, 1889-04-04
WIRE WAFTINGS.
A Detailed Account Of the Ter
rjble Samoan Disaster.
Some Important Land Rulings
and Decisions.
A Large Quantity Of California Lands
Affected by the u. y. supreme
Court Opinions.

LONDON, April Further particulars
OF the disaster at Apia have just been re-
ceived. rhe hurricane burst upon the
harbor suddenly. The German man.of
war Eber was the first vessel to drag her
anchor. She became unmanaReable and
was driven helplessIy on the reef which
runs around the harbor. She struck
broadside at 6 o'clock. The shock caused
her to lurch and staeaer back and she sank
10 moment In deep water. Most Of her
men were und,r the hatch and scarcely
soul Of them escaped The German war
vessel Adler was the next to succumb. She
wave ~as ",,Dd aDd 0e% cast g ON her s'bsas Ssa%s
end on the 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. Others
clung to the rigging until the mast fell,
or those In the rigging only two gained
the shore. The captain of the Adler and
several other officers we're saved.
In the meantime the United States
steamer Nipsic had been dragging her
anchors, and drifting toward the shore.
The captain. however, managed to keep
control and ran her on the sand bar.
Boats were immediately lowered and the
whole company was saved with the excep.
tion OF six men. These were drowned by
the capsizlng of boat.
The United States steamer Vandalia
was carried before the gale right upon the
reef, She struck with a terrible shock,
hurting the captain against a gatling gun
and he fell stunned Before he could re-
cover great wave swept the deck and
washed him and others away into tue sea.
The vessel sunk Fifty yards from the Nip.
sic and several of the officers and men
went down with her; others prrished while
making desperate efforts to swim to the
shore. Some of the ships men tried to
save themselves by clinging to the rigging,
but the heavy and swift running waves
dashed over them and one by one 'hey
were swept away. BY this time night had
set in and many natives and Europeans
| bad gathered on the shore, all anxious to
render assistance to the unfortunate crews,
but owing TO the darkness they were
| wholly unable TO be OF service.
Soon after the Vdndalia had sunk the
American warship Trenton broke from her
| anchorage 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 half full Of
water AS morning dawned the German
man -of-war Olga, which had hitherto
withstooG the gale although much bat
| upon her, became unmanageable and was
| driven upon the beach where she lay in
teri iible position.
The following Is record OF the officers
and men lost:
Eber-Captain and all other officers
except one and seventy-six men
Vandalia-Captain, four officers and
forty men
Nipsic-Seven men.
Adler-Altogether fifteen persons.
Mataofa sent "a number of his men to the
assistance of the wrecked ships. They
rendered splendid aid in trying to float
the Olga.
THE QUEENS CoNDoIENCE.
WASHINGTON, April 1.--Queen Victoria
cabled through Lord Salisbury to the
British legislation in this city to-day
directing that her earnest sympathy be ex-
pressed to the president of tue United
States on account of the terrible naval mis-
fortune at Samoa and the deplorabe loss
of life. Ed wards, the British charg
affairs, accompanied by the secretary OF
state, waited upon the president this after
noon and read to him the Gu, en- s mt ssae,.
President Harrison expressed his warm
appreciation and that of the whole people
of this country of tie out en- $ cDnsiderate
sympathy in the Calamity that had over
formal reply to the queen 8 message would
be made the president said, through the
department OF state.
NAVY PENSIONS.
Secretary Tracy went to Brooklyn yes
terday. The Immediate relatives of those
who lost their lives in the wreck at Samoa
Will be entitled to II pension under the
general law. The pension is IS per month
for seaman's widow. and 80 per month
for each child under III years of age In
the case of widows OF officers it is propor-
tionaly larger. Parents of dead persons
will nave to prove they were dependent
upon their sons for support to eutitle them
to pensions Congress wi probably pass
d special act making reimbursement for
effects and baggage officer, and men losi
in the wreck This was done IN the case
of the Huron, which went down on the
Hatteras coast about fifteen years ago.
LAND DEPARTMENT RULINGS.
4 I..n n