River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-04-18
BATTLING WITH THE TEMPEST

APIA. Samoa March 50.-The hurricane
| which passed over the Samoan islands March
| l6 and IL was the most violent and destructive
storm ever known in the South Pacific. The
loss To life and property was very great
The United States and Germany alone
lost 14s lives and 100000 worth OF
/ property. six war-ships and ten other yes
sells were dislodged or driven ashore. OF
/ the American gun-boats the Trenton lies near
/ the United States consulate and is fast going
to pieces. The Nandalia is buried out OF sight
between the Trenton and the shore Her shat
4 tered foremost and smoke-staek rise from
/ the water 20 mark the spot where the
| gallant vessel struck ard lay for twelve
/ hours before the awful torrent Of
water swept four officers AMI thirty
zine men from her decks and rigging. The
| Nipsic lay for several days alongside the Van
1alia, with her bow high on the beach and
within five feet OF the waters edge The YES
| sci, though badly damaged vas hauled OF a
/ few days after the storm and is the only war
/ ship afioat in the harbor. She lost five men
/ by the swapping OF a boat, and two others
who jumped overheard were drowned.
1t was on the little German gun-boat Eber
that the greatest loss of life occurred. She
/ had compliment OF six officers and seventy
/ six men. Five men were ashore during the
storm. When the vessel struck the reef she
sank completely out OF sight, and a minute
later there was not a vestge OF her TO be
I
one officer and four sailors. The German cor
vette Olga suffered less than any of the other
vessels The British ship Calliope was the
/ only one that escaped. She having very pow
/ erful machinery put TO sea. All the other ves-
/ sells had a full head OF steam on and three or
/ four anchors out, but before that awful storm
/ they were like toys In the hands OF giant
Many of the sailors became drunk soon after
/ they got ashore. But the officers rallied them
and the injured were cared for. The natives rem
/ dered every assistance, Americans and Ger
/ mans being treated alike. The damage on
shore was also very great. Houses I'M
| rooted and blown down and trees and fences
/ were bio Sn across the streets so that passage
was almost blocked
1 The storm was not unheralded. For several
/ days the barometer had been steadily falling
and Friday the wind began to blow How
| ever nobody thought the gale would be so
violent The gun-boats had their engines
working to relieve the strain on their anchors
/ but no commander had foresight enough to
/ put 10 sea.
/ All the vessels weathered the storm through
| Friday night, but all had dragged their
anchors. A little after 5 o'clock the first rays
/ of dawn broke upon the scene and TO those on
shore revealed n spectacle not often
witnessed. The position of the vessels
was entirely changed. The wind, which
was blowing from the northeast. had
/ swept them from their former moorings and
| they were all bearing down in the direction of
/ the reef. Black smoke was pouring from their
/ tunnels, showing that desperate efforts were
I being made to keep them up against the wind.
/ Their decks were swarming with men
/ clingug TO the masts or any
/ other objects. The hulls of the war
ships were tossing about like corks. One mo-
/ ment the vessels seemed to stand almost upon
their beams end and the next instant their
| sterns would rise out of the water and expose
| to view the rudders and rapidly-revolving
] IA -
| lifted high in the air, only to plunge into the
next wave and deluge the ships with a torrent
/ of water. 1t was then seen that the vessels
were doomed and they soon succumbed to the
/ fury of the tempest.
Soon the Adler came ashore and she was
| followed by the Nipsic. Most of the men on
/ the latter were got to shore on a hawser which
/ the natives made fast. The British ship
/ Calliope was still in the harbor She was
1 lying near the Vandaia and collision be.
4 tween the two seemed certain. The
/ Calliope was nearer shore and her bow
/ close to the stem of the Vandalia. Great
/ waves were tossing the two vessels about and
| they were coming closer together every minute
/ Suddenly the great iron PROV of the English
man rose high III the air on the crest
/ of enormous wave and came down with
/ fun force upon the port quarter of the Van
/ daia The crash was awful. The j,bboom
of the Callope was carried away and the
! heavy timbers of the Vandalia were shvered
/ Every man who stood upon the poop-deck
/ of the VaLdalia was thrown from his feet by
the shock hole had been torn below
/ the "a and the water rushed into the cabin
I 1t seemed that the Vandalia had received Acr
I death blow and the men rushed up the matches
/ in the belief that the steamer was sinking, and
4 it was only after great effort that the officers
| persuaded them TO return to their posts.
just after this collision Captain Kane of the
| Calliope determ ned 10 make an effort to
steam out of the harbor, as he saw that TO
remain in his present posit on would lead TO
1 another collision with the Nandala or throw
his vessel on the reef. He accordingly gave
the order to let go all anchors. The Cal
/ ropes head was swung around to the wind.
and her powerful engines were worked to their
utmost capacity. IL was an anxious moment
on board the corvette, as with her anchors
gone she had nothing but her engines 10 de-
pend upon to keep her of the reef. The
| steamer seemed TO stand stll for a 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 flooded her decks
/ from stem to stern. Clouds of black smoke
I poured from her tunnels and fresh coal was
I thrown into the furnaces. All her great power
was used in the desperate struggle against
/ the storm. She seemed to make her head
/ way at first inch by inch, but her speed
/ gradually increased until it became evident
/ she could clear the harbor. As she passed
/ abreast of the Trenton a great shout went up
4 from over 401 men aboard the flagship and
three hearty cheers were given for the Calliope.
/ Three cheers for the Trenton and the Ameri-
/ can flag was the answer that came back across
\ the angry waters. The Calliope passed safely
/ out Of the harbor and steamed far out to sea,
/ returning after the storm abated.
An attempt was then made to beach the
/ Vandalia and she was run alongside the reef
/ and within 100 yards of shore, when she
1 grounded. Several attempts were made b. the
natives to take a line to her, but they were in
| vain. The vessel swung around with her
/ breads de to the waves, and one by oae ler
officers and crew we're SWEPT Oft by the torrents
I Of water but few being saved through the he
/ roc efforts of the natives.
The Trenton had thus far weatnered the
/ storm through the SIX II of her navigating Ofii-
/ Ger. Lieutenant Brown. Her rudder was how
/ ever, carried away and her fires put out by the
rush of water through the hawscr-
/ holes. She then fouled tho Olga when the
\ latter let go her anchors and was run
/ ashore. The Trenton drfted on toward
the Vandalia. A new danger now arose.
/ The Trenton was sure TO strike the Van
/ dalia, and to those on shore it seemed that
/ the huge hull Of the flagship would
/ crush the Vandal to pieces and throw the
\ hundred meu still clinging to her gging into
/ the water. IL was now after O'Clock ana
/ the light was beginning TO fade away, and
/ in half an hour the Trenton had drifted on TO
] Nltnlu rev Nafus OF the dnudlla DOW anu
/ the men in the rigging OF the latter vessel
/ trembled with fear as they saw the Trenton
| approach. The poor creatures who had been
\ clinging for hours to the rigging of the Van
daHa were bruised and bleeding, but
/ they held on with the desperation OF men who
| hang by thread to life Their final hour
seemed to be upon them The great black hull
| OF the Trenton could be seen through the dark
/ ness almost ready to crush into the stranded
| Vandalia and grind her 10 atoms.
! Suddenly "A shout was heard across the
waters. The Trenton was cheering the Van
i dalia. The sound Of $50 VOICES broke upon
/ the air s'Three cheers for the Vandalia"
was the cry that warmed the hearts OF
/ the dying men in the rigging The shout died
/ away upon the storm and there arose
/ from the quive ring masts Of the sunken ship
/ a response so feeble that il was scarcely heard
upon shore. The sound of music next came
across the water, the Trenton band was
/ playing ''The Star Srangled Banner the
/ thousand OF men on the sea and shore had
/ never before heard strains of music at such a
/ time as this. An indescribable feeling came
! over the hundreds OF Americans on shore who
! listened to the notes of the National anthem
/ mingled with the howl OF The storm For a
/ moment only they were silent and then they
! broke forth with a cry that rent the air and
! reached each OF the struggling men on the rig
Z ging OF the Nandalia.
The men who had exhausted every means
/ during the whole Of that awful day OF render
/ ing some assistance to their comrades now
l seemed inspired to greater efforts. The col.
/ lslon Of the Trenton and Nandala. which
/ every one thought would crush the latter
vessel to pieces, proved 10 be the sal
/ walton OF the men in the rigging Notwith-