Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-04-24
KIMBERLY STATEMENT
The Admiral Tells the Story of the
Samoan Disaster.
Official Report of the Terrible HurTi-
cane in Apia Harbor.
Graphic Description of the Loss of the 81,
Gallant War Ships.
Gallant Struggle of Officers and Men With
the Waves.


at Apia harbor, whereby the United
States war ships Vandalia, Trenton and
Nipsic, and the German. men-of- war
Olga, Adler and Eber were lost, and
over $50 seamen drowned. The report
is dated March 10, the day following the
storm. 1t is as follows:
1t becomes my painful duty to report to the
department the disastrous injury and loss sus-
tanned by the vessels under my command in the
harbor of APP a, during the hurricane which
swept these waters March 15 and 16. When the
gale commenced there were in the harbor the
following n-of-war: United States ships
Trenton, Vandalia and Nipsic; III. B. M. . CALI
ope and Ii. /. g. M ships Adler, Olga and Eper.
There were also a few merchant vessels and small
craft. The N1psic had the inner berth, and the
Trenton CAST to arriye) had the outer berth.
the forenoon of Friday, March 10, and at l
o'clock on that day commenced preparations
TO meet gale by sending down the lower yards
ana housing topmasts. Fires were ligh'ed
and steam raised. BY o'clock the gale had
developed. 1t blew hard during the evening
and about P. NJ. we parted our port bower
cable During the night it blew with great
violence, but with the aid of steam the vessels
kept In good shape until morning.
At daylight we had hoped for moderation of
the wind, but were disappointed. The gale set
in with renewed fury, and early in the forenoon
it was evident that some of the inner ships were
ashore and those nearer to us were riding un-
| easily. The flagship lost her wheel about this
time. 1t carried away with a crash and serious
ly injured some of the helmsmen. Relieving
tackle and spare tiller we're applied promptly,
but 1t was discov cred that the rudder was broken
and soon 1t was entirely useless.
The wind by this time was blowing with hur-
ricane force and the were very heavy. The
ship had begun to make water during the early
morning. The hand pumps were manned and
all bilge pumps in the engine room put on. The
water gained and threatened to pat out the fires;
the greater part OF it seeming to come in through
the hawse pipes, which are situated on the berth
deck.
Every effort was made to stop the entrance OF
water at this point by jamming in bedding, and
by putting mounding on the chains and by veer-
ing into the hawse pipes. 1t could be checked
in this way, but not stopped for the violence of
! the seas was go great that 1t would force back
| everything opposed to it. All hands were set
to battling and the handy billy rugged, but by
$50 A. NJ the fires had been put out and the men
driven up from the fire-room. Work at the hand
pumps and with the buckets continued from this
time throughout The gale, with the hope of being
able to reght the fires and keep the ship afioat.
little before noon the Calliope seen 10
be very uneasy at her moorings, and soon she
steamed toward u.s. having parted or slipped her
cables, AMI making an effort to go out the har-
Dor. She came near colliding with US and
steamed out in the face of the hurricane.
In the afternoon, the wind having hauled lit
tie, the flagship was more unsteady at her moor
ings, and parted two chains, one sosn after the
other. We then drifted over toward the eastern
reef, escaping the wreck OF a merchant bark by
the mere chance OF her dragging as we ap-
preached her. We drifted until. our stern
seemed imminent as the vessel was within
lew feet of the reef for long while and pitching
heavily. We drifteO in this position along the
reef for considerable distance until we came to
where 1t turned more toward the eastward. Here
we found smoother water, and our remaining an
Choir seemed to hold quite well for a time.
hawse of the Olga, which vessel had one of the
smoothest berths in the harbor at this time. She
was riding well and had control of her engines.
Efforts were at once made to heaye over the s.
inch rife gun from the fOrecastle to assist in
holding, but it could not be done in time and
we slowly drifted upon her. She avoided us
twice by skilliul use of helm and engines, but
after cut into our quarters, first on one side
and then the other carrying away boats, rigging
and quarter gallies but essentially injurng the
hull.
During all this time the officers of the flagship
made every effort to manage her by the storm
sails and putting men in the rigging. We
drlfted by the portsde nf the Olga and across to
the western reef dragging the anchor and
trailing now on the western reef as we
had before done on the eastern. Some
OF the wrecked vessels were now in plain sight
the Nipsic we'll in shore on good bottom, stem to
the seas; the Vandalia sunk agsinst the reef,
masts standing and tops and rigging filled with
nen-spray and surf flying to their mastheads.
The Eber nowhere to be seen; while the Adler
on her side, high on the reef. The Olga had
turned for the shore and going ahead under
steam and sail, W as beached on good bottom and
in good position to the seas
All this time the gale blowing with I'M
abated fury About CLOCK we were ex pecting
to strike the reef momentarily. 1t was directly
under our STEM but, as OH the eastern SIDE an
underdraW or current seemed to carry us along
the reef. and kept us just clear of striking Thus
we came on to where the VaBualia was lying
and 1t was evident that our stem would 500
strike against her portside AS we approached
her, rockets were fired, carrying lines, with the
hope of scuing the people on her masts. This
proved very successful, aud the men from the
main and m1ZZen were rescued first. Soon after
this we struck the Vandalia with violence and
her main and miZZen masts went by the board. We
then swung gradually and settled into position
r. ~ Qp6N
stern grazing small wreck and the reef The
men were rescued from the foremost of the Van.
dala. and thence on during the night we con-
tinued to beat the bottom and against the Van
dalia with great force
The wind during this Saturday night blew
with hurricane force. squall following suuall
with hardly any appreciate interval. The
seas, however, were not so high as they were
further out and we got through the night with
out additional serious misfortune.
Just before daylight the flagship was visited
by two boats manned entirely by natives, who
carried lines to the shore This was dangerous
work, owing to the darkness, to the sea and cur
rent, TO the reefs and wreckage and to the diff
Guilty OF approaching the Trenton on account of
the Vandalia's wreck. The men were kept at
the pumps and buckets without cessation, with
view to hauling off the ship if possible and
keeping her afoat when the gale abated
=, In the morning the wind moderated. 1t was
then asceralned that the propeller missing.
The ship had settled hard on the bottom and the |
water could not be reduced. It was up to the en-
g1neToom platform and rising Under these cir
facilities, or marine railway appliances and pow
erful pumps. the abandonment of the ship be- |
came necessary. Stores gotten up as I'd pid- |
ly as possible, and the people got their effects
ashore.
The crew were set TO work getting out and saw
Ing from her everything possible. On Monday |
the water was UP to her gun deck, and she mad |
settled little on her port side. On Tuesday she |
had settled more to port, and WAS still lower in
the water
The Vandalia is completely submerged and
only her foremasts and head booms showing |
above the water. The Nipsic is lying in about |
feet OF water at low tide (rse and fall four
feet. She would probably have to be hauled |
astern some 800 feet to float her at high tide. |
She has lost her smoke pipe ana rudder and her |
propeller is badly damaged. Her crew remain |
on board, and she keeps her bilges free of water
by the steam pump
have ordered board to investigate at once |
the possibility of saving the Nipsic, and to |
further investigate and report upon all circum |
stances connected with the loss and damage of |
the vessels by the gale The report of this board |
will be forwarded by the first opportunity after
its receipt by me. The crews of the Vandalia |
and Trenton are in barrack on shore
Tie Calliope steamed into the harbor this |
morning, showing signs of having experienced |
heavy weather. She goes to Sydney as soon as |
possible for repairs. and through the kindness OF
Capt. Kane her diving outfit has been turned |