The San Francisco call., 1898-11-08


 The vulcan's commander, Lieutenant General P. Blow, immediately planned the Vulcan's part in the scheme of res- cue. Being almost sure that the Teresa'S starboard engine would be kept working until the last, 1t was decided to hold on to the hawser, thereby giving the Teresa sufficient steering way to enable her helmsmen to keep the heavy sea on her starboard bow and still be to leeward or or to advantage when the rescuing in boats began.
 Teresa gave the impression that she would founder suddenly and that all her people would be overheard at any moment, either shHas Xgsistast T PaymasteT nm @ Robert Robert H. Woods, U. S. N. was detailed to note the time that each signal was sent and repeated Oil was the first requisite. The mechanics passed 1t up in buckets from the hold those on deck filled small bags with it. The effect was immediate in smoothing the heavy seas near the wreck.
 Rubber life belts were brought on deck and filled with air ready to throw to men in the water. A bowline was made in every ropes end, by which the men could be hauled out of the sea-
 If the ship had foundered before her people were, taken off, it was the com manding officers intention, after cutting the hawser, to place his vessel to ieeWard and then work up to windward of the men in the water and pick them up.
 Half the charges were extracted from some six-pounder shells and they were fitted over the ends of oars. to which small lines were attached. These were to have been fired from the guns across the spot where the men might have been seen in the water.
 impossible for the Vulcan to keep her head to windward, but, being practically water-logged, she made an excellent breakwater for the boats, even after she fell off into the trough of the sea
 Directed by Lieutenant Gilmer, the crew and engineers force equipped two life, hoo fc xxyff6 -T1T,aC nI-Nyn r16 bags. They were launched from the top of the deck house, and by means Of long lines were veered astern in the hope that they would reach the Teresa, but the heavy sea carried them far to wtndward, they fouled the hawser, and were finally cut adrift.
 ritt wore ship just astern of the Teresa, and came up under her lee line in time to take off the first boat load of rescued persons. The wreckers and volunteers from the naval vessels had succeeded in lowering one of the two surf boats hang ing from davits on the Teresa's port side. Pulling quickly clear of the ships side, the boats crew, composed of the wreck CTS men, went about saving the people in a systematic way.
 There was less than four hours of day. light left in which to rescue 112 persons, including eighteen Cuban coal passers, ha8 sea env Tas @ boa To aY attempted to go near enough to the ships side to let her people climb down or drop into the DOdtS meant certain ueSlTuCllOA to the rescuing party. So while the boat was lowed by it's painter from the ships lee quarter and was kept clear by two men at the oars and by the steersman in the stern, another line was used to send down the men from the ship.
 Each man. slung in the center of this rope, was hauled through the water in most cases to the boat and then tumbled in over the bow. It was a slow but safe process, as the result proved, for by 5 o'clock, so far as we could see, every man was safe on board the Merritt.
 The force of the gale and height of the sea may be understood by the fact that, aTated the Teresa from the Vulcan, the watchers on the latter vessel, owing to the heavy seas, driving rain and spray, were able to see the boats of the rescuing party only at long intervals. when they came out of the trough of the sea. The Merritt herself, although. a splendid boat, was buried in the trough of the sea at times so that only the ends of her mast heads were visible.
 The first boat loaded made in all four round trips between the Teresa and Mer- ritt, and the second made three trips, so that to rescue all hands the boats had to make the passage through those. heavy cornbing seas fourteen times, and right gallantly those brave fellows accomplish ed the work Lucky indeed was 1t for those rescued that the boats were manned by past masters at the oar and helm.
 For two hours men with axes, under the direction of the executive officer. had been stationed aft ready to cut away at a moments notice the lines that held the hawser, in case the Teresa should foun- der during the transfer of her men, ship with an anxious eye as she plunged "forecastle head under" the head seas clear to the turret; coming 9Ig out al agaihn m with with pipes and showing the heel of her ram above the next big sea. Forty-four ship mates of theirs were on board the doomed vessel and it was yet a question whether their rescue could be effected before dark
 Heavy rain squalls beat the seas down harder than ever. Struggling for foot hold on the Teresa's rickety bridge, her 1 signal man. GT9sset ggnt gssf d t9 the clear the ship" We replied, ''All right;
 High up on the bridge, silhouetted | against the leaden sky, and bracing him. self against the fearful rolling of the | Teresa as she widowed in the seas, stood | probably the last person to leave his post, | for it was not until the final boat was | receiving its quota of men that he dashed | and went aft to leave the ship.
 It was not until Il minutes past 5 l when Lieutenant Blow, and his officers | were certain that the last boatload had | been taken off. that the order was given | to "Cut away" Two blows of an ax sew | cred the lines and as the links of the | chain bridle rattled out through the stern checks the Vulcan's crew, led by Chief | Engineer Gardiner Crims, U. s. N, gave three ringing cheers as a salute to the of the elements at the Teresa's backyard 1 and also to the bravery of the Merritt's men who had made such a gallant rescue of their shipmates.
 Twenty minutes later it was so dark that the Teresa was only black Speck against the horizon and at o'clock noth- EMENTE.