The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-08
THRILLING STORY TOLD
The Abandonment of the Teresa
in the Gale.
MEN WORKED LIKE HEROES
OIL wss Poured on the Tumbiine Waves
1t Looked as L the Whole Crew
Would Go Down at
One Time.

the deck of the Vulcan when the
Maria Teresa was abandoned, described
the scene thus:
The gale In which the Teresa was
lost began with . fierce sQuall Ave min
utes before / o'clock on the morning
OF November 1. Wind and sea rose at
! o'clock. From the Teresa's bridge
came the wigwag signal by lamp;
signal Merritt to steer to windward.'
The Merritt at once changed her course
nor-northwest. 1t hat been north. To
us the fact that the Teresa must be
kept head TO sea was In itself consid-
cred ominous. All signals were made
to us by wigwag from the Teresa.
We repeated them to the Merritt or
Leonidas.
at noon the gale had increased I'm
violence and all three vessels labored
heavily in the sea. The Teresa plunged
deeply and tool much water on board
over the bows. and often when heeling
she shipped seas amidships. Her star
board engine only was being used. IL
was turning IS revolution when last
reported. The forward wrecking pump
was sending a large stream over the
port bow.
"At 10 minutes past noon the Leon
idas. then fully a mile ahead. was sig
nailed: do not go 40 far ahead Thir-
~ minutes later the Teresa signaled,
Can Merritt run to watlings island
safsly?' The Merritt answered no
promptly. This was the first intima-
ton OF danger. Almost simultaneously
as we wigwagged the signal, give your
orders came this from the Teresa;
Tell Merritt to cast of and come within
hall This was done. and her crew
hauled i'm the 100 fathoms of hawser on
the way to assist the Teresa. Later
she slgnaled: We shall abandon the
ship. Tell Leonidas to stand ny us 10
windward. Do not cast off our lines
The Vulcan answered: We VIII hold
on until the last and use OIL 10 which
the Teresa replied. Many thanks
The Vulcan's commander. Lieuten-
ant George p. Blow, Immediately an
nounced the Nuican's part In the
scheme OF rescue. Being almost sure
tina the Teresa's starboard engine
would be kept working until the last
II was decided to hold on to the haw-
ser, thereby giving the Teresa sufficient
steering way to enable her helmsmen
TO keep the heavy sea on her star
board bow and still be to the leeward
OF the Vulcan, enabling the latter to
use oil Z advantage when the rescuins
in boats began.
From the first the heavy laboring
of the Teresa gave the impression that
she would founder suddenly and that
any moment, either swimming or
drowning before our eyes. Assistant
Paymaster Robert II. Woods. u. 5, N,
was detailed TO note the time that each
signal was sent and repeated. OIL was
the first requisite. Mechanics passed
II up in buckets from the hold. those
ON deck filling small bags with IL. The
-.NAlfatA In annnnfhlnO the
heavy sea near the wreck
Rubber lifebelts were brought on
deck and filled with air. ready TO throw
to the men in the water. III the NIP
had foundered before her people were
taken off, IL was the commanding ofh-
GERS intention. after cutting the haw-
ser. to place his vessel leeward and
pick them up.
Half the charges were e~xtricated
from some six-pounder shells. and they
We're fitted over the end OF oars to
which small lines were attached. These
were TO have been fired from the guns
across the spot where the men might
have been seen In the water. After the
Teresa began to I'LL II became impossi-
BILE for the Vulcan to keep her head TO
windward, but, being practically wa
ter logged, she made an excellent
breakwater for the boats, even after
she fell on into the trough of the sea.
directed by Lieutenant Gilmer. the
crew and engineers force equipped two
lifeboats with oars. life preservers and
oil bags. They were launched ana by
means of long lines were veered astern.
In the hope that they would reach the
Teresa, but the heavy sea carried them
far to windward. They fouled the
hawser and were finally cut adrift.
Al 2 o'clock In the afternoon the
Merritt bore ship just astern or the
Teresa and came up in time to take
the boat full of crew. The Teresa had
succeeded in lowering N or the two
surf boats hanging from the davits on
the Teresa's port side. Pulling quickly
clear of the ships side, the boats crew.
composed of the wreckers' men, went
about saving the people In a system
attic way.
There was less than -four hours OF
daylight left In which to rescue liz per-
sons, including Is Cuban coal passers.
and such a sea was running that II
would have daunted any lifeboat crew.
To have attempted to go near enough
10 the great ships side to let her peo-
pie climb down or drop into the boats.
meant certain destruction to the rescu-
ing party. So while the boat was tow
ed by its painter from the ships lee
quarter and kept clear by the W men
at the oars and by the steersman in the
| stern. announcer line was u>td w Sthe
down the men from the ship.
Each man slung In the center Of this
rope was hauled through the water In
most cases to the a and then tum-
bled In over III bow. IL was a slow,
but safe process. as the result proved,
for by S O'Clock every man, so far as
we could see. was safe on board the
Merritt. The force of the gale and
height OF the sea may he best under
stood by the fact that although only go
fathoms of hawser separated the re-
resa from the Vulcan. the watchers on
the latter vessel. owing to the heavy
seas. driving rain and spray, were oaly
able TO see the boats of the r~escuins
party nj long intervals when they came
out of the trough Of the sea. n Mer'
rift herself. although a splendid boat
was buried in the trough of the sea
at times so that only the ends OF hei
mastheads were visible.
The nrst boat lowered made. in all
foul trips the Teresa and th'