, 1889-04-18


Green AMI Wiley wpr. washed over that
tour olicrrs wrrs drowned hainx swept
from the deck. Captain Scho 'nnAkar |
was cliovinv "a the rail IN thu pOop dr'k,
and Lieutenant Ctrlin was doing his at
most tn support him, IA the captain was
h'cominv weaker ever minute No one
knew 10 better than hinls,lf and he r..
marked to those about him that he would
have TO 70 soon.
Al last great wave struck the Van
dalis over the ,,ort quarters aud sub
merged che deck. Captain Schoonmaker
held on to the rail- with sll his remaining
strength, ut the torrent Of water was 40
strong that machine gun nrar by wss
washed from its fAAtsn nings and seat whiFl.
ing across the deck. Captain Schoon-
maker we struck on the head by the gun
aud waa
KuLLsD on xNocK ID asHs.Lsss
a. he was swept Of the deck im mmed,Ately
and was seen no more. PAymastsr Armes
and Pay Clerk Roche we're swept Oh to.
gether and soon aank. Marine Lieutenant
sutton died In much the aauie way.
Dusing the remainder ri the
afternoon there followed = sue
cus.ion OF awful seeues Of
death and suffering. Waves that
SEEMED IKE mountains OF water rolled 10
from the ocean and broke on the. iil'fstsd
vrssel. Sheets OF water fell fro the
clouds and beaten up from the shore struck
against the houses like hail, while men
even natives we're frrquently Obliged 10
run TO shelter. The VAndslia continued
10 settle and few men Who bad not vi.
ready taken TO the rigging stood upon the
poop deck or fOrecastle. rs the vessel Was
almost entirely under water anidships.
SO many had crowded into the mi3zen riu.
ing that there was no more room there
and number Of officers and men
RUSHED ACROSS THE oUSDEoK
to take refuge In the main and forrmasts.
Owing to the water pouring over the deck
this WAS u most peiilOus undertaking.
Almost twenty.four hours had elapsed
since any man aboard had tasted fooo and
all were rick and faint from hunger and
exposure. Men were now beiux swept
froW the decks and rigging halt a dozen
at u tim. and few who felt theuIse ves
too weak to old on longer jumped into
the water IN u last effort TOR salvation.
The terrible scenes chat attended the
sinking OF the Vandalia had distracted at
trntion from th.. other mpn.ot-war which
still remained afloat. About 4 O'Clock in
the afternoon the Trenton and Olga were
seen to be dragging back Tue Olga was
most on the reef, where the EUer had
struck. The Trenton was coming down
upon her and u collision seemed inpvita-
biz, as the condition OF tho A Amrrican flag
ship was very bad. At 10 o'clock her rud.
| der and propeilor had been carried away
| oy foulinv with thu wrpckd0e. When the
rudder came into contact with the wreck.
aye the great pilot wheel on deck was
wHIRLED AROUND LIKE LIGHTNING
and every spoke broker. rwo men at the
wheel we're thrown violently TO the deck
and seriously injured The water poured
10 through thr nawser pipes In the bo~ in
I torrents. Efforts were made to close the
pipes but the force OF the water
was so strong that the coverings we're
blown of aud the water rushed 10 on the
berth deck TO the matches and poured down
into the hrr-room. All attempts TO keep
it out failed, and in short tim. tine fire.
men were up to their waists ia water and
al the fires we're ex'iDgu,sed. From
| = o'clock in the morning until 8
ir the evening when she drowned the
| Trenton held out against the storm with
| out stern or rudder, and skilful MANAGE
upnt oi her officer. Ii-utenant Brown, was
all that saved the lite of every man ON
board. Captaio Farqnar in his official re-
port to Admiral Kimberly few DAYS
after the storm. pa,d a high tribute to
Lieutenant Browns skill. As soon AS
THE STEAM GAVE OUT
the mizzen storm sail was set with the
greatest difficulty. Oil vas poured over.
board. hut 1t had no effect in killing the
waves. Nearly every man VINO Jumped
was washed into the water and succeedeJ
10 reaching the Nipsic, and most OF them
got upon her deck None OF those Who
were swept into the curreot came near
enough to shore to be reached by natives
and such were all carried out and drowned.
The brave SdmOans we're urged bS their
chief to redouble their efforts to rescue the
drO~ninR men and ss a consequence
two natives who got out were carried
away, p"rishin1 in the sight Of all with
the men they we're trying to save. By
this time the only part of the Vandaii
which stood out Of the water was the after
part of the poop deck aud the forward
part of the forecastle. Lieutenant Culver,
Or. .Tarvey. DR.. Cordiero and Engineer
Webster we're in the foretop. In the main
top we're Lieutenants Wilson and Heath
and Engineers Gibbons and Ripler. Lieu
tenant Carliu, who was the last man to
leave the deck, climbed into the mizz.n.
top, whore he sunk down utterly exhaust.
ed More than one u,an who was climb
ing the rigging gave way
UNDER THE TERKIBLE STRAIN
and fell to the deck only to be washed over
and drowned Several persons on shore
succeeded in making ahawset fast from the |
Nipsic to the beach and the Vandslia i men
who had reached the Nipsic escaoed in
that way. The stern Of the Npsic bad by
this time swung out straight from the |
shore 30 that the distance between the two |
vessels was not more than twenty yards. |
A white man pamed Bickering went aboard |
the Nipsic from the shore and threw a |
small line to the Vandalia. A sailor !
caught it and the small rope was made |
fast from the foremust Of the Vsndalia To |