The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-31

officers and men on board, making the total
strength of the American fleet at Sa,noss , %
the German forces. The Olga had 20. men.
the Adler l2S. and the little Eber o., yee
with one-half of the number or the Amerl-
can forces, these unfortunate vessels ap-
pear to have lost more than twice as many
men. Some naval officers think this is an
indication that the American vessels nad
greater structural strength than the Ger
man ships, or that superior seamanshlp was
shown.
Capt. Richard w. Meade. the United
States naval officer who commanded the
Narragansett in Samoan waters in 1872, and
now commandent of the Washington navy
yard, said: THE harbor of Apia IN Opola
is a coral reef harbor, with an entrance
about 1,5O0 yards wide and open TO the
north. 1t is not large, and the anchorage
ground is limited. During the year
ly hurricane season. which lasts
through December. January, February,
risk TO remain in Apia. while Pago-Pago, in
the neighboring island of Tutuila, Is per-
~fectly safe, being land-locked and other
wise sheltered. Hurricanes are, however,
not very frequent at the Samoan islands,
though they occur frequently at the. Tonga
group. They generally sweep up through
the belt of ocean between Tonga and the
Samoan groups. In April, 1850, and IN jan
uary, 1870, the islands were visited by ter
rifle hurricanes. which destroyed the cocoa
NUT banana and bread fruit crop, driving
the natives to the verge of starvation for
several weeks. These hurricanes are often
accompanied by earthquakes, and the con-
junction of the two work terrible injury.
On the Goth of March, 1888, all vessels IN
Apia harbor, except one small schooner,
were driven out to sea and lost. This was
attributed at the time to a series OF heavy
tidal waves caused by an earthquake. Con-
siderable damage was done on shore also.
On the whole. the climate of the Samoan
islands, though variable, is very pleasant,
bad weather only occurring during the win
ter months. At this time there are long and
heavy rains, attended some times by high
winds and northerly gales. Ordinarily the
winds are light and variable, with ire.
quent and sudden squalls. For the rest of
the year the weather is very line, and from
May to November the trade wind blows
steadily from the southeast.
Except Captain Mullan, of the Nipsic, 1T
is not known that any of the American
commanding officers had ever had expert
ence in those islands, or knew of the risks
attending an attempt to ride out hurri-
Lieut.. Edward T.. Haydn, retired, is in
charge of the meteorological division of
the photographic Office. and is regarded as
quite an authority. on the subject of marine
storms. He says that the cyclonic storms
are feature of the South Pacific region.
They have motion exactly the
reverse of those occurring in the
northern hemisphere. but otherwise
path is parabolic and they occur several
times year in some years. Ii again hap
pens that two or three seasons go by with
out storm. An experienced seaman can
detect the approach of such storms III the
West Indias, but the same rnle might not
hold good in Pacific waters.
Capt. Cornelius Nj. Sch00nmaker, COM
manding the Vandalia who lost his life at
Apia, had total sea service of fifteen
years, with an additional thirteen years
and five months on shore duty, and about
six years unimployed. He was appointed
from New York in 1854. He became mid
shipman in 1882 was made lieutenant at
the outbreak of the rebellion, and in 1865
became lieutenant commander. Eight
years later he got his full rank as com
mander, becoming captain in October. 1886.
He was member of the Ulster county fam
lily of SchoOnmakers,
There were seven naval cadets on board
the Trenton and three on board the VAN
dalia. The cadets on board the Trenton
We're Benjamin j. Wells, jr.. son of w. B.
Wells, iron merchant, Chicago; Benjamin
firm of Bisbee, Ahrens q Decker, of Chi
cago; George w. Logan, son of the Hon.
Thomas A. Logan, OF Cincinnati; Frank w.
Hibbs and Robert Stocker, of Minnesota;
w. S. Clarke, of New Jersey. and Richard
II. jackson, of Alabama. Those Oh board
the Vandalia were Edward Moale, jr., son
of Major Moale, of the United States army,
now stationed at Presidio. Cal; Charles 4.
johnson, of Ohio. and Samuel p. Edmunds,
of Missouri. All these were saved.
The difficulty of obtaining telegraphic
news from the Samoan islands is very great.
The dispatches received last night and this
morning by the Associated Press We're first
taken from Apia to Auckland, New Zea-
The news was then transmitted
by cable from New Zealand to Australia,
thence to Banjowanjie, thence to Singapore,
thence to Penang, thence TO Madras,
20 pnt lkox % 1xr
thence to suez. thence to Aiexandria,
thence to Malta, thence to Glib
raltar, thence to Lisbon, thence to Lon
| dOn and thence to New York. 1t is said at
| the Navy Department that Admiral Kim
berly's ablegram containing the news cost
between 500 and $780, Telegrams of in
| quiry were received by Commodore Walker
| from the mother of Lieutenant Sutton, and
the wives of Captain Schoonmaker and
| Paymaster Arms. Suitable replies were
| made, and q telegram was also sent to editor
| j. Roche of the Boston Pilot, informing &
him of the death of his brother.
SAN FRANCISCO. March SO.-The Auckland
| agent of the Oceanic Steamship line whose
has cabled John ID. Spreckels. president of
the company, that Lieutenant Wilson de-
sires to secure accommodations on the
steamship Mariposa. which touches at
| Auckland on her return trip from Sydney,
| in the latter part of April, for three hun
dred OF the wrecked sailors at Samoa to be
| taken 10 San Francisco. The Mariposa is
| entitled - carry only $50 passengers. The
| Deparemert of State has been requested by
| telegraph 70 grant permission for the
| steamer to lake the extra passengers. The
steamship Alameda left Auckland three
days ago. II as believed that she touched
| at Samoa to-day, and it is thought that she
| will bring a large number of the ship
wrecked sal lors to this port without wait
| ing ioT the har;n0sa to receive orders.
4
Problem frr the Navy Department..
| WAsluNGroN, March S0.-By the destruc-
tion OF the American fleet, at Apia, the
Navy Department finds itself confronted
with serious problem. Short of the China
sta ion, where there is small fleet of old
wooden vessels at least one of which can
never hope to successfully cross the Pa
cific, there are almost no American wal
vessels worthy of the name in the Pacific
| ocean, which can be sent Immediately to
Samoa. 1t would not be wise policy to al
| low events there to drift along without the
| presence of one or more American nava
| vessels. The hostile armed factions on the
| islands are no longer under the restraining
| influence of q man-of-war representing any
| civilized nation, and property rights al
| least might be insecure if life wa.
not in jeopardy. The Monongahela. al
| old store-ship carrying a couple of howitzers
| sailed with stores for Samoa. from Mare
Island, Cal, Feb. q, and should arrive in q
week OF two unless she encounters bad
weather. The Dolphin. dispatch boat