The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-07
HOW SHE WENT DOWN.
Loss of the Maria Teresa Described
by a Vulcan Officer.

.'The gale in which the Teresa was
lost began with a fierce sQualI five min
utes before / o'clock on the morning OF
November 1. Wind and sea rose at
o'clock From the TereSa's bridge
came the Wig-Wag signal by lamp sig
nal Merritt to steer to windward. The
Merritt at once changed her course to
north-nOrtheast, 1t had been north.
To US the fact that the Teresa must be
kept head to sea was in itself considered
ominOuS All signals were made TO US
by wig-wag flag from the Teresa We
repeated them to the Merritt or Leonl-
cat noon the gale had increased in
violence and all three vessels labored
heavily in the sea. The Teresa plung-
ing deeply took much water ABOARD over
the bows and often when 'reeling she
shipped seas amidships. The starboard
engine only was being used. It was
turning thirty-eight revolutions when
last reported. The forward wrecking
pump was sending out a large stream
over the port bow.
AT ten minutes past noon the Leo
midas, then fully mile ahead, was sig
nailed do not go so far ahead Thirty
minutes later the Teresa signalled can
Merritt run to Watlings island safeIyE
The Merritt answered no promptly.
This was the first intimation of the rea1
danger at hand.
Almost simultaneously with the
Merritt's next signal give your orders
came this from the Teresa, tell Mer-
rift to cast off and come within hail
This was done and her crew hauled in
the 100 fathOms of hawser while on the
way 80 assist the Teresa The latter
then signalled we shall abandon snip
Tell LeOnidaS stand by us to WlndWard.
answered we will hold on until the last
and use OIL to which the Teresa re-
piled many thanks.
'"The Vulcan's commander, Lieuten-
ant George P. Blow, Immediately plan
ned the Vulcan's part in the scheme of
rescue Being almost sure that the
Teresa's starbOard engine would be
kept working until the last, 1t was de-
cided 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 of the vulcan, en-
abling the latter to use oil to advantage
when the rescuing in boats began.
From the first the heavy labor1ng
of the Teresa gave the impression that
she would founder suddenly and that ali
her people would be overheard at any
moment, either swimming or drowning
before our eyes.
Woods, U. S. N, was detailed to note
the time that each signal was sent and
repeated. Oil was the first requisite
Mechanics passed it up in buckets from
the hold; those on deck filled small
bags with it. The effect was immediate
in soothing 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 bow line was
made in every ropes end, by which the
men could be hauled out of the sea. II
the ship had foundered before her peo-
pie were taken off, it was the com
manding officers intention, after cut
ting the hawser, to place his vessel 10
leeward and then work up to wind
ward of the men in the water and pick
them up.
Half the charges were extricated
from some six FOUNDER shells and they
a
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.
After the Teresa began to fill 1t be-
came impossible for the Vulcan to keep
her head to windward, but being prac-
tically water-lOgged she made an ex-
cellent breakwater for the boats, even
after she fell off into the trough of the
sea.
crew and engineers force equipped two
life boats of the oars, life preservers
and oil 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
windward; they fOuled the hawser and
were finally cut adrift.
AT two in the afternoon the Merritt
wore ship just astern of the Teresa
and came up under her lee just 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
hanging from davits on the Teresa's
port side Pulling quickly clear of the
ships side, the boats crew, composed
of the Wrecker'S men, went about saw
ing the people in a systematic way.
There was less than four hours OF
daylight left in which to rescue ia per-
sons, including eighteen Cuban coal
passers and such a sea was running
as would have daunted any life boat
crew. To have attempted to go near
enough to the great ships side to let
her people climb down or drop into the
boats meant certain destruction to the
rescuing party. So while the boat was
tOwed by its painter from the snip
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. 1t was a SLOW, put
safe process, as the result proved, for
by o'clock every man, so 1ar as we
could see, was safe on board the Mer'
1.-The force of the gale and the height
of the sea may be best understood
by the fact that although only go fath-
orns of hawser separated the Teresa
from the Vulcan, the watchers on the
latter vessel, owing to heavy seas,
driving rain and spray were only able
to see the boats of the rescuing party
at long intervals when they came out
of the trough OF the sea- The Merritt
herself although a splendid sea boat,
was buried in the trough of the sea at
times so that only the ends of her mast
heads were visible
1.-The first boat lowered made in all
four round trips between the Teresa
and the Merritt, and the second made
three trips, SO that to rescue all hands
the boats had to make the passage
through those heavy cOmbing seas
icrf1f "a MT
brave fellows accomplished the work.
Lucky indeed was it for those rescued
that the boats were manned by past
masters at the oar and helm.