The Hawaiian gazette., 1889-04-16
THE SAMOAN DISASTER.
Graphic Account of the Wreck of the
American Vessels by Lieut.. Ritten-
hOuSp,

Graphic Account of the Wreck of the
American Vessels by Lieut.. Ritten
house.
The. following extracts are from {
letter to Mr.. John H. Patty from Lieut.
Rittenhouse of the Trenton, who, it viii
be remembered, was the eloquent orator
OF last Decoration Day in Honolulu
when ATTACHED to the Vandalia 1t is the
most graphic account of the disaster tc
the American vessels that we hove seen.
The letter is dated Apia, Samoa, March
goth:
The steamer will bring you news OF
our disaster here. 1t is terrible affair.
The Trenton arrived from Panama
March 10th and found the Nandalia and
Nipsic oS our forces, the Adler, Olga and
Eber OF the Germans, and the Callope
OF the English. A few merchantmen
and small craft were in port. Politically,
here, all was serene. 1t seemed as
though everybody was waiting further
instructions from the home governments.
On the 18th, in the morning, bad
weather began, and the Admiral pre-
pared the ships for a gale, housed, top
masts, sent down lower yards, got up
steam, etc. Other ships did the same.
The anchorage you know is no harbor
whatever, no protection from northerly
winds. Reef bound on the sides and
nearly around. Edges OF reef almost
perpendicular By 8 o'clock p. m. on
Friday, the 18th australian time, the
gale had developed. 1t blew fercely,
the sheet anchors were dropped and dll
went well. The only thing that occurred
of notice was at s O'Clock in the evening
we lost a cable. We dropped another
anchor and started the engines.
During the night it blew hurricane
and the seas were terrific. But with en-
gines going we held on hoping for a
change in the morning Morning came
but the expected change was not in our
favor The fury increased. The YES
sells, however, were all in place but were
riding uneasily. At about a. m, Sat
urday, our wheel went with 4 crash, and
we found the rudder broken. 1t was
soon entirely useless. After that we
began to make water, started the pumps
on deck, put on all pumps in engine
room, etc Water came in through the
hawse pipes, which lead in on berth
deck We checked it as much as pos
sible BY noon our fires were out and
engine stopped. All hands pumping
and bailing. Could not reduce the
water. The other ships were also in dis
tress by this time. Eber had gone down
in moment Adler had been thrown high
on the reef on her side. Vandalia had
dragged. Calliope lad lost cables, Slip
ped and started for sea in the face OF the
hurricane, nearly cutting us down as she
passed out. She was just able to move
ahead against the seas We were helpless
RELYING on our three cables. In the after
noon two OF them parted and we began
to drift The gale vas terrific and we
were set over iowa the eastern reef
and our stern was not fifteen feet from
it. 4 sort of undertow or current along
the reef kept us from striking, but we
expected destruction of the ship each
moment. We sagged down toward the
Olga which vessel was doing well. She
had good berth. We held for q time,
but knew we would soon be on her.
Tried to get over an IL gun, but it was
too late, we backed into her, and were
cut fearfully about our quarters, first one
side then the other. We then drifted by
her and found danger again on the west
erR reef. This was about dusk Satur-
day. Here again we expected to strike,
and for long time We moved along the
reef so close that | could easily have
Jumped on it from the taffrail.
The Vandalia and Nipsic were near
The latter in a fair position on the bot
tom but clear of the reef. The former
sunk to her rail alongside the reef with
lower masts standing filled with men.
The Trenton dragged to the Yandalia,
10 strike her, which would |
shake everybody off. We got lines TO
her before hitting her, and nearly every
body was saved. Her main and mizzen !
masts fell before the men from the fore |
were rescued The foremost stood. |
During this night it blew harder than
ever. We were on the bottom and |
against the Vandalia. The only ques-
ton was which would last the longer,
the gale or the ship. The gale moder-
ated by daylight, but the Trenton could
not be saved here as there is no dock.
[ doubt if she could be foated anyhow.
Water was up to her berth deck, and
rising. We abandoned her that after
noon. Vandalia lost four officers and
thirty-nine men. Nipsic lost seven men.
Trenton lost none. Carlin, Wilson, and
others rescued from Vandalia, saved
nothing but what they had on, and many
we're stark naked. 1t was the heaviest
gale ever known on the island so l have
been told. fully believe it.