Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-04-14
A SEA TRAGEDY.
Contin,ed from First Paoe.
aboard Of her crushed to death before they
felt the waters closing above their heads.
EFFORTS AT RESCUE.

LII GOA1O n nLOOOGS
All Dissensions Were Forgotten and the Ma.
lives We're Foremost in Heroic Attempts
The One Omcer Saved From the
Eber-PrOgress of the Hurricane.
Hundreds of people were'on the beach by
this time and the work of destruction had
occurred in full view of them all They
stood for a moment appalled, by the awful
scene, and then a cry of horror arose from
the lips of every man who had. seen nearly
q hundred of his fellow creatures perish in
an instant Then, with one accord, they all
rushed to the waters edge nearest the point
where the Eber had foundered.
The natives ran into the surf far bevond
the point where white man could have
lived, and stood waiting to save anv poor
creature who might rise from the water.
There was no thought of the war between
Germany and Samoa. There was no sign
OF enmity against the people who had car
ried of their king and banished him on
lonely isle thousand miles from his native
land.
The savage forgot the oppression which a
civilized people placed upon him, and he
now held out his hand to save human life,
caring little whether it was that of friend
or a foe.
An Omcer's Miraculous Escape.
As first it seemed as if every man on the
il-fated steamer had gone to his death, not
even a hand appearing from the berths
where the Eber sank. But the breakers on
the reef had hidden few struggling men
who had come to the surface and struck out
teebly for the shore. Presently man who
NJ haa Nrog
ing to the piling under a small wharf near
by.
Willing hands soon grasped him and
drew him upon the snore. He was a young
man with a handsome, boyish face and wore
the uniform of an officer. He proved to be
Lieutenant Gaedeke, and he was the only
officer of the Eber who was saved. He was
in dazed condition and unable to realize
his escape. Lieutenant 7. G. Fillette, the
marine officer of the Nipsic, who has been
in command of the guard at the American,Co
sulate for several months, took the German Of
ficer by the arm, led him to the Consulate and
provided him with dry clothing.
-Four sailors from the Eber were seen strug-
Cling in the water near shore about the same
time. They were quickly rescued by natives
and also taken to the American Consulate.
None of them seemed to know how they es-
capped. They felt themselves at the surface of
the water and were soon grasped by natives and
taken ashore.
Only a Few Were Saved.
There were 6 officers and 20 men on the
Eber when she struck the reef, and of these
officers and &C men were lost. Lieutenant
Gaedeke, the survivor, was almost heart
broken over the sad fate of his fellow officers
and men. He stated that he was officer Of the
watch. and was on the bridge when the Eber
went down. All the officers were below, and
were possibly crushed to death. Soon after
the steamer sank he found himself floating
haS,,
effort on his part drifted ashore, and was saved.
1t was about o'clock in the morning when
the Eber foundered. During the excitement
attending that calamity the other vessels had
been for the moment forgotten, but it was soon
noticed that the position of several of them
had become more alarming. The Adler
had been swept across the bay, being for mo-
ment in collision with the Olga She was now
close 10 the reef. about 200 yards west of the
point where the EDer struck. She was ap-
proach'ng her doom broadside on, and in half
an hour she was lifted on top of the reef and
turned completely over on her side. Nearly
every man was thrown into the water.
One Fortunate Feature.
Fortunately, however, the Adler was thrown
80 far up on the reef that when she turned over
on her side nearly the entire hull was out of
water. Her deck was at right angles with the
water, and was facing the shore. Consequently
that portion of the vessel was well protected
from the storm. Most of the men vino were
struggling in the water had but few feet to
swim TO reach the deck, where they clung to
the guns and masts in safety.
OF the 130 officers and men aboard, 20 men
we're drowned or killed when the steamer cap
sized. All of the officers, including Captain
Fritz, who was In command of the German
squadron, were saved. Many on the Adler
were badly injured. among them being Captain
Fritz, who received severe shock aud a num-
Der of cuts and bruises.
The natives stretched rope from the shore
to the deck of the Adler during the day. and a
number of sailors escaped in that way. But
the rope parted before all had quit the vessel,
and the others were not taken off till next day
They clung to the wreck during the long weary
hours of the day and night and were greatly
exhausted when the storm subsidized and boats
could be sent out to take them of. The bottom
of the Adler, however, formed such a protec.
tion against the storm that the men aboard
Uere fa