Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-04-20
LATE NEWS FROM SAMOA.
kimberly's Official Reports to
the Secretary of the Navy.


TENT OF INJURY TO THE YIPsIc NOT YET DETER
MINED-wHAr PRIVATE ADvICEs SHOW
The mornings mail delivered at the Navy de-
partment to-day brought two letters from Ad-
miral Kimberly, referring to the wrecking Of
the American fleet at Apia, accompanied by a
detailed report of the circumstances. The first
letter is dated Apia, March 19, and reads:
Il have to commend to the government Of the
United States the very great assistance we have
received in saving the public property from
our wrecked vessels at this place, from
Mataafa Malietoa, who, without any request on
my part, called on me personally, and
sent some hundreds of his men to as
sist our people in saving stores and materials
from the wrecked vessels. Also, when the
Nipsic and Vandalia went on shore, the natives
rsked their lives to save those of our men. who
endeavOred to reach the shore by swimming,
and two Of them lost their lives in these at
tempts. If some recognition of these services
could be made think il would be appreciated
very highly by the Samoans. particularly as
they have so generally given their services and,
in two cases, their lives to befriend u.s."
THE DAMAGE TO THE VESSELS.
Under date of Apia March 81, Admiral KIM
berly writes: The Nipsic was got off last night
and is now afoat without rudder or rudder-
post and her crew is engaged in trying to get
up her chains.
The Trenton is sunk, the water coming
over the port side of her gun-deck at
high water. / think her back is
broken. She might possibly be freed from
water II we had the proper appliances, powerful
steam pumps, &c. She has no rudder, rudder-
post or propeller, and lies with her deck
slightly inclined to seward. She lies alongside
of the wreck of the Vandalia. which is shore
ward of her. The latter vessel is a
total wreck and broken in two, at
high tide the water rises over her
top gallant forecastle. Only her foremost is
standing. We are engaged securing moorings
for the Nipsic and wrecking the Trenton and
Vandalia. A good deal of what we might
save might be sold at public auction to
save expense of storing and transporta-
ton Our sick and injured are doing
well. 1t would perhaps be well to send a wreck
ing vessel here later in the season to save the
1renton's heavy guns, ammunition, &c. | have
received from Capt Henry c. Kane. Royal
navy, diving suit and apparatus and will
1T for all it is worth, but ought to
have another in case of accident to this
l hope the department will not forget Captain
kane's kindness to US in our distress. He COM
mands the b. NJ. S. Calliope, which vessel had
but one boat. / gave to her one of ten
cared cutters, but she did not consider
it safe to lie there at this season of the year.
She has sailed this morning for Sydney. where
she will be repaired. She was consider
ably damaged by the Olga colliding
with her. Almost every vessel was
at one time or another in collision with some
other vessel, and great deal of the damage
that occurred was owing to this cause.
IF can save the Nipsic, which can be done
IT weather permits, l will send her
under convoy to Auckland, to be locked
and repaired. Another ship should be
sent here for the purpose of con-
voying her. as the risk of an improvised rudder
u fn no OLE no
still to learn of the condition fiber machinery
and propeller, but shall be informed in the
course of a few days"
LETTER FROM CAPT. MULLAN
letter from Commander ID. W. Mullan, of
the Nipsic, dated Apia, March %, addressed to
the Secretary of the Navy. reads: I'm COM
pliance with paragraph 90, page 80. of the L. s.
navy regulations have the honor to report
that all boiler power was used on the 10th of
March during the violent hurricane which oc-
CURED in this harbOr.'
(Signed) d. W. MULLAS, Commander.
The Official Report.
Admiral Kimberly's official report to the Sec
rotary of the Navy is dated Apia, March 49,
1t is addressed to the Secretary Of the Navy,
and says
at becomes my painful duty to report to the
department the disastrous injury and loss
sustained by the vessels under my
command in the harbor of Apia during
the hurricane which swept these waters
March 10 and 16. When the gale commenced
there were in the harbor the following rnen-of-
war-Cnited States ships, Trenton. Nandalia
and Nip5ic; II. j. VI. ship, Caliiope, and Ii. |.
g. NJ. ships. Adler. Olga and Eber. There
were also few merchant vessels and small
craft. The Nipsic had the inner berth and the
Trenton tlast to arriye) had the outer berth.
Indications of bad weather appeared during
the forenoon of Friday, March Is, and at
o'clock OH that day commenced preparations
yards and housing topmasts. Fires were lighted
and steam raised.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE GALE.
BY o'clock the gale had developed 1t blew
hard during the evening, and about 8 pm. we
parted our port-bow cable. During the
night it blew with great violence. but. with the
aid of steam. the vessels kept i'll good shape
until morning. At daylight we had hoped for
a moderation Of the wind, but were di5ap-
pointed.
The gale set in with renewed fury. and early
in the forenoon it was evident that some of the
inner ships were ashore and those nearer to us
were riding uneasiiy. The flagship lost her
wheel about this time. II carried away with
crash. and seriously injured some of the
helmsnen Relieving tackles and spare tiller
were applied promptly, but it was discovered
that the rudder was broken, and soon it was
entirely useless.
The wind at this time was blowing with hur-
ricane force and the seas we've very heavy
The ship had begun TO make water during the
early morning. The hand-pumps were manned
and ali bilge-pumps in the eugiue-roOm put on.
The water gained and threatened to put out
the fires; the greater part of it seeming to
come in through the hawse-pipes, which are
situated on the berth deck.
EVERY EFFORT WAS MADE
to stop the entrance of water at this point by
jamming in bedding. and by putting moulding
on the chains and by veering into the hawse
pipes. 1t could be checked in this
way, but not stopped, for the violence
or the sea was so great that it
would force back everything opposed to il. All
hands were set to bailing and the handy-billy
rugged, but by $3.50 a. IN. the fires had been put
out and the men driven up from the fire.
rooms. Work at the hand-pumps and with the
buckets continued from this time throughout
the gale with the hope of being able to relight
the fires and keep the ship ahoat.
a little before noon the CaliiOpe was seen to
be very uneasy at her mOorings. and soon she
steamed toward us. having parted or slipped
her cables, and making effort to go out the
harbor. She came near colliding with us and
steamed out i'll the face of the hurricane. In
the afternoon. the wind having hauled little,
the flagship was more unsteady at her moor
ings and parted her chains, one soon after the
other.
WE THEN DRIFTED OVER
toward the eastern reef escaping the wreck of
a merchant bark by the mere chance of her
dragging as we approached her. We drifted
until our stern was almost against the reef.
Destruction seemed imminent tho yaSsal