LATER PARTICULARS.

Feilding Star, Volume X, Issue 114, 2 April 1889, Page 2

LATER PARTICULARS.

I PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. J

Auckland, March 30.

Lieutenant Wilson, of the warship Vandalia, says that at daylight nothing could be seen of the Eber, whilst the Adler was on a reef on her beam ends. . The other ships were yawing about under the influence of the wind and sea. The Vfcndalia met strong cross currents, and it was with the greatest difficulty that she was eventually brought up head to wind, but the strain was so great upon her anchors that she then began to drag At one time it became necessary to cross the bow of the Calliope, otherwise the two vessels must have fouled. Whilst the ships, were crossing, the Calliope was obliged to go astern as far as possible, whilst the Vandalia was forcing herself ahead. It seemed almost certain that the Calliope's bow would cut through the stern of the Vandalia before the latter warship got across, and she had an almost miraculous escape, the management of both ships being very skilful. Directly after this the Calliope shipped her chain and went to sea. This proved the salvation of that vessel and all on board. The Vandalia continued to drag, and was carried inshore by the wind and sea. It was only by constant watching on the part of Captain Schumacher that she was kept off the reef. An effort was made to beach her in the safest possible place, and this would probably have been successful were it not that the Olga came up on her starboard beam, and was ia imminent danger of crashing into her. In order to save both ships the Vandalia dropped astern, and had just cleared the Olga when she was struck broadside on by a sea and carried on to a soft sandy bottom just beyond the reef. Once in this position all hope of saving the Vandalia was over, but the engines were kept going as long as they had any eftect on the ship, the men in the firing room standing by their fires to the last. The seas, which were now running very heavily, swept over the ship from stem to stern, carrying away the boats and clearing the decks. The men were forced to take refuge on the top-gallant forecastle and on the quarterdeck. The last boat swamped before it could be lowered away, so that all means of communication with the shore or other vessels v, a out off.

The American officers and Captain Kane's own officers are unanimous and emphatic in their expressions of admiration at the magnificent way in which he handled his ship. The Calliope had to pass between the Trenton and the reef, with only a few yards to spare, but the the thing was accomplished in the most skilful manner. The Trenton's officers took off their hats to Captain Kane as the Calliope went by, and the American sailors cheered him heartily. Captain Kane says this spontaneous encouragement waß the handsomest compliment he has ever received.

Captain Kane declares that he has had enough of Samoa. He leaves shortly for Sydney.

Bodies are now and then washed up on the beach, some in a horribly mutilated condition. One recovered yesterday had lost an arm, which had been torn from its socket, and the head was completely smashed.

News by the Mariposa, dated Apia, March 16, says : — All the vessels during hurricane endeavored to steam out to the open sea, but the storm was too strong for any of them to get out of the harbour, save the British cruiser Calliope (Captain Kane), which succeeded in effecting a passage to the ocean right in the teeth of the fearful gale.

In the despatches from Captain Kane to Admiral Fairfax it is stated that the reason why Captain Kane deemed it advisable to proceed to- Sy Iney was that he lost all his boats ana his anchors except one. The Calliope was to sail under easy steam, and she will therefore probably arrive iv Sydney on Thursday.

The New Zealand Herald's correspondent in Apia, writing on March 1 9, says : — " Several rumours were afloat for the last day or two that the Calliope had foundered outside, and alto that she had got on a reef some distance up the coast, but all doubts were set at rest by her coming into harbour this morning apparently all right, she is now the only vessel in Apix. Britishers cannot help being proud of their navy after all, when they are composed of such ships as the Calliope has proved herself to be. They all admit that she is a noble ship, and she wns wel hau dd. The hurricane and its results will perhaps be a lesson to other countries, and especially, I should think, to the United States, not to send old vessels with nearly i worn out engines to these eeuß at this season of the year. The gale was no heavier than occurs frequently on the coast of New Zealand, and I feel per* fectly sure that any one of the Union Company's boats would have steamed right out as the Calliope did. The great calamity that has occurred has of oourse put everything else in the shade, 'and now we have to speculate on what effect it will v hrave on the Samoan question. The Germans have sufie ed most severely here lately, both in property and lives, and I think there is no gettiug over the fact that they have themselves to blame. If they continue on -amoa will soon be a dear place to them, and I daresay the German Government now wish they had never seen it."