The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-04-26
The SAMOAN DISASTER.
Particulars About the Wreck
ing Of Our Ships at Apia.
Survivors Bring the Story OF the
Great Calamity.

The steamer Alameda arrived i'm Sar
francisco bringing advices from Apia. Samoa
up to March 80.
Inc steamer stopped at the Samoan capital
and took Off many of the shipwrecked sailors
Among those who came upon the Alameda
were Chief Cadet Robert Stocker and Cadets
Hibbs, Decker, Wells, Cloke, Sackland. Le-
Jure, Wiley and Logan and DIR. Cortiers all
Of the Vandalia. Lieutenant Ripley came ON
tho alameda, with thirty men, but stopped
The hurricanewhich cost 30 many lives MT
Samoa began about Q o'clock on Saturday
morning, March 10, and lasted until Sunday
at little after O'Clock in the morning.
. The Eber, the German vessel was the first
70 De wrecked. She broke up in pieces in a
few minutes, only one officer and four men
Deng saved. Her guns, which were of great
quickly.
IS, Shortly afterward the Adler German,
westward. She was lifted high and lry and
Is now lying on her port side high and dry,
only few feet of her side being under winter
at high tide. In all twenty men were lost from
the Adler.
The United States steamer NiDs;c wos
the next on the list of casualties, II
was observable from the shore that she
would not be able to hold out. She was
drifting toward the reef, and at about nine
o'clock she headed for the shore and Just
touched the points of the reef with her
VIM WIN her stern post, but, by the
skillful management of the captain and Of
ficers they succeeded in beaching her ON the
sand; Great credit is due for the manner i'm
which the Nipsic was handled, for if she had
gone on tho reef a larger number of lives
would undoubtedly have been lost
AS NJ is seven men were drowned, but oil
would have been saved if they had stuck to
the ship.
EARLY in the morning the Olga collided
with the Nipsic, doing the latter Considerable
damage, carrying away her smokestack, steam
launch, whaleboat and part of her bulwarks
On account Of the smokestack being broken
on the furnaces would not draw TO keep a
iuh mead OF steam on. Excepting for this ac-
cident the Nipsic, which had powerful er.-
gines, might have rode out the gale in safety
On Thursday morning the Nipsic was sue
ceSSlully floated out to her old anchorage
Her propeller is too much injured to be re-
paired IN Samoa, and her ruddcr is gone
The Vandalia was the most unfortunate
vessel OF the United States Squadron. She
driftcd, about o'clock, near to the Calliope
and the Olga came into collision with both
Inc Caiiiope struck her with great force OH the
dalia still continued drifting almost in com
Pany with the Calliope,. but the latter vessel,
having lost nearly all her anchors, put full
steam OH and went steadily out to sea.
Tho captain of the Vandalia, seeing no hope
OF saving his ship headed her for the shore,
to reach the sandy beach
en1nk BofoTo She could beach, within about
fifty yards from the stern of the Nipsic.
The captain, paymaster, payclerk, lieu
tenant of marines and many men were
washed overheard The vessel was COM
pletely submerged, and oil hands had to take
to the rigging, where they remained
until until. the Trenton ,S was driven alongside
most of the officers and crow got on the Tren-
ton, excepting Lieutenant Ripley, who jumped
into the sea just before the mast gave way, and
with great difficulty swan to tho shore. He
then procured whaleboat and, with the aid
OF Samoans, got line out to tho wreck Tho
loss Of life in the Vandalia werc the COM
mander, three officers and thirty-ninc seamen
and marines.
The Trenton, meanwhile, was gradually
coming closer to the land. She had her
bridge ports broken in, which left an Open
ing, and tho sea came in great quantities
through this opening and the hawse pipe,
getting into the fires. This was unfortunately
fatal to the chances Of saving the Admiral
ship
Tho engineers were unable to keep up steam.
All hands were ordered to the pumps, whic.,
were kept constantly going all day About
O'Clock the Trenton had drifted down toward
the Olga, which vessel was then about 500 yards
from the reef Both ships tried to avoid touch
ing, but n collision was inevitable. Tho
Olga's bow struck the Trenton on the quarter,
opening n large breach and doing 9TH.
damage and the Olga's bow was smashed.
After tho vessels cleared each other tho
Trenton driftcd still further toward tho reef,
and one time held fairly well to her
dropped, down !; just clear of tho
reef and on to the Vandalia Tho TreL-
tons stern was aground. She was broadsido
on to the sunlSen vessel, and the poor fellows
who had been on the Vandalia's yard about
twelve hours got on to the Trenton, being az
sisted by the Admirars crew with lines and
other cOntrivanceS.
On Sunday morning boats wero busily en-
gagged all day in removing the men from tho
ship to the shore, which was accomplished
night. On Monday $50 Samoans from Mataafa's
camp and the men-of-war sailors were work.
ing hard all day saving property from the
Trenton, and several Samoans and sailors
were also engaged working on the other ships
ashore.
No lives wore lost Tho Trenton is total
wreck. Ono of the men was killed carly in
the morning of Saturday by being crushed
among the timber after tho collision. Ills
name was Joseph Hewlett colored man.
The Olga, after slipping her cables and get
ting clear of the Trcnton, managed to make
Roadway against tho sea for n short time,
and hopes were entertained that this vessel
tho last left afloat in the harbor, would be
saved, but within holf an hour she was run
into one Of .he best positions for beaching in
tho harbo,
Tho Nipsic is fitted up with tho Vandalia's S
funnel. Her ruddcr and stern post are gone,
propeller bent and twisted
The Trenton is hard and fast on the reef
Her bottom is full of holes and filled with
water up to her gun deck The crews have
been working ten hours daily trying to save