The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-25
THE CRUISER MARIA TERESA
Description Of the Wreck-The yes
sci Floated Quietly Upon the Beach.
Evidences that those ON Board Want
ed Her TO Sink

Evidences That those on Boa rd " ant.
ed Her To Sink
Correspondence Associated Press)
Nassau, y. p, November 15.-The
! cablegrams sent up to date have given
an outline OF the case OF the Spanish
cruiser Maria Teresa, which went
ashore in a heavy gale at Bird point,
Cat island, on the afternoon OF Novem-
ber 3rd. BY this first opportunity by
mail, details are forwarded
At last advices the Maria Teresa was
still ashore with little probability Of
being gotten off. The gale that sent
her ashore was so heavy that she was
driven up the reefs and rests now as
solid as a rock in twelve feet of water,
the water inside of her rising and fall
| ing 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 strand
ed, a we'll worn American ensign, has
| been brought to Nassau, and Consul
McLain insists on keping it at the con-
! sulate as a souvenir of the Spanish
warship, which so pathetically sought
a final resting place on the very shores
| where Columbus first landed.
The British steamer Antilla return
ed from the wreck on Sunday and stat
ed that it was impossible for her to
! accomplish anything. The surf was
| so heavy that she could not get within
a quarter of a mile of the Teresa,
though drawing but nine feet. Two
gentlemen on board managed to reach
the Teresa in boat, but the surf was
so strong they could not return TO the
Antilla, and finally reached the shore
where they were left to return to Mas
sau by schooner.
The ship has been badly looted by
the negro natives of the vicinity, an
ignorant community, who generally
believe that all wrecks are a present
sent them by the Lord, and TO be CRATE
fully accepted and utilized accordingly.
Certain portion of the ship stores,
such as heavy hawserS, ropes tins of
machine oil, canned provisions, etc.
were taken off by a local official and
forwarded to Nassau by small schoon-
ers.' This official it is but fair
to say, did all he could to pre-
vent the loOting, but did not succeed
to any great extent Immediately
upon the arrival Of these articles at
Nassau they were taken possession of,
by the marshal of the vice admiralty,
on the ground that the snip and con-
tents were direlict and so belonged to
the colonial authorities. The Ameri-
can consul, Mr.. McLain, notified 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 rails
ed, is not likely to be settled at once.
New York, November 22-The
steamer Antilla is at present in this
port. Her second officer, Edward Web
ber, said today 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. Il questioned
the natives and learned from them
that the Maria Teresa first appeared
in the Offing about o'clock on the
morning Of the Thursday after she was
abandoned. She rode in gracefully
and had she been brought in under
skillful guidance she could not have
come ashore at a better place She
went on the shore at IL o'clock the
same morning in which she was sight
ed. 1t is my opinion as we'll as the
opinion Of the others in Cat island that
for some reason an attempt was made
by those on the Maria Teresa to have
her sink before she had drifted
port holes above the water line were
left open, but in spite of this
there were only three feet of water
in her when she came ashore.
| believe that the crew when they left
her were anxious that it might be
the last Of her. She is lying at pres
ent with very slight list 10 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. / believe that the
vessel will not go TO pieces. but will
remain where she is for years Her
military masts have gone by the board
and are lying on each side of her"