Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-31
THE HURRICANE
at APIA, oHx OF TEE SAMOAN
ISLAEDs.
Further Particulars Of the Frightfnl Loss
Of Life and the wrscking Of Arasri-
can and German War-ships.
lBy telarraph % the Dispatch.

tBy telegraph 70 the Disphth-I
AUCKLAND, March 30.-Later adyices re-
ceived here regarding the hurricane whico
devastated Samoa and wrecked 4 numoel oi
German and American war-sbips say 'ne
storm swept the Island on The 18Th ins'an.
All the warships attempted to put 10 SEA-
but only the English steamer Csliiope sue
cecded in getting ont. The merchant YES.
sells suffered severely. The bark feter
Gode0rey. one other bark, and seven coasters
we're wrecked and four persons were
drowned. The Cslliope sailed for syoney'
The Peter Godeflrey was a German osrA'
She had arrived At Samoa from sydney.
WASHINGTON, March 30.-The following
cable message was received al the NAVY D0-
partment this morning:
AUCKLAND. March 30. 1889.
To the Secretary OF the Navy. Washington
ID. c.:
In the hurricane at Apia March 18th every
vessel in the barbor and on the shore except
the English man .oi-war Csliiope, which go'eo
sea, were wrecked. The Trenton ana van
dalia total losses. Nipsic beached ana ruu.
der gone. May be towed. Chances ags,hs'
IL. viii send her 10 Auckland II possible
LIST oP THE %vASDADIA's Loss.
The Vandalia lost four officers and thirty
nine men-vlz., Captain Scboonmsker, ray
master Arms, Observation-Disclosures huI-
ton. Pay Clerk John Roach, Henry Baker,
W. Brisbane, William Brown. Quartermas-
| ter Michael Cashen. 81. Craigin. Il. T. DAVIS
Thomas G.. DOwney, NJ. Erickson. g "
Ghring, AdoIph Goldner, George Gornan'
n. y. Green, Joseph Griffin, r. NJ. Ham
incur. John Hanchett, c. II. Hawkins, w.
Howst, Frank Jones, George Jordan, s: IL
Joseph, John Keely. Thomas Kelly, N. hin-
sella, 9. p. KratZer, Charles kraus, f.. Less
man, George Message, Aylmer Montgomery,
| Thomas Riley, IL. p. Stalman. G. q. Ham
| ford. Johp sims, G.. ii. wills, John Nile
ford, Henry WIxted, Ahk0w, A. ii. fecK,
Penanding, ana Techer.
NAMES OF TIE SIPsIC's LOST.
TIT NipsIc lost seven meu-namely,
| George w. Callan, John GIL, Joshua Heap,
| Thomas johnson, David Kelleher. Henry
| Pontsell, and william Watson. All were
! saved from the Trenton. The Trenton and
|. Vsndalla crews are ashore aud the Nipsic's
aboard. All stores are possibly saved.
THE GERMAN FLEET's LOSS.
The German ships Adler and Ebcr are
| total losses. dig { was beached, and may be
saved. German losses, 9G. 1t ~ Important
to send 300 men home At once. Shall cnar-
ter a steamer? Can charter In AUCKLAND.
Lieutenant Wilson will remain ct Auckland
to obey your orders. Fuller accounts by mail.
rSigned1 KIMBERLY.
FROM TIE SECRETARY OF hi NAVY.
WASHINGTON, March 3O.-The following
dlsnatcb has been sent to Lieutenant Wilson,
for Admiral Kimberly, care American Consul
at Aucklaod 4: "Take snch steps with regard
TO the Nipsic and wrecks and sending fRen
home as you may deem proper. Full power
IS given YOU. The Monongahela sailed Tor
Apia February 21st.
[Siguedl Tracy
THE HARBoR OF AP1A.
Captain selfridee, United States navy, wss
| found at The Navy Department this morning
| peerihg over the chart OF The harbor o! APIS,
| which he visited several years ago. BE said
| that while it was a very bad harbor, II was
the best on the island OF Upela. Like all OF
the Pacific island harbors, that OF Apis IS
formed by coral reef, encircling the island at
q short distance from the shore. The anchor
| aye space available for men-oi-war Is con.
tracted, being about 1000 feet wide at the
| mouth OF the haTbOr. The bottom Is sandy,
aflordlng slight hold FOR an anchor, and the
harbor IL exposed on the north. OR each side
| OF the entrance are coral reefs, which are q
wash at high water and are surrounded by
shoals. The depth Of water ranges from
four 10 eight fathoms, pretty deep water
BENG found close in shore, which would
enable a ship to get close IN. Hurri-
| canes or cyclones at Apla are usually from
the southwest, and revolving In the harbors
| tend to force vessels on the rugged reefs or
rough shores. The last hurricane occurred
at Apia Just six years ago. Fortunately no
men-of-war we're in the harbor, out every
merchantmen was driven or wrecked.
| 49,. u-1.. I,cerNwa1 ou1 nafrp fraoa IN
rooted.
II is the opinion Of Admiral Harmony,
who is also familiar with Samoa, that the
English man.of.war owed her escape to the
| fact that she had steam up and was enabled
| 10 push out to sea. A number OF vessels
| wing in a small harbor was a source Of
danger to them individually, for II one
| dragged her anchors she would very
probably collide with and cQrry away the
anchor OF the ship which might otherwise
have held securely. The news Of the dis.
aster created 8 profound sensation 81
| the Navy Department, and everybody from
the Secretary down freely expressed their
regret. Secretary Tracy could not see cause
to condemn any one. Tue officers in COM
mand OF the vessels were competent men
aad bad doubtless adopted all proper pre-
cautions against the disaster, but the hurri-
canes WHICH a-5uLltQ NJNiOAO bfObVi'Nbo
we're simply Irresistible a. was proved by
the extent OF the loss OF the vessels. Lieu.
tenant Lucien Young, who is himself
| almost the sole survivor Of the Inflated HUI
ron or Cape Hatterss, looked sadly over the
list of the drowned, aud marked down
poor Roach. the paymsster's CLERK, san old
shipmate gone.
FIRST OFFICIAL NEWS.
M noDorfmaut Of Slate WaQ without any
| Official news OF the wrecks till a copy OF Ad-
m,ral Kimberly's dispatch was sent over
from the Navy Department at the request oil
MIR. Walker Blaine. In the Navy DEPART
msnt it was noticeable that while the line
oflcers mourned for the men lost, the bu-
roam officers had an equal regret for the
shiDs. navajo Constructor Hiekborn, who Is
acting a. chiei OF the Construction Bureau
during the Illness OF Commodore Wilson,,
said:
DESCRIPTION OF Il VESSELS.
The Trenton, which was Admiral Kimber-
Tvs flagship, was the best wooden vessel IN
the American navy, and the best tbip OF the
old navy. The Vaudsha was another fine
vessel. aud bad been thoroughly reftied at
Mare Island hayward at considerable ex-
pense lust before she sailed. Engineer otl-
GERS recall the fact hat the Trenton. which
is set down ~ baying a speed OF IL knois,
when in the Red sea %astonished The English
men by easily running away from the crack
vessels OF their 1eet rated as IA aud l6'knoI
vessels. She Was launched In New York IN
1877 nj the nayy-yard. She was ship-rigsed,
ob3 feet long, IS feet beam, drew 90 6. and
was 5000 tons displacement about 500 tons
more than the Boston and Atlanta. She bad
q, - - and man ahoarn Hhpu she sailed