Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-04-01

Wateree was carried inland for considera-
BILE distance and, strange to say, none Of her
crow were drowned or killed The worst
disaster to United States vessel during late
years was the sinking of the Huron in a
storm of Curratuck beach, near Cape Hat
teras in 1875. Ensign, now Lieut.. Lucien
Young, was the only man on board OF her
who was saved from the wreck.
Capt Thomas o. Selfridge, who is familiar
with the harbor Of Apia, was at the hydro
graphic Office at the navy department Satur-
day morning examining charts OF the
Samoan islands, when a United Press re-
porter saw him. Capt. Selfridge said that
he thought the Harbor Of Apia an exceed
ingly dangerous one. The whole island OF
Upolua, in which Apia is situated, he says,
is surrounded with coral reefs The bottom
of the harbor is of sand, which affords but
poor anchorage and none at all in such gale
as that which destroyed the vessels. The
entrance to tho harbor is from the north. A
very heavy surf prevails Just outside the
coral reefs, and the water inside these ranges
from fifth to seventy five feet in depth. 1t is
Capt Selfridge's opinion that the hurricane
came from the south and drove the vessels on
the coral reefs
"Fewer lives were lost by the engulhng of
VQ6 OulUeu Otdtc9 ditl ooiih NcoooiS a.
Samoa" said Admiral Porter yesterday,
ethan if a battle had been fought for the
ownership of the islands. As is frequently
the case in that part of the world, the hur-
ricans must have come upon the ships so sud-
denly that neither officer nor men could take
precautions for safety. My experience has
been that neither steam nor sail avail much
in such Storm and the probability is that
the English vessel, the Calliope, was some
distance from Apia, headed for Sydney, and
does not owe her safety simply to the fact
that she had steam up"
Commenting upon the disaster President
Harrison said: at is very sad occurrence.
Loss of ships Is nothing, but the lives of the
men lost is a public calamity. Sometimes
have thought that possession Of our imit&
tions of war vessels is a misfortune, as it has
prevented our getting better ones, and we
are continually sending them into places and
on missions which hazard valuable lives
think there will be no delay when Congress
meets again in our having complement of
new substantial ships" A cable message
conveying to the president the coincidence of
Queen Victoria was received at the British
legation yesterday.
Mr. Edwardes, the British charge d'affairs,
accompanied by the secretary of state, wait
ed upon the president yesterday afternoon
and read to him the queens message. Pres
ident Harrison expressed his warm appre-
citation and that of the whole people of this
country for the queens considerable SYM
pathy in the calamity that had overwhelmed
the naval forces at Samoa. A formal re-
ply to the queens message would be made,
the president said, through the department Of
state.
talapram from San Francisco saws that
the excitement in that city over the disaster
is intense A number of persons living in
that city had friends and relatives on board
the wrecked vessels, and there were numer-
Gus touching scenes at the United States pay
Office when the names Of the dead were
printed Ben Davis, one Of the men who
persisted, is said to have wealthy relatives in
the east who disowned him for marrying
beneath his station in life. He went to San
Francisco after his wife died, and only re-
Gently shipped on the Vandalia-