The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-05-14
His Proclamation and Efforts to
Restore Peace in Samoa.
THE M0NONGAHELA Is ALL SAFE.
The Store Ship Arrives at Apia-Overtures to
Tamasese - An Interview With
DR.. Knappe.


crews of the Trenton and Vandalia are
waiting for steamer to take them to San
Francisco. The condition of the Trenton
and Vandalia has not changed much during
the last month. Both vessels are complete
wrecks. A considerable quantity of cloth
ing and provisions was saved from the
Trenton after the storm, and all the machine
guns on the spar deck We're taken ashore.
The work of removing her heavy battery
occupied four weeks King Mataafa sending
many of his men to aid. The guns and car
riages weighed over a hundred tons, but
their removal did not seem to Tighten the
Trenton in the least. Admiral Kimberly
will endeavor also to remove the Vandalias
battery. Half a dozen native divers have
worked faithfully on her every day, and
hundreds of dollars worth of stores have
been saved by them.
When the Nipsic was hauled off the reef,
it was found that she had been damaged
considerably. Her engines and boilers
were sprung and the rudder and smoke stack
gone, and several inches of her keel are
scraped away the entire length of the yes
sell Temporary repairs were made with
the intention of sending the vessel to
Auckland. Some of the officers made
objections to her going to sea and declared
her unsafe. The admiral arranged with a
tramp steamer to convey the Nipsic to
Auckland and then sent the Nipsic out for
a trial, but a sharp squall came up as she
was going out of harbor and in a short time
the temporary rudder gave away, leaving
the Nipsic adrift without steering appa-
ratus. BY the prompt use of sails
she was swung around with her
head towards the sea, when she steamed at
full speed to position two miles off the
reefs. The tramp steamer went out and
towed her back into the harbor. The ad-
miral viii send her to Auckland as soon as
another rudder can be made and proved
secure.
Notwithstanding the precautions against
the sale of liquor by naval officers, the
sailors have been able in some way to
secure liquor on various occasions. Several
of them have been severely punished. Not
more than One-third of the victims of the
storm have been recovered, and it is sup
posed d great number were either washed
far out to sea or are fastened in the coral
reef. Francis Joseph Howard, one of the
Trenton's crew, died April Il, as u result of
the injuries received in the storm.
The most important political event which
has occurred here was the issuance b. Ad-
miral Kimberly, on April II. OF u prOclama-
ton advising the natives to put an end to
the war which they have been CARRYING on
Il
urged that fighting cease and the people re
unite for the common interest Of their
country. He stated that he had prepared a
paper that could be signed by both parties
who desired to obtain peace and establish
order. He had the proclamation translated
into the Samoan language and distributed
all over the island.
Captain Farquhar, of the Trenton. was
sent to lay the matter before Tamasese and
request him to distribute the circulars
among his men. Tamasese received the
delegation very cOurteOusly, and replied
that he too desired to see the war closed,
and promised to distribute the circulars
He said he would reply to Admiral Kim
berry in writing later.
Admiral Kimberly stated to the Asso-
ciated Press correspondent that he had
issued the proclamation after a conference
with Mataafa and because he felt that
something must be done at once to assist
the natives in establishing peace. He had
interviewed the German and British con
suls, but found they could do nothing to
assist him, so he determined to issue the
proclamation entirely upon his own re
spOnSibility.
The admiral believed the present condi-
tiOnS favorable and hoped that the pro-
clamation would sooner or later have the
effect of drawing the parties together. He
said there is nothing in his notices that
either party can object to, and the paper
which he has prepared to be signed is to be
used only in the event Of the natives agree
ing upon some plan of action. His desire
was to assist the Berlin conference by
bringing about such a condition of affairs
that government could be formed in
Samoa Immediately upon the conclusion of
the conference. He had advised Mataafa
to remain perfectly quiet.
April % the admiral received a letter from
Tamasese, the latter signing himself king
of Samoa" He declined to make any over
lures for peace at present, though he said
he desired to have the war brought to a
close and would like to see the same condi
ton of affairs in Samoa as in the latter part
of 1887. This was just after Mataafa had
been deposed by the Germans and Tama-
sese. TaInasese offers to forgive Mataafa
and his men if they will throw down their
arms He also stated that he would not
consider any proposition for peace until
after the conclusion with Berlin. Mataafa
and Tamasese afterward agreed upon
temporary truce, and promised Admiral
Kimberly that they would do nothing to
alter the peaceable state of affairs until
after the Berlin conference adjourned.
The United States store ship Monongahela
arrived off the harbor April s. Admiral
Kimberly did not wish to burst her in the
harbor, she being sailing
vessel, and after getting off few stores,
sent her to the harbor of Page Page.
All but eighty of the German sailors went
to Sydney, March 81, in a steamer that be-
longed to German trading company and
had just arrived just before leaving.
Captain Won Erhhard, of the German
war ship Olga, said he had had enough of
Samoa and thought the best thing the Ger
mans could do was to sell to the Americans
and leave the country. The Olga, which
was not seriously injured in the storm,
also sailed for Sydney under covering of
the trading steamer The Olga saluted
the American flag as she steamed
out of the harbor
The Associated Press correspondent
called on DR.. Knappe, the German consul,
a few days after the Olga sailed and asked
him if he still recognized a state of war be-
tween the Germans and Mataafa. He re-
piled that he certainly did, and that other
German war vessels would soon be sent
here. He spoke very harshly of Mataafa,
and said the natives would have stopped
fighting among themselves long ago if
men had not been urged on by
certain white residents of Apia. He de-
clared that the German war ships coming
would bring 1000 troops. Notwithstand-
ing these representations, Knappe told an
entirely different story two weeks ago. At
that time Patu, one of Mataafa's most in
huential chiefs heard of Knappe's utter
ances and called on him in person.
Patu told 90 Knappe that if the
reports that the Germans were to
prosecute vigorous war against
them were true he wanted to know
it. If so, he did not propose to wait until