The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-02
TO RAISE THE MAINE
And All Other Sunken War
ships in Cuban Waters.

New York, Nov. "A dispatch to the
Tribune from Washington says:
The navy department practically de-
cided to abandon wrecking operations
under existing contracts on the Span
ish cruisers. Christobal Colon, Vizcaya
and Almirante Oquendo, near Santiago,
which have become GENEROUSLY expensive
to the government and to approve the
recommendations in part at least of
Navel Constructor Hobson and other
officers who have been experimenting
the work of rescuing these vessels. The
department has reached the conclusion
that the Vizcaya and the AImirante
Oquendo will probably never be rescued
and the Cristobal Colon, if saved at all,
will not be brought to the United States
by the Merritt & Chapman Wrecking
company of New York, which has been
working on this vessel under the special
contract involving the payment of $S29.-
% day since July %, without visibly
improving the chances of that vessels
salvage. The same company since July
6, when it executed the first contract
for the prosecution of wrecking opera
tons on the ships of Cervera's squadron
has been receiving a separate payment
OF $500 day with the single result that
the Infanta Maria Teresa is now on her
way to Norfolk, where a commission
will decide what additional compensa-
llOls not eSscGeQlIlS SOUU,UUU,SnaIl De PAID
to the wrecking company on her &C
count
The board of construction, to which
the matter was referred for cOnSidera-
ton by Secretary Long after he had
virtually decided that the present ar
ranSement was becoming intOlerable,
assumed the responsibility of recon-
mending that the contract for the sal
wage of the Colon be annulled on Nov.
10 and that new proposals for righting
and raising that vessel be publicly
sought by the navy department under
restrictions which would involve the
government in no additional expense,
unless the attempt was altogether sue
cessfuI The department will send a
cable dispatch to Capt. Chester, senior
naval officer on the south coast of
Cuba, if tn recommendations board
are approved, as they will be without
doubt, directing him to concentrate the
Wrecking work for the present alto
gether on the Reina Mercedes, which is
submerged in still water and capable of
ready raising and that no further at
tentiOn for the present be paid to the
Oquendo and the Vizcaya.
Captain Chester will also, in all prob
ability. be directed at once to destroy the
Collier Merrimac. utilizing for this pur-
pose the naval vessels under his command
and their explosives, this plan being cal
culated to relieve the government of ad-
ditional expense while at the same time
giving naval Seamen desirable practice IN
countermining and the removal of channel
distractions.
Naval officials have not expressed any
particular dissatisfaction with the work
o6mpany. Which has receVed 81 go day
for more than three months a Santiago.
but the experts are thoroughly agreed
that little more can be accomplished be
yOnd the raising of the Mercedes with the
present plant at Santiago. and they have
decided that further expense in other d.
rectiOnS is unWarranted.
This decision has been Influenced to
some extent by the arrival in Washing
ton of the representative of great Swed-
ish wrecking corpora ton, which succeed
ed in raising the British battIeship Howe
from a condition comparative with that
of the CristObal Colon, and which points
extricated from more or less serious posi-
tions, nearly all Of them submerged at
appears. is not only confident, of its ,abil-
ity to bring the Cristobal Colon and the
other Spanish vessels to the United States,
| but is ready to guarantee, the delivery of
the Maine in the big dry dock al the New
York navy yard. The Swedish wreckers
propose to take all the risks of failure
without expense to the government and to
rely if they succeed, for compensation
wholly on arbitration.