The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-04
THE STEAMSHIP OLIvETTE.
She Made quite Record During the
War with Spain.

War With Spain.
From the Philadelphia Evening Telegram
The steamship Olivette of the Plant line,
which played several important roles dur
ing the Spanish-American war period and
which has been at Cramps for the past
three months undergoing a thorough over
hauling, will leave che yard tomorrow,
bound for Port Tampa. Immediately pre-
ceding the war the Olivette, under Capt.
James p. Stevenson, her present command
er, carried official correspondence between
the authorities at Washington and Consul
General Lee at Havana. Capt. Sigsble
and the survivors Of the Maine were
brought to this country on the Olivette,
and after Gen. Lee had left Havana she
was chartered by the Spanish government
to carry to Havana those Spanlards dom
iciled in Port Tampa and Key West, who
wanted to be under the protection OF their
mother country. She entered Havana I'M
der the personal guarantee of Captain Cen
eral Blanco that no harm would come to
her, and while there she was protected by
the crew of the Spanish war vessel Al
fonso XIII, which patrolled the immediate
vicinity in steam launches.
AT the outbreak Of hostilities the Ollvette
was chartered by Secretary of the Navy
Long as a water carrier and general emer-
gency boat. She supplied fresh drinking
water to the fleet of transports that car
ried Gen. Shafter and the first inslalment
of troops into Cuba, and accompanied the
fleet, having on board forty war CORE
spondents, hospital corps and full outfit
for field hospital service. Off the coast Of
Cubar four of the transports ran out of
fresh water and the Olivette took them in
tow and filled their drinking tanks, thus
in all probability averting much distress
among the troops by her timely succor
This highly important service was also
rendered in the fleet of sea fighters during
those anxious days off Santiago last sum-
mer, when the thermometer was at blood
heat. After Gen. Torai capitulated to Gen.
Shafter, Capt. Stevenson entered Santiago
harbor with the Onvette and secured fresh
water from the springs on the outskirts
of Santiago.
After the fight of Las Guasimas thirty
six of Roosevelt's gallant Rough Riders
and intrepid colored troops of the Tenth
United States Cavalry, who fell either
pierced by Mauser bullets or hacked by the
Spanish sabers. were taken aboard, along
with Edward Marshall, the New York war
correspondent
On that never-to- be-forgotten Sd of July
afternoon off the Cuban coast when the
American Eavy covered itself with indy
ing CORY by destroying Admiral Cervera's
proud fleet, the Olivette was the American
ship of mercy that went about searching
for the torn and bleeding Spaniards.
Among the wounded were Capt Concas
of Admiral Cervera's flagship Infanta Ma
ria Teresa, and the commander of the tor
pedo boat destroyer Furor that fell a prey
to the terrific onslaught of the plucky
Gloucester.
AT the conclusion of hostilities the Oil
vette returned to Florida and tied up at
Fernandina. While coming up several
port holes were inadvertently left open,
and the vessel. listing to one side. she fill
ed and sank. The vessel was finally raised
by a wreckng company and brought
north to Cramps last October In badly
diapidated condition. Since then the en-
gines have been taken apart and overhaul
ed and new parts supplied where neces-
sary, two new boilers put in and the in
terror entirely remOdeled and refurnished.
In order to render her more seaworthy and
to insure greater forecastle room, the bow
has been raised by the addition of a
number of plates. Wherever deemed eX-
pedient, the hull has also been strength
ened.
The DHvette was built by the Cramps in
1887 for the Plant Steamship Company.
The dimensions are; Length, IA feet
inches; beam, SIS feet 2 inches and depth
of hold, IA feet inches. The hull is of
iron and the engines of the triple-expan-
sion type, revolving a single screw. Her
registry is 1911 tons. When she leaves
tomorrow afternoon, unless necessarily
delayed, the Olivette will proceed directly
to Port Tampa
The Mascotte. a sister ship TO the Oil
vette. will. in the near future, be brought
north and taken to the Cramp shipyard,
where new boilers will be put in and other
alterations made.
The Plant line is now running five ships
every week from Port Tampa to Havana.
Tho trip is made in about nineteen hours