Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1889-04-26
THE SAMOAN DISASTER.
Particulars About the Wreck.
ing of Our Ships at Apia.
Survivors Bring the Story of the
Great Calamity.

up 70 March 30.
The steamer stopped at the Samoan capital
and took off many of the shipwrecked sailors.
Among those who came upon the Alameda
were Chief Cadet Robert StOcker and Cadets
Hibbs Decker, Wells, Cloke. Sackland, Lee
jure, Wiley and Logan. and Dr. Corders, all
of the Nandalia. Lieutenant Ripley came on
the Alameda, with thirty men, but stopped
off at Honolulu
The hurricane which cost 50 many lives at
Samoa began about O'Clock on Saturday
morning, March Is, and lasted until SUNDAY
at a little after o'clock in the morning
The Eber, the German vessel, was the first
to be wrecked. She broke up in pieces in a
few minutes only one officer and four men
being saved. Her guns which were of great
weight, probably assisted in smashing her so
quickly
Shortly afterward the Adler Germany
also drifted on the same reef a little further
westward. She was lifted high and dry and
is now lying on her port side high and dry
only a few feet of her side being under water
at high tide, In all twenty men were lost from
the Adler.
The United States steamer Nipsic was
the next on the list of casualties 1t
was observable from the shore that she
would not be able to hold out. She was
drifting toward the reef and at about nine
O'Clock she headed for the shore and just
touched the points of the reef with her
y
with her stern post, but. by the
skil1ful management of the captain and of
ficers they succeeded in Bleaching her on the
sand. Great credit is due for the manner in
which the Nipsic was handled, for if she had
gone on the reef larger number of lives
would undoubtedly have been lost.
AS it is seven men were drowned, but all
would have been saved if they had stuck to
the ship.
Early in the morning the Olga collided
with the Nipsic, doing the latter considerable
damage, carrying away her smOkestack, steam
launch whalebOat and part of her bulwarks
On account Of the smokestack being broken
off the furnaces would not draw to keep a
full head Of steam on. Excepting for this &C
cldent the Nlpslc, which had powerful en-
gines, might have rode out the gale in safety
On Thursday morning the Nipsic was sue
ceSSful1y fOated out to her old anchorage
Her propeller is too much injured to be re-
paired in Samoa, and her rudder is gone.
The Vandalia was the most unfortunate
vessel Of the United States Squadron. She
drifted, about 9 o'clock, near to the Calhopa
and the Olga came into collision with both.
The CalliOpe struck her with great force on the
port doing considerable damage. The Van
daIia still continued drifting almost in COM
pany with the Calliope, but the latter vessel
having lost nearly all her anchors, put full
steam on and went steadily out to sea.
The captain of the Vandalia, seeing no hope
of saving his ship, headed her for the shore
and In endeavOrlng to reach the sandy beach
unfortunately struck the reef, and filled and
sank before she could beach, within about
fifty yards from the stern of the Nipsic.
The captain, paymaster, payclerk, lieu
tenant of marines and many men were
washed overheard. The vessel was COM
pletely submerged, and all hands bad to take
until the Trenton was driven uIongside
about 8 o'clock in the night. when
most of the officers and crew got on the Tren-
ton, excepting Lieutenant Ripley, who jumped
into the sea just before the mast gave way and
with great difficulty swan to the shore. He
then procured a whaleboat and, with the aid
of SamOanS, got a line ont to the wreck. The
loss of life in the Vandalia were the com
mander, three officers and thirty nine seanen
and marines.
coming closer to the land. She had her
bridge ports broken in which left an OPEN
ing, and the sea came in great quantities
through this opening and the haWSe pipes,
getting into the fires This was unfortunately
fatal to the chances Of saving the AdmiraPs
ship.
The engineers were unable to keep up steam.
All hands were ordered to the pumps, which
were kept constantly going all day. About
O'Clock the Trenton had drifted down toward
the Olga, which vessel was then about 500yardS
from the reef. Both ships tried to avoid touch
ing, but a collision was inevitable. The
Olgas bow struck the Trenton on the quarter
opening large breach and doing other
After the vessels cleared each other the
Trenton drifted still further toward the reef,
and one time held fairly well to her
anchors; but at about s o'clock she
dropped down just clear of the
reef and on to the Vandalia. The Tren-
toms stern was aground. She was broadside
on to the sunken vessel, and the poor fellows
who had been on the Vandalas yard about
twelve hours got on to the Trenton, being as
sisted by the Admirals crew with lines and
other cOntriVanceS
On Sunday morning boats were busily en-
gagged all day in removing the men from the
ship to the shore, which was accomplished
without accident All were removed before
night. On Monday $50 SamOans omMataafas
camp and the men-of-war sailors were work
ing hard all day saving property from the
Trenton, and several SamOans and sailors
were also engaged working on the other ships
ashore.
No lives We're lost. The Trenton is a total
wreck. One of the men was killed early in
the morning of Saturday by being crushed
among the timber after the collision. His
name was Joseph Hewlett, cOlOred man.
The Olga, after slipping her cables and get
ting clear Of the Trenton, managed to make
Roadway against the sea for short time
and hopes were entertained that this vessel,
the last left ad0at in the harbor, would be
saved, but within half an hour she was run
into one of the best positions for Bleaching in
the harbOr.
The Nipsic is fitted up with the Vandalia's
funnel Her rudder and stern post are gone
propeller bent and twisted.
The Trenton is hard and fast on the reef
Her bottom is full of holes and filled with
water up to her gun deck The crews have
been working ten hours daily trying to save
some of the rigging and personal effects and
stores The Vandaia is totally lost. Moth
l., i I,Dr,