The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-05-16
HEROIC AMERICAN SEAMEN,
Their Brave Conduct at ApIa Com
mended.

mended.
Secretary Tracy has addressed letter
to Rear Adnira, Kimberly acknowledg-
ing the receipt Of reports from the Ad-
miral and other officers narrating the
circumstances OF the disaster at Samoa.
We make the following extracts:
The department learns with deepest
pain that the wreck resulted in the death
of four officers and forty-seven men.
! However severely the destruction of the
vessels may be felt, the loss of so many
| valuable lives is far greater and more
/ irreparable misfortune. Captain SchOon-
maker died as he had lived, at the post
/ of duty, a gallant and generous officer
and devoted servant of his country 10
| the last The hurricane at Samoa has
| brought affliction TO many American
! households, which will receive the
deepest sympathy OF the Government;
yet it cannot be said that those who died
thus, manfully facing danger in the exc
cution Of their duty, have died in vain"
After revi swing at some length the de-
tails Of reports and noting with satisfac-
ton the commentator of various Off
GERS, the Secretary continues: "It APP
pears that the conduct of those under
your command evinced throughout that
courage, resolution and fortitude which
the United States has learned always to
expect from the officers and seamen of
its navy. When Her Britannia Majesty's
ship Calliope, fortunate in the posses
sion of more powerful engines, succeeded
in her gallant effort TO pass the Trenton
"a 90 ~ no haUAr,~ h.,
hurricane, a ringing cheer from the
American flagship, as her crew were
standing In the face of death, showed a
spirit alike generous and dauntless.
NO OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION.
"In reply to your request and that of
Captain Farquhar for court of inquiry
the department has to say that it deems
such court unnecessary. 1t is salts
fed that the officers in command at Apia
did their duty with courage, fidelity and
sound Judgment, and that they were
zealously and loyalty seconded by their
subordinates, and that the hurricane
which caused the destruction of the YES
sells and the loss of SO many lives was
one of those visitations of Providence in
the presence of which human efforts are
of little avail; that the measures actual
ly taken by yourself and the officers I'M
der you were all that wisdom and pru-
dence could dictate, and that it was due
to these measures that so large proper
ton of the crews was saved; that the
one step which might have averted the
catastrophe, namely, to have put to sea
before the storm had developed could |
only have been justified, in view of the |
grave responsibilities resting upon you
at Samoa, by the certainty of overwhelm |
ing danger to your fleet, which could |
not then be foreseen; that you rightly !
decided to remain at your post, and that |
the department, even in the face of the |
terrible disaster which it involved, APP
proves absolutely your decision, which |
has set an example to the navy that |
should never be forgotten. To convene |
"a court of inquiry under these circum- |
stances would seem to imply doubt on !
the part of the department, where no |
doubt exists, and instead of ordering an |
investigation it tenders to you, and |
through you to the officers and men of !
your command, its sympathy for the |
exposures and hardships you have en-
countered and its profound thanks for |
the fidelity with which you performed |
your duty in a crisis OF appalling danger"