The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-03-10
Is IT WAR OR NOT?
The Reported Destruction Of the
NipSic is Discredited.
MUST FIGHT AT SHORT RANGE.
Opinions of Naval Officers of the Quality of
Our War Ships---Description
of the Nipsic.

Especial 10 THE HERALD-Examiner Dispatch. ]
WASHINGTON, March 9.-The report that
the American man-of-war Nipsic had been
totally destroyed in Samoan waters by the
German corvette Olga, created a sensation
in Washington to-day. The announcement
was bulletined at the newspaper offices
early in the forenoon and for the time
being. the new administration with its at
tendant horde of hungry and thirsty Office
seekers. was forgotten IN the shock of the
news.
No where was the excitement so intense
rs among the little colony of 800 OF 400
naval officers on duty at this point. BY
them the matter was discussed in all OF its
bdxings and the concensus of opinion was
that the report, while probably exaggerated,
is Substantially correct.
THEY KNEW NOTHING.
AT the navy department the stereotyped
reply I'VE know nothing, either officially or
unofficially'' was made to the newspaper
correspondents and others who hOclled
there for information. Neither had any in
formation been received at the department
of state where similar inquiries were made
late this afternoon. There was no pretense
Of concealment on the part of the officials
addressed and it was evident that they
spoke the truth.
Unless further information is received
through German sources the public curiosity
viii have to restrain itself until the arrival
of the Australian mail steamer at San
Francisco
The perplexing feature of the report is
tine absence Of the date ON which the en-
glSement is said to have occurred. This
OnlA established, it would be easy to de
te|nine whether the Nipsic was the only
American vessel in the harbor at the time,
Orwhether she had been reinforced by the
arrival OF the Trenton and the Wanda La
ABOUT THE TRENTON.
The Trenton left Panama for Apia, the
chief city of Samoa on the 18th Of January
last and ought to have reached her destina-
ton in thirtvsiX days. She was ordered
TO steam only portion OF the way as her
bunker capacity Is limited and she could
not carry coal enough for the entire voyage.
Otherwise the taip would have been of
much less duration.
The Vandalia steamed from San Fran
cisco ten days later. The distance is 1000
miles less. and naval experts calculated
that the two vessels would drop anchor at
about the same date.
WOULD HOLD THEIR OWN.
If all three We're in port at the time the
arrangement IS said to have occurred there
kittle reason TO donbt that they could
&5ld their own against the three German
vessels stationed there.
If on the other hand the Nipsic We're
alone in the harbor the probabilities are
that she would fall an easy victim to the
sIEerior force opposing her.
ROout two months ago Secretary Whit
nET detached Lieutenant John NJ. HaWley,
the executive officer of the Nipsie, and sta
toned him at Auckland, New Zealand. His
duties were to forward By steamer to Samoa
whatever information may be cabled him
regarding the action of our consul or the
movements Of our vessels there, and to COM
municate by telegraph instantly any intelli
gence received from the islands Of impor
lance to the government here.
NO NEWS RECEIVED.
No news of any special value has been re
ceived from Mr.. Hawley for several weeks,
ana IN the event that an engagement has
really taken place he would not be placedin
possession of the facts until the arrival Of
the next monthly steamer following the &C
currence.
The Germans could if desirable, dispatch
one of their three ships direct to Auckland,
and thus place the German foreign Office IN
possession of all the facts within four or five
days. 1t is not believed here, however, that
if this were done the news could long be
kept secret, no matter how carefully it
might be concealed, and this furnishes a
strong basis for the assumption that the
story has no foundation in fact, nOtwith-
standing the credence which naval officers
attach to 1t.
THE NIPsIC's COMMANDER.
Commander Dennis w. Mullan, the com
mander of the Nipsic was ordered to that
duty Oct. l. 1887, a few weeks after the de-
parture of the vessel from New York for
the Pacific. He entered the service on
Zfasa+s lNa1s. II
iY October, 1868, to master IN October, 1856,
lieutenant in February, 1867, to lieuten |
ant commander in March, 1868, and to his
present grade in July, 1882.
This is his first command in the new
grade, as owing to some trouble with navy |
department officials he was kept of duty |
for over four years. Commander Mullan, |
while not regarded as one Of the brilliant |
men of the navy is a good fighting officer |
and the general opinion among navy people |
is that he is well qualified to uphold the in |
terests of our government.
GOOD FIGHTERS.
He comes of a good fighting family. He
IS anative Of Massachusetts and was born |
of Irish parentage.
The executive officer of the Nipsic in the |
absence OF Lieutenant Hawley is Richar !
G. Davenport. or as he is better known in
the service, '.Dicl1' Davenport. His repu-
-
spect is vouched for by all the navy people
here.
He is son of the late Captain Daven-
port, of the navy, who also was one of the
most distinguished naval officers of the late
war, and who commanded the congress
during the battle Of Mobile bay.
OTHER GOOD MEN.
The other officers attached to the Nipsic
are Lieutenant John A. Sherman, of New
York. Ensigns William p. White, John L.
Purcell, Harry a. Field and Hilary p.
Jones, Past Assistant Surgeon E. P. Derr
Past Assistant Paymaster John Corwine,
Chief Engineer George w. Hall, Past As
sIStant engineer Horace Prick, and First
Lieutenant of Marines I. Glover F'illette
EsThe complementsof the Nipsic is ia ma
rfnes 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 Nipsic was at Callao, when she was
called by the navy department to proceed
at once to Samoa to relieve the Adams
The Nipsic is wooden vessel and was
built in 1853 After two cruises she was
rebuilt at the navy yard in Washington in
1879. She is deck rugged, 1876 feet long and
thirty-five feet beam. Her displacement is
/ .375 tons, and her indicated speed is ten
knots. Her battery consists of one S-inch
muzzle loading rife, four 9-inch, smooth
bores. one forty-pounder breech loading
rifle. converted parrot, which is located on
the forecastle. In the secondary battery
she has one 3-inch riied howitzer, one