The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-04-18
FROM SAMOA.
ARRIVAL OF the Steamship Alameda
at San Francisco With
Samoan News.
Vivid Description of the Recent
Hurricane, the Most Terrific
Known IN the South Sea.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 13.-The steam
ship Alameda has arrived from Sydney,
bringing officers and men from the
wrecked warships in the harbor of Apia.
Following is an extract from the desorip-
ton of the recent cyclone which swept
over the islands:
1t was on the little German gunboat
Eoer that the greatest loss of life occurred.
The Eber had a complement of six officers
and seventy six men. Five men were
ashore during the storm. When the
vessel struck the reef she sank completely
out of sight, and minute later there was
not a vestige Of her to be seen, and all
on board were lost except one officer,
Lieutenant Gaedeke, and four sailors.
The other five officers and sixtysix men
were either instantly killed when the YES
sci crushed to pieces or were drowned in
the roaring torrent of water that broke
upon the reef. A small part of the Eber's
bow was afterwards washed ashore just on
the edge of the reef.
About 500 yards west of the Trenton is
all that remains of the Adler, the flagship
of the German squadron. The Adler was
hurled on top of the reef and turned COM
pletely over on her side. She has re-
NAMED in that position ever since, and
is aims entirely out of the water.
Nearly every man aboard was thrown
into the water when the Adler struck, but
only twenty sailors were drowned and all
her officers were saved.
The German corvette Olga is fast upon
Hat about quarter of mile east of the
American vessels.
sells were fighting for their lives, the Olga
came into collision with nearly every
other man of-war in the harbor, and was
badly damaged above her water line. 1t is
thought she can be towed off. No lives
we're lost on the Olga.
The only other man-of-war In the har-
Dor was the British corvette Calliope.
Her machinery was very powerful and she
was capable of steaming at the rate of
sixteen knots an hour, but she narrowly
escaped going ashore at the same place
with the others, but just as she was about
to strike reef she drew her anchor In the
face of terrible wind, and steamed out
of the harbor and put to sea.
THE MERCHANT VESSELS
which were wrecked, were principally
small crafts. Nearly all of them were
thrown on the reef near the wrecked
Adler. But one or two of them escaped
with slight damage. One of these was a
schooner belonging to the German Trading
company, and she was made ready at
once to sail to Tutula to meet the Oceanic
Steamship company's steamer from San
Francisco, that news of the disaster could
be forwarded to Auckland and from there
cabled to Europe and America. The
beach is strewn with wreckage from one
1nd of town to the other. The wrecked
American and German sailors are
auartered at Apia. For few days after
the storm the greatest confusion existed
everywhere. Large numbers of men on
the Vandalia and several on other vessels
were badly injured by falling from the
rigging and being thrown upon the decks
| by the terrible seas, and it was necessary
to provide temporary place for their &C.
commodatiop. A great many men from
| the wrecked vessels became intoxicated as
soon as they reached the shore.
The force of the storm was never
eaualed in this part of the world before
| The barometer had been falling steadily
several days previous, and the wind COM
menced to blow Friday afternoon, March
| Is, and continued until Sunday morning.
The rain fell in torrents during the whole
time and great clouds swept over the
town. Hundreds of people stood on the
beach watching
THE AWFUL SPECTACLE IN THE HARBoR.
The vessels all had full head of steam on
and three or four anchors out. Their
yards and topmasts were down and every
precaution taken to insure the safety OF
the ships, but the wind constantly shifted
from the northeast to the northwest The
| force was so great that the vessels dragged
| their anchors from one side of the bay to
the other, and came into collision dozen
times. Tremendous seas broke over the
decks and torrents of water rushed down
the hatchways. There was great con-
fusion among the men on several vessels
early Saturday morning, but the officers
did noble work and the men became
orderly and attended to their duties
bravely in the face of danger. Persons
on shore were powerless to render
any assistance to the ships. Hun
dreds ran to the waters edge
and stood in the binding storm watching
the great vessels pitch about on the waves
or drift to total destruction against the
reef. The sea broke upon the reef with a
roaring sound and washed far upon the
beach, carrying with it great quantities OF
wreckage. The watchers on shore were
submerged time after time, and many
were I'M nred by floating wreckage. Great
clouds of sand filed the air and cut the
face and body like knife. Everyone was
drenched witA. rain, but stood shivering
in the storm Stepared to render whatever
assistance might be possible.
THE NATIVES
walked far out in the surf where white
man could not live, and many life wa;
thus saved.
The Americans and Germans wert
treated alike, No thought was given tt
the state of war existing between thu
Germans and themselves, and the mel
who fought the Germans at Vallele few
L A. III A 1.