Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-14

IL was nearly III Ocioch WIZ" 'ifo r
struck, and Notwithstanding her easy posr
lion, It soon became apparent tnat ne'
officers and crew were in great ospse
Nearly all Of the officers were on oec. ~
rIcht az eyery one on shore. The men were
scattered about on the gun.deck and lore.
castle. holding on TO the masts and sides o.
the shin. In half an hour II was noteea
that the vessel was filing with water anu
settling down. BY noon the whole OF
the gun.deck was under water, and from
that time on the condition OF the men
was the most pitIable that could be im-
agined. Most OF the men sought refuge
In the rigging. and TO those on snore
II seemed az II ali the available space on tue
ratlInes and Yards and In the tops was occu-
med. few officers still remained on Tue
poop-decK. but a number OF them bad gone
sIoit. The wind seemed 10 increase in Jury.
Nearly every one aboard bad cast away mos
OF his clothing and some were entirely Naked
A few had provided themselves with NE,
prsservers, but these could not be o6taineu
for all ne the vessel had filled 30 rapidly. AS
the bull OF the steamer sank lower I'D tue
water the force OF The waves was more w.
lent The men on shore were WILING W
render assistance but were powerless'
THE SURF.
No boat could have lived a moment In tne
surf. and II was impossible 10 get lihe
across 10 the steamer, as there was no nr'ns
APPARATUS on shore. The natives made az
Temps 10 swim TO the Nandalia VITA ilne,
but the current which swept along the snore
was too powerful. and they nearly lost tneir
own lives. Men were hourly being washeu
from the Vsndalia. Some managed 70 reach
the wreck OF the Nipsic, and thus escaped 10
oura In afh al the
natives and were rescued, while others were
swept helplessly out into the bay and
drowned.
The FIRST ASHORE.
The first man TO reach the shore was Chief
Engineer Green. He mas three times swept
from the deck and twice regsined 1t by
means OF ropes. lie had on liie-preseryer,
and when swept away the third time he came
in reach Of native hands and was rescued.
Naval. Cadet Wiley was saved by the natives
in the same manner. lie was floating m
sensible on the current when the natives
caught him. II was not long after Green
and WILEY were washed over that four
officers who were drowned were swept over
the deck. Captain SHOEMAKER was cling
ing TO the rail on the pOop-deck. Lieutenant
Carln WAS standing by him and WAS
doing his best 20 hold the Captain on, a.
the latter was becoming weaker every
minute Every one on deck saw the Captain
could not stand against the rush o! the
water much longer. No one knew 1t better
than he. and he remarked to those about bin
several times that he would have 70 60 soon.
Lieutenant Carlin tried 10 Get the Captain
up IN the rigging, but the latter said he was
too wesk 10 climb up and would have 10 re-
main where he was - long ss possible. The
81 IrFa-nrg.aYVaF lie lN0
been offered one several times but had
refused II. At last a great wave struck
the Vandalia ia her pOrt.qUarier aud
submerged the deck. The Captain held on to
the rail with all the strength he had lett, but
the current was 60 strong that machine
gun standing near by was washed from lis
fqsienings, and went whiFling across the
deck. The Captain was struck on the head
by the gun, and either killed outright or
knocked nscnslble for i wave swept him
Of the deck. lie sank without struggle,
and was seen no more. PaymaSter Arms
and Pay-Clerk Roach were lying upon the
deck exhausted, but cinging with all
the strength they possessed to ANYTHING
which came within reach. They were swept
or together. Arms sank In moment, but
few persons who were on the deck say
they saw his body floating around the stern
Of the boat bali an hour after he was drown
ed. Roach driited over the stern OF the Nip
SIC, where he graSped rope, but as be was
a large, 1eshy man and being greatly ex-
hsusted he could not possibly draw himself
up. His hold upon the rope was soou
broken, but he continued 10 float I'm.
der the stern OF the NIpsic several
minutes, throwing out bis arms weakly
In vain attempts TO clutch something. once
or twice bis bands caught the rope, but his
grasp was broken aud be finally sank.
Lieutenant sutton, marine officer OF the
Nandalia, died in much the same way.
Weakened by long exposure and the terrible
strain 10 which he was subjected be was una
Bile TO retain his hold longer and was finally
washed overheard and drowned.
HAERowING SIGHTS.
During the remainder OF the afternoon
there followed a succession OF awful scenes OF
death and suffering. The storm had not
abated in the least. Men were now being
swept from the decks and rigging bali dozen
at a time, and few who felt themselves
growing too weak 10 hold much longer
Jumped into the water, determined 10 make
one las, effort to save themselves. Nearly
every man who jumped or who was washed
I'm the water succeeded in reaching the side OF
the NipsIc, and number Of them climbed
up to the deck with the aid OF a rope. Those
who reached the deck assisted others
who were struggling in the water, and
many lives were saved in this way,
but many poor fellow who reached the
Nipsic was unable to hold on 10 the rope
long enough TO be drawn up, and the sea
would wash him away Gnd sweep him out
into the current. None Of them came near
enough TO the shore to be reached by the
natives, and those who once got into the
current were carried out and drowned. The
people on the shore saw men sink down be-
fore their eyes and were powerless 20 save
them.
BRAVE sAMoANs DROWNED.
The brave Samoans, urged on by their
chiefs, redoubled their efforts TO rescue the
drowning men, and as a consequent e two
natives who got too far in the surf were
drowned. By O'Clock the Nandals was
resting her whole length on the bottom. The
only part OF her hull which stood out OF
toe water was the sflerpatt OF the poop.
deck and the forward part OF the forecaste.
Every man was in the rigging. Az many ~
could be accommodated there had climbed
into the tops and sunk down exhausted on
the small platforms. Others chung 10 the
ratllnes and yards with the DESPERATION oil
their last.
Several persons on shore succeeded in
making a hawser fast from the deck OF the
Nipsic TO the shore, aud the Nandalia men
who had escaped 10 the Nipsic reached the
shore in that way. The stem OF the Nipsic
bad by this time swung out straight from
the shore, so that the distance between the
two vessels was not more than twenty yards.
white man named Nickering who had
been watching the scene from shore went
aboard the Nipslc aud threw n line to the
Vandalia A sailor caught it, and a small
rope was made fast from the foremost
Of the Nandala TO tle stem OF the Nipsic.
Few men escaped In that way. but before all
on the foremost could be- taken of the line
parted. The Nipsic's stem then swung back
TO the store and ii was impossible TO get an
other line across. Thus was the only con.
ucrlion the Nandaha had with the shore du-
ring the whole day. The terrible scenes on
the Nandalia had distracted attention from
the two other men-of-wsr, which still re-
manned ailoat. bat about 4 O'Clock In the al.
ternOOn the position OF the Trenton and Olga
had changed and they were almost on the
rect near the point where the Eber struck.
The Trenton was coming down npon the
Olga and q collision seemed inevitable