The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-03-31
American and German Msn-of-Wal
Wrecked by a Typhoon in the
Harbor Of Apia.
A Large Number OF Americans Per-
ish and Nearly Hundred Ger
mans Drowned.
All the Merchantmen In the Harbor DE
stroysd, the British ship Callicpe
Alone Escaping.

WASHINGTON, March 90.-The follow
ing cable was received at the navy depart
ment this morning: There was a hurri'
cane at Apia March 10 and every vessel In
the harbor was thrown on shore except the
English man-of-war Calliope. which got TO
sea. The Trenton and VAndalia are total
losses. The Nipsic was beached and her
rudder gone, but she may be loosed, though
the chances are against II. will send her
TO Auckland, II possible. The Vandalia
lost four officers and thirty-nine men,
namely, Captain Schoonmaker, Paymaster
Gibson, Lieutenant OF Marines Sutton,
Pay Clerk John Roach, Henry Baker. w.
Brisbane, William Brown, Quartermaster
Michael Goshen, NJ. Cragin, b. Y. Davis.
Thos. q. Downey, A. Merieson, ;. q.
Cheering, Adolpb Geldner, Geo. German,
". b. Green, Joseph Griffin, L. NJ. Hum
meur. John Hanchett, q. II. Hawkins, w.
Hewalt, Frank Jones, Geo. Jordan, M. II.
Minselia, z. p. Kratzer, Charles
Kraus, II. X. Lessmsn, George Merrage,
Aylmer Montgomery, Thomas Riley,
IA. p. Stalman, q. }. Stanford, John Sims,
G. III. Wells, A. ii. Peck, Pendang Treh-
nor. The Nipsic lost seven men, namely.
Geo. w. Callan, John Gill, Joshua Heah,
Thos. johnson, David Velleher, Harry
Pantzell, VIM. Watson. All the saved
were from the Trenton. The Trenton and
possible were saved. The German ships
Adler and Olga are total losses. The Olga
is beached and may be saved. The Ger.
man losses are ninety-six. IL Ia important
10 send 800 men men home at once. Shall
| charter steamer? Can charter In Auck-
lend. Lieut.. Wilson will remain In Auck.
land TO obey your commands. Fuller ac'
counts by mail. KIMBERLY
Admiral Kimberley's dispatch is taken
to Indicate that he has already mailed M
account Of the wreck. By sharp work II
may have been possible tor him 20 have
caught the mail steamer which arrives NJ
San Francisco April IL, IN which case full
advices may be expected here April 10th.
The following dispatch has been sent "a
Lieut.. Wilson for Admiral Kimberly, care
the American consul at Auckland: "raks
such steps with regard 10 the Nipsic and
wrecks and the sending of men home a,
| you may deem proper. Full power Is given
you. The Monongahela sailed for Apia
Feb. 81"
II is said at the naval department thai
Admiral Kimberly's cablegram containing
the news cost between 500 and $500. Tel
egrams of inquiry have been received by
Commodore Walker from the mother o
Lieut. Sutton and the wives Of Capt
able replies were made, and Telegram
was also sent to Editor j. Roche, OF thu
Boston Pilot. informing him OF the death Of
| his brother.
The following telegram was received a
| the department Of state this afternoon from
| Minister Pendlet0n at Berlin: The foreign
Office has been officially informed that In
II s... - All. ~ .t.A "A l.r
totally lost and that ninety sailors ar,
dead. The Olga was stranded withou
incurriDg loss. Three American and nj
the merchant vessels In port were lost
The English warship was damaged ans
has gone TO sydney"
1t Is the opinion Of Admiral Harmony
who is familiar with the Samoan island
that the English man ,of-war owed her es
cape TO the fact that she had steam up aDs
was enabled 10 push out to sea. The mum
ber of vessels In the small harbor was
source Of danger 10 them individually, 70
II one dragged her anchors she would pro
badly colliIe with and carry away anothe
ship, which might otherwise hold securely
The news OF the disaster created pro
found sensation at the navy department
everybody, from the secretary down freel
expressing regret Secretary Tracy coul
not see any cause to condemn any one O
the officers In command of the vessels
They were competent men and doubles
adopted the proper precautions against tn
disaster, but these hurricanes when the,
assumed cyclOnic proportions are simpl!
unresistable, as was proved by the exten
of the loss OF vessels.
Lieut. Edward 4. Hayden, (retired) II
charge OF the meteorological division OF th
photographic Office, who is regarded n
quite an authority on the subject OF marin
storms says that cyclone storms are
feature In the South Pacific regions. The
have motion exactly the reverse Of thos
occurring In the northern hemisphere, bu
otherwise have about the same characters
tics. Their path is parabolic, and the
occur several times year In some years
20 by without a storm. Experienced sea
men can detect the approach Of such storm
In the West Indies, but the same rul
might not hold good In the Pacific water
BAD PLACE FOR SHIPS.
Capt. Selfridge, U. :. ", was found at IN
navy department this morning studying
chart of the harbor of Apia, which be visi
ed several years ago. He said while II wa
very bad harbor, II was the best ON III
island Of Upola. Like all OF the Pacifi
island harbdrs, that OF Apla Is formed by
distance from the shore. The anch0rin
space available for men.0f-war Is col
tracted. being about one thousand fee
wide at the mouth Of the harbOr. Tn
bottom Is sandy, aifording a slight hol
for an anchor, and the harbor Is ~
posed on the north. On each side O
The entrance are coral reefs surrounded b
shoals. The depth Of the water range
from four 20 eight fathoms, pretty dee
water being found close In shore, whic
would enable ship 10 get close In. tn
hurricanes or cyclones at Apia are genel
ally from the southwest and they tend
force vessels ON the rugged reefs or roug
shores. The last hurricane occurred q
Apia just six years ago, Fortunately n