The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-23
wEBBER'S STORY OF WRECK.
SECOND OFFICER OF THE ANTILLA
TELLS OF THE MARIA TERESA.

TELLS OF THE MARIA TERESA.
He says She Is Not Lying on the
Rocks, hut Only Has Her Nose in
the ssnd-Indications That the
cruiser Was "Fixed" to Sink BE-
fore She Drifted So Far-DOesn't
mink She VIII Go to Pieces in
Years.
New York, Nov. 22.-The steamer Antilla
&c at present in this port. Her second officer,
EDWARD Weber, said to-day that when
the steamer was at Cat Island the Infanta
Maria Teresa was lying in about fifteen
feet of water and the surf was breaking
over her. She was lying easy and not on
the rocks, but with her nose in the sand.
Had the surf not been so high believe
that we could have pulled her off," said
Mr.. Weber II questioned the natives and
learned from them that the Maria Teresa
first appeared in the offing about o'clock
in the morning of the Thursday after she
was abandoned. She rose in gracefully
and had she been brought in under skilful
Guidance, she could not have come ashore
al better place. She went on the shore at
Il o'clock the same morning in which she
was sighted.
1T Is my opinion, as well as the opinion
of the others on Cat Island, that for some
reason an attempt was made by those on
the Maria Teresa to have her sink before
she had drifted far in the storm.
IAN the square port holes above the wa
left I'M in cnif IF
there was only three feet of water in her
when she came ashore. l believe that the
crew when they left her were anxious that
that might be the last of her. She is lying
at present with very slight list to port.
AS her stern is presented to the breakers
the waves as they break near the stern
run alongside, making little vibration. The
pumps were all right and the working
parts are above water. l believe that the
vessel viii not go to pieces, but win re-
main where she is for years Her military
masts have gone by the board and are ly-
ing on each side of her"
Correspondence of the Associated Press)
Nassau, New Providence, Nov. 15.-The
cablegram sent up to date have given an
outline of the case of the Spanish cruiser
Maria Teresa, which went ashore in
L
the afternoon of Nov 3. BY the first OPP
porunity by mail, details are forwarded.
At last advices the Maria Teresa was
stIJ ashore with little probability of be-
ing gotten off. The gale that sent her
ashore was SO heavy that she was driven
far up the reefs and rests now on a solid
rock ia twelve feet of water the water in
side of her rising and falling with the
tide. A very heavy surf is pouring in on
the reefs, rendering it difficult to board her.
The ships pet fine large cat remains on
board and nobody can catch him. The
ships flag, which was flying when she
stranded, a wen worn American ensign,
has been brought to Nassau, and Consul
McLain insists on keeping it at the consul
late as a souvenir of the Spanish warship,
which so pathetically sought final rest
ing place on the very shores where Column
bus first landed.
The British steamer Antilla returned
from the wreck on Sunday and reported
that it was impossible for her to accom-
plish anything.
The sruf was so heavy that she could not
get within a quarter of a mile of the Te-
resa though drawing but nine feet. Two
gentlemen on board managed to reach the
Teresa in a boat, but the surf was so
strong they could not return to the An
ta, and finally reached the shore where
they were left to return to Nassau by
schooner.
The ship has been badly looted by the
negro natives of the vicinity, an ignorant
community was generally believed that all
wrecks are a present sent TO them by the
Lord and to be gratefully accepted and
utilized accordingly. Certain portions of
the ships stores, such as heavy haw
sers, ropes tins or machine oil, canned
provisions, etc, were taken off by a local
official and forwarded to Nassau by small
schooners This official, il is but fair TO
say,did all he could to prevent the footing;
but did not succeed to any great extent
Immediately upon the arrival of these ar
tcles at Nassau they were taken posses
sion of by the marshal of the vice admir-
atty court, on ground that the ship and
contents were derelict and so belonged to
the colonial authorizes.
The American consul, Mr.. McLain, noti-
fed the marshal that he considered the
articles salved to be the property of the
United States government and that he
should, at the proper time, request that
they be released and handed over to him.
The question of ownership, thus raised, is
moi likely IN ba settled q once