The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-31
BRITISH STEAMER CAPTURED
HAD COAL FOR THE sPANISE
FLEET.
Was Nabbed By the Auxiliary Cruis-
er st. Paul, While Attempting to
Enter the Harbor of Santiago.

Key West, Fla. May S0.-The British
steamer Restormal was brought in here
| this morning under her own steam, by
| a prize crew She was captured while
! trying 10 put into Santiago de Cuba
with a cargo of coal. The steamer was
bound from Cardiff to Porto Rico. AS
the Restorrnal came in the British flag
was flying half way down her main
mast She was leaking badly.
Newspaper men were not permitted
to approach within a hundred yards of
her
The Restormal was built in Newcas-
auxiliary cruiser st. Paul. Captain
Sigsbee.
The eRstormal was built in Newcas-
tie in 1882. She has a gross tonnage of
1920, is 286 fet long. has inches beam,
and is % feet seven inches deep.
She is owned b. the Restormal
Steamship company, limited J. Cory
& Sons) Of Cardiff.
The Restormal was captured under
the very guns of MORO Castle at San
tiago de Cuba, at 6 a. m, on May %.
She carried 2.400 tons of the best Welsh
coal, from Cardiff. presumably for Ad-
miral Cervera's fleet.
The St. Paul had been lying off
Santiago for six days. and early last
Wednesday morning the big collier was
sighted, making at full speed for San
tiago harbor.
The st. Paul fired a blank shot and
the Restormal came to four miles
from the Santiago forts. The forts did
not fire on the cruiser. a prize crew,
in command of Lieutenant ]. A. Patti
son, was put on board and dispossessed
the British officers, who made no pro-
test.
Not a line was found among the
ships papers relative to the destination
or cOnsignee of the cargo.
The Restormal was headed at once
for Key West. She was leaking badly
when captured and is still in a serious
condition. The Restormal now lies in
the harbor near the wharf. The Brit
ish flag is flying at her stern.
Marines patrol the prize, and will al
low no one aboard. The members of
the crew are not even allowed to take
newspapers offered to them from the
launches that come alongside.
In addition TO the st. Paul, there
were Eve other naval scouts outside
Santiago. establishing a definite block
ade in the sense that no merchant yes
sells are allowed to enter.
4 TAME CAPTURE.
According to Lieutenant ]. A. Patter-
son. who is in command of the prize
crew that brought in the Restormel. her
capture was a very COMMONPLACE AFFAIR
Lieutenant Patterson says; About
o'clock last Wednesday morning the ST.
Paul. scouting off Santiago haroor,
sighted the Restormel. IL miles away, APP
parently heading for the port. She was
going in openly and honestly and not
sulking along the shore. The st. Paul
within hailing distance. fred a blank shot.
The pursued steamer paid no attention.
but she hove to Immediately when
solid shot was fired across her bows.
crew and took possession without pro
test. The captain talked frankly, saying
that he was bound for Santiago, though
he had sailed from Cardiff on Arrl Z.
for San Juan. THIS was before the de-
claration ot war was received. At San
Juan he was ordered to proceed to Cura-
Goa and from that place to Santiago de
Cuba.
'The only exciting part of the advent
ure came after we left Santiago for Ke.r
West. The Restormei was leaking badly
hands manned the three pumps night and
day-crew marines and officers.
II have not taken off my shoes or been
TO bed since we started five days ago.
At times we were about to give uD hope
of keeping the Restormal afioat and
thought of saving ourselves if We went
down. We were all very glad when Key
West was sighted. The story that there
were Spanish officers aboard the ship is
false but there is no resisting the con-
elusion that the Restormels coal was in
tended for the Spanish feet, for the cap
tain told a perfectly straightforward
story about his voyage"
When the Restormel arrived here, it
was believed it TSould be necessary to
beach her. take out her coal on lighters.
then repair the leak and raise her, but
later il was practically decided to tow
her to the government dock and unload
the cargo there.
Interesting light is thrown on Admiral
plans by the log of the Re-
stormel She sailed for San Juan de
Porto Rico where the Spaniards ex-
pected to coal. San Juan being unsafe.
Curacao was selected. but the collier