Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-05-23

All We'll on Board-uow sho WAS
Sunk,
The news of the arrival of the ex-
Spanish cruiser Reina Mercedes in
Hampton Roads. announced Sunday,
drew forth yesterday thousands of peo-
pie from this entire section to Old Point
Comfort, off which she is lying in five
days quarantine.
She passed Cape Henry at 1920 a. m.
Sunday. and three hours hter dropped
anchor off Old Point. She was accom-
panied by the two Merritt-Chapman
tugs, the J. j. Merritt and Rescue; also
their barge Sharpe and the steamer S.
T. Morgan. The Mercedes was flying two
flags. that Of the United States and one
of the wreckng company, a black horse
on u white field.
SALUTES OF HONOR
AS she came in she was given a sa-
Lutte by the United States Government
vessels Essex, Amphitrte. Alliance and
Peoria. Aboard her were twenty
wreckers. She is painted whitc-Uncle
Sans peace color for his war-dogs. but
it is not the clear. spotless white that
we usually see, but II white stained and
dirty as If she had seen hard lines.
Norfolk people. who Went over to Old
Point on the Vigilant yesterday. had
an unusually good chance to see the
Mercedes. as the Norfolk and Ocean
View railway steamer Vigilant passes
very near her I'm her trips. Probably
thousands will take the trip In the next
few days and see our trophy ship before
she is brought up to the Norfolk navy
yard.
DOES NOT LOOK BAD.
The Mercedes is not in such n vlsibly
bad condition as one would suppose
from the description of her sinking and
her baptism Of shot and shell at the
entrance to Santiago harbor. Her two
tunnels were pierced by three sixpound
shells from the batteries of the battle
ships Massachusetts and Texas, and
her hull. on the starboard side. forward
near the water line shows n big patch
where one of our battleships sent n
shell. Her bridge was shot away and
has been replaced by a temporary
makeshift. The ships dynamo was
wrecked by shell, and the tops OF her
three military masts were shot away.
The hull is believed to be In good con-
dition, as well as the engines. and on
Sunday she had steam up in one boiler,
although 1t was not used.
RESCUE SAILS AWAY.
Captain Merritt. on arrival, attempt
ed to come ashore on the tug Rescue.
but was prevented from doing so by DR..
w. ]. Pettus, the quarantine officer.
who allowed no one besides himself TO
board the Mercedes. Capt. Merritt.
thcreupon, steamed away for New
York on the Rescue. which passed out
of the Cape6 at 6:15 p. m. Sunday.
The tug Merritt and barge +. r.
Sharpe also lie at quarantine near the
Mercedes.
Yesterday DR.. +. S. Hope. health off,
Ger of this port, accompanied by his as
sistant. DR.. Hatton, went to Old Point
to inspect the Mercedes. but on finding
DR.. Pettus in charge they at once re-
turned. DR.. Pettus found that all her
crew, of twenty-three men, were in
good health. and -was informed shat
Santiago. Cuba, was almost free from
contagious diseases when they left.
DISINFECTING BEGUN.
Yesterday Dr. Pettus began the task
OF disinfecting the cruiser which will
take two or three days. as he will do
the work most thoroughly, using bich-
loride of mercury. He will see that the
bedding and clothing of the crew is put
into a steam chamber, to kill all ling
ering disease germs. She will probably
be released from quarantine on Friday.
from the Navy Department.
AWAITING REPLIES.
Secretary Dawes, of the Board OF
Trade and Business Mems Association,
has not yet received replies TO his let
tiers to Commandant Farquhar. of the
Norfolk navy yard, and Secretary OF
the Navy Long, but expects to hear
from them to-day. If their replies
give him the information as to the ex-
act time at which the Mercedes will
leave Old Point for the navy yard. the
Board of Trade and Business Mems AS
ISOLATION will then be In position TO
push preparations for giving her pro-
per reception and arrange for n tri-
umphal procession of tugs and steam
ers loaded with cheering thousands.
NOT ALLOWED TO BOARD.
Assistant Secretary Vandorlip, of the
Treasury Department. and Surgeon
General Wyman came down to Old
Point on Sunday from Washington,
and, boarding the quarantine yach;
Dagmar. inspected the quarantine sta
ton on Fishermen's Island. Chesapeake
Bay. They wished to go aboard of the
Mercedes. but were refused permission,
as DR.. Pettus made his orders i'm
perative on all. They returned to
Washington on Sunday night.
HISTORY OF HER SINKING.
Some confusion exists as to the sink
ing of the Mercedes at the entrance to
Santiago harbor. She was sent out of
Santiago harbor on the night of June
keep tho United States ships out of the
harbor. The Americans thought she
was trying to escape. and fired many
shots into her killing her second officer.