Evening journal., 1898-12-22
JUNK AT A BARGAIN.
Spain Is Anxious to Sell Her Sunk
el Warships
The Fleet That orr Dewey Toyed
with SO Heedlessly May BE par
chased Mt Less Than Fire
sale Figures.


The Spanish government wishes 10
put up to the highest bidder the fleet
that an admiral of ours named Dewey
was so thoughtless as TO send ~ the
bottom Of Manila bay, purchaser 10 do
his own trucking. The Spanish govern
ment is very particular to impress TINS
latter point upon prospective buyers.
The dons will not undertake 10 deliver
the purchases, as they think by the
time the fleet is raised TO the top Of the
Manila waters and made fit 10 hoat to
the destination appointed by the pur-
chaser the purchase money might have
vanished in expense. The goods ere de-
scribed in the catalogue as follows;
Reina Christina, 1920 tons displace-
ment, 10 guns; no definite information
obtainable as 10 her condition, but IL Is
not thought that she can bo brought to
the top In any other shape than that
OF a demoralized mass of junk, for the
reason that besides the thoughtle3s
damage done directly by the guns OF
the American warships her magazine
blew up and seriously dtsarrangAd her
internal machinery. On these accounts
the Spanish government, wishing TO
play fair with the bidders, offers her as
odd metal, and viii be glad to start The
bidding at ten pesetss on behalf OF the
Spanish royal junk yaSd, which it is
the young kings hobby to see kept well
stocked with secondhand naval mate
rial.
The Castillo, a 3,342-ton vessel Cf 20
guns, is added TO the catalogue as
matter of form, because she once be-
longed to the fleet that Dewey sunk.
The bidding in this case will be started
very low In fact, It is probable hat
the Castillo will be thrown ia free with
the other ships purchased. Tho Castillo
was a wooden ship, and il is doubtful II
more of her can be recovered Than
would make good-sized bonfire. II is
thought, however, that her guns might
be worth something as old metal, pro
vided the action of the waters of Manila
bay has not melted them. II is known
that they were of very soft and yield
ing material. At the Manila Gght IL was
deemed advisable not to fire. them too
often for fear they would damage the
wooden ship, which was not accus-
toned to such violence, and had al
ways been enveloped in a macldnios
in wet weather to prevent hex catching
cold.
The Velasco rs 1,152 tons, seven guns,
will have TO be taken on speculation.
All that is known is that she was sunk,
and is somewhere between the surface
of the water and the bottom of the
bay. The Don Antonio de Ulloa, l30
tons, 13 guns, and the Don Juan de
Austria are sister ships, and about the
best of the bunch. They are proba'bly y
suffering severely from rheumatism
Of the joints from their long stay at the
bottom OF the bay, but anyone who has
fancy for a secondhand navy would
probably be able TO get these tive az O
bargain by speaking quickly. These
two boats are rated as unprotecfeS
cruisers, $40 feet long, 32 feet beam anC
of 1880 tons displacement.
Two more ships that are. Or were
valuable are the Isla de, Cuba and th,
Isla de nuzon. rated as third-clas
oruisers. They might make good mud
scows il they could be rsnsed ant
brought across the ocean te,America
Or, as a.novelty at the se6fite resorts
they might repag the aucg gon price an
expense of raising and transport Nm.
them. OF the others, the El Cauo, 4. .52s
ton boat, and the Marquis del Dher
and Gen. Lezo, they might as we'll b
left in the mud of Manila bay !
wouldn't pay anyone to dig them oct.
In case it might be taken from tn
foregoing rather fippant remarls INA
the whole thing is joke Il is well {
state here and now that the Spanis
government actually and seriously ht
decided to put up its sunSen heet {
auction, and awaits a bid. Wen sal
is II that the Spaniards have somethin
radically wrong In ther composition
There is lacking somewhere. Tt
national tile is little loose, iH the Ens
lish slang. The spaniard is of his hes
in the American vernacular. " n
Frenchman's inexpensive words, bs
with his very expressly 5antomim
the don has "sor teeng vanting." p,
step up ii you want to see thss seeon,
hand fieet.-Washingto Post.