Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-08

| lCoPYRIGHTED BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, 1883.
APIA, SAMOA, June %, VIA STEAMEB
ALAMEDA, SAN FRANCISCO, July L.
The oceanic steamer Alameda touched at
Apia and took away nine officers and 60
men of the United States frigate Trenton,
who were left here when the steamer Rock
ton sailed for San Francisco last month
with 450 Survivors of the recent hurricane.
Admiral Kimberly and his two staff officers,
Lieutenants Rittenhouse and Merriam, and
five men will remain in Apia.
The Admiral states that the department
had probably issued orders under the
impression that the United States man-of-
war Alert was here, but as there was no
American vessel at Apia now, he did not
care to abandon the place entirely. The
Admiral intends to remain here until the
arrival of the American man-of-war,
when be will probably use her for a flag ship.
As soon as mail, which had been received
by the Mariposa, arrive here, Lieutenant
Graham, the officer in command, went to the
barracks and read dispatch to the men an
nouncing the fact that they were to return
this week.
LEAVING THE ISLAND.
When the Alameda arrived to-day the men
and baggage were placed aboard. In few
hours a number of native boats went out to
the steamer and hundreds of the natives
stood on the shore and gave the American
sailors parting cheer. During the last six
weeks the Samoan Islands have enjoyed
period of quiet, such as has not been known
for many months before.
The native parties virtually declared q
truce early in May. and since that time the
political situation of the country has as
sumed peaceful aspect. The only man-of-
war here now is the German gunboat Wolf,
which arrived from New Zealand June Is.
The Nipsic, the only American vessel saved
from the storm, has gone to Honolulu for
repairs under the convoy of the Alert.
The two ships left here for Auckland,
May 9, but in six days they returned, and
Captain Mullan, of the Nipsic, and Captain
Green, of the Alert, reported that after
going $50 miles thev had deemed it mad
visable to proceed further. The Nipsic's
rudder broke, and she became practically
unmanageable.
A DANGEROUS TRIP.
The rudder was repaired, but the vessels
made such slow progress that there seemed
to be no probability of their reaching
Auckland before the last week in May, at
which season severe weather might be ex-
pected off the New Zealand coast. Captain
Mullan desired to proceed, ii possible, but
he laid the matter before the line officers of
his own ship. None of the Nipsic's officers
desired to return, and they expressed will
lingness to accept the risk of encountering
bad weather.
Captain Mullan, however, believed it
he ipov Ell Ia 10 6oo &c
Nipsic, in case it became necessary to do so,
and there seemed to be some danger that il
the vessel met with rough water she would
lose her rudder entirely and then be swept
into the trough of the sea and rolled over.
Captain Mullan accordingly gave orders
for the ships return to Apia.
Admiral Kimberly expressed considera-
BILE displeasure at the return of the Nipsic
and Alert, after having gone 250 miles, and
reproved Captain Mullan for his action.
Captain Mullan asked to be relieved of his
command.
RELIEVED FROM COMMAND.
The Admiral at once detached him, and
ordered Lieutenant Commander II. W.
Lyon, of the Trenton, to take command of
the Nipsic. He also issued orders for the
ships to 60 to Pago-Pago and take on coal
and proceed to Auckland. The Nipsic and
the Alert sailed for Pago-Pago within a
few hours after their return here.
The orders were afterward changed, and
Honolulu was made the destination OF the
ships instead of Auckland. The vessels
sailed from Pago-Pago for Honolulu June
1. The regular mail schooner. which runs
to Tutuila every month to connect with the
Oceanic steamer to and from San Francisco.
failed to meet the north-bound steamer Zea-
landia, which passed May %, and conse-
quently no mail left here tor America and
Europe.
Last month Captain Mullan had gone to
Tutuila on the schooner to take the steamer
for San Francisco, but he was left at Leone,
a small settlement on the island, for
Chief Engineer G. w. Hall, of the Nipsic,
who was i'll with dysentery, was detached
from his vessel by the Medical Board. He
was also left at Leone to wait for the June
steamer, but died on the 10th inst His
home was Syracuse, n. Y.
A TEMPORARY TREATY.
During the last two months there has been
practically a state of peace between the two
native parties. Mataafa wrote to Tamasese
expressing desire that peace be pro-
claimed. Tamasese replied that he was
willing to stop fighting for the present, but
he declined to make any negotiations fer
peace until the result. of the Ber-
lin conference should be learned here Ma
taafa abandoned his Notifications early in
May, sent his men home and moved to the
eastern end of Apie.
He stated he desired to show Admiral |
Kimberly and the American people
generally that he desired to do all in his
power to promote peace. He said he was
ready to abide by the decision of the Berlin
conference. Mataafa gave a feast two
weeks ago, to which he invited over 100
foreign residents and visitors, including all
American naval officers here and the |