The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-03-30

the German men-of-war Adler, Olga and
Eber we're driven on a reef during vio-
lent storm and totally wrecked.
OF the American crews, four officers
and forty-six men were drowned, and of
the German crews, nine officers and eighty
seven men lost THAR lives.
LONDON, March 30.--Advices have been
received from Samoa to the effect that in
q terrific hurricane there three American
and four German men-of-war were
wrecked, and that many persons were
drowned.
Tho dispute which caused the Govern
ments OF Germany and the United States
TO send warships to Samoa is of long
standing. There are many German resi-
dents in Apia, the capital, and the Ger
mans have shown on many occasions a
desire to gain the aScendancy in the
islands, II not actually to take possession OF
them. The islands are perhaps chiefly inn
portant to the United States and Great
Britain as n coaliIlg station. There had
been an understanding between the three
governments that they were to assist each
other in maintaining the native govern
ment. Three years ago the King or the
Samoan Islands was Malietoa. He was
not satisfactory to the Germans, and he
was seized, placed on board German
Tamasese was set up in his stead, after an
ambitious American Consul at Apia had
set up a protectorate over Samoa, in the
name of the United States, and had been
recalled for it,
Last fall large party of the natives,
under the leadership of Mataafa, rebelled::
Mataafa's object was the overthrow OF
Tamasese and the restoration of Malietoa.
He won several victories, until the Ger
mans took up TamaSeSe'S cause, and de-
clared the islands under martial law.
The frequent small conflicts put
the lives and property Of Americans
at Apia IN jeopardy The United
States protested and sent war vessels
to Samoa to protect her citizens. The
Germans also sent warships, and for a
time a conflict seemed to be imminent.
But Prince Bismarck refused to sustain
the action of the German Consul, Knappe,
in declaring martial law, and recalled him.
1t was recently agreed that conference
to consider Samoan affairs, begun at
Washington few years ago, should be
resumed at Berlin for the permanent set
tlement of the questions in dispute, and
peace was in q measure restored. The
warships, however, had not yet been re-
called.
The Nipsic was at Callao when she was
cabled by the Navy Department to proceed
at once to Samoa to relieve the Adams.
She was wooden vessel and was built in
1873. After two cruises she was rebuilt at
the navy yard, Washington, in 1879 She
was bark rugged, 1856 feet long and 80 feet
beam. Her displacement was 1875 tons,
and indicated speed 10 knots Her battery
consisted Of one S-inch muZzle- loading
rifle, fonr 9-inch smooth bores; one go
FOUNDER breech loading rifle converted
Parrott located in the forecastle. In the
secondary battery one 3-inch rif1ed how
itzer, one II FOUNDER, and one short Cat
ling gun. In addition to this there were
60 HOtchkiss rifles of the latest improved
pattern in her armory besides the usual
number of pistols and side arms allowed
by regulation for vessels of the Nipsic
class
Commander Dennis w. Mullan, the
Commander of the Nipsic, was ordered to
that duty on October l, 1887, a few weeks
after the departure of the vessel from New
York for the Pacific. He entered the SER
vice September 20, 1850; was promoted to
Ensign in October, 1853; to Master in
October 1866; to Lieutenant in February,
1858; Lieutenant Commander in March,
1858, and to Commander in July, 1882.
The Nipsic was his first command in the
new grade, as owing to some trouble with
the Navy Department officials, he was
kept off duty for over four years. Com
mander Mullan was good fighting
officer, native of Massachusetts,, of Irish
parentage.
The executive Of1cer or the N1pSlc, IN
the absence of Lieutenant Hawley, was
Richard G. Davenport, or, as he was better
known in the service, ''Dick" Davenport.
He was son of the late Captain Daven-
port, of the navy, who was one of the most
distinguished naval officers of the late
war, and who commanded the Congress
during the battle of Mobile Bay.
The other officers attached to the Nipsic
were Lieutenant John r. Shearman, of
New York; Ensigns William p. White,
John Il. PURCELL Harry A. Field and
Harry p Jones, Passed Assistant Surgeon
E. T. Derr, Passed Assistant Paymaster
John Corwine, Chief Engineer George W.
Hall, Passed Assistant Engineer Horace
E. Frick and First Lieutenant of Marines
t. Glover Fillette.
The complement of the Nipsic was ia
marines and blue jackets, although some
of her short time men were sent home
from Samoa when the Adams left for San
Francisco in January last.
The Trenton was considered the best
wooden vessel in the navy. She was built
at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Her speed
was about fifteen knots and her displace-
ment 5000 tons. She had ten guns, and
was in charge of Captain N. HI. Farquhar
The Vandalia had eight guns, six of
which were nine-mile Dahlgrens. The
other two were pivot guns. She had also
secondary battery of Hotchkiss revolving
cannons and Gatlings. Captain c. NJ
SchoOnmaker was in command