River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-04-04

the Navy Department porlng over chaib
OF the harbor of Apia, which he visited sew
eral years ago He said that, while It was
a very bad harbor il was the best
on the island OF Upola. Like
all of the Pacific Island harboTs, that of
Apia is formed by a coral reef encircling
the island at a short distance from the
shore. The anchorage space available Tor
men-of-war is contracted, being about
LOCO feet wide at the mouth OF the har-
Dor. The bottom Is sandy, affording
slight hold for an anchor, and the
harbor is exposed on the north. On each
side of the entrance are coral reefs which
are awash at high water and are surrounded
by shoals. The depth of water ranged from
four to eight fathonis pretty deep water
being found close in shore, which would en-
able ship TO get close in. Hurricanes or
cyclones at Apia are usually from the
southwest, and revolving in the harbors
lend to force vessels on the rugged reefs or
rough shores The last hurricane occurred
at Apia six years ago. Fortunately no men,
OF war were in the harbor, but every
merchantmen was driven ashore or
wrecked, houses were destroyed and palm
trees uprOoted
1t is the opinion of Admiral Harmony,
who is also familiar with the Samoan ISL
ands that the English man-of-war owed
her escape to the fact that she had steam
up and was enabled to push out to sea
The number Of vessels lying in the
small harbor was a source of danger to
them individually, for if one dragged her
anchors she would probably collide with
and carry away another ship which might
otherwise have held securely
The news of the disaster created pro
found sensation at the Navy Depart
ment, and everybody from the Secre-
tary down freely expressed his re-
greet Secretary Tracy could not see
cause to condemn any one. The
officers in command of the ships were
competent men and had doubtless adopted
all proper precautions against disaster,
| but these hurricanes which assumed cy-
clonic proportions were simply irresistible,
as was proved by the extent Of the loss OF
vessels.
HOW THE NEWS WAS OBTAINED.
! The difficulty Of obtaining telegraphic
news from the samoan islands is very great.
| Dispatches received by the Associated Press
were first taken from Apia to Auckland,
| New Zealand, about Z, 600 miles by steamer
| The'newswas then transmitted by cable from
/ New Zealand, thence to Banjowaniie,
thence to Singapore, thence to Panang,
| thence to Madras. thence to Bombay, thence
4 TO Alden, thence to Suez, thence TO Alex
/ 2ndria, thence to Malta, thence to Gibraltar,
thence to Lisbon, thence to London, and
/ thence 70 New York
The DEVASTATION GENERAL.
| AUCKI AND, April Later adyices re-
/ ceived here regarding the hurricane which
devastated Samoa and wrecked number OF
/ German and American war ships says the
/ storm swept the stands ON the 10th inst
\ All the war-shipr tempted to put
/ to sea, but only b. English steamer
\ Caliope succeeded in getting out Mer-
/ chant vessels suffered severely, The bark
/ Peter Godeffrey, one other bark and seven
4 coasters were wrecked and four persons
were drowned. The Caliope sailed for
/ sydney The Peter Godeffrey was a Ger
man bark She had arrived at SOmoa from
1 Sydney.
THE LOST OFFICERS.
/ captain Schoonmaker entered the navy
/ from New York as acting midshipman,
! September %, 1874. He was made midship-
4 man in June, 1859 and successfully passed
| through the grades OF passed midshipman,
master, Lieutenant acknowledgements
\ and Captain. re was promoted to the last
/ named POSITION on October Z, 1886 and on Oc'
/ tober 5, 1883, was placed in command Of the
4 Vandalia.
Lieutenant Francis L. Sutton, the son of City
/ Chamberlain sutton OF ltoult, ~ L. Was one
/ OF the brightest men in the Marine Corps. lie
/ entered the Naval Academy rs cadet midship-
man on June 81, 1877, graduatedfn 1882 and
/ was made a Second Lieutenant in the Marine
\ Corps on July /, 1889. He was the junior First
| Lieutenant Of the corps, having been promoted
/ on March o 1888. Lieutenant Sutton was only
/ engaged as temporary Commander OF Marines
/ on the Nandalia. He was detailed from the
1 Mohican to the Nandalia until the regularly
| detailed Commandant of Marines could re-
/ port. He expected to be transferred to the Mo
hiean when the Vandala fell in with that
| vessel.
/ Paymaster Arms was born in Connecticut
/ He was appointed acting assistant paymastel
| in 1864. He served on the TuscarOra and Ter
4 ror and was commissioned Paymaster in 1871
| Tho wife and child of Paymaster Arms reside
/ at the Crawford House in New London, Conn
1 Paymaster's Clerk John Roach was the brother
| OF james Jenreys Roach, the poet who is asso
| ciated with John Boyle O REILLY on the Boston
/ Pilot. Mr.. Roach's home was at Iion, N. Y.