THE SAMOAN DISASTER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1876, 9 April 1889, Page 1

THE SAMOAN DISASTER.

Sydney, April 5. The National Shipwreck Belief Society of New South Wales requested the British Consul at Apia to inform the Society of any great cases of bravery, as it is the intention of the Society to raise funds for the purpose of specially recognising such cases. The question as to whether all the war vessels bad steam up during the hurricane at Samoa is now set at rest, it having been stated by the officers of ihe Calliope that every one of the vessels had steam up twelve hours before the hurricane came on. When the hurricane broke upon them all the warships, with the exception of the Calliope, were damaged, and unable to make any headway against the storm, k The Chief Engineer of the Calliope lays not a single m»n attempted to leave the engine-room, where nil were on duty for sixjgen hours, He attributes the successW the Calliope in gelling out of reach ofße hurricane to the amount of steam Sr generated by the Westport coal, his opinion, is the best to be colonies, of the German was a passenger by the He says the Eber was and that nothing but left on the beach, Beferrng of the Calliope, Leiuten&nt EnHfam says that only a vessel built on®e most modern type, together with splendid seamanship, could have accomplished the feat. Berlin, April 4. An Imperial order issued by the Em'peror laments the loss of life and ships at Samoa, and says the devotion of the natives furnished a bright example to the navy. April 5. Much surprise is expressed here at the haste exhibited by the United States Government in sending to Samoa to take the place of those'destroyed by the recent hurricane. It is asserted that this action on the part of the American authorities was the only reason for the action of Germany in despatching war vessels to Samoa. April 6.

The corvette Sophie, now stationed on the ease coast of Africa, baa been ordered to proceed to Samoa.