The morning news., 1889-04-14
CONSTANTLY SETTLING.

The Nandalia continued TO settle and the
few men who had not already taking to the
rigging stood upon'the poop deck as the ves4
sci was almost entirely under water amid
ships. So many had crowded into the mi2zen
rigging that there was no more room there
and number Of officers aud men who had So
lected the poop deck on account of its Ella
walton, rushed across the gun dock to take
refuge IN this main and foremast. Owing
to the volume of water which was pouring
over the wreck, his was a most perlous
undertaking Almost twenty-four hours
had elapsed since any man on board had
tasted food and all were weak and faint
from hunger and exposure.
GOING BY THE HALF DOZEN.
Men were now being swept from the
decks and rigging half dozen at n time,
and few who felt themselves growing too
weak to hold on much longer jumped into
the water, determined to make one last
effort to save themselves. Nearly every
man who jumped or who was wasaed into
the water succeeded in reaching the side of
the Nipsic, and number Of thom climbed
upon the deck with the aid of rope. Those
who reached the deck assisted others who
were struggling in the water, and
many lives we're saved in this way,
but many poor fellow who reached
the Nipsic was unable to hold ON to the rope
long enough to be drawn up and the sea
would wash him away and sweep him out
into the current None Of them came near
enough to shore to be reached by the
natives, and those who once got into the
current were carried out aud drowned.
The people on shore saw the men sink down
before their eyes and were powerless to save
them.
TWO NATIVES DROWNED.
The brave Samoans, urged ON by their
drowning men, and as a consequence two
natives, who got too far in the surf, were
drowned. BY o'clock the Vandalia as
resting her whole length on the bottom
The only part of her hull which
stood out of water was the after.
part Of the poop deck and the forward part
of the forecastle. Every man was in the
rigging. As many as could be aocommo-
dated there had climbed into the tops and
sunk down exhausted on the small plat
forms Others chung to the ratlines and
yards with tho desperation OF dying men,
expecting every moment to be their last.
HAwsER MADE FAST.
Several persons on shore succeeded in
making hawser fast from the deck of the
Nipsic TO the shore, and the Vandalia men
who had escaped to the Nipsic reached the
shore in that way. The stem of the Nipsic
had by this time swung out straight from
the shore, SO that the distance between the
two vessels was not more than twenty
yards A white man named Vickering, who
had been watching the scene from shore,
went aboard the Nipsic and threw a line to
| the Vandalia. A sailor caught it, and small
| rope was made fast from the foremast of
| the Vandalia to the stem of the Music. A
| few mea escaped in that way, but before
| all on the foremast could be taken off the
| line parted The Nipsic's stem then swung
| hpr oh 10 ba nd MA 10 fe
| get another line across. This was the only
| connection the Vandalia had with the shore
| during the whole day.
THE TRENTON AND THE OLGA
The terrible scenes at the Vandalia had
| distracted attention from the two other
| men-of-war, which still remained afioat, but
about o'clock in the afternoon the position
of the Trenton and Olga had changed and
they we're almost on the reef near the point
where the Eber struck. The Trenton was
coming, down upon the Olga and
condition of the flagship was most pitiable
At 10 o'clock In the morning her rudder
and propeller had been carried away by
fouling with a piece Of wreckage. The
shock was so great that the pilot wheel on
| deck was whirled around like lightning and
every spoke in it was broken. The two
mon who were at the wheel at the time
had his leg broken.
WATER RUSHING IN.
To add to the discontinue of the steamer
water poured in through the hawser pipes
and flooded the decks. The hawser pipes,
which are large openings in the bow
through which the anchor chains pass,
were unfortunately located on the berth
deck, instead Of on the gun deck above as
is usually the case. Ever since the Trenton
was built this has been regarded as piece
of faulty construction, as the openings
were so low down that with a heavy sea
rolling it was almost impossible TO keep
water out Of the vessel. Efforts were made
to close the pipes, but tho force Of water
was so strong that the coverings were
blown off prematurely. The water rushed
in upon the berth decks, found its way to
the matches and poured down TO the fire
| room.
THE FIRES ExTINGUIsHED.
All attempts Co keep It out failed, and Ia
a short time the fremen were up to their
waists in water and all the fires were ex-
tinguished. From 10 o'clock in the morn
ing until o'clock in the evening, when she
grounded the Trenton held out against the
storm without steam or rudder, and her
escape from total destruction on the
reef was miraculous. Skillful man
agement Of her navigating officer, Lieut..
Brown, was all that saved the lives of
every man on board.
OFFICIALLY PRAISED.
A few days after the storm Capt Far
quhar made an official report 10 Admiral
Kimberly, in which he paid high tribute 10
tue skill with which the navigating
officer maneuvered the vessel, and declared
that Lieut.. Brown had on one occasion, at
least, kept the Trenton off the reef and
saYed all Of the 450 lives. Admiral Kim
berly, Capt. Farquhar and Lieut. Brown
stood upon the bridge the whole day, and
directed the movements Of the ship. As
soon as steam gave out the mizzen storm
sail was set with the greatest difficulty. Oil
was also poured overheard, but IL had nc
effect In stilling the waves. The Trenton
was maneuvered in this way all the time
and succeeded in keeping clear Of the reef
until the middle OF the afternoon, when
the force Of the wind and waves bore her
down almost upon IL. She came broadside
on toward the reef and II seemed az II the
great vessel with her 450 men was loit
SAVED BY HUMAN SAILS.
Lieut.. Brown or rlered every man into the
port rigging so that the compact mass of
humanity could be used as sails and at the
same time kept the weight OF the vessel on
the side next 10 the storm. This novel ex-
pertinent was all that saved he Trenton
from destruction. The wind struck
against tho men In the rigging and