
ers and running into the firerooms. Where
About o'clock the 1-inch gun in the
after turret ran out and in twice. When
it recoiled the second time something
gave Way and 1t settled to extreme eleVa-
Sion and remained Stationary. We asked
the Vulcan TO signal the Leonidas to stay
close to us and the latter hoisted the flag
at the signal yardarm, which was a signal
agreed upon to call the Leonidas to come
within hail She was steaming ahead OF
us and making rather bad weather. 1t
seemed as If she feared to turn IN the
heavy sea- but eventually she did cross
ahead of the Merritt, and twice passed
under the Merritt's stern, although at
some distance I think she picked up the
liferafts which the Vulcan threw over.
About II 80 O. clock we signaled the vulcan
to ask the Merritt II we couI9 De turned nm 60
safely to run for the lee of Watlings
island. To this Captain Wolcott replied
no and as Captain Chittenden thought
we would sink If we tried to turn TINS IDEA
Wa both fIT the Vulcan and Merritt could with
difficIIlty keep their head TO wind and
the sea was running SO h tba + [nl l,n nn
narted. The ship was falling into the
trough of the sea. AT ! p. m captain
Chittenden asked me 10 signal the vulcan
to cast off the Merritt's tow lines and
have the Merritt come alongside Then |
assumed the command, told the men what
tons told the chief engineer to start
the engine to aid the Vulcan in keeping
our head up. He did 50. but 1t could
run but a short time with the steam we
We signaled the Vulcan, We have to
abandon ship" | ordered Capfeahin tec a,,9
when il was lowered to the rail ordered
Captain Chittenden into it against his
f b s6n his boa @a
to reach the lines we had astern, but the
Merritt picked them up and after taxing
Captain Chittenden aboard towed the boat
to our lee quarter and repeated this
vancouver each trip. She = Is splendidly
handled. From 2:20 o'clock the work Of
transferring the crew continued. Captain
Lecato made two more trips, when, his
arm being disabled, his place was taken
by Mr.. Johnson who also TOOK two BOAT
capsized but was righted: 1t was put in
charge of James Bashford. ordinary sea-
man. of the Illinois Naval Militia. He and
his crew took six Cubans to the Merritt
The smaller surf boat towed under the
lee side was then gotten ready. and I
99uartermaster of the first class. I gave
him nearly all the good seamen left for a
crew 1t was launched very handsomely
and made two trips; In all these trips we
noured oil from the sponsors on both
Sides, and the Vulcan, also used oil to
make ii smooth where the embarking was
dnne doubt IL we could have worked
without It, The ship labored more and
more heavily. Before L left the bridge
Sho,id estimate to be thirty degrees, and
her pitching was enough to show her
rndder. propellers and perhaps twelve feet
of her keel She was about four feet by
the head. She fell into the sea and shud-
dered as she rose. There was no water
aft The Vulcan did her best to keep
going at full speed while the. sea beat
The the Teresa's head to port. Throughout
the day the Vulcan otd d, e sieg posi-
with the exception of three men who
got drunk and gave much trouble, all the
crew behaved well. Every man did his
10y od by wreckers and men of the navy
When the fires were low s sailed for vol
unteers and the donkey boilers We're at
o onee James fTee uR Brien, chief machinsfs, to
oil the steering gear and, the they did SO.
,npner +he smaller surf boat his place was
taken by William c. Morehoff, maehinist
second class, who steered the W.T. wreck e, until
ed the wheel amidships. Willard Cros-
sett was signal man and was as cool as
possible He made no mistakes. About
u;reck until Won are sure she is sinking"