The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-14
FLOATING THE TERESA.
How HObsOn Raised the Sunlxen
Spanish Cruiser.

Spanish Cruiser.
Santiago, Cuba, Sept. 27.-The erstwhile
flagship of Admiral Cervera's Cape Verde
fleet. the proud Infanta Maria Teresa, has
been raised from where she was sunk by
SIMPSONS squadron and towed east fifty
miles to Guantanamo bay.
The first wrecking expedition to raise
the Teresa arrived at Santiago shortly af-
ter the surrender of Santiago on July II,
and was expected to work vigorously to
raise her before the West India hurricanes
came on. A second wrecking expedition to
raise the Colon arrived shortly afterward.
No work was done on the Colon, but both
expeditions were combined on the Teresa.
No marked progress was made. Lack
of technical and exact knowledge of mod
ern man-of-war obstruction regarding
water-tight compartments and protective
decks may have been the reason.
More active work was required and Ma
val Constructor Hobson was sent down to
Commodore Watson; the chief wrecker
was removed and sent to the United
States. Immediate progress was made I'M
der intelligent efforts to raise the Teresa,
in contrast with many weeks of fine
weather lost Excepting the 11-inch tur-
ret guns, her battery was removed and
wreckers could and should have done this
before. Steam was raised in the main and
donkey boilers and winches and pumps
were started.
But the inevitable West India hurricane
had replaced the fine weather, and while
it devastated Barbados, st. Vincent ana
other islands, with great loss of life II
fortunately spared Eastern Cuba Such
good luck could not last, and Hobson re-
doubled his efforts and on Friday, Sept
%, found him ready to pull off the vessel
At daylight Capt. c. F. Goodrich, the
senior naval officer, arrived from Guam
tanamo with the Newark, Scorpion, Poto-
mac and Alvarada. Shortly after the
American ensign was hoisted on the In
fanta Maria Teresa, and signal was made
that she had left the rocAs that had held
her so tenaciously since the Hateful July
g. when Cervera's squadron went down be-
fore Admiral Simpsons misunderstanding
jackies.
Sailors were put on the Teresa from the
Newark and divers sent down to make
her ready for a dash to Guantanamo bay,
fifty miles to the east. All contingencies
had been thought out beforehand. If nee
essary to beach her before arrival, the few
sandy spot on Cubas rock-bound shore
had been buoyed and marked
About IL a. m. the powerful government
tug Potomac, Lieut.. Blow commanding,
passed an immense steel hawser to the
Maria Teresa and started ahead Steam
sirens and whistles from naval ships and
wrecking tugs welcomed this addition to
Uncle Sans navy, and the naval ships
fired national salutes.
East of Santiago and. off Siboney the
wind freshened, the sea increased and the
barometer fell sure Indications down here
of bad weather, if not a hurricane. The
Teresa had probably 500 tons of water in
her fore compartments, but with all pumps
going she was only drawing twenty-seven
feet of water forward, six feet below her
normal draft She was thus steering bad
ly and yawnng from side to side, stretch
ing the faithful steel hawser of the Po-
tomac to the utmost and bending strong
iron stancnions guarding it like straws
Another vessel was put to towing and all
the speed given her that the head sea
would permit, getting into Guantanamo
at p. M, to the great relief of all.
BY midnight she had been moored in
previously buoyed blight that had been ac-
curately sounded out by Lieut.. Hasey,
navigator of the Newark. Such a uni
form depth was necessary in case she
agian sunk and thus prevent straining,
and also to permit divers to work.
AS the Teresa is pumped out and she
rises the extent and deStructiVeness Of the
Americans gunnery becomes more sp-
parent and appalling. One 1Sinch she'll
mad entered the Teresas quarter, exDlod-
ed, setting Admiral Cervera's cabin on
fire. cutting thick iron stanchions. and
bulkheads like cheese and tearing an inn
mense hole in the vessel.
Others had entered amidships, cutting
the Waterman from the steam fire system
thus preventing the extinguishing of
flames started in many places by explod-
ing shells Of smaller -oaliber. Dead bodies
we're found in the coal bunkers and en-
CINE spaces the men having been killed
by exploding shells and raging fires. 1t
is almost impossible to count or trace The
shots, because upon exploding they hew
and cut decks, beams and bulkheads and
the ships sides ia all directions. The
spar deck beams are twisted and warped
and near by is the burnt silver chest Of
Admiral Cervera
government recovered $1,000 in Spanish
gold.
On a nearby lighter are sixty-seven
casks of fiery red wine and sherry. the
service grog of the Spanish navy on
another lighter are tons Of ammunition
ranging from huge 1l-inch shells weigh
ing more than a ton to the peppery l.
FOUNDER, Unlike those of the Almirante
Oauendo and Vizcaya. the magazines Of
the Teresa did not explode; they were
probably flooded upon the first fire alarm
Hence, with the exception Of her upper
works she IS in good condition. Her en-
gines are now being repaired by the Vul-
can. under the efficient supervision of
Chief Engineer Sims.
When the Teresa steams into an Amer
lean port with her own engines and con
voyed by the hard-working feet down
here. it is to be hoped she will get a warm
welcome.