Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-04-05

reef A terrible struggle for life ensued
among the officers and sailors aboard Many
plunged into the raging surf and struck out
some reaching the shore in safety. Other;
chung to the rigging until the mast fell OF
those in the rigging only two gained the shore
The captain Of the Adler and several other
officers were saved.
Meantime the United States Steamer Nipsic
towards the shore. The captain, however,
managed to keep control and ran her on a
sandbank Boats were Immediately lowered
and the whole company were saved with the
exception OF six men: These were drowned
by the capsizing of boat.
The United States steamer Vandalia was
carried before the gale right upon the reef
She struck with a terrible shock, hurting
Captain SchoOnmaker against a Calling gun,
and he fell stunned Before he could recover
washed away with others into the sea. The
vessel sank fifty yards from the Nipsic. Sew
eral of the officers and men were washed over
board and drowned. Others persisted while
making desperate efforts to swim to the shore.
Some remained for hours in the rigging, but
heavy and swift succeeding waves daShing
over them carried them off one by one.
By this time night had set in. Many natives
and Europeans had gathered on the shore, all
anxious to render assistance to the unfortu-
nate crews, but owing to the darkness they
were wholly unable to be of service
Soon after the Vandalia had sunk the Amer
ican WafSllD IIGllUOH DlOkC llUln llcf dDCnO-
rage and was driven upon the wreck Of the
Vandalia whence she drifted to the shore.
The bottom of the Trenton was completely
stove, and her hold was half full of water.
AS morning broke. the German man-of-war
Olga, which had hitherto withstood the gale,
although much battered by the heavy seas
that constantly broke upon her, became I'M
manageable, and she was driven upon the
beach, where she lay in a tolerable fair con-
dition The following is a record of the Off
oar and, Fhpr-Vbp q MT q nd
other officers except one and rs men. Wanda
lathe captain, four officers and 40 men,
Nipsic-Seven men. Adler-Altogether Is
persons.
ance of the ships. They rendered splendid aid
in trying to float the Olga.
THE LOSSES.
The official announcement from the NAVY
department at Washington says the Vandalia
lost four officers and thirty nine men, namely:
Capt. Shoemaker, Paymaster Arms, Lieu
tenant of Marines Hutton, Pay Clerk, John
Roach, Henry Baker, w., " B 81 Wm.
Craigin, B. F. Davis, Thomas G. Downey NJ.
Erickson, S. 9. Ghring Adolph Goldner, Geo.
German, N. b. Green Joseph Griffin, 3. M.
Hanmeur, John Hanchett, G. II. Hawkins,
W. Howat, Frank Jones, Geo: Jorden, NJ: H.
Joseph John Kelly, Thomas Kelly, n. Kin
sella, G. P Ktratzer, Chas. Kram, F. Less
man, George Message, Aylmer = Montgomery;
Thomas Riley II + Stalman, G G. Stanford nf
Henry Wixfed, All Kow, A. H Peck, Perdang,
The Nipsic lost seven men, namely: Geo
w. Callan, John Gill, Joshua Heap, Thomas
Johnson, David Kelleher, Henry Pentsell,
VIM. Watson.
All were saved from the Trenton.
The Trenton's and Vandalia's crews are
ashore and the Nipsic's on board. All stores
possible were saved.
4, A Hon 4o+o
losses. The Olga is beached and may be saw
ed. The German losses are So.
THE LOST AMERICAN OFFICERS.
Capt Cornelius NJ. Shoemaker was 80
years old, native of Kingston, N. Y, and
son of a distinguished lawyer still living. He
graduated at the Naval Academy in L $50, and
went through the civil war with distinction.
the Portsmouth (Va.) Navy yard, and while
there was member of the Vestry of Trinity
Episcopal church there. He was deeply
pious Christian, and generous hearted man. His
wife is at Albany, N. Y, where his three
received there Saturday. Mrs. Schoonmaker
knew nothing of the horror until it was broken
to her by them. She was utterly Frustrated
and refused to believe the rumors. A telegram
to the Secretary of the Navy received a reply
verifying in part the dread details. Mrs
SHOEMAKER sank in sWoon and has since
been under the constant care of her physician
who fears that the result of the shock will be
serious. She lies in state OF stupor, murmur-
ing only at intervals: 'NIy husband, my hus-
band! Thank God he was good Christian
man." Mrs. SchOonmaker parted with hel
husband in October in California, where the
family had passed the summer.
Lieutenant Francis E. Sutton, the son OF
City Chamberlain Sutton of Rome, New York
was one of the brightest men in the marine
corps. He entered the Naval Academy as
cadet midshipman on June q, 1877, graduated
in 1882 and was made second lieutenant in the
junior first lieutenant of the corps, having
been promoted on March 8, 1885, Lieut. SUIT
ton was only engaged as temporary command
Ell of marines ON the Vandalia until the regu
larly detailed cOmmandant of marines could
report. He expected to be transferred to the
Mohican when the Vandalia fell in with thai
vessel.
Paymaster's clerk, John Roach, was the
brother of James Jeffries Roach the poet, who
is associated with John Boyle O'Reilly on the
Boston Pilot. MI. Roach's home is at lion
NY.
The wife and child of Paymaster Frank Ii
Armes reside at the Crawford House in New
London, Conn Paymaster Armes was born
in Conn. He was appointed acting assistan
paymaster in 1864. He served on the Tusca
rora and Terror, and was commissioned pay
master in 1871.
The dead paymaSter was one Of the mos
ioval and wholesOuled men in the service A
the same time he was devout Christian an(
always took great interest in the work OF
the Episcopal Church, to which he belonged
At Honolulu, Sandwich Islands where the
Vandalia was stationed for six months before
going to Samoa, he sung in the choir of the
Episcopal Cathedral, which is located there
He was a man of great refinement and culture
and prime favorite at the national palace il
Honolulu, His letters from there we're full
| of interest, and in one of them, written to hi.
brother-in-law, Theodore Merrick, of Merricl
Station, L. l., he penned some lines of poetry
which illustrate his Christian faith. Tie
Vandalia has been stationed at Panama. an(
going to Callao, Peru, it crossed the equator
eve lost sight of the North STAR" he wrote
''and the Southern Cross became visible
This fact seemed to me to embOdy a poetic
idea and wrote the lines which suggested
themselves to me:
Meath the bright glory of tropic night,
Ger arching, phosphorescent summer seas,
! While family blows the equatorial breeze,
POlaris meath the horizon hides his light.
But as the Pole star fades upon our view,
Now flashing out like jewels in the sky
The Southern Cross in golden majesty
Irradates the watery waste anew.
| And so, when sets for us in sorrows night
Some pole star of our love and trust and hope
Ills then, as we in doubt and darkness grope,
The Cross shines out with its divinest light.
PENSIONS FOR RELATIVES.
The immediate relatives of those who los
their lives in the wreck will be entitled tC
pensions under the general law The pension
Is SIS per month for a seaman's widow and S.
per month for each child under 16 years OF
age. In the case of widows of officers it is
prOpOrtiOnately larger. Parents of the dead
persons will have to prove that they were de-
pendent upon their sons for support to entitle
them to pensions Congress will probably
oil of IL