Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-11-06
pIsApPOIxTMENT TO NORFOLK
Raise the Colon.

ria Teresa was lost during heavy sa'e
Tuesday night thirty miles north OF
Waiting Island, In the Bahamas. She sank
in 2,6O0 fathoms Of water. All the ere"
were saved.
A thrilling story Of the loss or the
cruiser is given in the official report ol
I.ieutenant-C Commander Harris TO tho sec~
retary of the Navy, received by teiegrape
at the Navy Department late TINS ai'er-
noon. II Is dated on board the wrecking-
steamer Merritt, FIFTY Eliles on Charies-
ton, November 4th, and says;
"secretary of tho Navy. Washington:
sir-I have the honor to make the fol-
lowing report of the loss OF the Infants
Maria Teresa on November lst At "A.
NJ. found that II was blowing hard, ana
went on the lower bridge. We had ieic
Watling's Island light abeam at 10 O'clock
and till midnight the weather was pea
SAINT. and all went well with the snip al
| though we had trouble in keeping tina
| numn I'm the forward fre-room from being
| choked with coal.
FIGHTING THE WATER.
"Tbe wind continued to increase In force
| until perhaps 3 A. NJ, when 1t reacned i's
| height although there were times all day
when IL blew as hard as ever me oirec-
| ton was about northeast. The sea ecn'
tinued to rise until perhaps z. NJ, ane
there wss a heavy sea ell the following
day. The punaps- were reyoFssd svery
hour. soon after l came on deck re-
liaved the second mate. Mr. Johnson 81
that he could 30 below 10 fight the water.
| About $3.50 the first mate, Captain LeCatoI
came UP. and he also went below to WORK
CAPTAIN Chittenden, who was on deck al
most as soon as !, gave his 3ttenion 10
the pumps, and especially to primlng the
centrifugal pump In the forward hre-
room. There were many new le2ks.
| When heavy sea struck the side tho
mates leaked at the butts and seams,
showing that after the fire they had re-
| sumeG their former appearance but were
NOT fight. There was at the main-nsst
an inch OF thwartship vibration, ana only
| half an inch OF longitudinal Vibration.
| While making this examination, about 4;Sp
a NJ. Captain Chttenden was tnroWh
down and fell on the chain, hurting ms
side and back so much as 10 temporarily
disable him. lie continued 10 give US
valuable advice. however
| "At3A NJ we made sgdal 20 the Vul-
can and Merritt 10 go 70 windward' "nicn
they did as well as they could. Up 10 L
O'Clock A. NJ. we were running the star
hoard main engines. and had steam en-
| the Two central boilers and thr'e OF the
! short forward boilers but the Trouble IN
the forward fire-rOom caused the steam 10
run low. and we lighted ares under the
| starboard after-boiler and stopped the
! engine so as TO run the steam up fo- the
DANGEROUS ROLLING.
.oThe pump for keeping the water from
the forward compartment was driven py
a belt and when the sea broke over tha
| bows the belt became wet, ana slipped.
AS soon as the water was up To me noor-
mates i'm the forward nre-room. The roll
| ing Of the ship washed into the coai
| bunkers and carried the coal out. choking
he pump and carrying the fioor-plates
| about which made It difficult and danger
| ous IN work there. About o'clock L
| called for volunteers 10 hoist coal and
water in the ash hoist. Everybody re-
sponded. and the work was continued
| "a long as IL seemed Of any use. About
3.2O A. NJ. IL was reported that water was
| coming into one OF the starboard forward
coal bunkcrs and running into the nro-
rooms Where the water came from wa
do not know.
"Ahout . O'Clock the li-inch gun In the
after-turret ran out and in twice. When
II recoiied the second time something
gave way, and II settled TO extreme ele-
vation and remained stationary. We
asked the Vulcan TO signal the LeonIdas
10 stay close 10 US. and the latter hoisted
| n flag at the signal yard-arm. which was
the signal agreed upon TO call the Leoni-
das 10 come within hail. She was steam
ing ahead OF us and making rather bad
weather. 1t seems as II she feared IN
turn in the heavy set, but eventually shS
did cross ahead OF the Merritt and twice
passed under the Maria's stern. although
al some distance. / think she picked up
the life RATS which the Vulcan threw
over.
'About II 80 we signalled the Vulcan 10
| ask the Merritt II We could be turned
| safely TO run for the lee OF Watling's .
| Island. To this Captain Wolcott replied.
No and as Captain Chittenden thought
we would sink II We tried TO turn. this
| idea was given up. Both the Vulcan and
the Merritt could with difficulty keep uz
head 10 windward. and the sea was run
ming so high that the Vulcan's bits start
| ed or the tOw-lines parted. The ship
would fall into the trough Of the sea. AZ
10 p NJ. Captain Chittenden asked me "a
signal the Vulcan to east OF the Merritts
tow-lines and have the Merritt come
alongside. / Their assumed the command.
told the men what was 10 be done. and
assigned them stations. l told the chief
engineer TO start the engine. 10 aid the
! vulcan in keeping our head up. He did
SO, but the engine could run but short
| time with the steam we bad.
ABANDONING SHIP.
I'VE signalled the Vulcan. We are about
TO abandon ship: try TO keep us head ~
wind l ordered Captain lie Cato to take
, charge OF the lee surf-boat. and when Il
was lowered To the rail ordered Captain
Chlttenden into II. Against his repeated
protests. he was placed In the boat. With
| his son. This boat was unable 10 reaen
the lines we had astern. but the Merritt
! picked IL up. and after taking Captain
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