Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-21
BY THE EYEWITNESSES.
The Sad Samoan Story Told
In Full Detail.
OFFICIAL REPORTS RECEIVED
Only the Narrative of Brave Captain
Sch0onmaker Missing-An
Inquiry Asked.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.

brought two letters from Admiral Kim
berly referring to the wrecking OF the
American fleet at Apia.'
NATIVE SERVICES APPRECIATED.
The first letter, dated Apia, March
10th, reads:
Secretary of the Navy:
SIR-sI have to commend to the Gov
ernment of the United States the very
great assistance we re ceived in saving
public property from our. wrecked vessels
OF this place, from Metaafa Malietoa,
who, without request on my part, called
on me personally and sent some hundreds
of his men to assist our people in saving
the stores and materials from the
wrecked vessels.
''Also when the Nipsic and Vandalia
went on shore, the natives rieked their
lives to save those of our men who en-
deavored to reach shore by swimming,
and two of them lost their lives in these
attempts. If some recognition of these
services could be made, / think it would
be appreciated very highly by the
Samoans, particularly as they have So
generously given their services, and in
two cases their lives, to befriend u.s."
CONDITION OF THE SHIPS.
Under date of Apia, March 21st, Kim
berly writes ''The Nipeic was got off
last night, and is now afoat, without
rudder or rudder-poet. Her crew is en-
gagged in trying to get up her chains.
The Trenton is sunk, the water coming
over the port side of the gun deck at
high water. I think her back is broken.
She might possibly be freed from the
water if we had proper appliances, pow
erful steam pumps, etc. She has no
rudder, rudder-post or propeller, and
lies with the deck slightly seaward. She
lies alongside of the wreck of the Van
dalia, which is to shoreward of her. The
latter vessel IS total wreck, broken in
two. At high tide the water rises over
her top-gallant forecast: only the fore
mast remaining. We are engaged in se.
curing moorings for the Nlpsic and in
wrecking the Trenton and Vandalia. A
good deal of what we save might be sold
at public auction to save the expense OF
storing and transportation.
"Our sick and injured are doing well.
1t would perhaps be well to send
wreckiDg vessels here later in the sea-
son to save the Trenton's heavy guns,
ammunition, etc.
CAPTAIN KANE's KINDNESS.
| have received from Captain Horny G..
Kane royal navy diving suit and ap-
paratus, and will use it for all it is worth.
But we ought to have another in case of
an accident to this. | hope the Depart
ment will not forget Captain Kane's
kindness to US in our distress. He COM
mands the B. M. S. Calliope, which ves-
sci had but one boat. l gave to her one
of our ten-oared cutters, but he did not
consider it safe to lie there at this season
Of the year. She sailed this morning for
Sydney, where she will be repaired. She
is considerably damaged by the Olga col
liding with her. Almost every vessel was
at one time or another in collision with
some other vessel, and great deal of
the damage that occurred was owing to
this cause.
ENDEAyoRs TO SAVE THE NIPsIC.
eff l can save the Nipsic, which can be
done If the weather permits, will send
her under CONVOY to Auckland to be
docked and repaired. Another ship
should be sent here for the purpose OF
conveying her, as the risk of an i'm
provised rudder is too great to send her
there alone. / have still to learn of the
condition of her machinery and propel-
Ter, but shall be informed in the course
of few days.
Every respectfully your obedient SER
want, L. A. KIMBERLY,
Rear Admiarl U. S. N. Commanding U.
s. naval force on Pacific Station"
COMMANDER MULLAN's LETTER.
A letter from Commander D. W. Null
Ian, of the Nipsic, dated Apia, March
23rd, addressed to the Secretary of the
Navy, reads: SIN compliance with
paragraph 20, page 38, of the United
States Navy Regulations, l have the
honor to report all the boiler power used
on the 10th of March, during the violent
hurricane which occurred in this har-
bor."
HIS OFFICIAL REPORT.
Commander Mullan, of the Nipsic, be-
gins his official report to Admiral Kim
berly by expressing regret that he was
compelled to beach the vessel to save
her from total destruction and to save
the lives of his command. He says the
vessel had three anchors down, and
veered to their full scope as far as possi-
BILE in order not to collide with either the
Olga or the Eber. During the height of
the hurricane, and at about 5 A. M, March
Is, the Olga fouled the Nipsic, carrying
away the whale boat, the dingy and the
port railing of the poop deck, bending
the davits, etc. About A. NJ. the
Olga again fouled, carrying away the
hammock rail, part of the smokestack,
the steam launch, and the second cutter.
Having lost her smokestack, and there
being no draft, Commander Mullin eaye
he found it necessary to use pork in the
furnaces.
When the effort was being made to get
the forecastle gun overheard as an addi-
tional anchor, the starboard hawser part
ed and the ship continued to drag toward
the reef. Finding it impossible to keep
up steam, the Commander decided to
beach the Nip>ic in order to save life; 30
the chains were slipped and the ship was
beached in front of the United States
consulate. The gig capsized when being
lowered and seven men were lost. Lines
were then got ashore and all hands es-
capped
The Commander then gives in detail
most formidable and technical list of the
injuries sustained by the Nipsic. In con-
clusion he says that everything was done
that could have been done to save the
vessel from total wreck and the lives of
hose attached to the ship.
CAPTAIN FARoUHAR's REPORT.
In his official report to Admiral KIM
berly relative to the loss of the Trenton,
Captain Farquhar, her commander,
ltates IL at in his opinion the ship wa