The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-06
STORY OF THE sHIr's SINKING.
Lieutenant Commander Harris Re-
port Reaches NnVy nenartment


port Reaches Navy Department.
Washington, Nov. 5.--A thrilling story
of the loss Of the cruiser Maria Teresa
is given In the official report Of Lieuten-
ant Commander Harris to the Secretary
of the Navy, received by Telegraph at the
navy department late this afternoon. IL
is dated on board the wrecking steamer
Merritt. fifty miles off Charleston, Nov.
4, and says:
Secretary of the Navy, Washington
Sir: / have the honor 10 make the fol-
lowing report of the loss of the Infanta
Maria Teresa, on Nov. ], at a. m. I
found that 1t was blowing hard, and went
on the lower bridge. We had left Wat
lings Island light abeam at 10 o'clock, and
up till midnight the weather was pleas
ant, and all went well with the ship, al
though we had trouble in keeping the
pump In the forward fire room from being
choked with coal. The wind continued to
increase in force until perhaps a. m
when 1t reached its hight, although there
were times all day when II blew as hard
as ever. The direction was about north
east. The sea continued to rise
until perhaps 6 p. M; there
was heavy sea all the
following day. The pumps were reported
every hour. Soon after 1 came on deck
/ relieved the second mate, Mr.. johnson.
so that he could go below to fight the
water. About $3.50 the first mate, Capt.
Lecato, came up and he also went below
TO work. Capt. Crittenden, who was on
deck almost as soon as I, gave his atten-
ton to the pumps and especially to prim-
ing the centrifugal pump In the forward
fire-room. There were many new leaks.
When a heavy sea struck the sides the
plates leaked at the butts and seams,
showing that after the fire, they had re-
sumed their former appearance, but were
not tight. There was at the manmast an
inch of thwartship vibration and only hair
an inch of longitudinal vibration. While
making this examination, about 4:3O a. m,
Capt. Crittenden was thrown down ana
fell on the chair, hurting his side and
back enough to temporarily disable him
He continued to give us valuable advice.
At a. m. we made signal to the Vulcan
and Merritt to go TO windward, which
they did as well as they could. Up to I
O'Clock a. m. we were running starboard
main engines, and had steam on the two
central boilers and three of the short for
ward boilers, but the trouble In the for
ward ire-room caused the steam to run
low. and lighted fires under the starboard
after boiler and stopped the engine, so as
to run the steam up for the pumps The
pump for keeping the water from the for
ward compartment was driven by a belt
and when the sea broke over the bows
the belt became wet and slipped. As
soon as the water was up to the floor
place in the forward fire-room the roIl-
ing of the ship swashed into the coal
bunkers and carried the coax out, cholx-
ing the pump and carrying the floor plates
about which made IL difficult and danger
GUS to work there.
About 8 o'clock l called for volunteers
to hoist coal water In the ash hoist Everv-
body responded and the work was coutInu-
ed as long as II seemed OF any use. About
3 80 a. m. Il was reported that water was
coming into one of the starboard forward
coal bunkers and running into the fire.
rooms. Where the water came from we
DO not know.
About 2 o'clock the 11-inch gun in the
after turret ran out and in twice. When
1t recoiled the second time something gave
way and 1t settling to extreme elevation
and remained stationary We asked the
Vulcan to signal the Leonidas TO stav
close to US, and the latter holsted the flag
at the signal yard arm, which
was signal agreed upon to can
the Leonidas to come within hai
She was steaming ahead OF us
and making rather bad weather. IL seems
as IL she feared to turn in the heavy sea.
but eventually she did cross ahead OF The
Merritt and twice passed under The Ma
ria's stern, although at some distance.
think she picked up the life RATS which
the Vulcan threw over. About II 80 we sig
nailed the Vulcan to ask the Merritt IL
we could be turned safely to run for the
lee OF Watlng's Island. To this Capt.
Wolcott replied No and as Capt. Chit