Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-15


and he now held out his hand to save human
life, caring little whether it was friend or foe.
! Lieutenant Goedeke and four sailors were
| saved by natives The former was taken by
Lieutenant I. S. Fillette, the marine officer of
the Nipsic, TO the American Consulate, wnere
he was furnished with dry clothes.
THE ADLER's FATE.
During the excitement attending that calan-
ity the other vessels had been for a moment
forgotten, but it was soon noticed that the posi-
ton of several OF them had become more alarm
ing. The Adler had been swept across the bay,
being for moment in collision with the Olga
She was now close to the reef, about 200 wards
west OF the point where the Eber struck. Like
the Eber, she was approaching her doom broad
top OF the reef and turned completely on her
side. Nearly every man was thrown into the
water. fortunately, however, the Adler was
thrown so far up on the reef that when she
turned over on her side nearly the entire hull
was out OF water. Her deck wasat right angles
with the water, and was facing the shore, con-
| seouently that portion of the vessel was well
protected from the storm.
Most OF the men who were struggling in the
water had but few feet to swim 10 reach the
deck, where they clnng to the guns and masts
| in safety. OF the $50 OH rs and men aboard 20
men were drowned or killed when the steamer
eapsized. All the officers, including CAPTAIN
frltze, VINO was IN command OF the German
squadron here, were saved.
Many on the Adler were badly injured among
them being Captain Fritze, who received a
severe shock and number of cuts and bruises
deck of the Adler during the day and a num-
ber OF sailors escaped in that way.
THE NIPsIc RUNS ASHORE
Just after the Adler struck, the attention of
everyone was directed toward the Nipsic. She
was standing Off the reef with her head to wind
but tie three anchors which she had out at the
| time were not holding, and the steamer was
beating back toward the point where the Eber
went down II was only by the most skillful
management that her officers and crew were
| saved from the same fate that befell the Eber
| The Nipsic also narrowly escaped destruction
BY being run into by the Olga, and it was the
| blow she received from. that vessel that finally
sent her ashore. The Nipsic had on all the
steam it was possible to carry, and had Just sue
ceeded in getting clear OF the reef when the
little schooner Lily got in her track and was cut
down.
After the sinking of the Lily the Olga again
bore down on the Nipsic, striking her amidships
splintering her rail and knocking down her
| smokestaek She drifted rapidly towards the
place where the Eber had gone down until Cap
| tain Mullan, seeing that any further attempt TO
save her would be useless, used all the steam he
mad and ran her ashore in front of the Ameri-
can Consulate.
| Two boats were lowered Five sailors jumped
into the first, it capsized and they were drowned
| The other boat, containing DR.. E. z Derr the
ships surgeon, and half dozen sick men, was
lowered in safety, but it capsized before it
reached the shore. All of the men half swan
and half noated until they came within reach
OF the natives, who were standing waist deep in
| the surf when they were pulled out on the
| beach. Several of the sick men were much ex-
| hausted, but they were quickly removed to the
| Consulate and revived in few hours
Several men Oh the Nipsic ran to the rail and
jumped overheard, among them being Leuten-
ant K. q. Davenport. All reached the shore in
| safety except two sailors who were unable to
| swim through the current and were swept out
| into the bay and drowned.
BRAVE sAMoANs TO THE REscuE.
By this time every man aboard had crowded
on the forecastle. The natives rushed down
to
| those on deck above to throw line. Double
hawsers were soon made fast from the deck to
| the shore. and the natives gathered around the
lines TO assist the men off,
Seumanu Tafa, Chief of Apis District, and
Saluanai, King Mataafas Secretary, directed
the men in their WORK. The scene was one of
| excitement. The seas broke upon the stern of
the Nipsic with an awful force, and il seemed as
II the vessel would be shattered to pieces before
| the men on her decks could be saved. The waves
| were rolling high Oh the beach, and the under
| tow was SO strong that the natives narrowly
escaped being washed out into the bay. The
terrible force of the wind can hardly be
| imagined. The rain continued TO pour and the
| clouds Of Tying sand grew thicker every mo-
| ment Above the roar OF the wind and waves
could be heard the voices of the officers shout
ing TO the men on deck. mingled with the loud
cries and singing of the Samoans as they stood
battling against the surf, risking their lives to
| save the American sailors.
| Captain Mullan insisted upon being the last
man to leave the ship. He finally found him
| self on the deck with Lieutenant John A. Shear
man and two sailors by his side. The Captain
| being unable to swim did not care 10 trust tn
| descending the rope by means OF his hands and
legs as all the others had done. so he procured
| an empty water cask which he attached to a
hawser. When he was seated in the cask Shear
man stood alone on the deck and started his
Commander down the rope Lieutenant Shear
| man then climbed down the rope in the usual
way, and the Nipsic was left alone to battle
with the waves.
After the men were all on shore some of the
| sailors got drunk and would have made trouble
but Tor the energetic action of Lieutenant
| Fillette, of the Nipsc.
THE cALLIoPE AND vANDALIA
About 10 o'clock in the morning the excite
ment on shore, which had quieted little lust
| after the Nipsic struck, commenced to grow
more intense, as the Vandalia and Calliope
| were III most dangerous position. A collision
between tae two vessels seemed inevitable and
| they were both bearing back against the reef
near the point where the wreck of the Adler
lay. The Calliope was nearer the shore and her
bow was close to the stern of the Vandalia.
Great waves were tossing the two vessels about
ana they Were coming together closer every
was seen to close altogether. Suddenly the
great iron Prov of the Englishman arose high
| IN the air on the crest OF an enormous wave and
came down with full force upon the port quarter
OF the Nandal1a. The crash was awful. The
jibboom of the Calliope was carried away and
the heavy timbers of the Vandalia were shiy-
cred Every man who stood upon the poop deck
of the Nandalia was thrown off his feet by the
snock. hoe had been torn below the rail
| and water rushed into the cabin. 1t was i'm pos,
sIble to ascertain the extent of the damage at
| the moment, but at the time it seemed that the
! Vandalia had received her death blow Men
| rushed up the matches in the belief that the
| steamer was sinking, and it was only after
| great effort that the officers persuaded them to
| return to their posts.
THE CALLIoPE's HEROIC STRUGGLE
Just after the collision Captain Kane of the
Calliope determined to make an effort to steam
out OF the harbor. as he saw that to remain in
| his present position would lead to another col
| lision with the Vandalia or throw his vessel on
the reef He accordingly gave orders TO let go all
anchors. The Calliope's head was swung round
to the wind and her powerful engines were
| worked 10 their utmost capacity 1t was an
| anxious moment on board the corvette, as with
her anchors gone she had nothing to depend
upon but her engines to keep her off the reef.
Inc steamer seemed to stand still for moment,
and then the rapidly-revolving propeller had its
| effect, for the vessel moved up slowly against
the great waves which broke over her bows and
| hooded her decks from stem to stern Clouds of
black smoke poured from her tunnels and fresh
coal was thrown into the furnaces. Every
tension was strained in her desperate struggle
| against the storm. She seemed to make her
headway at first inch by inch, but her speed
| gradually increased untilit became evidenttha
| she could clear the harbor.
| cHEERED BY THE TRENToN's MEN
AS she passed abreast of the Trenton great
| aboard the flagship, and three hearty cheers
were given for the Calliope. Three cheers for
| the Trenton and the American flag was the
| answer that came across the angry waters
The Calliope passed safely out of the har-
/ Dor and steamed far out to sea, returning after
| the storm abated. She sustained little injury
outside of the loss of all her boats.
WRECK OF THE vANDELIA.
When the excitement on the Vandelia which
| followed the collision with the Calliope had
subsidized a little it was found necessary to act
promptly to save the ship. Lieutenant j. W.
Carlin, the executive officer, was practically in
charge of the vessel, as Captain SHOEMAKER
| had been thrown across the cabin the night
before and severely injured. His head had been
| badly cut and one ear almost torn away by
| striking violently against a chair Notwith-
standing his injuries he faced the storm like a
hero and stood by the side OF his first officer
until the sea finally swept him off to his death.
| He was in such a dazed and weakened condi-
| tion. however, that he was able to do but little
| toward directing the movements of the ship
Captain Schoonmaker and Lieutenant Carlin
| saw that it was useless to make any further at
tempt to save the ship, and as the engines were
| not powerful enough to steam out to sea- as the
Calliope had done. they determined to beach
| the vessel Every one on shore crowded down
| near the point where it was expected she would
| strike, and watched the vessel steam across the
| harbor. She came on until her bow stuck in
| the soft sand about a hundred yards off shore