The record-union., 1898-11-09
Is the WarshIp Abandoned During the Storm
and Thought to Have Sunk.
The Vulcan, Under Command of
Captain McCalla, Ordered to
Depart With All Dispatch to
Look for the Vessel-The
Wrecking Tug Potomac Also
to be Sent on the Same Quest.

WASHINGTON, Nov S.-A message
received at the Navy Department FROM
Captain Crowninshield, Chief of the
Bureau of Navigation, who is in New
York called attention to the report that
the Spanish cruiser Maria Teresa had
been seen off Cat Island. The Cap
tain expressed his belief in the accu-
racy of the report, and suggested to-
the department that the repair ship
Vulcan, now at Norfolk, be sent to
make search for the dereqict .t
The department acted at once UPON
the suggestion. A telegram was sent
to the commandant of the Norfolk navy
yard, directing him to place the Vul~
can in command of Captain McCallas
the Captain of the yard, and send her
with all dispatch to look for the Te-
resa.
A similar order was cabled to Captaim
Converse at Guantanamo directing him
TO send the wrecking tug Potomac from
that place northward on the same
quest. She goes in charge of ]. E. Graz
ven, and the department believes that
she will be in the vicinity of Cat ISL
and within thirty-six hours.
The Vulcan was one of the vessels
Which was towing the Teresa when sha
was supposed to have foundered, and
the department believes that she wilt
reach the scene of the wreck in about
forty-eight hours after leaving Norfolk.
Cat Island lies about thirty miles
southwest of the spot where the Teresa
was last seen, and it is said at the de-
partment that if the vessel did not
founder within a few hours after be.
ing cut adrift, she would almost Ger.
tainly have fetched up on the shoal
beach off Cat Island, for the wind and
tide set directly on that beach. If so.
the location is more favorable for sav~
ing the ship than the position occupied
by her off Santiago, where the bottom
was covered with rocks, and the wreck
ers worked at great disadvantage
Captain McCalla was selected for the
task because of his great energy and
ability for this particular class of work.
and the officers declare that if any man
can bring the Teresa into port he can.
1t is believed by naval constructors
that the Teresa took water aboard al
most altogether through the decks. and
not through the hull, as would appear
from the first accounts of the loss OF
the ship. These decks were rude tenn
porary constructions, and We're entire-
ly unsuitable for rough weather The
fact that the reports indicate that the
ship settled by the head, and that wa
ter ran into the coal bunkers and thence
into the firerooms, goes to bear out
the constructors theory. 1t also tends
10 give color to the report that the shin
may not have foundered.
THE MERRITT ORDERED TO CAT
ISLAND.
NORFOLK (Va.), Nov. S.-The Mer-
ritt Wrecking Company has received
information that the Teresa is ashore
at Cat Island. Captain Chittenden will
leave with the steamer Merritt at once.
me telegram came from L j. Merritt
OF New York, and reads as follows:
Maria Teresa ashore Cat Island.
Hold Merritt with crew and apparatus:
also Captain Chittenden.''
The Merritt was to have left for New
York this afternoon, but that order was
revoked and preparations are now
making to start for Cat Island The
Navy Department at Washington has
been notified
THE REPORT NOT CREDITED AT
NASSAU.
NASSAU On. P.), Nov. S.-No infor-
nation is obtainable here which in anv
way tends 10 confirm the report in cir
culatlon In the United States that the
cruiser Maria Teresa, which was aban-
uoned IN sinking condition off Wat
Hng Island on November 1st. has heen
slgnted aground off Cat Island in the
Banana group. The rumor that the
cruiser has been sighted is discredjtad
here.