Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-09
THE TERESA ASHORE.
so THE MERRITT wRECKIvG COM
PANy rs INFORMED.
VESSELS SENT AFTER HER
orders Immediate Dis
patch of Rcpa;r-ship vulcan, Under
Command of Capt. McCaIin-Report
of Grounding Believed by Experts.


rift wrecklng Company has received
information that the Teresa is ashore at
Cat Island. Captain Chttenden will
leave, with the steamer Merritt. at once.
Is IT THE TERESA?
NASSAU. n. p, November S.-Reliable
news has Just been received here. saying
that a steamer is ashore on the north
east coast of Cat Island. She is painted
black, is deserted, has two tunnels, two
masts and no deck-houses. Her name IS
unknown.
CROWNINSHIELD BELIEVES RE-
PORT.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., November g.
A message received at the Navy Depart
ment to-day from Captain Crowninshield'
chief Of the Navigation Bureau. who Is
in New York called attention TO the re-
port that the Spanish cruiser Maria
Teresa had been seen off Cat Island me
Captain expressed belief in the accuraeV
OF the report. and suggested to the oe-
partment that the repair ship Vulcan,
now at Norfolk, be sent at once to make
search for the derelict. The department
acted Immediately upon the suggestion
Al telegram was sent to the commandaht
Of the Norfolk navy-yard, directing MN
TO place the Vulcan in command OF cap
tain McCalla. the captain OF the yard
and send her with all dispatch to look
for the Teresa A similar order WIS
cabled to Captain Converse, at Guanta-
namo. directing him to send the Dig
wreckng tug Potomac from that place
northward on the same quest. she goes
I'm charge Of Commander J. D. Craven
and the department believes that she VIII
he in the vicinity of Cat Island within
thirty-six hours. The Vulcan was one
of the vessels which was towing the
Teresa when she was supposed TO have
foundered. and the department believes
she will reach the scene of the wreck IN
about forty-eight hours after leaving Nor
folk.
THE GROUNDING VERY PROBABLE.
Cat Island lies about thirty miles south
| west of the spot where the Teresa was
| last seen. and it Is said at the department
/ that if the vessel did not founder out
/ right within a few hours after having
! been cut adrift, she would almost certainly
| have fetched up on the shoal beach OIL
Cat Island. for the wind and tide set d.
| rectly on that beach.
! If so. the location is much more favor
| able for saving the ship than the position
occupied by her off Santiago, where the bot
tom was covered with rocks and the wreck
ers worked at great disadvantage. cap
tain McCalla was selected for the task
because of his great energy and abllty
for this particular class of work, and the
| officers declare that If any man can brins
the Teresa into port, he can.
THEORY OF CONSTRUCTORS.
If is the belief of naval constructors
that the Teresa took water aboard al
most altogether through the decks, and
not through the huh, IS would appear
from the first accounts of the loss OF
the shin. These decks were rude, tenn
porary constructions, and were entirely
unsuited for rough weather. The fact
that the reports indicate that the shlF
settled by the head, and that water ran
into the coal bunkers. and thence to the
| fre-rooms, goes TO bear out the constrcc'
tors theory. 1t also tends to give coioi
TO the report that the ship may not have
! foundered at once, but have drifted ashore
on Cat Island.
1t is presumed that the wrecking com
pany. which has vessels on hand. will take
immediate steps to recover the ship, Il
possible, in order to secure the large
salvage which was almost within its grasT
when the ship was cast off.