New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-31
THE DIsAsTER AT SAMOA.
NEWS OF THE WRECKS AND LOSS OF LIFE
FULLY CONFIRMED.

SECRETARY or THE NAVY GIVING THE
NAMES OF THE 50 AMERICANS WHO WERE
Eosr-EHE NEWS IN WASHINGTON
-soENE OF THE WRECKS.
IBY rELxcRAPH TO rHE TRIBUEE.l
Washington, March sO.-BefOre Secretary Tracy
had left his hotel this morning cable dispatch
was placed in his hands 1t was signed Kim
berly;r and 10 fully confined the dispatch from
Auckland, published in to-day's Tribune, annOunc-
ing the disaster 70 the United States and German
war vessels in the hSrbor Of Apia. This dispatch,
which naturally has caused a profound sensation
IN Diplomatic and Naval circles In Washington,
was dated Auckland, March 80, and read as fol-
lows:
To Secretary Of Navy. Washington d. O.:
Hurricane at Apia March I5. Every vessel In
hsrbor on shore except English man-of-war CALI
ope, (which got TO sea. Trenton and Vandaha
Sotal loSses Nipsic beached; ruddeg gone; may
be saved; chances against IL. VIII send her TO
Auckland If possible. Vandaha lost four Office rs
and thirtylnine men, namely: Captain Schoon-
maker, Paymaster Arms, Lieutenant Of Marines
Sutton, Pay olerk John Roache' Henry baksr,
w Brisbane, William Brown, Quartermasoer
Michael OashAn, NJ Craggin, B. F. Davis, Thomas
e. Downey, NJ. Erickson, s. o. Chring, Adolph
Goldner, George German, q. B. Green, Joseph
Griffin, Il. 81. Hammeur, John Hanchett, y. IL.
Hawkins, W. Howatt, Frank Jones' George Jor-
den, NJ H. Joseph, John Kelly, Thomas Kelly, n.
Kinsella G. p. Kratzer, Charles Kraus, Frank
Lessman, George Merrage, Aylmer Montgomery,
Thomas Riley, H. r. Stalman, Q. G. Stanford,
John Sims, G. H. Wells, John milford, Henry
Wfxted, Ahkow, Ahpeek, Pendang, Techor.
NipSio lost seven men, namely: George w,
CeIlan, John Gin, Joshua Heap, Thomas Johnsonj
David Kelleher, Henry Poutsell William Watson
An saved from Trenton.
Trenton and Vandaha crews ashore; NlpslcIs on
board. An stores possible saved. German ships
Adler and Eber total losses. Olga beached; may
be saved German losses, ninety-six Important
90 send 400 men home at once. Shall charter
steamer? Can charter in Auckland Lieutenant
Wilson win remain in Auckland TO obey yonr
orders Fuller accounts by mail.
Secretary Tracy immediatsly went over 70 The
Navy DEPARTMENT and sent the following Dispatch
Lieutenant Wilson, for Kimberly, care Of Amer
lean Consul, Auckland:
TAlse saeh STEPS with regard TO Nipsic and
wredlz and ending men home as You may deem
propsr Fun power given you. Mouongaheia
saiIsd for Apia February 81. TRACY.
Admiral Kimberly's dispatch is tairen 20 tndi-
cate that he had already mailed an account Of
the wreck. BY sharp work IL may have been
possible for him to have caught tho mail steamer
which arrives at San Francisco April ID, next In
which case full advfces may be expected In Wash
ington about April 20.
Rear-Admiral L. A. Kimberly was in charge Of
tho American aeet at the Pacific Station, tho Gag
leaAsnaut being h G. RittsuhOuss and the seels-
tary s. A. Merriam.
In The Navy Department IT, was noticeable that
while the linz officers mourned fm the men lost,
the BursAu officers had an equal regret for the
sbipa
Naval Constructor Hichborn, who Is Ecting as
Chief Of the Construction Bureau during the i'll
ness Of Commodore Wilson, said: :" The Trenton,
which was Admiral Rimberlys asgships was the
bsst wooden vessel in tho American Navy and the
best ship OF the old Navy. The Vandslia was an
other fine vessel, and had been thoroughly refitted
in the Mare Island Navy Yard at considerable eX-
pense, Just before she sailed"
Engineer officers recall the fact that the Trcn-
ton, which is set down as having speed of 1913
knots, when in the Red Sea- astonished the Eng
lshmen by easily running away from crack YES
sells Of their feet, rated as II and 8 knot vessels
She was launched in New-Yortu in 1917, at the
Navy Yard. She was ship-rigged, 25S feet long
As feet beam, drew 2O.6, and was 5000 tons dis
placement or about 500 tons more than the Boston
and Atlanta. She had 42o officers and men aboard
when she sailed from home. The Vandalia was
II akaA IN
1875. She was 2I feet long, 80 feet beam, 1Ts
draft and 2,IOO tons displacement She was
rated as le-lmot ship and carried
900 officers and men. The Nipsio was
A vessel of the old war Navy, but
after six years repairing at the Washington Navy
Yard. she emerged in 1879 as practically now
vessel. little but the keel remaining. She was
bark.riggcd, 1876 feet long, 36 feet broad drew
14.s feet. displaced 1873 tons, and was . slow
vessel as things now 90, being set down as little
over 10 knots in speed. She Sailed away from
the United States with lso officers and men
aboard, making the total strength OF the American
feet at Samoa 500 men, or nearly douole the
strength OF the German forces
The Olga had 2e7 men, the Adler l2S men, and
the little Eber 81 men, yet, with one-hah OF tho
number Of the American forces, these unfortunate
yeSSGlS appear 10 uhNO AOoN AASAN t--- S''-N~ -
many men,
The comparative loss OF life on the unised
States and German vessels was the subject OF
considerable comment here to-day. Out Oh sOo
mon and officers on the three United States ships
attv were lost, I2 1-2 per cent while out OF 4sO
men on the three German vessels ninety-six were
lost. 20 per cent. One naval officer thought that
"a was due to. the kss rigid discipline that exists
-, .ho Garmap men-of-war. Their actual routine
-. are nerbaps as strict as those our vessels,
but they have not the same system that enables
crew to save itsrh.
Some Naval officers think this is On indication
that the American vessels had greater structural
s4-onoth than the German ships, or that superior
seamanship was shown.
Captain Selfridge, United States Navy was
tound At the Navy Department this morning por-
ing over chart Of the harbor OF Apia, whicn ne
visited seyeral years ago He said that while
q was bad harbor it was tho best on the island
Of Upola. Like all Of the Pacific island harborS
that Of Apia is formed by coral reef encirchng
-. IL. -