The Red Cloud chief., 1898-11-11
IN LUCK 70 SAVE THE CREW.
An enslgn's Story Of the Loss Of
the Maria Teresa.
BRAVE RESCUE OF SHiPMATES
Tho First Inkiinx That tho Ship Wa 4.
Danxer-Expsctea Hor to sish sud
deniy-Daring of the Liro. uoats Men
In tho Heavy Scat.

~SN@ sAAo bA1l III
Teresa was abandoned. IN telling of
n cruisers loss, said to-day: "1he
gale In which the Teresa was lost
began with q fierce squall Eve min
utes before l o'clock Tuesday morn
Ing. From tho Teresa's bridge came
the wig-wag signal by lamp. Signal
Merritt TO steer to wiudward.' The
Merritt ut once changed her course TO
north. northeast. 1t had been north.
To us the fact that the Teresa must be
kept head to sea was in itself coasid-
cred ominoua. All signals we're made
to US by wig-wag flag from the Teresa.
We repeated them to tho Merritt or
Leonidas.
"At noon tho gale had increased In
violence and oil three vessels labored
heavily in the sea The Teresa, plung.
ing deeply, took much wator on board
over the bows and often when reeling
she shipped seas amidships. Only her
starboard engine was used. 1t was
turning thirty-eight revolutions when
last reported. The forward wrecking
pump was sending out n largo stream
over tho port bow. Az ten minutes
past noon the Lconidas, then fully o
milo ahead, was ~signalel, DO O 10
SO far ahead Thirty minutes later
the Teresa signaled, Can Merritt n
to Watling's island safely2' Tho Mer-
rift answered NO promptly. This
was the first intimatiou Of the real
danger at hand.
almost simultaneously with the
Herritt's mex signal, Give your Or
dors.' camo this from tho Teresa, Tell
Merritt to cast OF and como within
hail This was done and her crew
hauled In the 100 fathons of hawser
while on the way to assist the Tesesa.
Tho latter thon signaled, 'We shall
abandon ship. Tell Leonidas to stand
by AS TO windward. DO not cast Off
u lines The Vulcan answered, We
will hold on until tho last and use OIL
to which the Teresa replied Many
thanka'
"Ths VulcaR's commander. Lieutcn-
ant George p. BOW, Immediately
planned the Vulcan's part in tho
scheme of rescue. lsoing almost sure
that the Teresa's starboard engine
would be kept working until the last,
1t was decided to hold on to the haw.
swer, thereby giving the Teresa sufIl-
cient steering way to enable her helms
men to keep the heavy sea on her star.
board bow and still be to leeward of
the Vulcan, enabling the latter to uso
oil to advantage when tho rescuing in
boats began.
From the first the heavy laboring
Of the Teresa gave the impression hat
she would foulder suddenly aad that
all her people would be overheard at
any moment, either swimming or
drowning before our eyes.
After the Teresa began to fill II
became impossible for the Vulcan To
keep her head to windward, but, being
practically waterlogged, she made an
excellent breakwater for the boats,
even after she foil or into the trough
Of the sea
directed by Lieutenant Glmer, the
Grew and engineers foroe equipped
two lifeboats with oars. life preservers
and oil bags. They were launched
from the top OF tho dock house and by
means OF long lines were veered astern,
in the hope that they would reach the
Teresa, but ths heavy sea carried then
far to windward, they foulSd the haw
ser and were finally cut adrift.
FIRST BOAT LOAD RESCUED.
"At 3 in the afternoon the Merritt wa.
Just astsrn of the Teresa aud came NJ
under her Ice jast in tims to take OF
the first boat load OF rescued persons
The wreekers and volunteers from tn,
naval vessels had succeeded in lower
ing one Of the two surf boats hanging
from davits on tho Teresa's port side
Pulling quickly clear OF the ships sid,
the boats crow. composed OF thu
people in y systemstic way.
.'Thero was less than four hours o
daylight left in which to rescue IL
persons, including eighteen Cubai
coal passers. and sush q sea was run
ming ~ would have daunted any life
boat crew. To have attempted to g
: near enough to the great ships side {
: lot her people climb down or drop int
the boats meant certain destruction I
= TINS T0scuiuS PoAty. W Uhoh shO bOo
l was towsd by Its painter to the ship
lee quarter and was kept clear by w
0 men at tho oars and by the steersna
= In the stern another limo was used Z
send down the men from the ship
Zach man, slung In tho center G
. this rope, was hsaled through tn
water in most cases to tho boat an
A then tumbled In ovsr the bow. IL va
. slow but safe process, m tho resuI
proved, for by 8 o'clock every nan, q
n far Is We could SEQ, was safe ON boar
the Merritt.
"The force of tho gale and height
the sea may be best under stood by I'll
fact that although only ,ao fathoms {
' hawse~ separated the Teres from I'll
Vulcan. the watchers On the latter We
sci. owing to heavy seas, driving raj
n and spray were only able to see IL
boats VI the resolving party At long il
% tsrvals when they came out OF u
:. 2rnn,h M the sea Iha Morritt IA