The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-04-14
TEMPEST'S TERRORS.
The Destruction of the Men-Of-
War in Apia's Waters.
HOW FRAIL A THING is MAN
When the Winds Lash the Waves to Fury
and Nature is Arrayed
Against Him.

right 1889 by the Associated Press. l-Ihe
little group of Samoan or Navigator islands,
few months ago, attracted the attention
of the civilized world by the fierce civil
combat between two factions Of mattress
and the consequent serious difficulty
between Germany and the United States,
and later by a disaster more appalling than
all the wars ever waged here, the United
States and Germany having lost nearly one
hundred and fifty lives and s., 900, 900 worth
ofproperty by theImost violent and destruc-
tive harricane ever known in the South
Pacific, which passed over the Islands on
ythe 10th and 18th OF March, and as result.
feet of six warships and ten other shlps
were ground to atoms on the coral reef
harbor, and thrown on the beach in front OF
Apia The United States frigate Trenton,
the flag ship of the Pacific squadron, lies
within a stones throw of the American
consulate, 4 total wreck.
THE GREAT HULL
of the magnificent vessel which steamed
into the harbOr a few weeks ago rests on
the bottom, fast going to pieces. The United
States steamer, Nandalla, IS buried out OF
sight between the Trenton and the shore.
Her shattered foremost and smOkestack
rise above the water to mark the spot where
the gallant vessel struck and lay for twelve
hours before the awful torrent of water
swept four officers and thirty-nlne men
from her deck and rigging. The United
States steamer Nipsic lay for several days
alongside the Vandalia with her bow high
on the beach and within five feet of the
waters edge. The vessel, though badly
damaged, was hauled off few days after
the storm and is the only war ship atiOat IN
the harbor The three American men-of-
war were swept ashore almost on the sane
spot.
The force of the storm was never equaled
in this part of the world before. The
barometer had been falling steadily for
several days previously The wind com
menced TO blow Friday, March y, and con
tinued till Sunday morning. The rain fell
in torrents during the whole time and
GREAT CLOUDS OF SAND
swept over the town. Hundreds of PEG
pie stood on the beach and watched the
awful spectacle in the harbOr. The yes
sells ali had a full head Of steam on and
three or four anchors out; the yards and
topmasts were down and every precaution
was taken to secure the ships, but the wind
constantly shifted from east to northwest
and the force was so great that the vessels
were delUged, dragged their anchors all
over the harbor drifting from one side to
another, and coming into collision several
times. Tremendous seas broke over them,
and torrents of water rushed down the
hatchways and put out the fires. Persons
on shore were pOWerless to aid the ship.
Hundreds stood on the shore in the blind
i-.ng storm watching the great vessels pitch
about and drift on To total destruction. The
sea broke upon the shore, rushing away
up beyond the usual high water mark.
Many persons on the shore We're injured
by the floating Wreckage, and great clouds
OF sand filed the air and cut the skin like
h., 1al1 Cd
nObly, wadiug far out into the surf, where
d white man could not live and many a life
was
SAVED THROUGH THEIR EFFORTS.
The storm ragged furiously for nearly two
DAYS, and when finally it abated, the scene
of destruction on shore was frightful
Houses were unrOOIed and blown down,
and trees were uprOOted and thrown about
in such a way that the streets We're in
many places completely blocked. Out Of
seventeen vessels which had been mOOred
in the harbor, only two small schOOners
stayed afioat, and these were badly dam
aged. Most of the war ships which were
anchored in the harbOr were necessarily
very close together. Those nearest the
shore We're the Eber and the Nipsic. The
E.ber was directly in front of the American
consulate, about a quarter of a mile from
shore. and the Nipsic was about two hun
dred yards east of the Eber The Adler
was Just ahead of the Nipsic, and the Olga
and Calliope were ahead of the Eber. The
Eandalia was beyond the Calliope, a mile
off the shore. The Trenton was the last of
the war ships to arrive here, and being
much larger than any of the other men-Of-
war in the bay, there was no room for her
near the shore, so
SHE WAS OBLIGED TO DROP ANCHOR
beyond the vandalia, Just within the outer
coral reef. The sailing crafts were in
shallow water west OF the men-of-War
the Trenton and Vandalia had the most
dangerous berths in the harbor, while the
position of the Nipsic was considered the
safest. The storm commenced to set in on
the afternoon of March Is, by the 10Th, had
increased to a gale, and nearly all the war
ships had their engines working to relieve
the strain upon the anchors. The crews of
most of the sailing vessels threw out extra
anchors and went ashore. Rain commenced
to fall at midnight, and the wind increased
in fury. The great waves were rolling
from the open ocean and the pitching on
vessels was fearful. Every man was kept
at work. BY 3 o'clock in the morning
THE SITUATION WAS ALARMING.
Nearly every vessel in the harbor was drag
Cing, and there was imminent danger of
collision. On shore the people were as
sembled on the beach, everybody having
been awakened from sleep by the tremend- |
GUS fury of the storm, the tide coming in
rapidly and washing over the streets, a
hundred feet above the usual high water
mark. oThe rain fell like sleet, and men and
women who were out tried TO shelter them !
selves with pieces of board or other objects
before their faces.
Through the blackness of the night could
be seen the lights of the men-of-war, and
even above the rushing and roaring of the |
wind and waves the shouting of the officers |
and men on board came family across the |
water 1t could be seen the vessels were !
dragging. Every moment it seemed as
though two or more of the great war ships |
were about to come together and
THE WATCHERS ON SHORE WAITED
in breathless anxiety to hear the crash of |
collision. When daylight came it was seen
the positions of the vessels had entirely |
changed. The furious wind had swept |
them from their former mornings and they |
were all bearing down in the direction of |
the reef. Black smoke was pouring from
their tunnels, showing that desperate
efforts were being made to keep them up
against the wind. The vessels were tossing
about like corks, one moment standing on
their beam ends, and the next instant their
sterns would raise out of the water and eX-
pose to view their rudders and rapidly re
volying propellers; then the huge prows
would be lifted high in the air only to be
into the next waves and deluge the
ships with torrent Of water. Several small
sailing vessels had gone ashore in the
western part Of the bay. The Eber, Adler
and Njpsic were very close together and
only five yards off the reef. The little
gun-boat Eber was making desperate