Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-13
LATEST ABOUT SAMOA
REPORTED SINKING OF TIE NIpsTC
STIRS UP A COMMOTION.

IeT"dhy as - EeehSrs "a Z
SAN FRANCISCO, March 9.-Despite tht
denials of the report which appeared In the
papers yesterday, to the effect that an
American war vessel had been blown IN
with q torpedo during fight with the
German corvette Olga, at Samoa, the
opinion here is strongly inclined to place
reliance in therumor, and people are greatly
excited. ..,.=
Private advices received here tonight
furnish strong grounds for belief in the
truth Of the report. These adviees are
that the New York Herald" is in receipt
Of a cablegram from James Gordon Ben.
nett, at Paris, confirming the cablegram OF
yesterday morning.
twas also currently reported here last
night, that a naval officer in Washington
teIeeraphed to an officer at the Mare Island
navy yard he confirming the dispatch.
The naval officers at this point say that
the German gun boat did not carry tor.
pedoes. None OF the American vessels on
the way to Samoa are supplied with these
missiles.
THE N. Y. "HERALp's" STORY AND OPINIONS
ELECTED.
New YORK, March 9.-The New York
Herald" this morning prints three columns
OF comments relative to the reported blow.
ing up of the United States ship Nipsic at
Samoa by the German cruiser Olga. This
report was printed ia the Herald" OF
March as dispatch from Breslau, where |
information OF such an encounter was first |
printed, and is the basis OF much comment. |
According to the Herald, In Washing. |
ton, where it's correspondent interviewed |
naval officers with the result printed in the |
Herald" this morning, from which the
following epitomization is made |
Commodore Secord had no knowledge |
OF the Nipsic having been sunk by a Ger |
man torpedo, save such as furnished by
the "Herald's" Breslan dispatch. Refer.
ring to the torpedo armament OF German |
gunboats.
COMMODORE sECoRD SAID
the working range Of those torpedoes, to be
fired with accuracy, is about 400 yards.
The German navy use the schwartz-Kopff
torpedo, which is made in Germany and
nowhere else. 1t contains about ninety
three pounds OF gun cotton, equal in force
to 800 pounds OF gun powder. They are
launched from the side OF ships, and after
being properly aimed, are shot into the
water. They travel at the rate OF twenty.
five knots per hour, and il the Nipsic was
within short distance OF the Olga. it
would have been impossible for her to have
gotten out of the way. Commodore Secord
said the Nipsc might have been in such
position that it was impossible for her to
get out of the torpedo's range, provided
that hereported engagement actually took
place. II such was the case, it would fare
very badly with her.
Concluding, the Commodore added that
''the Trenton and Vandalia must be there
by this time, and il anything should have
happened to the Nipsic. you may rest
assured they will be heard from. Admiral q
Kimberly is courageous officer. He will 4
stand no nons ense, and il there is any ,
trouble he will give excellent account OF
himself"
COMMODORE HARMoNY's OPINION.
Commodore Harmony, Assistant Secre-
tary Of the Navy Department, was dis. q
posed to doubt the correctness OF the re-
ported sinking Of the Nipsic. He said:
"0f course do not think there is any !
truth in the report, but upon the statement
Of possible condition, make these COM ,
ments. II the Olga did lombard the town
and iniure American property and Ameri-
can citizens, the commander of the Nipsic
would protest first, and then, failing to 4
secure protection to our interests, would >
open fire. A naval officer has all the dis :
cretion anyone has. He can make war :
without orders il, in his judgment, the cir I
cumstances demand it," 6
To the Herald" correspondent lC
ADMIRAL PORTER SAID: =
"As l understand it, the officers who .
were sent down there were under instruc.
tions to be very careful and conservative,
and therefore it is not likely they were pro.
voked into such rupture. do not think
the report true, for many reasons. have "
noticed several sensational items in the y
German papers OF late of disDaraging
nature as to the United States.
"If 11-inch shell exploded between "
the decks Of the Olga, it is not likely she o
was in condition to use torpedoes on o
the Nipsic. An officer knowing his business
line, lying, as they were, close together. G.
and that would have settled her." LIP
Regarding the authenticity of the news
Of the encounter, the Herald" refers to
the TACT that German ship with the news
might have reached Auckland within four Il
or five days OF the occurrence and cabled
the TACT to Germany, while an American
dispatch officer stationed there by the
navy department would be obliged to wait n
the arrival of regular steamers. n
THE LATEST FROM THE COAST. A
SAN Francisco, March 9.--All manner OF
disturbing rumors were prevalent here, TO-
day, regarding the Samoan matter. One u
70 the effect that the naval authorities re-
celved confirmation OF the reported sinking
oil the Nipsic, was intensified by the state
ment that the Germans had seized the II
American steamer Alameda. 1t was also 81
asserted that the secretary OF the navy had t
teiegraphed the iron works OF this city, ask. a
ing how soon the steel cruiser Charleston "
could be placed in readiness for armament, 4,
and that the Southern Pacific railroad had
received notice to be prepared to handle
guns and other naval stocks.
Based on these rumors, the newspapers
put out bulletins declaring that the news Q
ol the sinking OF the American vessel had j
Deen confirmed. The news spread rapidly %
throughout the city, and the most In
INTENSE EXCITEMENT PREVAILED. II
tremendous crowds surrounded the news n
paper Offices until late in the evening. The n
story respecting the steamship Alameda b
mas been proved untrue by the report OF 9
ner arrival at Sydney.
:, WASHINGTON, March 9.-It is learned that | q
Cne reported destruction OF the Nipsic was
ens afternoon, which fact is additional o
proof that none of the executive depart G
ments are in possession OF information n
which would confirm the rumor.
COMMENTS OF A CALIFORNIA GERMAN PAPER.
sAN Francisco, March 9.-In an editorial
article headed, The First Shot" comment. q
lug on the reported engagement between the 8
united States steamer Nipsic and the Ger t
man corvette Olga, the California Demo- 9
Iat .ttt the leading German paper in this
c'ty, will say tomorrow:
4, AS American citizens OF German extrac. =
SOn, we cannot but deeply deplore this un-
iortunate quarrel between the country OF
oar choice and that OF our birth. But T
tnstever may come, there remains but Z
'"o roads to follow: either we must rally
oround the stars and stripes and defend
SGr 9r nag with our lives and fortunes, or we
bri have to shake off American citizenship n
W migrating from this country. And since :
we came here to stay we will stand or falI u