AN HISTORIC EPISODE

Evening Star, Issue 20132, 23 March 1929, Page 10

AN HISTORIC EPISODE

APIA BAY HURRICANE HOW THE CALLIOPE STEAMED CLEAR Forty years ago there occurred in' Apia Bay a marine disaster which appalled the entire civilised world, involving the destruction of six warships and tho lives of 150 men, and having political consequences of great magnitude. To New Zealand tho catastrophe holds an especial interest, as it was tho occasion when H.M.S.: Calliope, in the historic episode, steamed out to sea in tho teeth of a hurricane, and alone of all the ships in Apia Harbour escaped foundering.' The day was Saturday, March 16, 1899. Samoa was at that time passing through disturbances, and tho relations between Germany and tho United States, both of whom laid claim to portions of the Samoan group, wore dangerously strained, with the Samoans as third party already in arms. Anchored in the Apia Bay were three German and three American warships, their guns ready for action, their crews tilled with mutual suspicion and distrust. The slightest provocation would have led to war. At such a, time did Nature intervene to destroy by one swift stroke the warlike preparations of man and reduce the rival factions to impotency. The story of Hie disaster was related by Mr 11. defiers, of Taimii road, Devonport (Auckland), who, when' seventeen years of age, was signal hoy on the Calliope. He is one of the Jew members of the crew now living ami probably the only one residing in New Zealand. “ On the morning prior to flic disaster,” ho said, “ a strong offshore wind cropped up, with a falling glass, and we were ordered to strike tho lower yards and topmasts. The wind dropped at noon, and was followed by a dead calm —a sure sign that wo were, located in the centre of a hurricane. The hawsers were therefore cleared, boats secured, and everything was made ready for sea. A fresh breeze sprang up again offshore that evening, and an anchor watch was set for the night. I had the, morning watch, so had a fair night’s rest before things began to happen. At 4) o'clock in the morning the wind sud-, dimly veered round into tho harbour,causing a very heavy sea, and when' daylight broke wc found the German gunboat Tiber and a number of smalt craft were missing from their anchorages. The Eher had dragged her anchors and foundered on a reef with the loss of seven officer!? and seventy-three others, and the sea was still increasing. Other warships got into difficult tis, and we had a succession of narrow escapes. The German gunboat Olga’ dragged her anchors, went ahead under her engines, and before anything could be done she had borne down on us, raking tho Calliope’s starboard side. Under the impact the foreyard was sprung, and all the ship’s boats were carried away. About tin’s time we noticed that tho American ship Nipsic had gone aground. Shortly afterwards the American warship Vandalia dragged her anchors and cainu down upon ns, dragging across our bows. The Calliope’s jibboom entered her quarter galley and broke off, together with a portion of the figurehead. The Vanualia then pulled away, drifted inshore, and went down close to the beach with the loss of four officers and forty-three men. The German' vessel Adler," which also dragged hey anchors, turned over on a reef, losing two officers and twenty-three men. By tin’s time we had snapped two of our cables, and there was nothing to do in tho face of tho hurricane but to make for the open sea. Steam was therefore raised in all the boilers, the lower decks were cleared, and the engine room and stokehold branches were sent below. To get out of the harbour wc had to pass through a narrow, opening in the reef, with the American man-o'-war Trenton practically, blocking the centre of tho fairway, where she was straining op four anchors. We slipped our third anchor, and went ahead at full speed. As wo approached the Trenton the American hoisted the signal “My fires arc extinguished.” Jt seemed humanly impossible to avoid a collision, ns thero wore only a few feet to spare between the Trenton on one side and the reefon the other. We would certainly, have crashed had not the two ships, by good luck rather than good management, both rolled in opposite directions at the same time. We practically touched her, but our voids just passed beneath hers and saved us. As we passed the Americans cheered up,, and we returned the compliment. No sooner had we gone past her than she was lost from sight ;n the murk, and so was the laud. She afterwards drifted in to shore and Sundered, fortunately without loss of life, 'fhc sen started" to'moderate on Sunday evening, when wo ran back to have a look at the damage,” 1