SAMOAN DISASTER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 March 1939, Page 8

SAMOAN DISASTER

HURRICANE OF FIFTY YEARS AGO SIX WARSHIPS LOST APPALLING SCENES OF DEATH ; AND DESTRUCTION. EYEWITNESSES NOW LIVING IN MASTERTON. The little group of the Samoa or Navigator's Islands which a few. months earlier had attracted the attention of the civilised world by a firce civil combat between two native factions and the consequent possibility ot serious complications between the United States and Germany, were visited on March 16. 1889, by an appalling hurricane, in which about 150 lives were lost and three million dollars worth of property destroyed. Three German and three American warships, besides ten other vessels were either ground to atoms on the coral reefs in Apia Harbour or thrown on the beach in front of the town and 142 officers] and men on these ships perished. It is of interest on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of this disaster to know that possibly the only European eyewitnesses of the hurricane who are still living are at present residents of Masterton. Mr and Mrs W. R. Doughty, who arc staying at “The Chequers.” Renall Street, were at Samoa al the time of the disaster. "It was a dreadful occurrence,” said Mrs Doughty, who stated that an old native had told her the day before the hurricane that a storm was approaching and that the warships in the harbour would be lost. The officers of the American warships were their guests that evening. She passed on the native’s foreboding, but the officers treated the matter lightly. At about 2 a.m. the next morning the storm was raging and as soon as the gravity of the situation became apparent, steps were taken to see if any assistance was possible. The house was blackened with coal dust blown from a dump on the wharf for the fuelling of the warships. The United States warships Trenton and Vandalia and the German warships Adler and Eber were totally lost and the American ship. Nipsic and the German ship Olga driven on the beach. Mrs Doughty has several relics from some of the stricken vessels and interesting volumes of Press clippings and photographs bearing on the disaster.

EBER DISAPPEARS. The greatest loss of life occurred on the German gunboat Eber, which had a complement of six officers and 76 men, of whom only one officer and four men survived. After having collided with the Nipsic and the Olga, the Eber swung around broadside to the wind and drifted slowly toward the reef.

Awful seas broke over her. A great wave rolled in towards the shore, the Eber was lifted high on its crest and carried broadside on to the reef. She came down with terrific force and in an instant there was not a vestige of her to be seen. She struck fairly upon her bottom, rolled over towards the open sea and disappeared. Every tim : ber in the gunboat must have been shattered and half the poor wretches aboard her crushed to death before the water closed above their heads. Hundreds of people were on the beach and the work of destruction occurred before their eyes. They stood a moment appalled by the awful scene and then a cry of horror arose from the lips of every man who had seen nearly 'a .hundred fellow creatures perish in an instant. Then with one accord they all rushed to the water’s edge, nearest where the Eber had foundered. The natives ran into the surf far beyond the point where a white man could have lived and stood waiting to save any poor creature who might rise from the water. None of the five rescued seemed to know how they escaped. They found themselves in the water and were soon grasped by natives and taken ashore. ADLER THROWN ON REEF. During the excitement attending that calamity the other vessels had been forgotten, but it was soon noticed that their position was most alarming. The Adler had been swept across the bay and after colliding with the Olga, was close to the reef, 200 yards west of the point where the Eber struck. In half an hour she was lifted on top of the reef and turned completely over on her side. Nearly every man was thrown into the water. Fortunately,, however, the Adler was thrown so far up) on the reef that when she turned ovef on her side almost the entire hull was out of the water. Most of the men who were struggling in the water had but a few feet to swim to reach the deck, where they clung to the guns and masts in safety. Of the 130 officers and men aboard, 20 men were drowned or killed when the vessel capsized. Three days later, the doctor was found imprisoned in his cabin, still alive and not badly injured. While the storm was raging and the vessels fighting for safety, the Olga came into collision with nearly every other warship in the harbour and was badly damaged above the water line. The Olga was beached in soft mud "and not a life was lost.

VANDALIA SWEPT BY SEAS. The captain of the Vandalia, as his ship had insufficient power to steam to sea determined to beach the vessel. The Vessel was obliged to run along the edge of the reef the whole distance in order to reach the sandy beach beyond. She stuck in the .soft sand about a hundred yards off shore and every man below rushed on deck. The* Vandalia swung around broadside tb the beach and it soon became apparent that the 240 men on board were in great danger. In half an hour the vessel was* filling with water and settling down. Seas broke over her furiously and the water poured down the hatches. By noon the whole of the gun deck was under water. The torrents of water that swept over the rails knocked the men from their feet and threw them violently against the sides. Several were badly injured. Most of the men sought refuge in the rigging and to those on shore all the available space on the ratlines and yards and in the tops was occupied. Nearly every one on board had cast away most of his clothing and some were entirely naked. As the hull of the vessel sank lower in the water the force of the waves became more violent. Men on shore w r ere willing to render assistance but were powerless. During the remainder of the afternoon there followed a succession of awful scenes and suffering. The wind continued with terrible force. Waves that seemed likemountains broke over the Vandalia. The sheets of water which fell from the clouds and the sand which was beaten up from the shore struck against the houses like hail. White men who stood out in the storm were obliged to seek shelter often to escape the deluge of rain and sand which cut the flesh like a knife. The Vandalia continued to settle and so many men had crowded into the mizzen rigging that there was no more room there. Almost 24 hours had elapsed since any man aboard had tasted food and all were weak and faint from hunger and exposure. MEN SWEPT OVERBOARD. Men were now swept overboard from the decks and rigging, half a dozen at a time and a few who felt themselves growing too weak to hold on, jumped into the water, determined to make one last effort to save themselves. Nearly every man who jumped or was washed into the water succeeded in reaching the Nipsic. But many a poor fellow who reached the Nipsic's side was unable to hold on to a rope long enough to be drawn up and a sea would wash him away and sweep him into the current. Those who got into the current were carried out and drowned. People on shore saw men sink before their eyes and were powerless to save them. Two brave Samoans got too far into the surf in an effort to save lives and were themselves drowned. A gallant attempt to reach the Vandalia from the shore failed. About 9 o’clock at night the Tren- • ton bore down upon the ill-fated Vandalia and came into collision with the wreck, then drifted between her and the shore. Lines were thrown from the Trentbn into the Vandalia’s rigging arid most of those who still clung there swung themselves across to the Trenton’s deck, but a number failed and falling into the water were drowned. Shortly after this the mizzen and foremasts went by the board. The total loss of life on the Vandalia was four officers and about 40 men. NIPSIC & TRENTON BEACHED. The Nipsic had succeeded in running ashore on the sandy beach, after a collision with the Olga had stove in the Nipsic’s smokestack in such a manner as to render her steam power useless. Had not an unfortunate attempt been made to land, it is probable that none of her crew would have been lost, but one of the officers ordered a boat to be lowered for the purpose’ of taking a line ashore. Almost immediately after being manned the boat capsized and six or seven men were drowned. The

Trenton had her rudder carried away and her propeller broken, for which the Olga was blamed. After this the vessel was helpless. She dragged dangerously near the terrible reef which had destroyed the Eber and the Adler but the current, combined with skiL ful management of the head sails, enabled her finally to come to rest under the shelter of the wrecked Vandalia. The Trenton lost no men by drowning but the ward room boy, struck with violence on the head when the sea burst open a porthole, was killed instantly. The only British warship in the harbour, the Calliope, having good steaming power, was able to reach the open sea. The ship was beautifully handled by Captain Kane. The Calliope had to pass the Trenton and the reef with only a few yards to spare. She was so close to the Trenton that if either vessel had rolled towards the other their yards would have interlocked and both ships would undoubtedly have come to grief. Just in the neck of time the Calliope rolled outwards and before she recovered the danger was over. The Trenton’s officers took off their hats to Captain Kane as the Calliope went by and the American sailors cheered him heartily. The only fatality on the Calliope was caused by a heavy sea, which lifted one of the crew off his feet and dashed him to the deck with such violence that he was killed.