Wreck of the German Schooner Matautu.

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 18, 16 February 1889, Page 2

Wreck of the German Schooner Matautu.

The schooner Matautu, belonging to Messis. Kugo and Co., wont ashore ; ou Sunday morning about 10 o'clock. The schooner had left hor anchorage opposite Messrs. Huge and Co.'s stores on Saturday, intending to call nt Vailili to load caeoanuts for San Francisco, but ou Hearing the entrance ' to the harbor tho caption found ho could not beat out so he dropped anchur immediately inside the passage. On Sunday a strong breeze wus blowing from the north-east, with very ■ heavy raiu squalls. A heavy seu wjbs rolling in the passage and thoMfttnntu was pitching nnd rolling terribly, Matautu either parted her chain or dragg d fier anchors and immediately drifted on the western shoal, being carried some distance on the roef by the heavy sea.- Her port sido was crushed. She now lies there a total wreck. Foi innately no lives! were lost. Duiing thp gtilO all tlio warships in harbor kept up steam to assist their anchors. H. M. S. Calliope, which whs nearest the entrance of tli' - harbor, hail tit* l full force of the sea, but all the vessels rodo out j the blow in safety. (J rent fears were | entertained that ih<> Amen, an bnrkenI tine Constitution would not hold out ; against the heavy sen. She wi'B an- | cliored in about the woi:.t position in j Apia harbor, about 100 fathoms from the point of the *h< •«.* ret f. Sho rolled about in nil directions. Nothing could be done for her i.n Sunday. Gn Monday tho wind abated a li'.'le. and the men-of-war boats catuo to her assistance. A line wua made fas* to the Olga, nud a stem Line t- the western •lioal. She was mauogod in u very j skilful manner and carried round the I point of the reef where she rides now jin tolerable smooth water. With the i exception of the loss of the Matautu i no other accident occurred to any of | the vessels in the harbor.