The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-08
LOSS Of THE MARIA TERESA
This Cruiser Goes Down
in a Storm.
The HEROIC EFFORTS

hamas-Her Flatcb open ana Let IA
the Water-Her Engines Become Use
Iess-She Rapidly FiIIs-Her Crew
stand by To the Last-The Men Trans
Terred to- Her COnsOrts.
Washington, November 5.-The Ma
ria Teresa was lost during a heavy
gale Tuesday night, thirty miles north
of Waiting island, in the Bahamas.
She sank in $500 fathoms of water.
All the crew were saved.
a thrilling story of the loss of the
cruiser is given in the official report
of Lieutenant Commander Harris to
the secretary Of the navy, received by
telegraph at the navy department late
this afternoon. 1t is dated on board
the wrecking steamer Merritt, fifty
miles off Charleston, November 4th,
and says:
Il have the honor to make the fol-
lowing report of the loss of the In
fanta Maria Teresa on November 1st.
At / o'clock a. m. / found that it was
blowing hard and went on the lower
bridge. We had left Waiting island
light abeam at 10 o'clock, and up till
midnight the weather was pleasant
and all went we'll with the ship, al
though we had trouble in keeping the
pump in the forward fire room from
being chOked with coal. The wind
continued to increase in force until
perhaps o'clock a. m., when it
reached it's height, although there
were times all day when it blew as
hard as ever. The direction was about
northeast. The sea continued to rise
until perhaps 600 o'clock a. m. There
was heavy sea all the following day.
The pumps were reported every hour.
Soon after / came on deck / relieved
the second mate, Mr. Johnson, so that
he could go below to fight the water.
About 3 go o'clock the first mate, Cap
tain Lecato, came up and he also went
below to work. Captain Chittenden,
who was on deck almost as soon as 1,
gave his attention to the pumps and
especially to priming the centrifugal
pump in the forward fire room.
There were many new leaks. When
a heavy sea struck the sides the plates
leaked at the butts and seams show
ing that after the fire they had re-
sumed their former appearance, but
were not tight. There was at the
bration and only half an inch of lon
STudlnal vibration.
while making this examination
about 4:30 o'clock a. M, Captain Chit
tenden was thrown down and fell on
the chain, hurting his side and back
enough to temporarily disable him. He
continued to give us valuable advice.
'At o'clock a. m. we made signal
to the Vulcan and Merritt to go to
windWard, which they did as we'll as
they could. Up to- l o'clock a. m. we
We're running the starboard main en-
gines and had steam on the two cen
trail boilers and three of the short for
ward boilers, but the trouble in the
forward fire room causecA the steam to
run low, and we lightei fires under
the starbOard after bOile@ and stopped
the engine so as to run the steam UP
for the pumps.
"The pump for keeping the water
from the forward compartment was
driven by a belt and when the sea
broke over the bows the belt became
wet and slipped. AS soon as the water
was up to the floor place in the for
ward fire room the rolling of the ship
washed it into the coal bunkers and
carried the coal out, choking the pump
and carrying the floor plates about
which made it difficult and dangerous
to work there.
about O'Clock I called for vOlun-
teers to hoist coal and water in the
aSh-hoist. Everybody responded and
the work was continued as long as it
seemed of any use.
About $3.50 a. m. it was reported
that water was coming into one of the
starboard forward coal bunkers and
running into the firerooms. Where the
water came from we do not know.
About o'clock the 11-inch gun in
the after turret ran out and in twice
When it recOiled the second time
something gave way and it settled to
extreme elevation and remained sta
tionary. We asked the Vulcan TO sig
nal the Leonidas to stay close to u.s.
and the latter hoisted the flag at the
signal Sardarm, which was a signal
agreed upon to call the Leonidas to
come within hail. She was steaming
ahead OF us and making rather bad
weather, it seems as if she feared to
turn in the heavy sea, but eventually
she did cross ahead of the Merritt and
twice passed under the Teresa's stern
although at some distance. l think
she picked up the life RATS which the
Vulcan threw over.
about II. 30 o'clock we signaled the
Vulcan TO ask the Merritt if We could
he turned safely to run for the lee OF
-Wathng's island. To this Captain VOL
cott replied No" and as Captain
Chittenden thought we would sink if
we tried to turn. this idea was given
mp Both the Vulcan and the Merritt
could with difficulty keep us head to
wind and the sea was running so high
that the Vulcan's bits started or the
tow lines pa~ted. The ship would fall
intos the trough of the sea.
AT O'Clock p. m. CAPTAIN Chitten-
den asked to signal the Vulcan to cast
off the Merritt's tow lines and have
the Merritt come alongside. / then as
sumed the com11and. told the men
what was to be done and assigned them
stations. / told the chief engineer to
start the engine to aid the Vulcan in
keeping our head up. He did so. but
could run but a short time with the