The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-04-28

at one blow xoE7d be 4 Sers,us tfs,s.s-
mutton ct the available crsaisirS force
- navy passing. as Is thst u the
Insfed States. through ! stage az
transition When nsassx If its n~eyl-
on~iF existing vessels have sedfsxpxearsxs
AMI - rcN Heel Is eniy on the fare<h-
oia a existence. the slow c0Eaes with
;crippIinx foree.
The department le4rns with the
deepest pain that the wreck resulted
IN the Death OF four officers and forty
seven men, However sessrely the
destruction cf tie vessels nav Is felt.
Ene loss OF 50 ranv valuable lives il 4
Tar greater and mere irreparahse mis-
fortune. CzptSin Sehoousuaker died
as ne bad hT<d-at the post ut dssv---a
gallant and generous ofacer and de-
vofed servant OF his country TO the
last The hurricane st Samoa hss
brought nfiiief1on 70 nsany American
households which will receive the
deepest sympathy of the government.
yet Is eaunof be said tha. these wtso
died thus manfnlly facing danger in
the execution Of their duty, have died
IN vain =
After reviewing at some length the
dstNiss Of the reports, and noting with
SUBTRACTION the cnmmsndanon az
various officers. the seeYctArv con-
tlnues: 1T appears that the conduct
OF those under your command evinced
throughout that courage. resolution
arid foytitade which the United 81 afes
has learned always to expect frosn the
officers and seamen OF its navy.
when her Brittanlc maiesty's ship
Calhope. fortunate ia the pos session OF
moe powerful engines, succeeded IN
faer gallant effort TO pass the Trenton
and ssean out OF the barber against
the hurricane, the ringing cheer from
TIE American flagship SIS her crew
were standing in the face of death
showed q spirit alike generous and
danntiess- During the whole OF sat
urdays when the Trenton was help
iessiy dragging her anchors. on the
verge Of destruction. the officers pre-
served their composed and heroic
bearing and directed her movements
With consummate skill. At the close
OF the day, when she brought up
alongside of the Vandalia, her officers
and men. Notwithstanding the suffer
ing through which they had passed
and the dangers by which they were
still surrounded. thought only Of doing
their utmost to assist their con rades
OF the vandalia. whose distress was
& eater than their own. while uneer
the ins piration of q sentiment whic,, |
has awakened u response In every
American heart, the band of the siae- !!
ship, 10 encourage those who. daxed |
with fatigue. weakness and exposure. |
We're still clinging TO the rigging.
played the national anthem. y
In reply 10 your request and that |
OF Captain FArquhar for court Of in l
qulry. the department has TO saw that /
It deems such q court nnnecessarv. 1t
Is satisfied that the officers in COM
mand at this time did their duty with
courage. fidelity and sound Judgment.
and that they were xealously and
Loyalty seconded by their subordi-
mates that the hurricane which caused
the destruction OF the vessels and the
loss of so many lives was one Of those
visitations of Providence in the pres
ence OF which human efforts are OF
little aid; that the measures actually |
taken by yourself and officers underI
you were all that wisdom and pru-
dence could dictate. and that il was
due TO these measures that so large q
Of the crews were saved:
that the one step which might have
avoided the catastrophe, namely, to /
have put TO sea before the
storm had developed, could only
have been justified, in view OF the
grave responsibilities resting upon
you at Samoa, by certainty Of over
danger to your feet, which
could not then be foreseen; that Won
rightly decided TO remain at your post,
and that the department, even In the
lace OF the terrible disaster which il
involved. approves absolutely your l,
decision, which has set an example TO
the navy Tat should never be for
gotten. To convene a court of in
Iuiry under these circumstances
would seem to imply doubt on the
part OF the department where no
ioubt exists, and instead of ordering
IN investigation il tenders to you, and
through you TO the officers and men
3f your command, its sympathy for
he exposures and hardships yon have
encountered. and iis profound thanks
or the fidelity with which you per-
Iormed your duty in crisis OF appalI-
ng danger. Very respectfully,
D. T. TRAcY,
Secretary of the Navy