THE SAMOAN CATASTROPHE.
[BY ELECTRIC) TELEG It A PH. — COPY KIGTIT. ] Sydney, April 4. H.M.b. Calliope has arrived from Apia. Her figurehead, starboard jib-stays, and bowsprit were carried away by the force of the gale, and also four of her boats which were on the davits. The hull shows evidence of the havoc played by the anchor and chain. Captain Kano stated the only chance left for the vessel was to go ashore in a fairly sate spot or steam out of harbour in the face of the gale. He used every pound of steam he could forco, and faced the gale. Immediately after the. anchors had be:<ti slipped and a start made for sea, the Calliope rose clear on end and made a terrific plunge down. Captain Kane says it is a wonder the vessel's machinery and rudder stood the shock. Oil the 21st, the American warship Nipsic, which had been beached in a good position, floated off, and anchored in the harbour. The German warship Olga had not received any severe damage, and by this time also has been floated riff. The Calliope did not have a man killed as reported. Sixty men were at the wheel when she steamed out to sea. April 5. The National Shipwreck Relief Society of New South Wales has requested the British Consul at Apia to inform the society of any great cases of bravery during the recant hurricane at Samoa. It is the intention of the society to raise a fund for the purpose of specially recognising such cases.
The question a;; to whether all the war vessels had steam up during the hurricane at Samoa is now set at rest, it having been stated by the ofticers of H.M.S. 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 ships except the Calliope were damaged, and uuable to make any headway against the storm. The Chief Engineer of the Calliope says not a single man attempted to leave the engine-room wliero all were on duty for sixteen hours. He attributed the success of the Calliope in getting out of the reach of the hurricane to the amount of steam power generated by the Westport coal which in Ills opinion is the be-t to be obtained in the colonies. Lieutenant Emsinan of the German man-of-war Olga was a passenuer by the Calliope to Sydney and says the Eber was smashed to atoms, nothing but her stem is now left on the beach. Referring to the escape of the C illiope Lieutenant Emsinan says that only a vessel built in the mo-it modern style., together with splendid seamanship, could have accomplished the task.
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Waikato Times, Volume 2611, Issue 2611, 6 April 1889, Page 2
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456THE SAMOAN CATASTROPHE. Waikato Times, Volume 2611, Issue 2611, 6 April 1889, Page 2
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