The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-15
Capture of the Steamer Saturnus by
the Insurgents.
BIG HAUL FOR FILIPINOS
MAY HAVE BEEN TREACHERY
ON THE PART OF THE CREW.
Looks Like the Ship Had Been Run
Ashore Where the Natives Could
Get at Her Easily-Those On
Board Believed to Be Safe-Much
Plumber Secured.

been received by mail at the war de-
partment giving an account of the cap
ture and destruction of the steamer
Saturnus, which carried $4,000 in cash
! and a valuable cargo. The report fol-
| lows:
THE United States gunboat Pampan-
| ga arrived here yesterday morning,
| bringing news of the capture of the
| steamer Saturnus, belonging to the
/ Compania Martina. The facts, as
! gathered from those who know, are as
follows:
THE Saturnus sailed from Manila on
/ the morning of July 80 for San Fer
nando de la Union on the north side
of the gulf of Lingayan, Cayvian, Cur
rimao and APART, all of which are
northern ports. 1t is supposed the YES
sci arrived off San Fernando on the
| 31st ultimo.
when discovered by the gunboat
Pampanga she was lying with her nose
! buried in the sand of the shore south
| of the city of San Fernando Both an
chors were out and smoke, which how
cred closely over the vessel, showed
her to be on fire Small boats with ma
tive crews could be seen carrying the
cargo of the burning vessel ashore.
Natives Opened Fire.
little suspecting the true condition
of affairs, the gunboat Pampanga sent
a boat out to the burning vessel to in
veStigate. but upon the approach of
the boat with her American bluejack-
cts, the natives Immediately retired and
opened fire upon the boats crew, using
Mauser and Remington rifles, from
concealed trenches and sending shells
from two three-inch guns, which
formed a concealed battery, over and
close to the little boat
1.-THE watchful officers on the Pam
panga Immediately ordered the fire
from the rebel trenches to be returned
by the crew of the gunboat, and under
cover of the guns of the warship the
boat reached the Saturnus. A brief in
spection of the vessel showed every in
dication that she had been looted by
the rebels, but the examination failed
to disclose any sign of the crew or any
thing to indicate that a struggle had
taken place on board. The boats crew
then attempted to raise the anchors,
but failing in this they cut the anchor
chains and attached a hawser from the
Pampanga to the propeller of the Sa-
| turnus. An attempt was then made
to pull her out of the mud and sand,
but was unsuccessful
Wrecked Ship Abandoned.
"The Pampanga then abandoned the
wrecked Saturnus and Signalled the
Concord, which was sighted as she was
crossing the gulf of Lingayen, and re-
ported all the facts of the discovery to
her commander. The Pampanga there
upon was ordered to Manila to report
the affair, while the Concord remained
to attend the rebels and the wreck.
When the gunboat left the scene the
flames on the Saturnus had enveloped
the vessel and she, to all appearances,
was doomed.
1.-The Saturnus was commanded by
Captain Antonio Araluccea and had
two officers, three engineers and a
crew of thirty-six natives. 1t is sup
posed that all were taken prisoners by
the rebels.
"The cargo of the vessel consisted of
| 500 cases of petroleum, of ten gallons
to the case; 600 demijohns of wine, 143
barrels of wine, eighty sacks of rice,
ten cases of linen cloth seven cases
of money, containing $4,000 in cash,
and ], 1876 packages and bales of various
kinds. In addition to the cargo the
vessel carried twenty-six passengers
and two children, all of whom were
either F'ilipinos or Chinese. There is
absolutely no truth, in the rumor of the
assassination or murder of the crew of
the vessel.
May Have Been Treachery.
'The steamer Union, belonging to the
Compania General de Tobacco, which
sailed a few days after the Saturnus
for the same port returned yesterday
with the information that the United
States gunboat Paragua refused per-
mission to her to, enter the port of San
Fernando, and ordered her to return to
! Manila.
'It is generally believed that a por-
ton of the crew and perhaps some Of
the passengers were in league with the
| rebels, and knowing that the insurgents
had a concealed battery planted there,
ran the vessel ashore under the rebel
guns, so as to make the footing free
and easy and the capture of the vessel
and its valuable cargo, together with
it's officers, more complete, and with lit
tie danger to themselves
| A subsequent report received here
states that the passengers of the Satur-
nus were all safe and uninjured at
Tarlac, the Filipino capital. 1t was ex-
pected that the crew and passengers
would arrive in Manila soon, as it was
said they were free to go wherever
they pleased unmolested. The Saturnus
was fully insured against loss, includ-
ing the risk of war.
CORRUPTION rs CHARGED