The sun., 1899-05-22
TROPHY SHIP SAFE IN PORT
REINA MERCEDES REACHES HIMP-
TON ROADS IN TOW.
She Will Remain in Quarantine Five Days
and Then VIII He Accessible-CRmo In
Flying the stars and Stripes at tho
Inn nd.-X w CnuaIlnnH Plcnaed.

She Will Rem ain In Quarantine Five Days
and Then viii He Accessible-Camo In
Flying the stars and Stripes at the
Masthead. -Wrecking Company Pleased.
NEWPORT News. Va. May 21.-Wth the stars
and Stripes floating at her masthead. the
raised Spanish cruiser Rena Mercedes. which
was sunk by the Spaniards at Santiago harbor
as an obstruction to the passage Of the Ameri-
can warshps into tho harbor in July last, ar
rived in Hampton Roads this afternoon at 2:3O
o'clock the first important trophy Of the late
war to be brought to this country. The cruiser
arrived in tow OF the wreckinR tugs Rescue and
l.. j. Merritt OF the Merritt d Chapman Wreck
ing and Towing Company. which had the con-
tract to raise the sunkcn ship. The Merritt
Company's steamship $. T. Morgan also ac
companed the Spanish cruiser. She went
along in order to supply the tugs and the con-
voyed vessel in the event Of an accident which
might keep them at sea for some time.
The Mercedes was boarded at the Virginia
Capcs this morning by Dr. W. g. Pettus OF the
United States Marine Hospital Service. who Is
the National Quarantine officer for Hampton
Roads He examined the crews OF the cruiser.the
tugs and the steamship and decided that their
condition was not such as to necessitate the de-
tention Of the vessels dt Fisherman's Island.
tho national quarantine station. At noon the
ships again resumed their voyage, anchoring
above the Chamberlin Hotel at 23O o'clock.
The Government pier vas was thromged cn@ trdn T1n
Washington. The Mercedes will remain
in quarantine in HAMPTON. loads Tor
five days. the time required OF vessels en-
terlng from infected foreign porte. and at the
expiration of that time will go to the Norfolk
nay Yard to haze the rerarsH ro Hnm
ton Roads for New York. where she will report
the success Of her mission to Santiago to bead
f,,l oiGtt AZ a
ish cruiser. which is practically new. having
been 9unched in 1897. is feather in the , cap cap
fea te The captans the Ell Rescue and Merritt
are also proud OF their work in bringing the
cruiser safely into Hampton Roads without
The ferryboat yiglant; which conveyed d the
sightssers from WilloHgh6y spit to od a. Ip1nt. Font
antine. and the cruiser was Inspected at short
range. Twenty-thrcc OF the Merritt Wrecking
CompQny's men who came from Santiago
their hats in response to the cheers which
went up from those aboard the Nigilant. There
was general surprise at the size OF the cruiser
and at the excellent condition in which. seen
from a short distance. she appeared today to
be. Barring the fact that from her three mill
tary, masts the topmasts are missing. the cruis;
er shows at distance Of 200 yards lew signs OF
erss Of bs snSs and
Texas. which ouened fire on her when she at
tempted. apparently 10 escape from SAINT ago
harbor. pierced her two tunnels and the holes
made by these are clearly visible. On the star
board side well forward. lust above the water
line a big patch shows whore shell from one
of our batteShips pierced her. Her bridge Is
gone and temporary structure replaces IT,
Her hull shows in rusty spots slight signs OF
the immersion which followed the fight and
about the bridge signs Of fire are seen. but in
the main the cruiser looks little worse than
DR.. J. W. Pettus. the Quarantine officer who
alone has visited her since her arrival, said
that her hull. excepting some few warped
plates on the port side. is almost perfect struc-
turally. He said that two D-inch shells. when
struck her on the port bow and crossed hor
diagonaly toward the stern did much damage.
and lO-inch shell which struck her dynamo
demolished it, Only on the gun deck are any
signs of the havoc wrought by the American
guns.
A. Nanderlip ard Surgeon General Walter Wy
man came down to-day from Washington.
inspected the quarantine station on Fisher;
mans Island, Chesapeake Bay. They wanted
to board the Mercedes. hut DR.. Pcttus de:
clined to allow this or TO- let any one aboard
land. Both returned 70 Washington tonight;
Capt. Merritt also wished to land. but could
not. and so he sailed for New York aboard the
tug Rescue. which passed out the Capes at 6:l5
O'Clock tonight.
The Mercedes resembles in appearance the
cruiser San Francisco. now under repairs at
the Norfolk Navy Yard. She has four sponsons
and queer overhang to her bow. Her main
battery consists OF two 5.5-inch Honotoria
rifles. She will come up to the Norfolk Navy
Yard for repairs. The greatest interest is
manifested in her here. but her unexpected ar
rival has upset all plans for formal reception.