The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-06
THE GOVERNMENTS LOSS.
Out of Pocket Only the Cost of Rails
ing the Maria Teresa.

Out of Pocket Only the Cost of Rails
ing the Maria Teresa.
WASHINGTON, Nov. Alt is said at the
Navy Department that provision was made
by which the Teresa could have weathered
any ordinary storm A rough wooden deck
had been nailed over her upper works. Her
hull was then sheathed and heavy chains
were wound around her so as to hold her to-
gether. Although far from seaworthy, all
that was expected was that the cruiser
might be kept aaoat until locked in this
country. She had been stripped of all guns
and valuables save the big turret eleven
inch guns before starting so that it is be-
lieved there will be no loss on 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 per diem of $500 per day through the
sinking of the vessel, because the contract
appears to have required the delivery by the
wrecking company of the vessel at the navy
yard at Norfolk, Va The exact language
of the contract on that point is as follows:
IF the party of the first part shall be sue
cessful in raising her. to be taken by the
party of the first part, if so required by the
party of the second part, without unneces-
sary delay, to the navy yard, Norfolk, Va,
and there delivered to the commandment Of
that navy yard. Subject to such change in
place of delivery of vessel or recovered prop
erty as may be decided upon by the party
of the second part
The above language applied in the connec-
ton used was recited in the contract direct
with the Colon, which was supposed to be
in better condition than any of the other
vessels and easier to raise, but, as a sub
sequent paragraph requires the contractors
to direct attention to the other vessels I'M
der the terms of the contract. it would seem
that they have lost the salvage upon the
Ship According to the contract. salvage
was TO consist OF such further compensa-
ton over or above the per diem and stipu-
lated expenses as might be awarded by a
board appointed for that purpose, consist
ing OF a representative of each party and
third party. AS a matter of fact, it
turned out, upon close inspection by wreck
ers, that while the Colon was practically
intact so far as hull and fittings were con-
cerned while the Teresa had been damaged
to some extent by fire, the latter was in
much better position to raise.
The department started about this work
energetlcally- The vessel was sunk on the
Sd of July, and three days later the con-
tract was signed under which she was
raised. The work was attended by greater
difficulties than had been anticipated. Divers
sent below reported that the hull below the
water line was comparatively unin1ured, so
it was supposed that nothing more than
the ordinary process of pumping out after
stopping ports ana submerged ndIcneS
would be necessary TO raise the Ship When
the pumps had drawn a good deal of water
out of the ship she began to raise, and it
was announced that she had been fioated
This was mistake. big rock lay directly
below the ship and she was impaled upon
it. AS she lifted, the water rushed in and
she sank again.
A troublesome engineering problem was
presented at this stage of the work. for,
as she lay, the Teresa could not be pulled
into shallower water or fioated, being held
firmly fixed by the driven rock. Finally aft
er vast difficulty on account of the neces-
sty of laboring under water, in mud and
slime, and darkness, a cofferdam was con-
structed around the rock, the portions
which held the ship We're blasted away and
she was released and f1oated 10 Caimanera.
At this point work was undertaken to put
her in shape for the homeward voyage and
upon the character of this work depends
the solution of the question as TO whether
she was properly fitted. Not many details
are known here TO this. She was patched
and by liberal use of cement, made water
tight All her decks were burned away. leav-
ing the iron framing and sheating exposed.
Temporary planking was put into place to
make the decks water tight, living quar-
ters were constructed for her crew and the
hull thoroughly cleaned inside from the ac-
cumulated sea filth This occupied good
deal of time. so that while the vessel was
raised on Sept. % and the work was prose-
cuted with vigor. ii was not until Oct so
that she was able to start away from Cal
manera under her own steam bound for
Norfolk. She was accompanied on the start