THE SA. MOAN DISASTER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1875, 6 April 1889, Page 3

THE SA. MOAN DISASTER.

Washington, April 2.

The Government has ordered the Alert, from Honolulu, the Richmond, from River Plate, the Adams, and Marshland to proceed to Samoa. President Harrison has been assured by Queen Tictoria of her sympathy with the United States in the disaster which has befallen its navy. April 2.

The Iroquois and Penaicola has been ordered to hold themselves in readiness to reinforce the American squadron at Samoa. Berlin, April 2, The German Press expresses: a hope that the magnanimous conduct of Mataafa in sending his men to the assistance of the Olga during the hurricane at Samoa will put an end to the difficulty. The Press urges that Sydney should be made the Gorman naval depot in the Pacific instead of Samoa.

Her Majesty has condoled with the Emperor of Germany on the disaster that has befallen the German navy at Samoa, At/ckm-Nd, April 2. H.M.S. Kapid sailed to-day* to relieve the Calliope. Sydney, April 4. Arrived—H.M.S. Calliope firom Apia. Her figurehead, starboard jib stays, and bowsprit, were carried away by the force of the gale, and also four ®f iher boats which were on the davits, The hull forward shows evidence of the havoc played by her anchor and chain. Captain Kane was interviewed to-day. He stated that the only chance left for the vessel was to go ashore on a fairly safe spot neap where the Olga was beached, or to steam out of the harbour in face of the gale. He decided to adopt the latter course, and used ever pound of steam he could force and faced the gale. Immediately after the anchor had been slipped and » start made for sea, the Calliope rose cllear on end, and made a terrific plunge down. Captain Kane says that it is a wonder how the vessel's machinery amd rudder stood the shock. It appeared quite three or four minutes from the slipping of the anchors until the Calliope began to forge ahead io the teeth of (he hurricane, which was blowing as hard as it was possible. to blow. The gale continued with unabated fury until S hind ay, the 17th March, when it lessens d, and on Tuesday, the 12th, she retained to Apia. On Thursday, the 21st, the American warship Nipsic, which hud been beached in a good position, was floated off and anchored in the harbor. She had lost her rudder, her rudderpost had been carried away, and her jjropollor was gone. Otherwise the vessel was pretty soond. The German wars!hip Olga, Captain Kane stales, had not reef lived any severe damage, and he expects by this time she also has been floated off. As demonstrating the force of khe hurricane, Captain Kane states that whiltf the Calliope’s engines were going, at a .vate capable of driving her fifteen knots in ordinary weather, the headway made in clearing Apia Harbour was only threequarters of a knot. When she left Apia all the American and German shipwrecked sailors were in camp ashore, but the supply of food was running short. The report that one of the seamen of the Calliope had been killed on board by a heavy sea is not true. The only casualty was (0 the carpenter, who sustained a slight injury but has now recovered. The master-at-arms on board. H.M.S. Calliope gives a graphic account of the recent gale at Apia. The Calliope, he states, was supplied with excellent coal on her visit to Wellington with the squadron, aud during the height of the hurricaLd at Samoa steam was kept up bettor than he ever remembers before. When steaming at sixty revolutions she struck tho Yandalia full on the quarter, aud the engines were stopped to avoid further damage. The Calliope then drifted astern, within five feet of tbo reef on which the other vessels had become lotal wrecks, and for self-preservation had to go ahead. In doing this she again struck the Vandalia, but without doing any injury. In passing tho Vandalia the Calliope had to go so close to the roef that there were only five feet to At this time there were sixty men at t‘he wheel, that is, ton 00 the gun deck, t on on the lower deck, and the remainder c'Q 1 relieving tackle on the lower deck. It i$

estimated that some of the seas wore fully forty feet deep. As tie Calliope steamed past the United States flagship Trenton, the latter ran up signals “Good luck to you, boys,” and “Good-bye Ca'liope.” Ilia Excellency the Governor, Lord Carrington, paid a ▼isit to the Calliope on her arriyal in Port Jackson, and congratulated Captain Kane and the officers on tbs manner in which they had handled the ship.