Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-03-13
A NAVAL BATTLE.


Reported to Have Been Blown Up-The
Rumor Discredited at Washington.
NEW YORK, March S-A dispatch. to the,
New York Herald from Breslau saws that
the Schlesische Zeitung prints the follow
Ing sensational private telegram from
samoa. 1.-The German corvet Olga has
Dombarded Mataafas camp. The captain
OF the American man Of war protested, but
seeing his protest disregarded he opened
tlre on the Olga The shell burst between
decks. doing much damage. The olga
then directed q torpedo at the American.
ship, blowing her up with all hands,"
NEW YORK, March 9. - The New York
Herald is in receipt of telegram from.
James Gordon Bennett at Paris confirming
the Breslau dispatch about Samoan troubles.
Also saying that the Herald will have dis
patch direct from Auckland on Samoa Al
so that a naval officer In Washington tele-
graphed to q naval officer at Mare Island,
CAL, confirming the Breslau dispatch.
SAN Francisco, March 9. One of the most
sangu1nary naval battles in American his
tory has taken place on the Pacific Ocean, a
United States ship with all on board being
blown out Of the water by German frigate
The catastrophe followed a plucky at
tack by the American vessel on the
frigate, which at the time was engaged
In an inhuman bombardment Of
the practically defenseless Samoans, under
Mataafa- The Germans had treated pro-
test from the Americans with contempt
Great prominence is given here to the re-
port by the city papers. While the rumor
is given little credence, the publication has
caused a sensation. Following the report
from Keil a few days ago of
reported engagement, the fact that
fho 0S %h1 Ill.
have been sunk is omitted adds to
the disbelief in the report But it is as
sumed that the vessel would have been the
Nipsic, Captain Mullin commanding. Cap
tain Schenck, Quartermaster Of the United
States Marine Corps, veriies the state
ment that the Olga was supplied with
torpedoes which is not the case with
the three American war vessels dis
patched to Samoa. The steamship Ala
media of the Oceanic Line, which left here
for Australia February 9, touched at Tu-
tu1la the southern island of the Samoan
group, February IS, and arrived at Auck-
land March 8. Had any engagement oc-
CURED at Apia she would probably have
learned the fact at Tutuila, and car
ried the news to Auckland, where
the fact would have been cabled. Tits con-
coded thatsthe information might not have
reached Tutuila, as Apia is seventy miles
distant, in time for the Alameda to carry
the news to Auckland. The steamship
Zealandia is due at this port March 16, with
news from Samoa down to March g
WASHINGTON, March 9.-The story of the
engagement between the German man-of-
war Olga and an American man-of-war in
the harbor of Apia, resulting in the sinking
OF the American vessel, is generally dis
credited at the Navy Department. No infor-
nation upon the subject has been received
at the Department of State. There, as In
the Navy Department, it is said that news
of such Importance would surely reach the
United States at least as soon as German
sea-coast city. The Nipsic was the only
United States man-of-war at Samoa prior
to the 1st inst, but it is believed that the
Trenton and the Vandalia which sailed
from Honolulu early in February, reached
Samoa about March /.
Secretary Blaine Friday evening said that
the report Of conflict at Samoa was, in hts
opinion, unworthy OF the least credence.
BE regarded it as a mere stock-jobbing ru-
NOR, having no foundation whatever. Com
modore Walker, of the Navy Department,
held similar views.
NEW YORK, March 9. - The New York
Herald prints three columns of comment
relative to the reported blowing up of the
United States ship Nipsic at Samoa by the
German cruiser Olga
Commodore Sicard, who was interviewed
by the Herald correspondent at Wash
1ngtcn, said he had no knowledge
of the reported BATTLE The Ger.
man navy, he added, used the
| schwartz-Kopf torpedo, which con-
tains ninety-three pounds of gun-cotton
They travel at the rate Of twenty five knots
per hour, and If the Nipsic was within
short distance of the Olga it would have
been impossible for her to have got out OF
the way. Concluding, the Admiral added:
| 1.-The Trenton and Vandalia must be
there by this time, and If any thing should
have happened to the Nipsic you may rest
| assured they will be heard from. Admiral
Kimberly, the commander Of the Trenton
Is courageous officer, and was with Far
ragut as his Flag Lieutenant all through the
war. He will stand no nonsense, and II
there is any trouble will give an excellent
account of himself"
Commodore Harmony, Assistant Score.
tary of the Navy, said
IF the Olga did lombard the town and
1n5ure American property and American
protest frst and then, failing to secure pro.
lection to our interests, would open fire. A
| naval officer has all the discretion any one
has He can make war without orders II,
| IN DIS JuQgmenG, Cne circumstances demand
it."
Admiral Porter said:
"As understand it the officers who were
sent down there were under instructions to
be very careful and conservative, and
therefore it is not likely they were pro.
voked into such a rupture. I do not think
the report true for many reasons I have
noticed several sensational items in Ger.
man papers of late of discourag1ng nature
as to the United States Again, If an eleven.
inch shell exploded between the decks OF
the Olga it is not likely she was in condi.
ton to have used torpedoes on the Nipsto {"
Touching the authenticity of the news OF
the encounter the Herald refers to the fact
that German ship with the news might
have reached Auckland within four or five
days of the occurrence and cabled the facts
to Germany before the arrival there of 9
mail-nne boat, upon which the American
dispatch agent stationed there by Secretary
Whitney two months ago would be obliged
to depend for the same information.
LONDON, March 8.-The fact that the
Schlesische Zeitung l. recognized vehicle
Of inspired publications lends great inter
est to the report in it's columns of grea,
naval fight in Samoan waters between the
German ship Olga and an American man-of.
war brlt even thie vOncfar ia not srfi1 cionf