Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-21
FROM APIA.
Arrival of the steamer Rockton with
the Wrecked Seamen.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 20th-Shortly after
O'Clock this morning the person in charge fthe
signal station of the Merchants Exchange al
Point Lobos observed a strange steamer APP
proaching, but 1t was not until the curtain OF
the fog had partly lifted and the vessel was
well inside the Heads that he was able 70 tee
phone to the Exchange that the steamship
Roekton, with the shipwrecked man-of-wars
men from the American feet wrecked at Sa-
moa, had arrived. The steam launches of the
Custom house and Quarantine officer i'm
mediately put OFF to her and boarded her near
Alcatraz. AS she had clean bill CT health She
was allowed to enter, but did not make any
stop here. Under the guidance of the tug Alert
she Immediately proceeded to the Mare Island
Navy Yard.
The Rockton was chartered by Admiral KIM
berry at Sydney purposely TO bring home the
shipwrecked sailors. She is an iron vessel, oil
l.790 tons, and left sydney ON April 18th before
the sailing of the steamer Mariposa She did
not proceed as quickly as the mail steamer
however, and it was not until the afternoon az
the 2eth of April that she reached the harbor of
Apia. Her stay there was very short as Adj
miral Kimberly desired to get the sailors away,
ana on the morning OF the LIST Instant she sailed
Tor this port According 10 her log she was 32IS
days from Sydney and 1917 days from Apia
The following is the list of men brought up
on the RocktOn
the Trenton-Captain Norman II. Farouhar.
Lieutenants R. N. q. Brown, L. L. Beamy and
X. o. Scott; Engineers Herschel. Main and
Robert VI. Gait, Assistant Engineer II. Matthews,
chaplain Adam II. McAllister. BOatswain John
Mclaughlin, Carpenter B. C. Fernald Sail.
maker Samuel H. Boutwell,, Surgeon stephen 5.
White and 2e9 seamen.
OF the Nandalia-Lieutenants J. w. Carter J.
G. Wilson, A. f. Culver and F. II. Heath, Ensign
John H. Gibbons. Chief Engineer A. s. Green.
Passed Assistant Engineer II. Webster, Surgeon
a. p. Harvey and al of the crew
OF the Nipsic-Ensign Il. A. Field and five of
the crew.
The Rockton reports that on the morning after
she LETT Apia she passed man-ofwar, supposed
TO be the Alert. The vessels passed each other
so Tar apart, however, that the name signaled
was not made out.
The steamer Rockton be longs to the Australian
Navigation Company, and will leave Mare Is
land tomorrow morning for San Francisco.
She is consigned to Spreckels Bros, and will
load barley for sydney. Captain Faiquhar re-
ports sighting the United States steamer Alert
on her way 70 Apia on the I'd of May two DAYS
after the Rockton LETT that port for Mare Island
Among those who remained at Apia are Adj
miral Kimberly and his staff. consisting o. Lieu
tenant Hawley Rittenhouse andl Lieutenant
Greenleaf A. Merriam. The Rockton had on
board quite a number Of the guns saved from
the wreck; and they were unloaded at the yard.
The hold of the ship accommodated about 200
men, who were packed in like sardines. Every
thing was in confusion. The hunks were so
close 20 each other that it was an effort to get
into them, and they were made for two men
each. The darkness had the squallor of the
surroundings but the touch detected the grease
and Nth, and the sense of smell told plainly
that the held was more like repository of dead
and decayiDg flesh than an abiding place for
the living. How il was possible for the men TO
live and sleep and remain well therein is be-
yond human comprehension. A bitter com.
plant was made also against the food fur
nished. When the Rockton left Apia, divers
were at work endeavoring to secure the cloth.
ing that was in the holds of the sunken vessels.
As soon as any was recovered il was at once dis
tributed among those that had lost nearly ali CT
their effects.
HOME. SWEET HONE.
VALLEJO tCal }. May 20th.--The steamer Rock
ton arrived at p. N. and was greeted with
cheers as she passed the receiving ship hide
pendence. The band on board the Rockton
played in response 10 the cheering, II ONE Sweet
Home" The Adams, Pinto's, McArthurs ana
Hassler's men responded in like manner as the
Rockton passed up the stream in order TO make
a landing alongside of the quay The steamer
had on board 299 men belonging to the Trenton.
four of the Nipsic's men and III of the Wanda,
liz, besides u officers.
This does not complete the number of
wrecked men, as about rs still remain at Apia
They will arrive on the next steamer Thos..
still remaining at Apia all in first-cass con.
dition, the sick persons, numbering about
twenty, having been placed on the Rocktou and
brought home. Men will be quartered on the
Independence. They are in charge of Captain
Farquhar. The officers and men remaining Al
Apia belong 10 the Trenton. All of the guns
OF the wrecked vessels were saved.