St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-30
SUNK Off SAMOA
The United States Men-of-
War Trenton, Vandalia
and Nipsie,
And the German Vessels olga,
Adler and Eber Driven
on a Reef.
Four American Officers and
46 Men Known to Have
Lost Their Lives,
While Nine Officers and 81
Men of the German Ves-
sells Were Drowned.
Gladstone Pays an Eloquent
Tribute to the Late John
Bright.
A Happy and Nobly Useful
Life to It's Very Last Mo-
His Eloquence and Courage
in Behalf of Amer
lea.
Valuable Services to England
at Many Critical Pc
riodS.
A Happy and Nobly Useful
Life to Its Very Last Mo-
ment.
His Eloeuence and Courage
in Behalf of Amer
lea.
Valuable Services to England
at Many Critical Pc
riods.

LONDON, March 30.-Adyices have
been received from Samoa to the effect
that in terrific hurricane there three
American and three German men-Of-
war were wrecked, and many were
drowned.
CONFIRMED.
AUCKLAND, March 29.-Dispatches
from Samoa state that the American
men-of-war Trenton, Vandalia and Nip
sic, and the German men-of-war Adler,
Olga and Eber were driven on a reef
during violent storm and totally
wrecked. Of the American crews, four
officers and forty-six men were
drowned, and of the German crews
nine officers and eighty-seven men lost
their lives.
THE VESSELS AND THEIR OFFICERS.
NEW YORK. March 29.-Commander
Dennis w. Mullan, the commander of
the Nipsic, was ordered to that duty
Oct. 1, 1857. He entered the service
Sept. 20, 1850; was promoted to
ensign in October, 1863; to
master in October, 1866; to
lieutenant in February, 1857:
lieutenant commander in March, 1868,
and to his present grade in July, 1882
This was his first command in the new
grade, as, owing to some trouble
with the navy department officials,
he was kept off duty for over four
years. Commander Mullan, while not
regarded as one of the brilliant men of
the navy. was good fighting officer.
He was native of Massachusetts, and
SaS of Irish parentage. The executive
officer of the Nipsic, in the absence
of Lieut.. Hawley, was Richard G.
Davenport, or, as he is better known in
the service, "Dick" Davenport. His
reputation as first-class officer in every
respect was vouched for by all the
navy people here. He was son
navy, who was one of the most dlStin-
guished naval officers of the late war,
and who commanded the Congress DUR
ing the battle of Mobile Bay.
THE OTHER OFFICERS
attached to the Nipsic We're Lieut.. John
S. Shearman, of New York; Ensigns
William P. White, John L. Purcell.
Harry A. Field and Harry P.
Jones, Passed Assistant Surgeon E..
z. Derr, Passed Assistant Paymaster
indications ten knots. Her battery con-
sisted of one eight-inch muZzle-loading
rife, four nine-inch SmoOth-boreS. one
siXty-pound breech-loading rifle con-
Verted parrot, which was located on the
forecastle. In the secondary battery
John Corwine; chief engineer, George
w. Hall; PASSED assistant engineer,
Horace +. Frick: and first lieutenant of
marines, L. Glover Fillette. The COM
plement of the NipSic was ia marines
and blue-jackets, although some of her
short time men were sent home from
Samoa when the Adams left for San
Francisco in January last.
THE NIPSIC
was wooden vessel and was built in
1873. After two cruises she was rebuilt
at the navy yard, Washington, in
1879. She was bark-rigged, ls5 feet
long and 81 feet beam. Her dis
placement was 1875 tons and
one three-inch rifled howit Ter, one
twelve-pOunder, and one short gatling
gun. In addition to these were sixty
Botchklss rifles of the latest improved
pattern in her armory, besides the usual
number of pistols and side-arms allowed
by regulation for vessels of the Nipsic
class.
THE TRENTON AND VANDALIA
were larger than the Nipsic. The Tren-
ton was Ship-rigged wooden cruiser of
ment. The Vandalia was also bark
tigged wooden cruiser of 2, 100 tons. with
battery of eight guns, mostly smooth
bores. As far as known, the Olga was
the most formidable of the German yes
sells at Apia. She was unarmed and un-
protected single-decked cruiser of 1900
fOpc HicnIanamnnf