Omaha daily bee., 1898-11-06

of the lee surf boat and when it was low
cred TO the rail ordered Captain Chitten-
den into it against his repeated 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 taking Captain Chittenden
aboard towed the boat to our lee quarter
end repeated this maneuver each trip, form
ing lee for the boats to come here aud
hen towing them back. 1t was splendidly
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
beat loads. The life raft was taken over
and capsized, but was righted. 1t was put
in charge OF James Bashford, ordinary sea-
man, of the Illinois naval militia. He and
his crew took six Cubans TO the Merritt
The smaller surf boats slowed on board on
the lee side was then gotten out and / put
it in charge of Charles A. Dunno, quarter
master first class. l gave him nearly all
the good seamen left fer 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
also used oil to make it smooth, where the
have worked without it.
Crew Behaved BraveIy.
THE ship labored more and more feebly
Before left the bridge it rolled its sponsors
under, which / should estimate to be thirty
degrees. and the pitching was enough to
show the rudder, propellers and perhaps
twelve feet of the keel. 1t was about four
feet by the head. 1t fell into the sea very
heavily and shuddered as it rose. There was
no water aft. The Vulcan did its 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 constantly signalling. With the excep-
I tfon of three men who got drunk and gave
much trouble all the crew behaved well
Every man did his duty and my orders were
instantly obeyed by wreckers and men of the
navy.
About 4:3O he made signal, Hang on to
the wreck until you are sure IT is sinking
to which the Vulcan replied, We will hold
on until 1t 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 8 O'Clock
we were all off. The boats we're hauled
under the stem as near as 1t was safe, where
the oil and lee OF the ship made it smooth
and were held by one line while another
line, with ladder attached, loated to the
stern. Two double bights were stopped on
the right side to 90 over a mans shoulder.
The end was Stacked from the ship and when
two men jumped they were hauled into the
boat very fine fellow named Olsen at
tended to this When all had gone but he
and he cut the line and we jumped to-
gether. 1t was perhaps $3.50 when we
reached the Merritt While it was getting
the surf boats the Vulcan slipped the hawser
OF the Infanta Maria Teresa l expect that
the wreck dragging OFF to port brought all
the strain on the port bride and sta.tedd the
bits. When the boats were in. the Merritt
at my request, started to speak the Vulcan
but was unable 10 reach it and It apparently
did not hear our whistle, The Merritt then
returned to find the wreck but could not do
so. The search continued until l p. m the
following day, when it headed for Charles
/ ton"