Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-11-23
TIVE MARIA TERESA LOOTED.
Natives Took Everything qhaf Was
Movable From the Stranded Vessel.
FAST AGROUND ON A REEF-THE
CRUISER HAD BEEN DRIVEN BY
A HEAVY GALE UNTIL SHE
RESTS AS SOLID AS A ROCK IN
TWELVE FEET OF WATER

cablegramS sent up to date have given
an outline of the case of the Spanish
cruiser Maria Teresa, which went
ashore in heavy gale at Bird Point,
Cat Island, on the afternoon of No
vember 8. At last advices the Maria
Teresa was still ashore, with little
probability OF being gotten off, The
gale that sent her ashore was SO heavy
that she was driven far up the reefs
and rests now as solid, as rock IN
twelve feet OF water. the water inside
Of her rising and falling with the tide,
She is supposed to be bilged. "A very
heavy surf is pouring il on the reefs,
rendering it difficult 10 board her
The ships pet, me large cat. re-
mains On board and nobody can catch
him. The ships flag. which was ny
ing when she was stranded, d we'll
worn American ensign. has been
brought 10 Nassau. and Colonel Nc
Lain insists on keeping it at the con-
sulate as souvenir OF the Spanish war
ship, which SO pathedcally sought a
final resting place on the very shores
where Columbus landed.
The British steamer Antilla return
ed from the wreck on Sunday and re-
ported that 1t was impossible for her
to accomplish anything. The surf was
so heavy that she could not get within
a quarter of mile of the Teresa,
though drawing but nine feet. Two
gentlemen on board managed to reach
the Teresa In boat, but the surf was
80 strong that they could not return
to the Antilla and finally reached the
shore, where they were left to return
to Nassau by schooner.
The ship has been badly looted by
the negro natives of the vicinity, an
ignorant community, who generally be-
lieve that all wrecks are a present sent
them by the Lord, apd to be gratefully
accepted and utilized accordingly.
Everything movable has been taken
away, and even the temporary pine
deck, put on at Guantanamo for the
passage north, has been cut to pieces,
broken up and carried off by the inhab-
itants to be utilized in building cabins
and In repairing old ones. Much of
the brass work and copper has been
hacked OIL and secreted in the bush,
to be realized upon hereafter The
provisions were eagerly seized, the
reckless natives. who are like ducks
In swimming, taking all sorts Of risks
In their quest for plumber.
Certain portions of the ships stores,
such as heavy hawsers, ropes, tins of
machine oil and canned provisions,
were taken off by local official and
forwarded to Nassau by small schoon-
ers. This official, it is but fair to say,
did all he could to prevent the loot
ing, but did not succeed to any great
extent Immediately upon the arrival
of these articles at Nassau they were
taken possession by the marshall of
the vice admiralty court, on the ground
that the ship and contents were de-
relict and so belonged to the colonial
authorities The American consul, Mr..
McLain, notified the marshal that he
considered the articles saved to be the
property of the United States govern
ment, and that he should at the proper
time request that they be released and
handed over to him. The question of
the ownership thus raised is not likely
to be settled at once.
New York, November 22.-The
steamer Antilla is at present in this
port. Her second officer, Edward
Weber, said to-day that when the
steamer was at Cat Island, the Infanta
Maria Teresa was lying in about if
teen feet of water and the surf was
breaking over her She was lying easy
and not on the rocks but with he's
nose in the sand
Had the surf not been so high l BE-
lieve that we could have pulled her
off," said Mr.. Weber, Il questioned
the natives and learned from them that
the Maria Teresa first appeared in the
offing about 8 o'clock in the morning,
the Thursday after she was abandoned.
"She rode In gracefully and had she
been brought in under skillful guild
ance, she could not have come ashore
at better place. She went on the
shore at II o'clock the same morning
in which she was sighted.
TT is my opinion. as well as the opin-
ion Of the others on Cat Island. that
for some reason an attempt was made
by those on the Maria Teresa to have
her sink before she was drifted far in
the storm.
"All the square port holes above the
water line were left open, but in spite
of this there was only three feet of
water in her when she came ashore.
believe that the crew when they left
her were anxious that that might be
the last of her She is lying at pres
ent with a very slight list to port. AS
her stern is presented to the breakers