New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-21
ADMIRAL K1NIBERLYs REPORT.

Admiral Kimberlys official report to the Secre-
tary of the Navy is dated Apia, March 10. IL IS
addressed to the Secretary of the Navy and says:
IL becomes my painful duty TO report TO the
Department the disastrous injury and loss sustained
by the vessels under my command in the harbor OF
Apia during the hurricane which swept these waters
March Is and 16. When the gale began thcIo
were In the harbor the following men-otwar; United
States ships Trenton Vandaa and Nipsic; Ii. b.
NJ S. Call;ope and II. l. G. NJ. ships Adler olga ana
Eber There were also few merchant vessels
and small craft. The Npsic had the inner berth
and the Trenton (laSt TO aFflVe), had inc ou'er
berth.
Indications of bad weather appeared during the
forenoon of Friday, March IS, and at l O'Clock on
that day 1 began preparations to meet a gale
by sending down the lower yards and housing top
masts Fires were lighted and steam raised. by
3 o'clock the gale had developed. 1t blew hard
during the evening and about p m. We parted
our port bower cable. During the night 1t blew
with great violence, but with the aid OF steam
the vessels kept in good shape until morning. AT
daylight had hoped for moderation Of the wind,
but wore disappointed. The gale set in with re-
newed fury, and early in the forenoon 1t evil
dent that some of the inner ships were ashore and
those nearer 10 US were riding uneasily The flag
away with crash and seriously injured some Of the
helmsmen. Relieving tackles and spare tiler were
Spe1 wa bnsn s snd SOON S was env useless
Thc wind by this Time was blowing with hurricane
begun to make water during the ealiy morning. The
hand-pumps were manned and all 6iige pumps IN
threatened to put the fires, the greater part Of
It seeming to come in through the hawsepi which
are situated on the berth-deck.
Every effort made to stop the entrance OF
water at this point, by !amming In bedding and by
the hawse-pipes 1t could be checked In this way
but not stopped for the violence of the was 50
& An hands were set 10 Saing and the handy ,bniy
fPp-rO
the hand pumps and With The buckets continued from
little before noon the Calliopc seen to be
toward U.S. having parted or slipped her cables and
the force Of the hurricane In the afternoon, the
wind having hauled little, the flagship was more
ono soon after the other: We then drlfted over
merchant bark by the mere chance Of her dragging
as approached her, We dhfted until our stern
imminent, as t6e vessel was within few feet Of
the reef for a long while. and pitched heavily We
moro toward the eastward Here We found smooth
quito wen for 2 time This position I, h9Teyer, put
directly 0 the saTs Of f Olga h %h sarbcr
that time. She was riding we'll and had
Control made 70 hesve over the snch rife gun from the
foreosste TO assist holding but it could not be done
N IN tTce nv sSIf use Of the helm and engines but
soon after cut into our quarters first side and then
salleys. but not essentially inturfng tho hull
DRIFTING OVER 10 THE vANDALIA
Drng all this time the officers Of the flagship made
every effort 70 manage her by the storm sails and put
40 m.n IN the rigging We drfed by the port side OF
the Olga and across to the western reef dragging the
ebor and falling now on the western reef we had
hafo,a dime on the eastern. Some of the wrecked
vessels were now in plain sight; Nlpslc well in
shore on good bottom, stem 10 the seas.
vandaiia sunk against the reef nasts standing and
sying to their masthe Eber nowhere to be seen
Adler on her side high on the reel The oisa had
and SAL was beaohed on good bottom and IN good
An this tine the gale was blowing with unabated
fury About o'clock We were S sHPeSHng n 10 s' de
stem. but. as on the eastern side, undertow or
current seemed 70 carry US along the reel ana Keep
Just y sT e ' Sag yas We and "0
evident that our stem would soon strike against her
port SIDE As we sPPTSSa ga n ae 9sc fDch bs
people on her mas This proved very successful and
Soon after struck the Yadaia WITH Violence and hor
main and rnlzZen masts went By the board We then
Of hsr ust touching the bottom and our storm grazing
5 snail wreck and TIE reef The men were rescued
ing the nigAt We sOn ,, 70 beat the Bottom and
sqnaI following squall with hardly any appreciabe
out We got through s 90 n h "a 5
additional serious misfortune.
BRAvERY OF THE sAMokNs.
lust before daylight the flagship was visited by
swo boats, manned entirely by natives, who carried
fines TO the shore. This was dangerous work. owing
81 the darkness to the and current to the reefs
"a yreckage, and TO the difficulty Of approaching
~ trenton on account of the yandaIa's wreck.
,r,a men werc kept at the puinps and buckets with
~ 49, stion with view to hauling OF tho shil
y 'possibie and keeping her snoat whom tho gsl'
n tss morning the wind moderaed IL was @eI
~ fhaf the propeller was missing The shll
asesrt.l,1 hard an the bottom and tho water cou,
na aa e REDUCED II UP 70 the engine room PA.
form and sas u dossas 1'f fscss. Or marine raj
re ana pOWerfI pumps, the abandonmen