The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-04-14

1sAcSr ~ the Na1<laii3s tled maca y
lhe same way.
Il Daring the remaiadcT al tho after
noon there followed q Succession o
awan scenes of death and suffering
iaot soosa 70 be forgotten The storm
had not ahased ia the least. The wlnt
IsUnfinuea 10 blow with teYyfhIe fcrce
Waves thai seemed like mountains q
sraser rolled in from she ocean and
eiroke apen The reel and over the III
fatcd Nasisislia. The Vandalia contfn'
tied % ssttle, and the few men who has
ret already taken TO the rigging stood
upon the poop-sseck or en the fore
castle, rs the vessel was almost en-
tlrely under water anidships. SO many
had crowded into the insxxen rigging
that there Was no more room there.
4 number OF slfieerS and men wh0
bad selected the peep-ieck ON accounl
ot IS elevation ruskcsi acruSs the gym.
deck Ia take refuge on she mainma2l
and fcresnast, Il vas almost ~ houf1
since any man RkaaEl had tasted f0aa. !.
aad az were weak and faint from
hanger aud exposure The men we're
new Being swept from the decks and
rigging half = dozen atA 1iEae. and =
kea She fels themselves xF9wing t.
weak 20 hcld on much 7iq1ker &r11
iats the wAIer, deternslnt4 ~ -
eile lass effort e. saeo themselves IS
Neariy every ns&ss wh0 Aanpod i1it6
TIE water Succcesiet ia renchink ~
Nipsie. and 3 number cf shen> clint ~
ois the deck ss1h tire aid OF q r0pe, h11&
many Hestsr fellow whe rcaehcl III
Nlpsac's side was unable ia hold On
and was drowned. None oE them
came near enough 20 tho shore 70 -
rsaehei eY the natives. The people an
shore saw the iIen sink down kefofo
their eyes, and were poweF1ess 10 save
them. Two brave seame0 were
dsowned while trying 70 cscsi6 ship
wrecked men. &
By so'clock the varidalia was rrst-
ing her whole length on the hottom,
afd the only part OF iser hull which
stafed ons OF the water Was the altar
part Of the poop-deek and the forward
part ~ the forecasts. kve.y man WAS
m the rigging. Lieut. Culver, DR..
Harvey. pr. GaFdiefo and Engineer
Webster were in TIE f6rctnp. En- the
mssintop were Lleats. Watsori and
Hearth and Ensigns Gibbons aud Rsn.
ley. I.lent. Gafsss.a szAn was the last
man 10 leave the sleuk, had elialhesf
into the anfzzentoF. where ne sank
utterly exhausted. Ills legs hung
down through tho opening Of The
platform, and G sailor who was sitttne.
underneath, anrsessating the nnhalls
work OF his officer, took the lieute1le
ants limbs IN his hands and subbef
them until the blood circulated treely
Mtne than one mar who WAS clin8iIx
70 the rigging gave way under the ter
r7A 49, - -
deck only 70 be washed over the sub
merged side of the ship and -
drowned. The stern of tho Nspsic had
by this time swung out straight from
tho shore so that the distance hetreen
tho two vessels was not more than eQ
yards. A number OF tho vandnlIa
Nipsic took advantage OK the unpy<
below and looted the cabin and atAbo-
rooms. The rain AMI wind we're 20
that 1t was impossible 60 dis
the ship was lying within 3 stones
very much confused In regard ~ VINO
whirh they gave IL was generally le-
tAEsSa o1t cAhair sa@t ks@t Aik VssSSsE1 AxSss 4
been saved.
The terrible scenes attending she
sinking of the VandAlia had attracted
attention from the other two men-of-
war which still remained nfi0at. hut
abtsit O'Clock In tho afternoon the
position OF the Trenton and Olga be-
dragged hack and was aim0ot On ~
tsy3~<x~-s
struck. The Trenton was coming
down npon her and q collision scesaea
The condition Of the f1ag
ship was most pitiablc. As 10 osclock
in ihe morning her ruddcr and pro-
pcfler had been carried away by foui-
ing with piece OF wreckage. When
the rudder came I'm contact with the
wrCckage the shock was 70 great that
the pilot wheel ON tho deck was
whirled around like lightning and
every spoke in 10 was broken.
The two men who were nc the
wheel at the time were thrown
violently TO the deck, and one had
leg broken. To add 10 the discom-
future OF the steamer. water poured In
through the hawse- pipes aud flooded
the decks. The hawse- pipes, which
are large openings through which the
anchor chains pass. were unfortu-
nately located On the hcrth-aeck in~
steild Of or the gun deck above, as
is usually the case Ever since the
Trenton was built this has been re-
garded as piece Of faults eonstrue%
lion, a. the openings were 30 low
down that, with heavy sea rolling,
IL was almost impossible TO keep water
out OF the vessel. Efforts were made
10 close the pipes. but the force OF the
water was 80 strong that the coverings
were blown of prematnrely. The
water, which rushed in upon the
berth-decks, found its way 10 THE
matches ami poured down into the
fire-rpom. All attempts to keep
IL ont failed, and In a short
time the firemcn we're up 70
the waist In water. and all the fires
wsre extinguisisd From 10 O'Clock
III the morning until o in the evening.
WHEN she grounded, the Trenton held
Gut against the storm without Hteans
or rndder. Her escape from total de-
strtction on the reef was miraculous.
The skiIifui management Of the navi.
eating officer, Lieut.. r. M. q. Brown,
Was all that saved ifls lives Of every
man on board.
A few days after the storm Capt. Far
quahar made an official report To Ad-
mifal Kimberly, in which he paid
high tribute to the skill with watch
the navigating officer inaneuvered the
vsstei. ard declared that Lieut.. flrown
had on one occasion. at least, kept the
Trenton oil rsiE reel aad saved 40
lives.
The Trenton nanenvrei unliliase in
the atternoOss. employing every sxpe-
tieft 20 keep oil the reef, and finally
driiied toward the Olga. and for a time
IL appeared as though beth vessels
would be driven ora the reef.
Capt. Won Erhartit OF the Olga, rer-
ceising that destruction had come on
his vessel, let go AL the anchors and
attempted 10 steam away. He ~ns
too late. howeyer, for irst as the Olga
began 10 move against the wind her
bos came in contact With the sterooard
quarter Of the American flag ships
The 0iga's howspfit ard figurehend
were carried away aud the heavy tim
bern Of the Trenton's quarter were
shivered. The vessels then fioated
apart and the olga steamed ahead
towards the mud fiafs ia the eastern
part Of the baFhor and was soon ashore
in the safest part bf the bay. In half
an hour more the Trenton had struck
btoadside on against the Eandalia aud
rapidly nlled slth water, but ali her
officers and crew we're rescued. No
lives we're lost on the Olga.
Admiral Kimberly, Capt. Farquxlsar
and Lieut.. Brown stood upon the
bridge ard directed the movements of
the Trenton. As soon as the steam
gave out The HixxeH storm sail was
set With the greatest difficulty. on
was also poured overheard. but il hafl
~. sffsgf IN sssilsns sha ~rawAa ftsf.