The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-03

enHrnACrs TO RAISE SPANISH
SHIPS TO m ANxuLLED.
n D1g Swedish Company, which HAS
ManaIeA Many Jobs sf the Kind,
WIZ Try 20 save Then. and Will
Undertake 10 Rescue the Maine.


NEW YORK. Nov. LA dispatch to the
Tribune from Washington says;
The navy department has practically De-
c5ded % abandon wreek4ns operations un-
der Azissing contracts on the cruisers tr.s-
.9obAl Colon. Flzcaya and AsrniFaEsze Iaseh-
do near Santiago. which aave bs-rons
enormously expensive 10 the government
and to approve the recommendation. n
part IL least Of Naval Constructor HOB
ron and Other officers. VINO nave pesfa AZ
perintsnd.ag the work Of rsscg.ng tness
vexeis. Tsae department has res1fsed sils
coucsusion that the yIzcasa and the Asn'i-
Saute Oquendo will probably never Ess
guDcued and the CTlste3aI Colon. II ssFsz.
q iii, will not be brought 20 Fne United
States By the Nerris d Chapman wreck
ang Company, os New York which aas
been working OF this vessel uacsf Hpsesal
contract, involving the payment OK s-'-~S
q day since July 9. witagui yaAipsy snpfos
Ink the chances OF tslas vessel Al4Fsss-
The same company, z.uce 5uly Q. when
Il execlsted the lirst contract for the prose
cut.on OF the wreeking operations on me
ships OF Cesvera'a squadron, mas been fe-
ccfving a separate payment Of *sDo oaE'
with the single result t7at the infanfa
Maria aTeresa is now Oh her way 10 NoI
f0fx. where a commission viii DECIDE HaaG
additional compensation. not exceeding
sSlD.0N. shall be pad 10 the wrecklHs com
pauy On her account.
that the contract for the salvage or t!ts
Colon be annuIied on November ~. anu
that new proposals for righilng aud falsiils
thai vessel be publicly sought ~ 's's nsss
would Involve the government IN no aad,-
tionai expense. Unless The attempt Was d.
3Cxether successful a.
patch to Capt. Chester. senior naval OH
Ger. on the south coast OF Cuba, u me
recommendations OF the goard are ap-
n kS.S xrfttI 10 tN-
Sectsng him 10 discontinue the wrecklnS
work for the present altogether on the
Reina Mercedes which Is SUBMERGED IN
still water, and capable OF ready rsirhs'
and that no further attention. Tor the pres
ent, be paid 10 the Oauen5o and Sizcaya-
Capt Chester viii also, IN all probabi-
lty. be directed at once tss destroy the coli
her Merrimae. utilizing for this purpose
the naval vessels under his command. ana
&hair explosives this plan being calculated
to relieve the government OF ada. Iona,
naval seameH desirable practice in coun-
2enmining and the removal OF channel OBJ
etruct.ons.
Naval officials have not expressed any
particular dissatisfaction with the work or
the Merritt a Chapman Wrecking COM
paDy, wirch has received tl.s1 a day Tor
more than three months at Santiago. but
the experts are thoroughly agreed that III
4le more can De accomplished beyond the
raising of the Mercedes with the present
plant at Santiago, ana they have decided
that further expense In other directions -
unwarranted.
This GeeisIon has been influenced to some
extent by the arrival ia Washington Of the
Representatives OF a great Swedish wreck
ing corporation. which succeeded In rescu-
Ing the British battleshp Howe from
condition comparative with that OF the
CristobaI Colon. and which points 70 a
record Of over 60 ships which Ii has ex-
tricated from more or less Serious posi-
tons. nearly ali of them beng submerged
at considerable depth. This company. II
seems is not only confident Of It's ability
10 bring the Cfistobai Colon and the other
.span.sh vessels to the United States. but
II ready to guarantee tue delivery Of the
Name in the big dry dock AT the New
York navy yard. Tue Swedish wreckers
propose 10 take all the risks 81 failure
without expense 10 the government, ana to
rely. IL they succeed. for compensation
wholly or arbitration.