Relations between Spain and the United States became strained, and war seemed imminent, but on 8 December, the Spanish government agreed to surrender Virginius to the US on 16 December, to deliver the survivors of the crew and passengers to a US warship at Santiago, and to salute the US flag at Santiago on 25 December if it was not proved before that date that Virginius was not entitled to sail under American colors. Virginius foundered off Cape Hatteras as she was being towed to the United States by Ossipee. George Henry Williams, the Attorney General of the United States decided before 25 December that Virginius was the property of General Quesada and other Cubans, and had had no right to carry the American flag. Under an agreement of the 27 February 1875, the Spanish government paid to the United States an indemnity of $80,000 for the execution of the Americans, and another indemnity to the British government.Tornado was converted to a torpedo-training vessel in 1886. From 1898 until her destruction by the Nationalist aviation in 1938, she served as a hospice for poor children of sailors and fishermen killed or drowned in maritime accidents, in the port of Barcelona. She was finally broken up in 1939. References Sources Accounts and papers of the House of Commons Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons Appletons' annual cyclopaedia and register of important events: Embracing political, military, and ecclesiastical affairs; public documents; biography, statistics, commerce, finance, literature, science, agriculture, and mechanical industry, Vol. 6. History of the United States: From the Compromise of 1850 to the McKinley-Bryan Campaign of 1896, Vol. VII (in Eight Volumes) Carlos López Urrutia. Historia de la Marina de Chile'' Indice Historico Español Vol. 39,Nº114 . Universitat de Barcelona. Centre d'Estudis Històrics Internacionals External links https://web.archive.org/web/20120323132501/http://www.whenliverpoolwasdixie.co.uk/pamp.htm http://www.spanamwar.com/spanwoodenbcruisers.htm http://www.ligamar.cl/revis9/57.htm Texas Commerce raiders 1863 ships 1860s in Chile Naval ships of Chile Chincha Islands War Captured ships Cruisers sunk by aircraft Shipwrecks of the Spanish Civil War