The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-08


Try to keep us head to wind 1 Or
dered Captain Lecato to take charge
of the lee surf boat and when it was
lowered to the rail ordered Captain
Chittenden into it. Against his repeat
ed protests, he was placed in the boat
with his son. This boat was unable to
reach the lines we had astern, but
the Merritt picked it up, and after TAX
ing Captain Chittendon aboard towed
| the beoat to our leequarter, and repeat
ed this manouever, each trip forming
/ q lee for the boats TO come here and
| then towing them back. She was
! snlendidly handled. From 2 until
o'clock the work of transferring the
| crew continued. Captain LecatO made
! two more trips, when his arm being
| disabled, his place was taken by Mr..
Johnson, who also took two boatloads.
THE life raft was gotten over and
| capsiZed but was righted. 1t was put
| in charge Of James Bashford, ordinary
| seaman, of the Illinois naval militia.
| He and mis- crew took six Cubans to
| the Merritt. The smaller surf boat
slowed in board on the lee side was
| then gotten out, and put it in charge
| of Charles A. Dunno, quartermaster
| first class. ] gave him nearly all the
| good seamen left for a crew. 1t was
| launched very handsomely and made
| two trips. In all these trips we poured
| oil from the spOnsons on both sides, and
the Vulcan used oil to make it smooth
| where the embarking was done. doubt
| if we could have worked without it.
1.-The ship labOred more and more
! heavily. Before I left the bridge she
rolled her sponsors under. which I
| should estimate to be 30 degrees, and
her pitching was enough to show her
| rudder, propellers and perhaps twelve
! feet Of her keel She was about four
fn6 hJvt hn foil inf 10
very heavily and shuddered as she rose.
| There was no water aft. The Vulcan
did her best to keep our head up,
steering to starbOard and going to full
| speed while the sea beat the Teresa's
| head to port.
"Throughout the day the Vulcan did
| everything possible. We were con-
stantly signaling.
with the exception of three men
| who got drung and gave much trouble,
| all the crew behaved well. Every man
did his duty and my orders were in
| stantly obeyed by wreckers and men
| of the navy.
when the fires were low 1 called for
volunteers and the donkey boilers were
at once filled up. Twice 1 asked c. F.
Smith and James F. Brien, chief ma
chinsts, to oil the steering engine and
| they did SO and the engine ran till we
left. When l took Dunno from the
| helm to lower the smaller surf boat his
| place was taken by William c. Nor
| hoff, machinist, second class, who
steered the wreck until We left the
| bridge together, when he lashed the
wheel amidships. Willard Crossett,
| bugler, was signalman and was as cool
! as possible. He made no mistakes and
| was very useful to me as a meSsen-
ger About 4:30 o'clock he made sig
( nal: Hang on to the wreck until you
are sure she is sinking, to which the
| Vulcan replied: We will hold on until
she sinks or parts the tow line The
last signal he made was: These two
boats will take ALL After that had
| to go aft to force the drunken men
| overheard and about o'clock we were
| all off. The boats were hauled under
the stem as near as it was safe, where
the oil and lee of the ship made it
smooth, and were held by one line
while another line, with a ladder at
tached f1oated the stern on this line
Two double bghts where stopped on
the right side to go over a mans
shoulder. The end was Stacked from
the ship aid when two men jumped,
they We're hauled into the boat. A very
fine fellow named Olsen attended to
this. When all had gone but he and l.
he cut the line and we jumped to-
gether.
'It was perhaps $50 o'clock when we
reached the Merritt. While she was
getting in the surf boats the Vulcan
slipped the hawser of the Infanta Ma
ria Teresa. l expect that the wreck
dragging off to port brought all the
| strain on the port bride and started
the bits. When the boats were in, the
Merritt, at my request started to
speak the Vulcan, but was unable to
reach her, and she apparently did not
hear our whistle. The Merritt then
returned to find the wreck, but could
not do So. The search continued until
1 o'clock p. m. The following day she
headed for Charleston.
Very respectfully.
IRA HARRIS,
| Lieutenant Commander, U. S. NJ
Commenting on that feature of the
report stating that some of the men
got drunk, naval officials expressed
the opinion that these men were not
seamen of the navy but We're sailors
from the wrecking crew.
No orders were issued by the navy
| department up to the close of office
hours as to the disposition of Lieuten-
ant Commander Harris and his crew,
and Captain Crowninshield, of the
bureau of navigation, said no orders
would be formulated tonight.
1t is said at the navy department
that provision was made by which the
Teresa could nave Weathered any or
binary stern. Rough wooden decks
had been nailed over her upper works.
Her hull was then sneathed, and
heavy chains were wound around her
SO as to hold her together. Although
far from seaworthy. all that was ex-
pected was that the cruiser might be
kept afloat until docked in this coun-
try. She had been stripped of all guns
and valuableS save the big turrer H.
| jnch before starving fhSf il
is believed there will be no loss or
that account. 1t is the opinion of the
navy department that the government
has lost, besides the value of the ship
herself. only the amount Of the pei
diem of $500 per day through the sink
ing of the vessel. because the con-
tract appears to nave required the de-
livery by the wrecking company OF
the vessel at the navy yard al Nor