The record-union., 1898-05-31
STEAMER REsTORMEL.
The Ship and Cargo Libeled by
the Prize Commissioners.

~ Il w Ed hdy oO-4 AIC III AIl@AA
steamer Restormel was brought in here
this morning under her own steam by
a prize crew. She was captured While
trying to put into Santiago de Cuba
with a cargo Of coal. The steamer
was bound from Cardiff to Porto Rico.
AS the Restormel came in the British
flag was flying half way down her
mainmast. She was leaking badly.
Newspaper men were not permitted to
approach within hundred yards of
her.
The Restormel was captured by the
auxiliary cruiser ST. Paul, Captain
Sigsbee
The Restormel was built in Newcas-
tie in 1882. She has a gross tonnage
of 200, is 2S6 feet long, has SO feet B
inches beam and is % feet inches
draught. She is owned by the Restor-
mel Steamship Company of Cardiff.
The Restormel was captured under
the very guns of MORO Castle at San
tiago de Cuba, at 6 a. M, on May 10Th.
She carried 2,400 tons of 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 Santiago
Harbor The ST. Paul fired a blank
shot, and the Restormel came to four
miles from the Santiago forts. The
forts did not fire on the cruiser
A prize crew, in command of Lieuten-
ant j. A. Patterson, was put on board
and dispossessed the British officers
who made no protest. Not a line was
found among the ships papers relative
to the destination or consisnee or the
cargo.
The Restormel was headed at once for
Key West. She was leaking badly when
captured, and is still in serious con-
dition.
The Restormel now lies in the har-
Dor, near the wharf The British flag
is flying at her stern. Marines patrol
the prize, and will allow no one on
board. The members of her 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
five other naval scouts outside San
tiago, establishing a definite blockade
to see that no more merchant vessels
are allowed to enter.
The guard on the Restormel is so
strict that even the British Consul is
not permitted to go on board. The
steamer cleared from Cardiff for San
Juan, and is believed to have touched
at that point and to have been order
Cd to Santiago. 1t is runore1 that
she had Spanish officers on board
The hearing of the case Of the Res
tormel took place in the prize court
this afternoon. and her commander
was not allowed to comm unicare With
the British authorities until after the
hearing. The British Consul believes
the steamer will be released, but the
Spanish fleet viii not get the coal.
Lieutenant Pattson, the prize COM
mander of the Restormel, made an ex-
plicit statement to a representative of
Associated Press this morning, saying
that the steamer hove to after the first
shot He added that the Spanish forts
did not appear to notice the capture
The Lieutenant also gave out that the
steamer IS uninjured, and ne has also
made the statement to the authorities
here.
According to Lieutenant j. A. Patt-
son, who is in command of the prize
crew that brought in the Restormel, her
capture was a very commonplace affair.
He said: About o'clock last Wednes-
day morning the ST Paul. scouting eff
Santiago harbor, sighted the Eestormel
twelve miles away, apparently heading
for the port. She was going in openly
and honestly, and not skulking along
the shore The st. Paul took q course
to cut her off, and wnan within hailing
distance fired a blank shot The pur-
sued steamer paid no attention, but she
hove to Immediately vhan q solid shot
was fired across her bows
About 6 o'clock / went out with a
prize crew and took possession without
protest. The Captain talked frankly,
saying that he was bound for Santiago.
though he had sailed from Cardir on
April 21st for San JIan. This was he-
fore the declaration CT war was re-
ceived At San Juan he was ordered
to proceed to Curacao, and from that
place to Santiago De Cuba
When the Restormel arrived here il
was believed it would De necessary to
beach her. take out her coal on lighters.
then repair the leak aad raise her: but
later on it was practically decided to
tow her to the Government dock and
unload the cargo there.
Interesting light is thrown on Ad-
miral Cervera's plans by the log of the
Restormel. She sailed for San Juan de
Porto Rico, where the Spaniards ex-