Description by an Eye-witness

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 357, 6 April 1889, Page 3

Description by an Eye-witness

Supplementary to the above narrative, which will doubtless be read with deeo interest and regret, we are indebted to Lieutenant Wilson, of U.S.s. Vandalia, who anhed in Auckland by the Maripo=a, for the following graphic account of the storm, more particularly as affecting the vessels of war w hich came to grief. Lieutenant \Vil a on says : 1 was attached to the Vandalia a* navigating officer, and was on deck from the evening of the 15th of Maich until after the wreck of that vessel onthee\ening of the 16th inst. The approach of bad weather was evident from the dulness of the atmosphere and indication shown by th,e,, barometer. The barometer went down slowly and steadily, but not rapidly. Preparations were made for the appioaching storm by sending down all moveable spars from aloft, getting up -team, and getting extra anchors ready to let go. The weather wa.s almost calm during the afternoon of the 15th, although, a strong southerly gale had been raging to the southward of the island on the previous night. About three o'clock . on the afternoon of the 15th, the wind came out suddenly from the NE. and increased in j force gradually and steadily. No great anxiety was felt, however, because of these unpleasant premonitions, because about two weeks previously all the vessels had successfully rode out a strong gale from theN.W.

THE NIGHT WAS VERY DARK, and the movements of the vessels could be seen with difficulty. So far as the Vandalia was concerned she rode through ' the night with two anchors down, without the aid of steam. The harbour was crowaed with vesfcels anchored, and the reefs were so close that it was impossible for ' the Vandalia to veer any cable without " placing herself either in danger of fouling one of 'the other ships or going upon a reef?' The gale increased steadily in* violence d uring the night, until at daylight it was blowing with a velocity oi probably , ' ' -

EIGHTY MILES AN HOUR. The barometer had now sunk to about 29.10. At dayligtit nothing was to be seen ot the (^ermar>, gunboat Eber, but the Ailler was nb&erved to have been thrown on the reef on her beam ends. The other ships were yawing about under the influence of the wind and sea. The Trenton and Calliope , appeared to be making better weather than any of the. other vessels in eight. As far as could bo observed the Trenton had not started her anchor, but the, Calliope had gone some hundred yards or more astern of her former position, and was that, much closer to the reef., The Vanc'alja experienced strong cross currents, caused, undoubtedly, by, the seaß which were breaking o\erher, violently striking the reef, and being forced back again across the channel. This caused the Vandalia, in the position in which she was, to frequently ride broadside on to the wind and sea. and it was with great difficulty that she was eventually brought up head to wind. In this manoeuvre the strain on her anchors was so great that soon after daylight she

STARTED TO DRAG. 'Anothei anchoi, the only remaining anchor, was then let go. and her engines were slackened to keep the ship on her course. The holding ground was very bad. and the strength of the? current, combined with' the, efforts that ' were made to keep clear of other vessels', caused' her to drag nltnost continuously. At one- tune it became necessary to cross the bow of the Calliope, ft was a question whether or not this, could be accomplished close, but it had to be attempted, for otherwise these two vessels .wquld have undoubtedly fouled each other and serious damages occurred to both.

A CRITICAL MOMENT. In crossing the bow of the Vandalia the Calliope was obliged to go aatern as far as possible, while the Vandalia was forcing herself ' ahead. It seemed almost certain that the bow of the Calliope would cub through the stern of the Vandalia before she got across, and she ' had an almost miraculous escape, brought about by skilful management on the part of both ships. As it was the vessels averted a collision by only about one foot, the quarter of the Calliope cutting some two feet into the light framework on the quarter galley on the stern of the Vandalia. Directly after this, I think, the Calliope slipped her chain and went to sea. I am under the impression that she parted one or two chains before slipping, and that her going to sea proved the j salvation of that vessel and those on' board. The Vandalia continued to" drag, being carried in&hofe by the strong current, wind and 5 £ea, and it was only by constantwatchinga'ndskilful management on the part of Capt. Schumacher that she kept off bhe roef. At timesshecouldnot have been less than lOfb from the edge of the most dangerous reef, but she finally arrived in what we may call the "inner pocket of the harbour.'' It was then seen that a very little more would see her ashore. Capt. Schumacher's object now was to beach the ship in the safest possible place. Preparations were accordingly made for slipping the cables, to get the ship's head pointed through bhe surf, as shewasheadingaboutnorth. Thisidea would have been successfully carried out had it not been that the Olga came up on the starboard beam of " the Vandalia, and was in imminent danger of crashing into her. In order to save both vessels it became necessary for the Vandalia to drop astern, there being no room to go ahead of the Olga! As the Vandalia wa*? putting her helm over, slipping hor chain, and shooting across the stern of bhe Olga, barely clearing, the latber beforo she could head in the direction in which she wished to beach.

STRUCK BROADSIDE ON, taking the ground on a sand bottom just beyond the reef. Once in' this position all hope of saving the Vandalia was over, but the engines wero kept going as long as they had any effect on the ship, the men in the firing-room standing by their fires to the last. The eeas, which were now running very heavily, swept over the ship from stem to stern, carrying away boats and other valuable objects. Life preservers were served out as far as they would • go, ( her officers, with a very few exceptions, being without any such assistance. The deck of the ship was by this time untenable, so that the men were forced to take refuge on the top-gallant forecastle and on the quarter deck.

THE LAST BOAT SWAMPED; before ib could be lowered away, so that all means of communication with the shore or the other vessels was cut off. The idea of firing rockets and shooting; a line by that, means was attempted, but as everybody and everything in the ship were thoroughly soaked, no means of lighting a rocket could be found. The ship commenced to settle, and each succeeding sea lifted her and carried her further inshore, until she rested fully on the bottom of the harbour, where the heavy seas broke over hex*, making it almost impossible for anybody to hold on. Many of the men and some of the officers then took to the rigging, while the captain, the executive officers andothers still remained on the poop deck. The distance from the shore could not have been more than 150 yards, bub the heavy sea which was running into the harb6ur," made the intervening water a perfect whirlpool. -

GETTING A I/INE ASHORE. One man, Coxswain Hammar, jumped over board without orders taking with him the end of a line and tried to reach the shore He was a powerful swimmer bub *>he sea "was too heavy, and he was lost before he had gob ,50 yards from the ship. He was soon followed by Boatswain's Mat© Merrajre, also a powerful swimmer and a man of perfect fearlessness, who made another vain attempt to carry a line ashore, but

HJB WAS DROWNED Before -he could cover half the distance. Fi'om time to time men with life preservers would' leave the ship and attempt to reach -the shore and three outof every, four who did so were either drowned close to the ship, or carried out to sea by the strength of the current. A number of men succeeded in reaching the American warship Nipsic which was beached close to whore the Vandalia lay, and irom that vessel it was comparatively an easy matter to reach the shore.

CAPTAIN SCHUMACHER DROWNED. Captain Schumacher, in command of the Vandali:i, was jusfc about to take to the rigging as the seas now began to sweep thu poop deck with si^ch violence that he was unable to maintain his fbotinir, when he was caught by an advancing wave and swept against a gatling'gun. He was probdbly severely injured as the same sea carried him overboard, and he was drowned in view of all th,ose who remained on the Vandalia. Tho people who were in the rigging could overlook everything about the ship, and on shore we could see that every effort was being made to render assistance to those in distress.

A THOUSAND DOLLARS WERE OFFERED to any man who could get a line to the ship. One of the natives, all of whom are pert swimmers, was drowned in an attempt to earn this reward, and no amount of persuasion could induce others to, make another attempt.

THE TRENTON IN DIFFICULTIES About 8 o'clock in the evening the Trenton wast discovered to be bearing; down stern first on the Vandalia. This was a great surprise to everybody on board our ■ship, as when previously noticed she was riding 1 out the gale and holding the ground, successfully. The Trenton came steadily down towards us, and a uew terror was added to the present, inasmuch as it> was almost sure that she would collide with the Vandalia, and that in so doing she would carry away our mast and all who were clinging to the rigging. She dragged steadily down with her stern to the midship portion of the Vandalia. When near enough she fired arocket over the Vandalia'sforetop by which a linewas passed between the ships, and in this manner nearly all of those who were in the foremast succeeded in reaching the Trenton.

A PERILOUS LEAP. As she came closer the men who were clinging to the main roast of the ,y,atidalia prepared to jump for the Trenton, as it was apparent that the Vandalia's main mast would be carried away. Some in their effort to make this perilous leap, beiner weakened by, exposure and by constantly, holding on to the rigging, were

unable to maintain their grasp of the ropes, and fell between the vessels. I myself had a very narrow escape of being drowned in this way. I was swinging from the rigging of the Vandalia to the Trenton, but was unable to hold on, and fell between the ships. I succeeded in getting into the same position in the Vandalia's rigging, only to have the experience repeated. I eventually succeeded in reaching the mainmast and holding, on to the ladder, but had not sufficient strength to get higher than to have MY HEAD ABOVE THE SURFACE of the water. 1 would undoubtedly have been drowned had not a sailor from the Trenton, at the risk of i his own life, come over the stern of the Trenton . and passed a rope around me by which means I was hauled, on board that ship. A few seconds after this the mainmast of the Vandalia went by, the board, the mizzenmasbhaving previously been, carried away, and several who were clinging to •it Were drowned. By nine o'clock vail the survivors from the Vnndalia had reached th,e Trenton, where they were cared for during the night, and kept until the gale abated next day.

A TERRIBLE POSITION. The Trenton was ab the time pounding heavily on the bottom, and ibwassoon apparent that she would fill and sink. About noon it was decided to abandon the ship. The; officers and men picked up hastily what effects they could, and by one o'clock p.m. everybody except a few men left to watch the ship was on shore. It was subsequei % y discovered that the cause of the Trenton's going ashore waa that the seas shipped on board gob into the fire room and put out the fires, thus rendering the steam power useless She then parted her chains and, having but one anchor to holding on with B,he wafe ac the mercy of the wind and sea. When it was found on the Trenton that nothing could be done to save the ship, every effort was made to bring her close to the Vandalia, the lives on board the. latter vessel being considered in imminent danger in order that we triighb be rescued, and this was successfully accomplished by the constant efforts of the officers in command.

olWin trouble. Just previous to the 4 Trenttn's going on shore the Olga was scqn to be making for the beach. It seems she had collided with and sunk a schooner containing the harbour pilob, Mr. Douglas,, 'and Mr Ormsby, agent for Me Arthur, at Tu^uila. Eoth of these men went down with the schooner, but rose again to the surface and gained the sideof'the Olga. Mr Douglas was under the bottom of the Olga twice, and on the last occasion came t up in a very exhausted condition. Nevertheless, he made every effort in his power to assist Mr Ormsby, who was even more exhausted, but unfortunately without succe&s. Mr Douglas finally succeeded in getting himself in the chains of the Olga. telling Mr Orrasby to hold on till he could get assistance to pull him on board.

DROWNING OF MR QRMSBY. When the assistance came, however, i fc was too late, for Mr Ormsb.y had disappeared beneath the surface. The captain of the Olga having learned that the harbour pilot wap on board obtained his professional services to assist him in getting the most suitable place for

BEACHING THE OLGA. She was successfully beached in soft mud, where she lay perfectly secure, and in ' which position she still remains. She will most probably be got off without serious damage. Very few of the bodies of those drowned came ashore, and by latest accounts only thirteen had been recovered, including the bodies of Captain Schumacher and Paymaster Armes. The Calliope, which put to sea during the gale, returned to Apia on the following Monday morning 1 , having sustained some slight damage. She lost two or three boats, sprung her foreyard and sustained slight damage to her hull. Shetook in coal as quickly as possible, and left on Wednesday morning for Sydney. The Calliope orertook the schooner conveying the mails from Apia to Tutuiln, with Lieutenant Wilson on board, and Captain Kane kindly, towed the schooner 40 miles 'to catch the mail steamer. One of the German officers took passage on the Calliope for Sydney, to forward despatches to Berlin.