Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-15

ASDIh AND TRENTON STRUGGLED AGAINST
DESTRUCTION
A correspondent in writing from Apia.
Samoa, under date OF March 80, gives most
graphic account Of the storm there on the 18th
and 18th OF March The hurricane began about
O'Clock IN the morning of the former date
winch was on Saturday. The German warship
Eoer was the first to drag her anchors. By 3
O'Clock all the vessels in the harbOr were alive
TO their danger and began a desperate struggle
TO keep of the reefs. The Eber carried by
the hurricane against the American steamer,
the Nipsic and later fOuled the Olga. Then a
great wave hurled her broadside on the reef
she struck with awful force, and In an instant
there was not vestige of her to be seen.
livery timber must have been shattered and
half her crew crushed to death. This was
about 6 o'clock in the morning. There were
SIX officers and seventy men on the Eber, and
of these Lieut.. GOedeke and four sailors were
all who were saved.
Meanwhile the Adler had been driven across
the bay, and about $50 she thrown a
reef 200 yards from the wreck OF the Eber.
Nearly all her crew thrown into the
water, but the vessel had been landed so far
upon the reef that when she turned over
nearly the entire hull was out of water. and
her deck being at right angles and facing the
shore. that portion of the vessel was well pro-
teeted from the storm. and most of the men
had but a few feet to swim to reach the deck
where they chung To the guns and masts in
safety, and were finally taken off. though in
greatly exhausted condition. OF the 1870 officers
and men aboard twenty men were drowned or
killed when the vessel capsized. and number
OF others were injured, among them Capt
Fritz.
THE STRUGGLE OF THE NIPsIC.
Meanwhile the United States steamer Nipsic
was fighting desperately to keep off the reef
on which the Eber was wrecked. In her strug-
giles she ran down and sank the little schooner
Lilly two of whose crew were drowned. The Nip
SIC got well under from the reef after she
sunk the Lilly when the Olga. which had nearly
run into her before, struck her amidshiP.
rylng away boat, splintering the rail. and
knocking down the smokestack. Having lost
her smokestaek the Nipsic could no longer keep
up her steam, and Capt. Mullan. who had re-
manned cool and collected during the danger,
seeing that the vessel could not be saved gave
orders TO beach her. The steam that could still
be employed was utilized to drive her on the
sandy beach III front of the American consul
ate. Two boats were at once lowered. but the
fails did not work properly, and the men
were thrown into the water and drowned.
The other boat, containing DIR. l.. z.
Derr, the ships surgeon. and half dozen
sick men, CapslZed before it reached the
shore, but all were saved. Double hawsers
were soon made fast from deck to shore. and
the crew made their way to land with the help
of the natives. who acted under the instruction
Of Senmanu Taca. chief of the Apia district:
Sahr Ana. King Mataafa's secretary; and En-
sign J. l.. Purcell. of the Nipsic who had been
Oh shore during the night. Commander Mullan
insisted on being the last man to leave the
deck. he finally found himself on deck with
Lieutenant John A. Sherman and two sailors
Tie ordered the sailors to leave, which they did
The captain being unable to swim. did not care
TO trust to descending the ropes by his hands
and legs, so he procured an empty water cask
which he attached to the hawser. When he
was seated in the cask Shearman stood alone on
DeE md lra Il
the rope. The Plucky lieutenant then followed
and got safely to shore.
WRECK OF THE vANDALIA
About 10 o'clock. while near the wreck of the
Adler. the English war-ship Calliope and the
United States waT-ship VandaIia came in con-
tact the English vessels iron prov crashing
down with great force upon the port quarter of
the Nandalia carrying away her own iibboom
shIFeFiHg the heavy timberS of the American
vessel. and tearing hole below the rail. which
flooded the cabin. Captain Kane. of the CALI
OPe. now determined to try and escape from
the hsrbOr, and putting on all steam succeeded
by the help OF the CalliOpe's powerful Ell
glnes IN getting out to sea. returning after
the storm with little injury except the loss of
all her boats. As she passed the Trenton the
American sailors gave her three cheers. which
were returned with will. Captain Schoon-
maker, of the Vandalia had been severely in
jured the night before by being thrown
across the cabin. but he faced the storm like
q anu stOOC DIV the side OF his nrSt officer,
Lieut.. j. W Carlln. who was practically in
charge of the vessel. Lieut. Carlin had been
ON outy since the previous morning, and had
hot tasted food in all that time, but he kept his
place on deck. and encouraged every one around
him. Seeing that the engines were not power
full enough to carry her ont to sea. Capt Schoon-
maker and Lieut.. Carlin determined to beach
the Nandaiia, and full Lead of steam was put
ON, and she was beached about hundred yards
from shore and about forty yards from the stern
OF the Nipsic. The Vandalia swung around
brOadside 10 the beach. and az il was then about
IL o'clock it was hoped that the storm would
soon subsIde, and that all on board might
be taken of. Soon. however she began to
settle, and by noon the whole OF her cup
deck was under water. the men were forced
10 take refuge In the rigging. the wind in
creased IN fury, and the few officers who still
remained on the poop deck were repeatedly
swept from their feet by the force of the waves
Nearly every man aboard had cast off mos I of
his clothing and some were entirely naked A
few had provided themselves with life-pre-
servers. but these could not be obtained for all
as the vessel had filled SO rapidly. The people
on shore were anxious TO render assistance but
no boat could have lived a moment in the surf
and II was impossible to get a line to the
steamer. The seas continued TO break over the
vessel, sweeping away numbers of the crew
Some OF these swan for the Nipsic and sue
ceeded in boarding her, but others we're
drowned IN the attempt. Engineer A. 5. Greene
and Naval Cadet A. III. Wiley reached the
themselves up the ropes and were carried by
the current toward the shore, where they were
rescued by the natives, who had formed a line
reaching some distance into the water Wiley
Hss lnsenslble. but resuscitated By DIR
Derr after great labor.
DEATH or CAPT. scHooSMAKER
Capt Schoonmaker was clinging To the rail
on the poop-deck, supported by Lieut. Carlin.
who was doing his best to hold the captain ON.
The latter grew weaker every moment and re-
marked TO those about him that he would have
10 60 soon. The captain was offered a life
preseryer several times. but refused il Finally
great wave struck the Vandalia Washing
from It's fastenlngs a machine gun which struck
the captain on the head. either killing or knock
ing him insensible. and he was carried back
into the sea with the wave. sinking without a
struggle. Paymaster Arms and Paw Clerk
Roach were swept into the sea together Arms
rank at once, but Roach managed to reach the
Nipsic, where lie grasped "a rope but finally
had to let go and was drowned. after a few
feeble efforts to swim. During the RENAL .der
" the afternoon there followed a succession of
awful scenes Of death and suffering Almost
twenty-fOur hours had elapsed since any Of the
men had had anything to eat. and the storm
continued they were carried out of the rigging
by the waves, too weak TO hold on any longer
Some In desperation jumped into the water
and SWAN for the Nipsic, which d number of
them succeeded in reaching Several persons
an ms IN h Iux