The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26

the mud stirred up that no one could see
through It. The diver. having discovered an
| opening. would measure II and then 20 up and
! report. A plug would be made to 1T It and the
diver would go down and drive in the plug.
80 1t went until every opening not hidden by
mud was plugged up. Then the pumps were
put to work on the Luzon as they had been
worked on the Cuba. The Luzon lay in Just
such a mud berth as the Cuba had made for her.
self. with the additional complication that she
had been backed into an old submerged wreck.
with the frames OF which her propellers had
been foulcd. Besides the task Of floating her.
there was the problem OF lifting her far enough
to free the propcllers. Finally II was done. but
one blade was broken and four were bent in
the process. IA soon as she was freed she. too.
was towed over to tho shipyard and hauled out.
Tho Cuba had boen overhauled In the mean
time and relaunched as an American prize.
That was on Nov. 10.
Then the turn Of the Austria came, and she
was the easiest OF the three. The system OF
drainage In the Austria was better than in the
Islas and there was not so much difficulty In
the pumping az the first two ships had given.
Eight days after the Luzon was floated, or on
Nov. 23. the Austria took her place In the ship
yard. The process of getting the Luzon and
Austria out OF tho mud was exactly that en-
ployed on the Cuba. and there we're no setbacks
due to bad weather.
All three ships were raised in comparatively
good condition. They looked badly used up.
but IL was evident. even at n casual glance.
that they had not suffered much In the action
OF May l. The fires set by the Americans had
burned them all out aft. and in the case Of the
Austria the fire had gone well forward. Along
the two or three feet that had been alter
nately exposed and covered by the tidal action
thousands Of oysters had embedded them
selves. and this gave a picturesque effect to the
general aspect OF ruin caused by the fire.
Everything worth having had been stripped by
wreckers or relic hunters and the little prizes
certainly presented q sorry appearance. But
there were few scars OF battle. The Cuba
showed hardly a mark that could be set down
positively as the work Of a hostile shell. The
Luzon showed two distinct hits. One was a
hole on the port side of the coming tower.
where a g. FOUNDER shell had struck and failed
to penetrate. The other was a hole in the star
board after-gun shield that looked as ia 5-inch
shell had come through. There was a hole in
the galley also. probably made by n shell.
OF the three ships the Don Juan de Austria
made by far the best fight. as witnessed by her
scars. The forward torpedo tubes had been
riveted shut. but six torpedoes were in the
racks and two in the slings above the tubes.
Two spare warheads were lying on the deck
lltob vi WY ~ "a ohSil W avn 'Si''
the port hawsepipe. came through and knocked
of the propeller from a torpedo in the port
rack. Then the shell exploded and two'pieces
OF 1t struck one Of the warheads. penetrat-
ing into the guncotton hambe Evidently
| that warhead was not loaded. This was a
6-pounder shell. The after torpedo tubes OF the
Austria were open and the torpedoes were all
gone from the after room. Capt. Don Juan
de la Conda, who commanded the Austria on
that day. says no torpedoes were fired, but
although Capt. Conda is a pleasant gentleman
and undoubtedly u gallant officer. | am com
PEELED to say that he has made statements with
reference to that action which the cold facts
Lave not borne out. The worst blow received
by the Austria was from n shell, probably n
five or six inch, which struck the superstruc-
ture Just n the port end of the bridge. cut off
a stanchion Of tho flying bridge and cX-
ploded. ripping up the deck and completely
carrying away the steering gear. Two small
| shells hit the galley. and one five-iRch smashed
through the ash hoist Just at the water line.
All the ships were well supplied with am
munition. quantities OF it being found in al
their magazines. They also had their bunkers
well filed with good Cardiff coal. Their hulls
wele all in fine condition. and it took little time
when they were on the ways to get them
cleaned and properly patched. When they
went back into the water they were nt as ever
in their existence to meet weather. that is, as
far as hull was concerned. Singularly enough.
the engines all around were found to be in
| excellent shape. They had all been coated
heavily with oil when the ships went down.
To this there had been added quickly a de-
post Of fine mud which acted as a fairly salts
factory protection. SO that there was very little
rust. They looked bad enoushto make a land
lubber wonder what anybody was crazy
| n,o,-I 70 tlir1- n,rlI IA ,JAnn usitI tlnt,, b,t
Henderson aud McPherson. the Dock Com
pany's engineers, only Grinned when any such
suggestion was made to them.
Temporary decks were put In to replace those
our fires had burned out. The engines were
cleaned thoroughly and overhauled everything
below was gone over with loving care under
the supervision Of Mr.. Capps. for these were
real sure enough prizes. and no effort was
spared to get them safely to the dock. At last
the Cuba was ready for q trial. and. to the
amazement of the Admiral and all who saw
her, she went about the bay under her own
steam at a speed of twelve knots an
hour and better. And the coal that
made the steam was taken from her own
bunkers. after six months in salt water.
| On Dec. II the Cuba started also for Hong
Kong. but the next day she met rough weather
and put back. In the meantime the Lu2on
had been prepared. and so on Monday Of this
week, Dec. 10. the two started away together.
This afternoons telegram tells Of the compile
ton Of their voyage. The Austria will be ready
to follow in a few weeks,
These three little gunboats will be valuable
additions to our fleet in these waters. The
Cuba and Luzon are English-built steel, twin
screw vessels of about 1900 tons. halfway be-
tween the Petrol and the Concord, Unlike our
smaller ships. they have heavy steel protection
decks. Their engines are compound horizontal.
and their speed ought to be in the neighbour
hood Of fourteen or fifteen knots. The Austria
Is older and was built in Spain. She is not so
good as the two Islas. but she is we'll worth the
raising. 1t will take about six months to reft
the three prizes.
Tho success Of the whole undertaking has
| been due in large measure 10 the skill and un-
| firing energy of Naval Constructor Caps, and
4. Is only justice to him to say so.
4 STOWAWAT on THE TEXAS.
Tommy Watson Was in the Battle of SAM
tIuCn and Ia Now n NHynl ADurpntice.