The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-03-14
A NAVAL BATTLE.

Il Is Said to Have Occurred In samoan
Watcrs Between the German Corvette
Olga and the United states Steamship
Nipsic-Thc Latter with All on Board
Reported to Have Been Blown Up-Tho
Rumor Discrodited ut Washington.
New York. March a-A dispatch to the
New York Herald from Breslau says that
the Schlesische Zeitung prints the follow
Ing sensational private telegram from
Samoa THE German corvet Olga has
Mataafa's camp The captain
of the American man -of-war protested, but
seeing his protest disregarded he opened
fire on the olga The shell burst between
decks, doing much damage. The Olga
then directed torpedo at the American
ship, blowing her up with all hands"
NEW YORK, March g. - The New York
Herald Is In receipt of telegram from
James Gordon Bennett ut Paris confirming
the Breslau dispatch about Samoan troubles.
Also saying that the Herald will have q dis
patch direct from Auckland on Samoa. Al
20 TINT naval officer in Washington tele-
graphed to naval officer at Mare Island,
Cal, confirming the Breslau dispatch.
San Francisco, March g. One Of the most
sanguinary naval battles in American his
tory has taken place on the Pacific Ocean, .
United States ship with all on board being
blown out OF the water by German frfgate.
The catastrophe followed plucky at
tack by the American vessel on the
frigate, which at the time was engaged
In an inhuman bombardment OF
the practically defenseless Samoans, under
Mataafa The Germans had treated pro-
test from the Americans with contempt.
Great prominence is given here to the re-
port by the city papers While the Tumor
Is given little credence, the publication has
caused sensation. Following the report
from Keil few days ago Of .
reported engagement. the fact that
tho name of the vessel alleged to
have been sunk is omitted adds to
the disbelief in the report But it Is as
sumed that the vessel would have been the
Nipsic, Captain Mullin commanding. Cap
tain Schenck, Quartermaster Of the United
States Marine Corps, verifies the state
ment that the Olga was supplied with
tOrpedoes, which is not the case with
the three American war vessels dis
patched to Samoa The steamship Ala
media of the Oceanic Line, which left here
for Australia February 9, touched at Tu-
tuila, the southern island of the Samoan
group, February p, and arrived at Auck-
land March 8 Had any engagement oc-
CURED at Apia she would probably have
learned the fact at Tutuila, and car
ried the news to Auckland, where
the fact would have been cabled. tits con-
ceded that the information might not have
reached Tutuila, as Apia is seventy miles
distant, in time for the Alameda to carry
the news to Auckland. The steamship
Zealandia is due at this port March l6, with
news from Samoa down to March,
WASHINGTON, March 9-The story of the
engagement between the German man-of-
war Olga and an American man-of-war In
the harbor Of Apia, resulting In the sinking
of the American vessel, is generally dis
credited at the Navy Department. No infor-
nation upon the subject has been received
ut the Department Of State. There. as in
| the Navy Department, it is said that news
| Of such Importance would surely reach the
| United States at least as soon as German
sea coast city. The Nipsic was the only
United States man-of-war at Samoa priol
to the LIST inst, but it is believed that the
Trenton and the vandalia, which sailet
| from Honolulu early in February, reached
/ Samoa about March l.
/ Secretary Blaine Friday evening said thai
the report of conflict at Samoa was, In hi
opinion, unworthy of the least credence
| He regarded it as a mere stock -jobbing ru
NOR. having no foundation whatever. Com
modore Walker. Of the Navy Department
held similar views.
/ New York, March 9. The New Yorl
Herald prints three columns of commen
/ relative to the reported blowing up of thu
United States ship Nipsic ut Samoa by tn,
German cruiser olga
/ Commodore Sicard, who was interviewed
by the Herald correspondent at Wash
ingtcn, said he had NO knowledg,
| OF the reported battle. The Ger
man navy, he added, used tn,
Schwartz-KOpf torpedo, which con
tains ninety three pounds Of gun-cotton
They travel ut the rate OF twenty five knot
per hour. and ii the Nipsic was within
short distance of the Olga it would hav
been impossible for her to have got out o
the way. Concluding, the Admiral added
The Trenton and yandalia must b
there by this time, and If any thing shoul,
have happened to the Nipsic you may res
assured they will be heard from. Admira
Kimberly the commander of the Trenton
il courageous officer, and was with Far
ragut as his Flag Lieutenant all through tn
| war. He will stand no nonsense, and
there is any trouble will give an excellen
account of himself
Commodore Harmony, Assistant Secre
tary of the Navy, said:
i IF the olga did lombard the town an
inture American property and America
citizens the commander of the Nipsic woul
protest first, and then. failing to secure pre-
lection to our interests, would open fire.
naval officer has all the discretion any on
has. He can make war without orders Il
in his Judgment, the circumstances deman
l it."
Admiral Porter said:
"As understand it the officers who wer
I sent down there were under instructions
be very careful and conservative, an
therefore 1t is not likely they were pro
vOked into such rupture. / do not thin
the report true for many reasons hay
| noticed several sensational items In Gel
man papers of late Of discOuragtng natuI
as to the United States. Again. II am clever
inch shell exploded between the decks {
the olga it is not likely she was in cond
tiOn to have used torpedoes cn the Nipsic.
Touching the authenticity OF the news (
the encounter the Herald refers to the fas
; that German ship with the news migl
have reached Auckland within four or fiy
days of the occurrence and cabled the fac1
to Germany before, the arrival there OF
mail-line boat, upon which the America
dispatch agent stationed there by Secretar
Whitney two months ago would be oblige
to depend for the same information.
LONDON, March 9-The fact that tl
Schlesische Zeitung is a recognized .vchic
. of inspired publications lends great inte
est to the report "a its columns Of i gree
naval fight in Sar, oan waters between tt
!. German ship Olga and an American man Q
war, but even this voucher is not sutticiel
to warrant belief here that the America
ship with all on board was blown up.
FRESHLY.FOUND FACTS.
. IT takes 50,0OO.00o bushels of wheat
seed the wheat land Of the United States.
/ IT is stated that the Mississippi rive