Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-10
THE FALSE ALARM.
How the San Francisco Pap
ers Famed it.
BULLETIN BOARDS BESIEGED.
The First Reliable Samoan News
Will Come by the ZeaIandia
Next Saturday.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALDl
SAN Francisco, March 9.-This civ
had touch, to-day, of the excitement
which would follow the confirmation of
the rumor that the United States man.
of-war Nipsic had been sunk in Samoan
waters by German man-of-war, as re-
ported in the Byeslau dispatch two days
ago. All manner of disturbing rumors
were abroad during the day, to the effect
that the naval authorities at Mare Island
had received news confirming the sink
ing of the Nipsic, which was intensified
by the statement that the Germans had
seized the American mail steamer Ala
media, of the Oceanic Company. The
statement was also made that the Secre-
tary of the Navy had telegraphed an in
ouiry to the Union Iron Works, OF
this city, as to how soon the
steel cruiser Charleston could be
placed in readiness for her guns. Based
upon these rumors, and the further state
ment that the Southern Pacific Com pany
had received notice to be prepared to
handle the Charleston guns and naval
stores, the newspapers put up bulletin
on their boards declaring that the sink
ing Of the American man-of-war had
been confirmed by private advices.
Tremendous crowds surrounded the
newspaper offices, and in spite of
the lack of definite confirmation
of the news regarding the Nipsic, the
news spread rapidly throughout the city
that the rumor of the sinking of the
American ship was true.
The newspaper extras, issued up to 6
O'Clock, failed to definitely dispose of the
question as to the fate of the American
war ship, or whether the Washington
authorities were finally in receipt of con-
frmatory news.
How thoroughly the excitement had
taken hold of the masses was shown in
the crowds of men and women about the
bulletin boards and in the common SEN
timent expressed, in case disaster had
overtaken the American vessel.
The story respecting the steamship
Alameda was shown to be untrue by the
receipt of cable from Sydney noting
Zealandia, which is due here next SatuI-
day, will bring mail advices from Samoa
up to March 1st, and, unless definite
telegraphic advices are received from
Auckland in the meantime, will give the
first authentic news from the islands re-
ceived since the 1st OF February.
LOYAL To THE FLAG.
In an editorial headed "The First Shot :"
commenting on the report of the engage
ment between the United States man-of.
war Nipsic and the German corvette
Olga, the California Demokrat. the lead
| ipfv Df &c o;t
tomorrow: "As American citizens of
German extraction, we cannot but deeply
deplore this unfortunate quarrel between
the country of our choice and that of our
birth; but whatever may come, there re-
main but two roads to follow. Either
We must rally round the starry flag and
defend it with our lives and our fortunes,
or we have to shake off our American
citizenship by emigrating from this
untry; and, since we have come here
to stay, we will stand and fall by our
flag. Our country right or wrongp"
WASHINGTON, March 9.-Inquiry at the
White House met with the statement
from Secretary Halford that no confrma-
tion of the San Francisco news had been
received by President Harrison.
RUMoR DENIED ALL ROUND.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 9.-At late
hour tonight no word had been received
here confirming any of the rumors afoat
to-day regarding affairs in Samoa. The
owners of the Oceanic Steamship Line
have received no intelligence tending to
show that one of their vessels had been
seized by the Germans or had been, in
any way, concerned in the existing
troubles, while careful inquiries by the
Associated Press representatives fail
to elicit from the heads of the depart
ments at Washington or from persons
here who would be informed in the mat
ter, any statement beyond denial that
any such startling intelligence as has
been reported has been received. Ad-
vices also from London, Berlin and
Auckland, fail to verify single report.