New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-04-03
WRECKED At SAMOA
The American and German Gllnboats
Destroyed by a Violent South
Pacific Hurricane.

AUCKLAND, March 29.-Dspatches from
samoa state that the American men-of-war
Trenton, Vandalia and Nipsic and the Ger
man men-of-war Adler, Olga and Eber were
driven on a-reef during violent storm and
totally wrecked. OF the American crews
tour officers and forty-six men were drowned
ana OF the German crews nine officers and
eighty seven men lost their lives.
THE NIPsIC's OFFICERS.
NEW YORK, Special Telegram, March 90
commander Denis W. Mullen. the COM
mander OF the Nipsic, was ordered to that
duty Oct. l, 1887. Commander Mullen
while not regarded as one Of the
brilliant men of the navy, was
good fighting officer. He was
a native of Massachusetts and was of Irish
parentage. The executive officer of the
Nlpsic, in the absence of Lieut.. Hawley, was
Richard G. Davenport His reputation
as first officer in every re-
spect was youched for by all the navy
people here. He was a son Of the late
Capt. Davenport of the nay who was one of
the most distinguished navel officers of the
late war and who commanded the Congress
during the battle of Mobile Bay. The other
officers attached to the Nipsic were Lieut..
John Il. Sherman, Ensigns William P.
White, John L. Purcell, Harry A Field,
and Harry p Jones, Passed Assistant Surgeon
Ferr, Passed. Assistant Paymast er John Cor
win, Chief Engineer George ". Hall, Passed
Assistant Englneel Horace E. FriNk and
First Lieutenant Of Marines T. Clover Fill
cite. The complement of the Nipsic was 174
marines and blue jackets, although some Of
her short time men were sent home from
Samoa wnen the Adams left for Samoa when
the Adams left for San Francisco in January
last. The Nipsic was wooden vessel and
was built in 1878. Her displacement was
1865 tonssand indicated speed ten knots.
Her battery consisted of one S-inch muzzle-
loading rifle, four 9-inch smooth bores,
one 6O-pOunder breech- loading rifle
In the secondary battery there was one
three-in CHI rif1ed howitzer, one twelve
FOUNDER and one short gattling gun In adj
clifton to these there were sixty Hotchkiss
rifles of the latest improved pattern in che
armory, besides the usual number of pistols
and side arms allowed by regu lation for YES
sells of the Nipsic class.
THE VESSELS.
The Trenton and Vandalia were larger
than the Nipsic The Trenton was a ship
rugged wooden cruiser of ten guns
and 5000 tons displacement The
Vandalia was bark-rigged wooden
cruiser of 2, 100 tons displace ment, with a
battery of eight guns mostly smooth bores.
AS far as known the Olga was the most for
midable OF the German vessels at Apia. She
was unarmored and unprotected single deck
cruiser OF 2, 200 tons. Her principal battery
consisted of eight-inch Krupp lilies and a
number of Hotchkiss revolving cannon. She
carried about half a dozen Schwartz-Kopf
torpedoes, which are similar 70 the White
head torpecoes in that they are projected
from tubes beneath the water line The speed
of The Olga was somewhat superior to that
Of the Vandalia, her maximum trial speed
having been fourteen. The Adler and the
Eber wete not as large OF as strong as the
Olga, the Adler carrying four and the Eber
three Krupp ri fles. The great strength of
the German fleet from fighting standpoint
lay in its possession OF torpedoes