The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-05-03
THE SAMOAN DISASTER.
Report From Admiral Kimberly TO
the Navy Department.
ne sr~nes. Durirg the r~r~this uursi-
cane. H. the usrhsr 81 Apis Con-
cIsely Stst~a-Incidents ~ the
Wrecks. Etc.

WA<Hi>tIt<s April stu hsr III l"fe
a. the Navy Department. q the appalling
disaster in the harbor ~ Apia. samoa. on
the 18th aud 10th OF March, Admiral KIM
berly. under date o. March ~. says:
Il becomes my painful duty 70 report 20 the
Department the disastrous injury and loss Of
life sustained ny the vessels under my con-
mani Ia the hsroor o. AplA during the hurri'
cane which swept these waters March ~ ana
10 When the gale commenced theye were IN
the harbor lhe following men-of 49,. Y nitfd
states ships Trenton. Naniaiia and >ipsic'
IA a. 81 n cllliopc. and II. I. u. NJ ships
Adler O.ra and Eoer. There wire also few
merchant vessels and small cr..f.. The >ipsc
had The inner berth and the Tn asNn llast 70 ar
rsscl had me outer berth. lnlications ~ bad
weather appeared during the forenoon on Fri
day. March Is. ana NJ one o'c.ok on that day
commenced preparations % meet gale ~
Scndsug down The lower yards and housing top
masis. FIRES ncrc sighted and steam rnisc~
fsy taree o'elocS the gale han developed. u
biew hari during the evening. and abo'it> p. m
Ne parted our box port catle. pnrnr the
might Il blew with great violence. but "a ihc
All ~ steam tue vessels kept "a good shape I'M
AL ncraln-
AtdAylishi we horei for moderation OF the
wind bg, were disappointed The gale -. "A
With renewed fury ana carly IN the forenoon u
wss csidcn, THAT some az the inner ship, were
ashore and those nearer % us were riding UNI
stead Isl Tie flagship lost her wheel about
1tAs me. Il VAS carried away with crash.
aEt seriously injured some Of The helmsmen.
Re- ewing tackles ana a spare tilIer were APP
pl<l promptly. but il was severed that the
rui,ies Ma lrosen. AMI soon 4 was entirely
useless The wind BY this time was blowing
VIII hrrr1clnc force. ana the seas we're very
heavy. The ship had begun % make water dur
irg the early morning. The hand pumps were
manned and ali Bulge pum-s In the engine room
pat on. The water gained and threatened 70
mat out the fires. the greater part OF Il
seeming 20 come IN through the h1wsc pipes.
watch are situated on the ucrfh deck. Every
enort was made 70 stop the entrance OF water
~ this point hv tanning in bedding and By
putfiDr mod ug on the CHAINS and BY steering
unto the hawse pipes. II could be checked in
this NAY. but not stopped for the violence Of
The seas was 50 great that Il would force back
,e~rr fEiag opposed 20 II. All hands were set
tss oxtlsr :. aud the haniy-hllly rugged. but by
81 a n the fires had been PIT out and the
men driven up from the fire rooms Work az
the hant-pumps and with the buckets continued
from this time throughout the gale with the
herc % beng able 20 relight the rres and keep
The 81 y aioat-
A little before noon the calilope vas seen to
~ very uneasy ~ her moOrln-s and soon she
steamed toward Us. having partc or slipped
asreabies. and making au EFFORT % 60 out Of
che hxoor. She came near collidn- with US
and steamed out into the face o. the hurricane
In the nteruoon. the wind having hauled liz
tie. the d1g~hip was more unsteady ~ her
mporing~ and pitched her chains one after an
other. We then ersfted over toward the east
rsn rref. escaping the wreck 81 merchant
bark 0y the mere chance of her dragging We
nppr Darhsd her We d-ifted until our stern
WAS almost against the reef Destruction
-<etmed imminent. a. the vessel was within q
1eu feet 81 the reef long while and pitching
hc.rIr- We drifted In this position along the
rreffor scpusiderauie distance untl W. came
~ where u turned more toward The eastward.
Here We found smoother water. ana our remain
ins anchor seemet 70 hold quite WILL Tor . lime.
Ihi~ re<Nsn. however. put w. directly n the
lawsf ~ the Olga. which vessel had one ~ the
smootse<t Dertn- 10 the harhor a. this time
she Gas riding well. AMI had control OF her
engines.
Efforts were At once made 70 heave over the
s-inrh rifle gun from the foreclstIe 70 assist IN
holding. bnt Il co1il not be done an time We
sisxfF dnftel upon her ana she avoided W
twice By the skl.Ifal use Of helm and engines.
but soon she cut into our quarters. first on one
side teen on the other. carrying away our
bonts. rigging and quarter glllies- bit not e.
~eniia4iy injuring the hull. Daring All this
time tee ofcers or the flagship made every
efc-1 10 manage her By the storm sails and put
tt- men IN the rrging We driftei By the
r,crf side o. the Olga aud across 20 the western
rref dragging The anchor and trailing now on
the western reef as We had before on the east
ern.
,gne o. The wrecked vessels we're now tn
pia'u sight: The Spsic well tnshorr On go0i
bottom. stem 70 the seas: the yandalia sunk
against the reef. masts standing. and tons and
rigging full 81 men. spray AMI s1rf flying 70
fhcfr masfheads. the r 1er nowhere 70 be- SEEN:
tne Adler on her side. high on the reef The
Olga had turned for the shore. and goinr ahead
, anaer steam and sail was beached on good
G.,om ana In good position - the seas. All
this firne the gale had been blowing with I'M
eta.ed fnry About SIX o'clock were ex
vertir1 70 strixc the reef momentarily. ~ was
directly unie- our stern. but On me eastern
~ IA uuderfow Or current seemed ~ carry Us
along the reef and keep us Just clear Of striking
thus we cGfre On 70 where the Nanialin was
lysnG. and was evident that our stem would
~oor strike her port side. A. we approached
NV. rockets were fired. carrying lines with
me hope of rescning tho pcople On
her masis -@s proved very successful. ans
the men from the main and rizzen were res
rne1 rrst. soon after struck the Nandal'
-xifh violence. AM her man and mixzen mast
went wv TIE board We then swung gradual
and settled into q position along'ide ~ nel
lust sru hing the bottom and our stern grain
4 small xreck and the reef The men wef
+-os~.ss.f frSrn fne foremost os the NaniAIia an
x1.u~p On larinr the hight we continued
heat the bottom and against the Nantaiia ~
Great force The wind during "a - tsaturua'
. rht blew with hurricane force. squat loho'
Ing sauan with hardly any apprcciaole in'e
Val. The seas. however. we're not ~ nigh
they were further out. and we got through y
nrht without additional serious misfortune.
1ust before daylight The dag ship was yisii
-prt~o boats manned entirely Oy natives VI
Cared lines 20 the snore. THIS vas dangero
xo-k oxnr 70 the darkness. 10 the sea
current 70 the reef and wrcckage, and 70
.i,frcu,ty OF approaching the Trenton on
snunr 81 the vandalia's wreck The men w
tlep- a the pumps am buckets without ces'
f,on. wnh view 70 hauling on We snip u
xinie. and keeping her a1oat when the s
.t,a.ei In the morning the wind moderat
Uwas then ascertained that the propeller
sntx-fnr The ship had settled hard on
bottom. ana the water could not DC reduced
uas up TO the engine-room platform, and r1ss
r,nier these circumstances. and ~ the abse
81 any docking facilities 90 mar ne railway
piia,ces and powerful pumps, the apano
merf III tise ship became necessary Sto
were rnstrn M, ~ rar NV a. possible and
peGic ~ their effects ashore.
Immediately thereafter the crew were e
~ork getting out and saving from her E,
thinr possible. On Monday the water va
20 her gun deck and she had settled . liitl'
,anr rort side on Tuesday she had SCI
rrr-r "a mort and was sin lower Ia the WI
.....I.4 AL a WFn