Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-08-13
SPANISH SCHOONER on THE ROCKS
NEAR KEY WEST.
ALL ON BOARD WERE SAVED
PRIZE WAS TAKEN BY THE HORNET
OFF ISLE OF PINES.
Started for Key West With Prize
Crew of Three and Nine PrisOn-
ers-An ObstreperOus Span
ish Colonel With q
Revolver.

KEY WEST. FLA, Aug. 12.-The two
masted Spanish schooner Salve Maria. of
about thirty tons. was wrecked last night
| on the shoals of the western dry rocks.
| nine miles southwest of Key West. She is
| 4 total loss. The ten men on board of her
were taken off to-day by the government
tug Accomac and brought here.
They are Boatswain's Mate McManus and
! Seamen McNeown and Foley, of the gun
! boat Hornet, who were the prize crew Sc
! lected 10 bring her to this port, and seven
| Spanish prisoners including Captain Pal
! lebanto who owned the boat, her crew of
| four and two of the captains friends who
| were designated as passengers.
| The Salve Maria was captured by the
! Hornet off Francis key near the Isle of
: Pines, last Saturday night. She was i'll
ballast, carrying only the personal effects
! of the Spaniards aboard her. Captain
! Pallebanto. who is native of the island or
: Majorca. explained that he had recently
| purchased the schooner which was almost
| new, and. with his companions had put
| out of Ratabano to avoid starvation, in
tending to make for the first Central
| American port that offered food and shelter.
They did not deny that they We're loyal
subjects of Spain.
The Hornet took the schooner in tow un-
| til last Wednesday morning, when Stif
breeze came up and it was decided to send
| her in under her own sail. A prize crew
| consisting of McManus, Mckeown and Fo-
| ley were put on board and the Hornet left
her and proceeded to key West arriving
| here the same night.
| The schooner was then about eighty
miles southwest of here. All went Well un-
1 q last night when the SatNe
Maria, under full sail, went bow upon
| the shoals without moments warning.
Several holes were stove in her hull and
she filled with water up to the deck line.
The vessel and her company lay helpless
| all last night, but fortunately the wind
and weather were favorable and, being
well supplied with food, the men suffered
| no great hardship
During the night however. one of the
| Spanish passengers grew fractions and
insisted that something be done to relieve
the situation. To check any possibility OF
| trouble, Seaman McKeown promptly thrus,
a revolver into the Spaniards face and
warned him that if he did not keep quie,
he would blow his head off. The threat
proved effective, and the prisoner was
thenceforth mute.
Early in the morning the pilotboat Gla-
nee. under Captain Samuel Weltus came
| upoE the wrecked mariners and offered tC
bring them to Key West, but, in spite oi
the peri,s and dscomforts of the situa'
ton. McManus answered that his orders
We're to take the ship in. and he would
not leave her.
The pilot returned and reported to Com
modore Remey, who sent the tug Acco
mac, Captain Angus. to the rescue. The
tug attempted to pull the schooner off
but after several futile efforts, it was de
cided that she was too far gone to war
rant further trouble. and after her mer
had been transferred the waterlogget
schooner was abandoned.
The Spaniards all carried revolvers ant
a gcodly quantity of clothing. which wa.
| destroyed to avoid inspection. They wer
thankful for their rescue. and he who hat
been unruly so eager to reach th
tug that he dropped his umbrella over
board and. in his efforts to save 1t, fel
into the sea after it. He was fshed ou
, | unhurt.
Upon reaching here the prisoners wer
| Pot aboard the Hornet, pending furthe
instructions for their disposition. Nc
Manus declares that the shoals upon whicl
the schooner grounded were not Indicate
, on the chart furnished him and which wa
his sole guide in navigating the boat. The
are, however. marked by beacon.