New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-03-31
pr wrecked. houses were destroyed and palm t'sss

It is the opinion Of Admiral Harmony, wha s
also familiar with the Samoan Islands, that tne
English man-of-war owed her escape 20 the, facs
that she had steam up and was enabled 70 push
out TO sea- The number OF vessels lying IN the
small harbor was source Of danger 70 them IN
dividually. for II one dragged her anchors sne
would very probably be in collision with and
carry away another ship which might otherwise
I'have held securely.
The news Of the disaster created profound
sensation at the Navy Department and everybody
from the Secretary down freely expressed his re-
gret, Secretary Tracy could not see cause to con-
demn any ono. The officers in command Of the YES
sells were competent pleu and he'd doubtless adopted
all proper precautions against disaster, but these
hurricanes which assumed cyclonic proportions
were simply irresistible as was proved by the ex-
tent Of the loss Of vessels.
Lieutenant Lucien Young, who is himself almost
the sole survivor Of the wreck Of the fl-fatcd
Huron, OF Cape Hatteras, looked sadly over the
list of the drowned and marked down poor Roache
the paymasteFs clerk, as en- old sh5pmate gone.
The Department Of State was without official
news Of the wrecks until copy of Admiral
Kimberly's dispatch was senb over from the Navy.
The following telegram was received ab the
Department. OF State this afternoon:
BalSs washington: S4 S The Foreign once @ las been
| officially informed that in typho0n at Apia the
Eber and Adler were totally lost, and that ninety
sailors ere dead. The olga. stranded, with no
| losses. Three American and all the merchant
vessels in port were lost Sixty Americans are
dead The English war-ship was 11IH damage gS ana
| has gone to Sydney. PENDLEION.
Captain Richard W. Meade, the United sheses
| Naval officer who commanded the Narraganfett
in Samoan waters In 1s7s, and now Commandant
Of the Washington Navy Yard, said: The har-
bOr Of Apia IN Opolu is q coral reef haRbor with
an entrance about fifteen hundred yards wide and
open to the north 1t is not large and the anchor
| age ground ID limited. During the yearly hurn-
! cane season, which lasts through Deceue
be, January, February, March and April It
| Is considered rather a risk 70 remain IN
| Apia, while Pago-Pago, in the naghbOrfng island
Of Tutila, Is perfectly safe being land looked and
i otherwise sheltered Hurricanes are however,
not very frequent OF the Samoan Islands, though
4 they occur frequently at the Tonga group. They
l generally swoep up through the belt Of ocean be-
/ tween Tonga and the Samoan groups. In April
/ 1850, and in January, 1870, the islands were
visited by terrific hurricanes which destroyed the
1 eoeoanut hanana and brea&frult crops, Eedac-
| ing the natives TO tho verge Of starvation for
1 several gealzs These hurricanes are often 90
| cmpanied By earthquakes, and the conjunction
Of the two works terrible injury. On
! March 9s. 1850, al vessels in Apia Harbor ex-
cent ono snail schooner were driven out to sea and
| lost This was attributed % tho time 70 series
Of heavy tidal waves caused BY an earthquake.
| Considerable damage VIVA donc on shore also. On
| the whole the climate Of the Samoan Islands,
| though yoEable Is very pleasant bad Weether
occurring only during the winter months AT this
time there are long aud heavy rains attended some
tines by high winds and uortherH gales Or
dinarfly the winds are light and variables with
\ Aha ef
year tfe westher Is very Hne, and FROM Nay %
Noyum1er Sha ttads Wind bl0ws steadily frcn the
southeast
aTlss dispatches recsived indicate that we have
lost four ofaoors and nearly fifty men. The dag
ship Trenton appears to have got OF easier than
| others Of the 6eet Telegraphic reports make no
| mention Of the English man-of-war previously IN
the harboN She may have had steam up and put
out to sea. by far the wisest course. A ship wen
out at sea is safe in such gale but one OF those
terrific north winds at Apia is bound 10 drive
everything that stays in hsrbOr sshore. Except
Captain MuIlan. Of the Nipsic, 10 is not known
that any of the American commanding oncers
had ever had experience in those islands, or knew
OF the risks attending an attempt TO rfde OUT
hurricane inside the reef
In the last letter received by his brother in this
city from Captain MullAn, Of the Nipsic, dated
February 05, the captain says:
We are now in the midst Of the hurricane
season. and until about April 15 we may look Tor
heavy weather The harbor is small, with reefs
outside and inside-bad holding ground. There is
no coal here, and nothing TO eat Everything Is
very DEAR
n. Il Mnllan, who has sailed over that course,
and Is familiar with the harbor at Apia, said to
Star" reporter this morning, in speaking Of the
disaster and in reference to his brothers last
letter above quoted from: II the vessels were
without coal of course they were unable to get up
steam either for the purpose OF seeking refuge or
steaming up to their anchors and, If the latter
were once started. the vessels could only bring up
on lee shore"
correspondent Of The Star" gives the follow
ine account of the severe storm Of February 4, in
which the American ship Constitution was
wrcIed: For some days the weather had been |
threatening, and on the day mentioned the storm
burst in all Of its fury All the vessels at anchor
were more or less jeopardized owing to the small
hRrbor being complete " surrounded by coral reefs
and the bottom Id places sffording insecure an
chorago. An Of the men-of-war rode out the gale |
IN safety, but the loss Of the merchantmen was |
Severe several Of the latter dragged their anchors,
went upon the coral reefs, and were soon dashed |
TO pieces Among these was the American barken- |
tine Constitution, Captain Colley, Of San Fran |
cisco, which was cast upon the reef, and finally |
came of, when she went upon her beam ends and |
sank alongside Of the reef with the American dag,
union down ss q signal Of distress, stin flying.
No help was possible in such q storm but boat |
from the Nipsic, in spite of the herceness Of the
gale succeeded in landing all Of her crew in safety
The Nipsic also sent line to the English schooner
Lily, which was dragging rapidly, and thereby |
undoubtedly saved her from going ashore.
As far as the records Of the Navy Department |
show the nativity of the sailors drowned at Apia !
was as follows:
OF the Nipsie's crew, johnson was born at An
napolis: Kelleher, in Ireland, PantselL in Bel |
GUM; Watson, In Ireland; Callan, in Washington
Gill, in Norway, and Heap In England.
On the vandsHa, Baker, in London; Brisbane, |
on Long Island; Brown. in Germany; Crsigiu, Inc
Dublin Ben Davis, in Boston; Downey, in Baiti-
more ERICKSON, in Sweden; German, in Ireland;