The morning news., 1889-04-14

as Capt. Schoonmaker had been thrown
across the cabin the night before and severely
injured. His hand had been badly cut and
one ear almost torn away by striking vlo-
lently against chair. Notwithstanding
his in iuries, he faced the storm like hero,
and stood by Che side Of his first officer until
the sea finally swept him off to his death.
He was in such dazed and weakened con-
dition, however, that he was able TO do but
little toward directing the movements of
the ship.
BRAVE oARLIN.
OF all the officers who stood by their
| posts and did their duty nobly In the face
Of danger, none have received more com
mendation than Lieut. Carlin. Officers
and men alike speak Of his conduct in the
highest terms of praise. Capt. Schoon-
maker and Lieut. Carlin saw 1t was useless
| to make any further attempt to save the
ship, and as her engines were not
| powerful enough to steam out to sea,
as the Calliope had done, they determined
| to beach the vessel Two of her anchor
chains were slipped, and a full head of
steam put on, more than she had ever dared
to carry before First Assistant Engineer
! Webster was ia chargeof the engine room,
and he required his whole force of men to
exert themselves to their utmost to keep
| the fires up and the engines going.
PERILoUs RUN.
The Vandalia was quarter of a mile
| from the Nipsle and she was obliged to run
along the edge of the reef the whole dis
tance in order TO reach the sandy beach be-
| yond. Every one on shore crowded down
near the point where it was expected she
would strike, and watched the vessel steam
across the harbor. The Vandalias draught
was much greater than tho Nipsic's
and 1t was known that she would not
| be able TO get very close TO the shore. She
came on until her bow struck in the soft
sand about 100 yards off shore, and
| probably forty yards from the stem Of the
| Nipsic The engines were stopped at once,
and every man who was below rushed on
deck. The Vandalia swung around broad
side to the beach, and at first it was thought
that her position was comparatively safe, as
1t was hoped that the storm would abate in
few hours, and that the $50 men aboard
! could be rescued then.
IN GREAT DANGER.
It was nearly II o'clock when the ship
| struck, and notwithstanding her easy posi-
| tion, IL soon became apparent that her Off
GERS and crew were in great danger.
! Nearly all Of the officers were on deck in
| sight of every one on shore. The men were
scattered about on the gun deck and fore
castle, holding onto the masts and sides Of
the ship.
! In half an hour it was noticed that the
vessel was filling with water and settling
down. By noon the whole of the gun deck
was under water, and from that on the
| condition Of the men was the most pitiable
that could be imagined.
| swAaMING THE RIGGING.
Most of the men sought refuge in the rig
| ging, and 10 those on shore it seemed as if all
the available space on the rat-lines and
| yards, and in the tops, was occupied. A
| few officers still remained upon the poop
aloft. The wind seemed to in
crease in fury. Nearly every one
aboard had cast away most Of his clothing,
and some were entirely naked. A few had
provided themselves with life-preservers,
but these could not be obtained for all, as
the vessel had filed so rapidly. As the hull
of the steamer sank lower the water force
Of the waves was more violent. The men on
shore were willing to render assistance, but
were powerless. No boat could have lived
a moment in the surf, and it was impossible
to get line across to the steamer as there
was no firing apparatus on shore. Natives
made several attempts 10 swim to the Van
| dalia with a line, but the current which
| swept along the shore was too powerful,
and they nearly lost their own lives.
WASHING AWAY THE MEN.
Men were hourly being washed from the
| Vandalia. Some managed to reach the
wreck Of the Npsic and thus escaped to
shore. Some were swept in reach Of the
natives and were rescued, while others
were swept helplessly out into the bay and
drowned. The first man TO reach the shore
was Chiaf Engineer Green. He
was three tunes swept from the deck
and twice regained it by means
of ropes He had on life preserver and
when swept away the third time he came
| in reach Of natives hands and was res
cued Naval Cadet Wiley was saved by
natives In the same manner. He was float
| ing iusensible on the current when the
natives caught him. 1t was not long after
Engineer Green and Cadet Wiley were
| washed over that the four officers who we're
drowned were swept over the deck.
CAPT. scHooNMAKER's DEATH.
Capt Schoonmaker was clinging to the
| rail ON the poop deck Lieut.. Carlin was
standing by him ard was doing his best to
hold the captain on, as the latter was be-
coming weaker every minute. Every
one on deck saw that the captain could
not stand against the rush Of water much
| longer. No one knew it better than he
! himself, and he remarked 10 those about
| him several times that no would have TO 90
soon. Lieut.. Carlin tried 10 get the captain
| upon tne rigging, Dub bne lhLLBr snlu ne was
| too weak to climb up and would have to
remain where be was as long as possible.
| The captain had no life preserver.
| He had been offered one several times,
but had refused IT, At last great wave
struck the Vandalia on her port quarter
and submerged the deck. Capt. Schoon.
maker held on TO the rail with all the
strength he mad left, but the current was
SO strong that machine gym standing near
| by was washed from It's fastenings and
went whirliug across the deck. The cap
| tain was struck on the head by the gun aud
either killed outright or knocked insensible
! for wave swept him Off the deck He
sank without II struggle and WAS seen no
more.
FATE or THE PAYNAsTER AND HIS CLERK
Paymaster Arms and Pay Clerk Roach
were lying upon the deck exhausted, but
| clnging with all tho strength they pos
sessed to anything which came within their
| grasp. They were swept off together. Pay
master Arms sank in a moment, but n few
1 persons who were on deck say they saw his
| body floating around the stem Of the Van
dalia for half an hour after he was drowned
| Clerk Roach drifted over the
stem Of the Nipsic, where he
grasped rope. Ho was a large, heshy
| man, and being greatly exhausted, could
not possibly draw himself up. His hold
upon the rope was soon broken, but he con
| tlnued 10 float under the stem Of the Nipsic
several minutes, throwing out his arms
weakly IN vain attempts 70 clutcn somo-
thing. Once or twice his hand caught a
rope, but his grasp was broken and he
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