Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-03-10
MAN-OF-wAR NIpSIO.
REPORT TRAIT SUE Has sEEv SUNK IN
SAMOAN WATERS
Nv osrmsn war-ship-rhe News Dis
credited at Washington subscription
Of tae aipiic.
lnr ,e,nnr.ph % the pIspa,ch.l


&C. renorts that the steamship Alameda
has heen captured by toe Germaus. Toe
,xeiiement here IN consequence IS tremen.
dons The Ahmcda Is one 81 The line OF
steamers piying between san FRANCISCO ana
Australian ports. ,.,..
aisretcp. quoting the substance OF the bulie-
10 RI, Tho Chronicle and Examiner, does not
give any Authority Tor their statements,
Th.re is stil & death OF news from Samoa
IN ,hs state and Navy Departments. In the
s,a,e Department the fact that they nave 40,
h.er officially advised Of the blowing up OF
a. Ntnstc ~ REGARDED as sufficient evidence
,ho, No such thing has happened. They baVe
~, telegrsnhed the Acting Consul for the
rco.on that Il il not % be supposed thst ne
6.s ncoie, ted his duty snd failed TO inform
his Government OF an event Of such impor'
lance. -
In apswfr n the suggestion that The Ter
mans would control every avenue by whlcu
tho news could reach the United STATES, u -
said that they could not prevent TIE NOR
nation from reaching England h'ougn
some ~ the Enelisn vessels ~ Samo'' 'Htn
surprising That The reported enlargement ia"
bcen followed hv the 0cClar ton OF war
which rt,ht have resulted in cutting of
Consul Rhcklock from the cable ct Auch-
land. Naval officers here without exception
also disrredIf the story, although thew admit
,,., INC NiDst. woHld have been over
matched by the olga 10 sea'bght. lhey
sre rather inclined % accept The view taken
h. "a rain Of the English Iapers that the
rnbifrstion In the German newspaper. was
,,roon out ~ iecler 10 learn how an A.
,roo, 10 chsstise the Mataaie forces Tor the
tIlinr Of their German seamen would be re-
,e,yel IN Germany and America.
Mil. be. Ioon ~ pfa fnflr months
-.beving the Adsms. she was put IN com.
,ni..iop October 10. 1887. at New York aud
.siled from thai port 10 the Pacific January
~ 1855. She finally sailed from CallaO for
samoa september %, 1883, arriving 1T hpla
No,ember eth. In the naval register tue
Niuqic - Described a. q sccOnd-Tate vessel OF
the c-ui.er tspe, saving q wooden hull, bark
rteccd. She carries six guns (mOstly smooth
bore IN her "a IN battery. and mas diSplace-
mont OF 1873 tons. The Trenton aud VAN
d,is. which, u j. sehcyed. have already
reached Apis, though secOnd-Tate ships, are
larger tbsn the Nlpsic. TIE Trenton Is a
sbip-rigged. wooden cruiser Of ten guns. OF
z 900 tons displacement. The Napdslisis also
a hars.rggcd wooden cruiser OF 2.1C0 tons,
with man battery OF eight guns, mostly
snooih-hore. AZ far as known the Olga is
the most formidable OF the German vessels
e. ABA. she il an unDrmored and nnprO-
fscied inglc-dccked cruiser OF 200 tons
di.placement, and was built in 1880. Her
urlucipal battery consists OF eight sIX-inch
krupp rifles and Bumber OF H0tchkiss re-
vOlyipg-caunOn. IL is thought a, the Navy
DEPARTMENT That she carries about half dozen
Scuw srtzsod t0rpedoes, which are similar
10 the WRitehead tOrpedOes in that they
are projected from tubes beneath the water.
Ise. The speed OF the Olga is some what
suuerio. 10 that OF the Nandsia, Der maxi
mum Tia speed having teen fourteen knots.
The Germans also have In the samoan W tiers
the Adler aad Eber. which are not as large
or g. strong a. ths Olga. the hdler carry
four and the Eber three krupp rifles. The
great strength Of tho German feet lies IN its
possession 0f torpedoes. IN the United states
navy there is not q torpedo except a ie" ul
Inc variety known As sp1r.iorpedoes'"
which are regarded by naval experts es prac-
tically useless. TIE German navy consists
oi about seyenty.iiye vessels. while twenty
nvc more are in course OF construction.
These are al vessels OF the most formidable
tvpe heavily armed. many OF them carrying
superior torpedo Ou'l About twenty I'VE
ancient vessels and few modern cruisers
not rendy for service represent the Amerl-
can naval strength. They are generally
armed with sm0o'bbores. are slow, and
widely distributes over the face OF the
Globe. The monitors are incomplete I'm
the event OF Wal they must lie our csiei re-
lance, but 10 would take many months to
put on their turfei, and make their guns.
An AB,uup FABRICATION.
Secretary Tracy lett Washington Tor New
York this afternoon In company with Com
nodore Walker, bo was shown the latest
san Francisco bulletn respecting the blow
ipg no OF the N,psic. lie had no hesitation
in stamping il a, an absurd fabrication, ard
he denies that any orders have been sent 10
ew Ffarcisgl looking 10 the immediate
eouipment Of the new cruiser Charleston.
TO show the utter ImprOiaDillty Of the story
Commodore Walker says that TIE Geographic
news reaching san Frncisco from samoa
must cross from Auckland 10 Ausirala,
thence across The Dulcn East iodian Islands
20 Asia, MP through Europe So England, ana
acros, the Atlantic ocean TO the eastern coast
Of the United states. whore II is taken up by
lsnd lines aud transmitted to California;
30. said the Commodore, II Is evil
dent that such news could MOI possibly
rcach san Franc'sco before u is known In
the East ~ the Navy Department has so
officer stationed 81 Auckland for the very
purpose OF forwarding Information respecI-
Ing samoa evcRts, and II "a not 10 be sup
uosed that he would overlook matter liNe
The sinking OF tbs Nipsc. II Is learned that
The reported destruction OF the NlpSic was
not even mentioned al the Cabinet meeting
this afternoon, which fact IL an additional
proof that none Ct the executive departments
arc IN possession OF Information when
would confirm the rumor.
A special meeting Of The Cabinet was held
TO-DAY at which all Of tie members were
present. No'niug was done. 1t IS reported,
hcyoud considering The appointments ntccs-
sary 20 enable the heads OF departments 10
get them into working order, aud a number
Of appointments will be sent TO the senate
Monday. The list Is guarded with exceed
ing care, but il is believed that those alrel0y
given in these dispatches are the lGeky ones.
CAUSED VARIOUS nUM0RS.
SAX TRANclsco. March 0-3 Il. M-The
Fecretary Of the Navy tflegrapDed the Union
lroa.Works this aiterooOa inQuiring how
soon the Charleston could be gotten ready
for service. In consequence OF this TELEGRAM
al manner o. rumors have been auoat luis
afternoon regarding samoa, h tha effect that
the reported siukiug Of the Nipslc had been
confirmed. and lbat one OF The oceanic
steamship Compauy's steamers had been
seized near samoa.
NEWSPAPER BULLETINS.
SAX FRANCisCO. March 9.-This clty had
touch to-day Of the excitement Which wouio
follow the COnnrmai,ob OF tlc lutn"' 'uet 'uO
Unted states man. Of-mSn Nipsic udd heen
sunk in samoan waters 10y Germln MANOR
war a. reported in a Brcsau dispatch Two
days ag0. All manner Ct disturbing rumcrs
we're abroad during the day TO The effect toat
the naval authorizes at Mare Island bad e.
ceiyed news confirming the sioking OF tue
Nipslc, which wss Intensified bY statements
that the Germans he'd seized The American
mall steamer Alameda, OF the Oceanic Com
p3nY.
The statement WAS also made that thc
Secretary OF the Navy bad teeeraphed an
,,ouiry 10 the Union IrOn-W orks. OF this
city, as 10 how soou tie steel cruiser
charleston would hc placed In readiness for
guns. Based upon these rumoiS ana i1e
further statement tnat the southern Pacihc
Company had received notice TO be pre-
pared 10 handle The Charleston guns ana
naval tl0fes, The 1cwspapers put out bui-
\ fI.uF HnA. A