Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-14

into the furnaces to keep up the fires. Her
head was put around to the shore and she had
straight course of 100 yards to the sanay
beach in front of the American Consulate
Her engines worked as hard as the limited
amount of steam would permit.
When the Nipsic struck her engineers dld
not take time to stop her engines, and her pro
peller continued to revolve for an hour, wniIe
her bow stuck fast in the sand about 70
yards from the waters edge, and tine vessel
swung around, forming an acute angle with tne
line OF the shore. Orders were gwen 70 iowet
two boats. Sailors jumped into one Doat, nuS
the falls did not work properly. and before tne
boat was lowered, one end dropped Inc trSn rS u
were thrown into the water and drowned. 1ne
boat containing DR.. E. 2. Derr, the snlps SUI,
geon, and half a dozen sick men was lowered
in safety, but it capslzed before IL reacneo tne
shore. All of the men half swan, hall noaseu
until they came within reach oil the naslusfs ,,rf
who were standing waist deep In the sur''
when they were pulled out on the beach.
Several of the sick men were mucn eA-
hausted but they were quickly removed 70 tnS
consulate, and revived IN 1eW nouIs; Sn,nad
men on the Nipsic ran to the rail and Jumped
overheard among them being Lieutenant ~
G. Davenport They all reached the shoIe IN
safety except two sailors, VINO were unaote ~ ~
swim through the current and were sWept out
into the bay and drowned. By this time every
man aboard had crowded on the forecastle.
A Line of Rescue.
The natives rushed down near the bow OF the
steamer and shouted to those on deck above TO
throw a line. Double hawsers were soon made
fast from deck to shore, and the natives gath
cred around the lines to assist the men on
Senmann Taea, chief of the Apia D1str1ct ana
SaIu Ana. King Mataafa's Secretary, directed
the men in their work. The scene was one OF
intense excitement The seas broke upon tne
stem of the Nipsic with awful force, ana II
seemed as il the vessel would be shattered 70
pieces before the men on her decks could De
saved. The waves were rolling high on the
beach, and the undertow was SO strong that
the natives narrowly escaped being washed out
The terrible force of the wind can hardly be
imagined. The rain continued to pour, and
clouds of flying sand grew thicker every mo-
ment. Above the roar of The wind and waves
could be heard the voices of officers shouting
to the men on deck, mingled with the cries and
singing of the Samoans, as they stood bathing
against the surf, risking their lives to save the
American sailors. Nearly all American and
English residents of Apia were on the shore in
front of the Consulate, and there seemed to be
willingness on the part of every man to render
whatever assistance was in his power. Ensign
J. L. Purcell, of the Nipsic, who had been on
shore during the night, was up to his waist in
water helping to rescue his comrades from their
periious position.
On board the Nipsic the excitement which
bad prevailed among the men just after the fall
of the smokestack had subsided. and there was
no attempt made to leave the vesselin disorder.
stood by the rail where the hawsers were made
fast and directed the men. All who were
in any way sick OF injured were allowed to leave
first and after that the men came down the
ropes quickly.
Noble Work of the Natives.
The seas were rolling so high under the bows
of the steamer that when the men had ad-
vanced ten feet down the ropes they would
often be entirely submerged. Nothing but the
noble efforts of the natives prevented them
from being carried away by the current As
soon as each man would come within reach he
would be grasped in the strong arms of half a
dozen men and carried to the Consulate. Most
of the men had scant clothing but a few had
carried some articles in their handkerchiefs,
which they held on to firmly. Captain Mullane
insisted upon being the last man to leave the
ship. He finally found himself on deck with
Lieutenant JohnA. Shearman and two sailors by
his side. He ordered the sailors to leave, which
they did.
care to trust descending the rope by means of
his hands and legs, as all the others had done,
so he procured an empty water cask which he
attached to the hawser. When he was seated
in the cask Shearman stood alone on the deck
and started his brave commander down the
rope. the plucky Lieutenant then climbed down
the rope in the usual way and Nipsic was left
alone to battle with the waves.
Lieutenant Fillette. of the Marine corps, who
was in charge of the consulate, had anticipated
been. and had ordered quantity of dry cloth
ing from a neighboring store. As the men
were taken into the consulate he provided
them with dry suits of clothes, and did every
thing possible to make them as comfortable
as circumstances would permit. Vice Consul
Blackloe and several other persons also as
sisted in relieving the men. and DR.. Dren and
his apothecary were busy for several hours in
administering restoratives to those who were
exhausted.