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


: collision Eith the yanssaasa a
! taraw bis vessel on the reef. he as
cordSngsy gave orders TO let Il, al tn
anchors. The Caliiapess hesid wa
xwlng around 10 tGe wind ind be
fsowersui engines were worked 30 thei
utmost capacity. In was an ssnxiou
moment on beard the Corvette. a
With her anchors up she had s.othin.
eas Der engines % depend stpon 4
keep hsr OF the rect. The steasnel
seemed 10 stand still for 4 u.omea
and then the rapidly y-revuiyins pro
pe:ler took effect, Tor the vessel moved
up slowly against the great wave.
which broke over her bows and
Hooded the deck fra1n stern ID, stem,
Every tension Was strained ia the les.
perate struggle against the sso.sn.
As foot By foot she passed abreast
OF the Trenton a great shnat went up
from over 100 men aboard tile slae
ship, and three hearty cheers we're
given for the Ialiope. Three cheers
Tor the Trenton and the American
flag. was the answer that easne back
across the angry water. The Calliope
| passed safely out OF the harbor and
steamed TAR ont 20 sea. retnrnialt after
The storm had abated. She sustained
lttsie lnj1ry outside the loss az lall her
boats
When the excitement on ths. yan~
daIia which followed the collision
With the Calsiope had SQlssisae,s
little. il was found neees-
sary % act quickly 20 gase
the shin. Lent. j. ~. C&9Iisl. tia
executive officer, was practically ia
charge 81 ths vessel, Is Capt. Schoon-
MAKER had been thrown aeroils fae
cania fsss aishs eefare and was
severely injured. His Aeal had heen
badly cut, and ore ear almost torn
away by striking against q chair, Net
withssanalng hss Injuries. he fae,sa the
stortfs llke hero. and stood ltv the
side at his first ossscer Until the sea
finaiiy swept him OF 20 his DEATH. lie
was IN such q daxea ard weakened
condition, however. that he wa,s ahie
TO do but little towards directing the
movements ct the ship. Carlssl had
been on dGty since the morning be-
lore. ana had naE tasted Easd In all
that time Taough weak and ex-
hAnstesi he kept his position by the side
oi Cart. rt.Sciloonnaker. and encouraged
everyone around hirs. The Vaxdalia
MAS now fast bearing down upoai the
reel alongside OF the wreck oh the.
Adler. The captain ard lieatamant
aw that II ws:s useless To MAXI any
further attempt 70 save the ship, and
as tue engines We're not powerful
enough 70 steana ouf to sea asI fhe
Calli0pe had done, they determined 10
beach the vessel. Two of her anchor
chains were slipped and full head or
steam pat on, more than she had ever
dared 10 carry before The Nandaiia
was a quarter of mile from the Nip
sic, anu she was obliged 10 run i.iong
the edge Of the reef the whole distance
In order 90 reach the sandy beach be-
sond. The Vandalia's draughs was
much smaller than the Nipsic's, and
IL was known that she would not be
able 10 get very close TO shore She
came en- until her bow struck ia the
soft sand almost loo yards OF shore
and presumably 40 yards from the
stern Of the Nipsic.
The engines were stopped az once
and every man who was below rushed
on deck. The Vandalia swung around
broadside To the beach. Neaslv all
the officers were on the poop-derk, in
sight of every one on shore. The 30
men were scattered about on the gum
deck and forecastle. holdiag on ii, the
masts and sides of the ship. Itwas
soon noticed that the vessel was filling
with water. The seas broke over her
furionsly, and water poured dowf. the
matches. BY noon torrents Of water
swept over the rails, Knocked men
from their feet. and threw them vio-
lenfly agninst the sides of the vessel.
80 that they were badly injured.
Mot OF the men sought refuge irl the
rigging. A few OF the officers still re-
manned upon the poop deck. bat
number OF them had gone aloft, asl had
most OF the crew. Tho wind seensed
10 increase IN fpry- Neavsy avsrg one
aboard had eass away most OF his
clothing aud Was nearly naked. Al
iew provided themselves with ifespre-
servers. but these could not be OBJ
tanned for ali, Is the vessel had iillsd
SO rapidly.
No boat could have lived mornent
IN the surf, il was impossible to ret
line across 10 the steamer, as there
was no firing apparatus on shore.
Lieut. Sherman, Ensigns Purcell and
Jones and Consul Blackjack procarcd
a long hawser, To which they atta,,hed
q small cord. Three natives 'sare
found who were willing to
venture ont in the surf with
the cord and attempt 90 reach
the Vandalia. The men entered the
water quarter of mile above the
spot where the steamer lay. wilded
out as tar as they could go, and then
struck out into the current with The
cord tied to their bodies. Shouts OF
and the sanoans struggled brayeiy TO
swimmers as thew We're, they we're
thrown upon the beach without being
able 10 get within 80 yards of the yes-
sci. Several other attempts were made,
without success Finding it was im-
possible 10 reach the vessel, there was
nothing 10 do but TO remain near the
shore and wait for an opportunity TO
render any assistance that might be
possible The natives waded into the
water and stood just in the edge OF the
current, ready 10 grasp any one who
should float near enough TO them.
Many we're washed overheard and
drowned. The first man who came
ashore was Chief Engineer Al. s.
Greene. He was swept from the deck
three times, but twice he caught q
rope and sayed himself. The third time
be was washed entirely from the deck.
A piece Of floating wreckage passed
by, which he caught and elunR 10 with
all the strength he had lett, and was
soon swept doAn along The shore.
The native farthest out ciutched bim
by The arm and brought him to shore.
Jnst before the engineer was rescued
another man who had been wa,hed
over frou the Vandgiia was iseen
cIiuging 10 q rope by the side Of the
Ail~le He had no clothing on him
at nil There were several Vanealia
sailors aboard the Sipsic by this time,
ard he shouted 10 them to draw hiFn
up. His voice was lost in the roar OF
tile wind He was washed toward the
shore later and secured by the natives
lie proved TO be Naval Cadet I'll. A.
Wiley lie was carried 10 the eoiasu-
late ifsseasibie. DIR. Derr and lsis
apotheeAry TesnSsisated him 1t was
not iong after Green and Wiley tsefe
szshea over that the four officers who
we're dreamed were swept from the
deck
Capt. Sehoonnlaker was ciinging to
the rail on the p9op-deck. Lieut..
Calm was standing by hin and was
doing his best 20 hold the captain on,
as tie later was becoming weilker
every minute. Everyone on deck saw
that The captain could not stand
against the rush us the water much
longer No one knew IL tftter than
himself. and he remarked TO tlsose
about him several times that be ws,nla
have 10 20 soon. Lieut.. Eariin tried
10 get the captain mp In the rigging,
bat the latter said be was too weak 70
Climb up and would hare 20 remain
where be was ss long as possible. The