Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-05-03
THE TRENTON'S FATE.
GUNNER WESTFAtl TELLS THE STORY
OF THE STRUGGLE TO SAVE HER.
From the New York Herald

From the New York Herald
Mrs. J. r. Westfall of Rochester, n.
Y, received April %, letter from her
son, John Westfall, a gunner on board
the warship Trenton, dated March 10,
1899. After mentioning the vessels in
the harbor when the hurricane began,
he says
''1'he sea was terrific. At two o'clock
it was light enough for us to see what
had happened. The two merchant ships
and all the schooners were total wrecks,
some piled high on the reef. others sunk
at their anchorage, with nothing to be
seen but a spar sticking out of the water.
The German ships Eber and Adler were
also wrecked. the Eber going to pieces
and all hands being lost but three or
four. The Adler was lifted bodily up on
the reef and keeled oyer on her side.
Some of her crew We're saved, but can't
find out how many.
AT this time the scene beggars des-
cription. 1t was fearfully and terribly
grand. The only vessels we could see
anyway distinctly were the Nandalia,
just astern of us, the Englishman close
behind her and the Olga astern of the
Britisher. All were steaming as hard
as possible and had four anchors down.
We were steaming at the rate of ten
knots and had five heavy anchors down.
All the vessels had all their masts and
yards down and were making heroic
struggle for existence. The ship seemed
fairly to leap out of the water. At
times the bows would be lifted entirely
out of the water so you could see half
their keel.
about three o'cock our first cable
parted and we began to be very anxious,
as the water was pouring in the hawse
pipes in spite of all that could be done
and the water was gaining on US, though
/, we had all the steam and hand pumps
going for dear life.
FIGHT FOR LIFE.
AT half-past seven o'clock | heard
the word passed that the starboard bride
port-the bow port on the gun deck
had been burst in by the sea, and | knew
that the ship was gone if we did not keep
the water out in some way. | called out
for volunteers and went forward.
; Every plunge the ship made water came
, pouring in througha space six feet by
four feet, completely flooding the gun
; deck. | ordered capstan bars and ham
mocks to be brought at once and we be-
gan our fight for life. a capstan bar
was needed outside of the ship to hold
the material that we were using to block
, the port with in place, and with the help
3 of one man | got it in place. Then
saw that two tackles must be hooked to
the bar so that we could pull our barri-
, cade out to the port and hold it in place.
No one would 90 out to place the straps
= on the bar and | said well, | will
60 The men begged me not to 90,
! and even tried to hold me back; but
/ went out at what | thought a favorable
4 opportunity and did the work. but not a
moment too soon, as sea came in as
! was being hauled back; and God help
0 me if | had been five seconds late.
! "Then we got table and standing II
4 up with both tackles hooked behind we
=, began to pile hammocks in front, and
: for five hours we had the most desperate
/ struggle. AS every sea came in we
would be knocked down, and what was
y worse some of the barrcade would be
IS driven in. Oh God. What discourage
i ment.
p HAD TO CHEER UP THE MEN.
5 81 didn't dare to give in, for if did
r the men would give up and all would be
S lost; SO we worked on. After each sea
"a knocked us flat we would get up, ant
@ with cheer make a rush for the barrie
!, cade, stunfiig in mattresses and using
capstan bars to ram them home with
u u and at last we got quite good barricad'
n built, but still the water came in fear
u fully. So we built another barricade o
r. lumber abaft the first and forced tn
h water to run out of the water close
= chutes, and at last but very little waite
was going aft.
~ snow some one says Mr.. Westfall
II the ventilator holes are open on the spa
'e deck and the water is pouring dow
II them So ! called Boatswain's Mat