The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1911-09-04
VANDALS LOOT
WAR WRECKS
All Lose Articles OF Value Stolen
From Sunken Spanish Fleet OF
Cuban Coast.
CRAFT CAN BE FLoATEO
OPINION OF EXPERTS.
Salvage Would Be Profitable to Uncle
Sam. Whose Property Vessels
Have Become.

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Sept. g.
President Taft's recent message TO
congress. asking that 1t be determined
whether the Spanish men-of-war. sunk
in the battle OF Santiago thirteen
years ago should be given away. and
Secretary knOx's opinion that the
wrecks belong to the United States.
have revived speculation here as to
the possibility OF relocating the ships.
Engineers who have studied the loca.
ton OF the three battleships and two
torpedo boats are OF the opinion that
their salvage is practicable and would
warrant the expense OF saving the
hulks.
Seven miles west of the narrow
mouth to Santiago harbor. lies th>
first OF Cervera's battleships. the Al
mirante Oquendo. She is beached in
the breakers OF Juan Gonzales. with
about one-third OF her hulk visible
above the white tops. Long ago she
was stripped of every portable article
by wreckers. who braved a watery
grave for the prizes she was reputed
to have held.
They took everything they could
pry loose. including. report has IL.
many thousand golden coins from the
ships safe. Recent inspection has
shown that the Almirante Oquendo
was robbed OF even the copper rivets
which held her fixtures in place.
Vizesys Also Robbed.
Admiral Cervera's flagship. the Viz
caya lies eight miles further down
the rocky coast. as much a victim TO
the depredations OF ocean junkmen
as the Oquendo. 4 third of her form
breaks the land line. and il is be
l lieved there would be comparatively
| little difficulty in recovering her with
/ other ships OF the Spanish feet. al
| though she would he entirely worth
] less IL is thought. as n vessel OF war.
/ Near two hours sail from the Viz
| caya AZ Rio TorquinO. forty-eight
miles from this city. is the third OF
/ the four Spanish ships. the Christohal
! Colon. The Colon has been preserved
from the hands OF the vandal by four
I fathoms Of water above her. Locked
i i'm her safe there is said 10 be "A large
/ amount of money. aboard her nothing
/ has been disturbed since she was
/ siIenced bv American guns and run
/ ashore 10 prevent her capture. Her
I salvage would probably be the most
I difficult OF the three. engineers as
/ sert.
The history ~ 'he fourth vessel OF
the fleet. the lnfanta Maria Teresa. is
we'll known She vas hoated by
7 Lieutenant Richmond =. HObson. OF
/ Merrimac fame. and lost In tow Of on
American war vessel when on her
way 10 an American port. during a
squall on Cat Island I'm the West
Indies Engineers have declared her
beyond and unworthy of second A..
tempt a. salvage The two secondary
vessels of Admiral Cervera's fleet. the
torpedo boats Furor and PlutOn. lies
submerged not FAR from the harbOr
entrance The safe ~ tho Pluton and
easily portable articles from her decE
and cabins have been recovered The
Furor Us practically undist1rbed
Both lie In Comparatively shallow
water
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commonwealth. and we wish ihev
would do So"
Attorney Smith referred 90 report
~ an alleged effort ~ the prisoner %
d communicate with the BInf0rd girl
while She occupied "a nearby cell IN
The Richmond jail. aud ~ the discov.
cry NJ a packet ~ letters on a DE.
charged "trusfy"
Tho letters which the prosecution
have" explained Mr. Smith. were
merely personal letters from tho fam
iiy ~ tho prisonhr ~ him. and in no
way concerned the R.nford Eiri Hen
~ told mo that be- hoped tho prosecI
t'on would produce them. a. Do oniy
would show tho Kind of tactics thcy
have been using 20 try to convict
him"