Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-01
THE APIA SHIPWRECKS.
Graphic Details of the
Awful Disasters.
OFFICIAL RETURNS OF THE DEAD.
Metaafa's Men Render Splendid Ser
vice in the EndeavOr to
Float the Olga.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.


upon the harbor suddenly. The German
man-of-war Eber was the first vessel to
drag her anchor. She became unman-
ageable and was driven helplessly on the
reef, which runs around the harbor. She !
struck broadside at O'Clock in the morn |
ing. The shock caused her to lurch and
stagger back, and she sank in mo-
ment in deep water. Most of her men
were under matches and scarcely a
soul of them escaped. The German war
ship Adler was the next to succumb. She
was lifted bodily by a gigantic wave and
cast on her beam ends ON the reef. A
terrible struggle for life ensued among
the sailors and officers aboard. Many
plunged into the raging surf and struck
out, some reaching the shore in safety.
Others clung to the rigging until the
masts fell. OF these in the rigging, only
two gained the shore. The Captain Of
the Adler and several other officers we're
saved. Meantime, the United States
steamship Nipsic had been dragging her
anchor and drifting toward the shore.
The Captain however, managed to keep
control and ran her on sand bank.
The boats were Immediately lowered
and the whole company were saved with
the exception of six men. These were
drowned by the capsizing of boat.
The United States steamship Vandalia
was carried before the gale right upon
the reef. She struck with terrible
shock, hurting the Captain against a
gatling, and he fell, stunned. Before he
could recover great wave swept the
deck and washed him and others away
into the sea. The vessel sank fifty yards
from the Nipsic, and several of the Off
GERS and men went down with her.
Others perished while making desperate
efforts to swim ashore. Some of the
ships company tried to save themselves
by clinging to the rigging, but the
heavy and swift-running waves dashed
over them, and one by one
they were swept away. By this
time night had set in. Many natives
and Europeans had gathered on the
shore, all anxious to render assistance to
the unfortunate crews, but owing to the
darkness they we're wholly unable to be
of service.
Soon after the Vapdalia had sunk, the
American warship Trenton broke from
her anchorage and was driven upon the
wreck of the Vandalia, whence she
drifted to shore. The bottom of the
Trenton is completely stove in and her
hold half full of water.
AS morning broke the German war
ship Olga, which had hitherto withstood
the gale, although much battered by
the heavy seas that constantly broke
upon her, became unmanageable and
was driven upon the beach where she lay
in tolerably favorable position.
Following is the record OF officers and
men lost:
Eber, captain and other officers except
sixteen men.
Yandalia, captain, four officers and
forty men.
Nipsie, seven men.
Adler, altogether fifteen persons.
Mataafa sent number of his men to
the assistance of the wrecked ships.
They rendered splendid aid in trying to
float the Olga.
SAN Francisco, March 31.-Conjecture
seemed to have exhausted itself to-day
as regards the disastrous wrecks at Apia,
but it was, nevertheless, the one topic OF
conversation everywhere. The Vandalia,
which suffered the heaviest loss. having
sailed from this port, and her officers be-
ing widely known and several of her
crew being direct from this city, COM
bined to make her loss local one. 1t is
thought here that full news of the dis
aster is probably at Auckland, as the
Samoan papers must have gone in the
mail in the steamer which carried the
dispatches received here. The general
opinion is to-day that the failure of the
American ships to pnt to sea was because
of lack of coal.
WASHINGTON, March 31.-Queen Vic
toria cabled through Lord Salisbury to
the British legation in this city to-day
directing her earnest sympathy to be ex-
pressed to the President of the United
States on account of the terrible naval
misfortune at Samoa and the deplorable
loss of life. Edwards, the BritisOh barge
d'Affaires, accompanied by the Secretary
of State, waited upon the President this
afternoon and read to him the Queens
message. President Harrison expressed
his warm appreciation, and that of the
whole people of this country, of the
Queens considerate sympathy in the
calamity which had overwhelmed our
naval corps at Samoa. A formal reply to
the Queens message would be made, the |
President said, through the Department
of State.
WASHINGTON, March 31.-Secretary
Tracy went to Brooklyn yesterday. The |
immediate relatives of those who lost |
their lives in the wrecks at Samoa will |
be entitled to pensions under the gen.
eral law. The pension is $6 month for
a seaman's widow, and so per month for
each child under 16 years of age. In the
case of the widows of officers it is proper
tionately larger. The parents of dead
sailors will have to prove that they were
dependent on their sons for support to
entitle them to pensions. Congress will
probably also pass special act making
for the effects and bag.
gage which the officers and men lost in
the wreck. This was done in the case of
the Huron, which went down on the
Hatteras coast about fifteen years ago.
BERLIN, March 31.-Emperor William
was deeply moved by the news of the
Samoan disaster. He Immediately tele-
graphed to Prince Henry, and afterward
conferred with Count Won Moltke, Prince
and others.
WASHINGTON, March 31.-The inability
of the American vessels to get out of
Apia harbor, and thus avoid being forced
1n shore by the hurricane, was the
;heme of speculation with naval officers
to-day. Admiral Porter said this even
ing: "Fewer lives were lost by the en- ,
quilting of United States and German ves- :
,els at Samoa than If battle had been
r. 1