Antonio López (shipwreck)

''Antonio López'' was a merchant steamship that was built in Scotland in 1882 for the Spanish Compañía Transatlántica Española (CTE). A United States Navy Merchant raider, auxiliary cruiser sank her in the Spanish–American War when she was trying to run the US blockade to supply materiél to the Spanish garrison on Puerto Rico. She is now the only known Spanish shipwreck in US waters from the war. Her wreck site, in of water off Dorado, Puerto Rico, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1997.

Building

William Denny and Brothers built ''Antonio López'' in Dumbarton, Scotland, launching her on November 8, 1881 and completing her in 1882. Her registered length was , her beam was , her depth was and her tonnages were and . She had a single Propeller, screw, driven by a two-cylinder Marine steam engine#Compound, compound steam engine that was rated at 634 Horsepower#Nominal horsepower, NHP. CTE named her after its founder Antonio López y López, and Ship registration, registered her at Port of Barcelona, Barcelona.

Loss

In June 1898 ''Antonio Lopez'' was bound for San Juan, Puerto Rico from Cádiz. On June 28 two US cruisers Third Battle of San Juan (1898), fought a squadron of Spanish ships comprising one cruiser, two gunboats and ''Antonio López'', which had a cargo of military supplies. pursued and shelled ''Antonio Lopez'', which ran aground at Ensenada Honda (Culebra, Puerto Rico), Ensenada Honda.Berta Pensado, ''El Marqués de Comillas'' (1954)

Claudio López Bru (1853–1925), Antonio López y López' son, then owner and president of the company, sent a telegram to the ship's captain saying:

''Es preciso que haga usted llegar el cargamento a Puerto Rico aunque se pierda el barco.'' (You must get your cargo to Puerto Rico, even if the ship were lost.)

Captain Ramón Acha Caamaño was given charge of Marine salvage, salvaging the ship's cargo. His men quickly salved nearly all of it. Only some minor articles and one cannon that had fallen overboard during salvage work were lost.

See also

* Puerto Rican Campaign
* Compañía Transatlántica Española
* Claudio López Bru
* List of United States National Historic Landmarks in United States commonwealths and territories, associated states, and foreign states
* National Register of Historic Places listings in northern Puerto Rico

References

External links

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1882 ships
National Register of Historic Places in Dorado, Puerto Rico
National Historic Landmarks in Puerto Rico
Ships built on the River Clyde
Shipwrecks on the National Register of Historic Places
Steamships of Spain
Telegraphy
Spanish–American War ships of Spain
Shipwrecks of the Puerto Rico coast
1898 in Puerto Rico
Maritime incidents in 1898