The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-21

back everything opposed to it, All hands we're
SGT to baihng and a handy billy rugged By $50
clock in the morning the fires had been put
out and the men driven up from the fire room.
me work at the hand pumps and with buckets
continued from this time throughout the gale,
with no hope of being able to relght the fires
ana keep the ship afioat.
FIRED ROCKET LINES.
The further details of the scene in the
harbor are practically identical with the
teegraphic reports except Admiral Kim
berly fired rocket lines across the yards Of
the Nandalia when she swung alongside that
vessel and thus rescued the Vandalia's crew.
The men were keut at the pumps a d
buckets without cessation with view to
hauling off the ship if possible and keep
ing her afloat when the gale abated. Sun
dry morning the wind moderated 1t was
then ascertained that the propeller was miss
ing. The ship had settled hard on the bot
tom and the water could not be reduced. 1t
was up to the engine room platform and
rising. Under these circumstances and in
the absence of any docking facilities or ma
rine railway appliances and powerful
pumps, abandonment of the ship became
necessary.
SAVING THE STORES.
The stores were COTTON up as rapidly as
possible and the people got their effects
ashore. Immediately thereafter the crew
were set to work getting out and saving
from her everything possible. On Monday
the water was up to the gun deck and she
bad settled little on her port side. On
Tuesday she had settled more to port and
was still lower in the water.
The Vandalia is completely submerged,
only her foremost and head booms showing
above water.
HOW THE NIPsIC LIES.
"
water at low tide rise and fall about 4
feet. She would probably have" to be
hauled astern some 500 feet, to float her at
high tide. She has lost her smoke-stack
pipe and her rud1er, and her propeller is
badly damaged. Her crew remain on
board, and she keeps her bridges free of
water by the steam pump. The admiral has
ordered board to Investigate at once the
possibility of saving the Nipsic, and to fur
ther investigate ana report all the circum-
stances connected with the loss and damage
of the vessels by the gale. The crews of the
Vandalia and Trenton are in barracks on
shore.
ESCAPE OF THE CALLIOPE.
The Calliope when she went out of the
harhor carried ninety pounds of steam, max
ing seventy-fOur revolutio IS, and thea was
just able to make headway against the gale,
and when outside during a period of four
hours, she made no Roadway, her engines
running at full speed. Admiral Kimberly's
report concludes as follows:
This disaster classify among the incidents
and accidents inseparabe from the prosecution
OF duty. It's magnitude, however, gives it
distinguishing feature, which fortunately the
service is rarely compelled to witness.
Capt. Farquhar has demanded a court of
inquiry. No disinterested officers are available
here |, therefore, respectfully refer the entire
matter to tue department and if further inves-
tigation is deemed necessary should be pleased
to have court OF inquiry ordered.
DAMAGE TO THE NIPsIC.
Commander Mullan's report of the con-
dition of the Nipsic says that the engines
are out of line, and cannot be revolved.
Three blades Of the propeller are bent, and
part of the fourth is gone, as well as part
of the stern post, false keel, rudder and
rudder post
Capt. Farquhar Of the Trenton in his re-
port to Admiral Kimberly, which the lat
ter forwards with his owe. says:
| attribute the loss of the ship primarily to
the location o, the hawse pipes. I have several
times reported oficiany against their location
TO the navy department.
Through them, ne further states, water
found its way and extinguished the fires,
Notwithstanding the precautions that were
taken.
CAUSES OF THE vANDALIA's LOSS.
Lieut. Carlin, commanding the survivors
of the Vandalia, says:
The loss of the Vandala was due to the ex-
treme violence of the gale, great hight of the
seas, extraordinary strength OF the current,
poor holding ground and unprotected condition
of the small harbor fringed with coral reefs
and crowded with vessels
ARRIVALS AT SAN FRANCISCO.
SAN Francisco, April 20.-The steamer
Umatilla arrived this morning, eight days
from Honolulu, having on board Lieut..
Louis Ripley aud twenty-nine injured men
of the steamers Vandalia and Trenton, who
were left at Honolulu by the steamship
Alameda, which arrived last week. They
were transferred to the hospital at the
Mare island navy yard this afternoon.