The Late Hurricane

Samoa Times and South Sea Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 23, 23 March 1889, Page 2

The Late Hurricane

her oa thu sand. Great credit is due for tfu> manner in which the Nipsic was bandied for if the had gune on to the ruef a lurgur number uf liven would undoubtedly have been lost. Ah it id wo learn that aevon men were drowned; but all would have been saved if they had stuck to the ship. Aa we now write (Tuesday) she floats at high water, and a number of Bamoans and all the crew of the ship are busily engaged in preparing to kedge her off. We Warned that oarly in the morning the Olga collided with ! the Nipsio, doing the latter considerable damage, carrying away her smoke stack, stoam launch, whale boat, and part of her bullwarks. On account i of her etnuko stack being broken off J tho furmicos would not draw to keep | a full head of steam on. Excepting for this accident the Nipsie, which has powerful engines might have rode out tho gale in safety. On Thursday morning the Nipsio was successfully flouted out to her old anchorage. Her propeller is too much injured to bo repaired in' Samoa, innd'her rudder is gone. We believe it is the intention of the Admiral to fix a new rudder and «end the Nipsic away under sail to either Auckland or Sydney. The Vandalia was the most unfortunate vessel of tho U. S. squadron. She drifted about 9 o'clock near to the Calliope and the Olga, and mine into collision with both. The Calliopo 1 struck her with great forco on tho | poop doing considerable damage. The I Vandalia still continued drifting nl--1 most iu company with tho Calliope, I but the latter vessel having lost nearly J all her anchors put full steam on and j went steadily out to sea. Sho was i watched as far as could be seen through j tho mist with great interest and many surmises were expressed as to whether I she would got out in safety. The ( Calliopo returned to port on Tuesday i suffered very little damage exeopt the ! loss of hor bowsprit and some boats, j The captain of the Yaudulta seeing , no hope of saving his ship headed her : for the shore, and iu endeavoring to | reach tho sandy hoacli unfortunately i struck tho reef, filled and sank before l she could beached, within about fifty . yards from the stern uf the Nipsic.

The Captain, Paymaster, Pay Clork, Lieut, of Marines aud many men wore washed overboard. Tho vessel wn< completely submerged and all hands had to tako to the ringing, where they roinaiuod until the Trenton was driven alongside about 8 o'clock in the night, when moat of the officers and crew j got pu the Trenton excep'ing Lieut. I Kiploy who jumped into tho sea just i before the *"ast gave way, and with I jrrent difficulty swam to the shore. | He then procured a whuleboat and with the uid of Samoans got a line brought out to the wreck. Tho loss of lifo in the Yandalia were the commander, three officers and 39 seamen and marines. Divers have been engaged since Monday. On Tuesday the safe was recovered, which contained, wo henr, about §-10,000. The Trenton meanwhile whs gradually coming closer to the land. She had her bridle porta broken in, which b>ft an opening aud the sea camo in great quantities through this opening and the hawse pipes, getting iuto the faros. This was unfortunately fatal to the chances of saving tho Admiral's ship. The engincors wore unable to keop steam up. All hands were ordered to the pumps, which were kopt constantly going all day. About 3 o'elook the Trenton had drifted down towards tho Olga, wbieh vetuol wms theu about 600 pards from the reef. Both ships tried to avoid touching, but a collision was iuovitahlo. Tho Olga's bow struck tho Trenton on the quarter, Opening a large breach, and doing other damage, and the Olga's bow was smashed,. Aftor the vessels cleared ono another the Trenton drifted still further towards the reef, and at ope time held fairly well to her anchors ; but at about 8 o'clock she dropped down jnet oloar of the reef and on to the Vnndalio. The Trenton's stern was aground. ~Bhe was broadside on to the sunken vessel, and tho poor follows who had been on the Vandalta'a yard about 12 hours got on to the Trenton, being, assistod by the Admiral's crow with lines and other contrivances. On Sunday morning boat* were busily engaged all day in removing the mon from the ship to the shore which was accomplished without accident. All were removed before uight. *QtL Monday 250 Bamoana from Mataafa'a camp, and the

NINETY LIVES LOST FROM 11. I. G. 31. S. EBER AND ADLER. FIFTY LIVES LOST FROM THE U. 8. S. NITOIC AND VANDALJA. H. J. Q. 31. 8. EBEU aND ADLER AND THE U. 8. S. TRENTON & VANDALIA TOTAL WRECKS.

In our last: issue wo published a brief account of the terrible, destruction of the vessels in harbor, and the great loss of life during tins hurricane which cmumenced at about 2 o'clock on Saturday morning, tlm I'titli inst., and lasted until Sunday At a little after 5 o'clock in the morning H. I. G. M. S. Eber wa* driven on tlio shore reef. She broke up in pieces in a few minutes, only one officer and four men being paved. Pieces of the Ebor are now strewn about the bench in nil directions. When she struck the reef she heeled over into deep water, and probably her guns which were of great weight assisted in smashing up the vos«el so quickly. The officer and the men immediately went to the American Consulate where all assistance possible was rendered them. Shortly afterwards 11. I. Q. M. S. Adler also drifted on the same reef a little further westward. It would hardly be credited by any person who had not seen it that such a heavy ship as the Adier could be. lifted so high ou the reef which is uncovered at low nnter. She is now lying ou her port »ide high und dry. only a few feet of her side being under water at high tide. We have learned the exact number of the officers uud meu ,(21/) who wore lost from tho Adlor, the names of whom are given, below. Early or Sunday morning the work of rescue commenced. Boats manned by parties from shore were engaged in aaying the lives of the officers and crow who jH ere o'ut'on the wreck nearly 24 hours. Capt. Fritz suffered some injuries and had to be assisted to the German firm's premises, and several others were also injured. It is surprising from the force with which the vessel went on to the reef ihut more accidents did not fjpsur. Tho shook must have bo*n fearful, and the Adler must have been a strongly built vessel to, stand jt so well. , Sailors and Bamoans are since Sunday busily engaged soring small arms and other property from tl<e ship. The V. 8. 8. NipsJe was the next on the list oi,casnaUies. It was observ- \ abh> from tlm shora that she 'would aot.Ualjls tojiojid out. She was J?«kMkahe headed for the shorn and | leal iniinhad tha »>«tns a# Unissf with

tained that this vessel, the hat left j afloat in the harbor would bo saved, j but within half an hour she was run into (as described in onr lost issue) one bf the beet positions for beaohing iu the harbor. We have sine* last issue learned that Captain Douglas of the schooner Lily the lately appointed pilot was on board the Lily when she sunk, and who after great struggling managed to get on board the Olga was mainly instrumental by his knowledge of the harbor and valuable suggestions which were fortunately followed by Captain Erhardt that the Olga was beached in a position where no lives would be likely to be lost, and from where the Olga may very likely bo easily taken out to her anchorage again. We have heard that Cupt. Douglas has spoken on very compliuieutary. terms of the manner in which be was treated by the captain, officers' and men after he struggled on to tho Olga iu an exhausted condition. The Olgu is on an even keel- at high and low water. She must be well bedded in the sund. We believe no lives have beon lost from this ship. The losses it; our merchant shipping as described in our last issue, wore :—- The Godeffroi, bark, 462 tons, a total wreck; the Agar, barkeutine, 299 tons, a total wreck; the Lily, schooner, from which two lives were lost, a total wreck ; the Upolu, schooner, 68 tons, very likely to become a total wreck ; the Fituau, cutter, 19 tons, a total wreck; the Tafua, schooner, a total wreck ; tho Ntikunono, ketch, ashore ; the'.Vaitelle, cutter. 16 tons, had her mast cut away; the Utumapu, schooner, suffered some small damage, but is now repaired and going with the mails to Tutulla; a little schooner belonging to Mr. Meredith, about 5 tons. w»nt ashore, but is not much injured. Never .before we .believe in the history of wrecks in any harbor hossuch aelean sweep been made. The miraculous escapes of some poor fellows who were washed overboard from the different wrecks, and terriblo time they must have had, some of thoui being hours in tho foaming surf, is fearful to contemplate The recently . appointed pilot, Captain Douglas, who was on the Lily schooner when she went down after a collision with one of the men-of-war must havo had a terrible experience. His foot got entangled in some of thu gear of tho Lily, and he was taken down with her. On his getting clear and coming to the surface he was struck on the head by something, and ho again sank. Capt. Douglas then swam to the Olga. and just as he reached her bow, to catch some lines he imagined ho saw hanging the Olga. rose to u heavy sea, aud Captain Douglas was sent right under tho vessel., How ho contrived to >ret on board wo havo not learned, but his escape was miraculous. Further particulars of Captain Douglas' adventure are in another column.

The Eher, the first vessel to go ashore, lost 75 lives. The sollowing is a list of tho saved from the wreck: Lieut. Guedooker; Jeczawitz, steersman ; Stein, Fiel, Ehlort, seamen; ou shore on guard : Bassendowski, carpenter; Heukets, Boldan, and Tliiele, firemen ; Brost, soaman. The Adler lost 2o men. Tho following are the nnmes : Easchko, petty officer; Yungraann, firemen ; Fischer, lieruus, Avisius, Meisinger, Loser, Wahrenberg, Petors. Fischer, Rusch, Wtenck, Wilheim, Schnegotzky, Yunesh, Markus, Lenke, Keiler, Blauel, Lawisseu, seamen.

Tho TJ. S. 8. Nipsio lost seven men. The following nre tho names : Ilenry Pousoel and John Gill, seamen; G. W. Callnn and Joshua Heap, apprentices ; William Watson, oiler; D. P. Kelloher, coal-heaver; Thus. Johnson, cabin steward.

The following is a list of the 43 officers and crew lost from the TJ. 8. 8. Vandalia: 0 N. Schoonmnker. captain ; F. n. Arms, paymaster; F. E. lUtton, Lieut, of marines; John Roche, pay olerk; George Merrage, boatswain's mate; George Gorman, carpenter's mate; M. Craigan, C. A. G.; Wm. Brown, qr. master; T. U. Downey, pay yopraan; B. F. Davis, engineers' yeoman; M. H. Joseph,' enginers' yeoman; N. B. Green, lb*Tman,; H. P. Stallraan, bsyman; 0. H. Hawkins, steerage steward; 0. E. G. Stnndford, landsman; W. Brisbane, captain's steward; Tho* Ifclly and Joseph Griffin, firemen; W. Howat, G. H.; E. M. Hammer, If. Eriokson, OP. Krataer, Thoa, BefUy,, John Kelly, and Henry Baiter, seamen; John Hanchott and Frank. Lessman, first sergeants; M. Cashen and N. Kin sella, corporals; H. JB. Gefaring, F. Jones, G. Jordon. F. Wilford, H. Wixted, E. Montgomery, John Sims, G. H. Wells, 0. Kraus, & Goldner, Marines and 4 Chinamen.

; Douglas sava that all throogh sood order was observed on board, offl£2£ and mw •!*» M*** to b.wTfS confidence in theft* toflMOMder, who acted wttagjr«ak«wtae«j|p|d judgment. When J*{Vs& &^LJ3Z towards the Olga the order was giren to dose the water-tight compartments, and the sick and wounded were brought on deck and provided with life-belts and warm clothing. The Trenton and the Oljja carao into coUision, and when the Olga slipped her cable and rait clear, the crews of both ships gave a ringing cheer. The Olga was theu run on to the beach near the Vaisigano Kivor. Captain Douglas thus describes the movements and management of the Trenton. Ho says, for a large snip like the Trentoft, with her rudder gone and her fires extinguished, and in such a helpless condition; to be so skilfully manoeuvred, aud in such a sentnanlike ! manner, with only one fore and aft | sail set, from the mouth of the harbor j right into the deepest indent of the i bay without touching anywhere until j she grouuded alongside the Vnndaliu, j where at least she had the bwt chance I of saving her men, was marvellous, ! and reflects great credit on Captain Fnrquhar and his officers. Captain | Douglas informs as that he was laid ! up when the other ships were going | ashore. About his own vessel Captain | Douglas states that about 4 a.m. of ' the 16th. during one of the heaviest squalls, the U.S.S. Nipsic fouled the j Lily carrying away her bowsprit and j both masts*. The schooner then nWimg i clear and sank in a few minutes. ] There were on board at the time Cnpr. i Douglas, Mr. Ormsby, nnaanoMman ! a native of Hawaii. Captain Douglas j went down with the vessel, as Was j described in our last issue, and came out from under the Olga near the main chains. Ho had just time to breathe when ho was struck by the main j channels. When he again rose to the ' surface the Olga rolled gently over, and ' he got hold of the main chain plates ; nud climbed into th« channel*. He j saw Mr. Ormsby coming alongside and him cry for help, but he was j unable to assist him, although he was j within an arm's length of Mm. The i ciew of tbn Olga also heard Mr. | Ormsby cry out, and threw him a ropu : which he grasped, but was evidently [ too w»»ak to hold on, and hj« sank. Tho I cook was never seen afterwards.