Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-04-06
vANDALIA.

vANpALIA.
canes generally sweep up through the
belt ct ocean between the Tonga group
and the Samoan groups. In April, 1850,
and in January, 1870, the Samoan islands
were visited by terrific hurricanes, which
destroyed the cocoanut, banana and
bread fruit crops, reducing the natives
to the verge Of starvation for several
weeks. These hurricanes are often ac-
companied by earthquakes and the con.
junction Of the two works terrible in.
jury.
On March 90, 1883, all vessels In Apia
hsrbor except ono small schooner were
driven of to sea and lost. This was at
tributed at the time to series Of heavy
tidal waves caused by an earthquake.
Considerable damage was done on shore
ALSO. On the whole, however, the eli
mate Of the Samoan islands, though
variable, is very pleasant, bad weather
occurring only during tho winter months.
The mercury seldom rises higher than
50 degs. or falls lower than 70 degs. Dur
ing the winter months there are long
and heavy rains, attended sometimes by
high winds and northerly gales.
With the exception Of Capt. Mullan,
Of the Nipsic, it is not known that any
Of the American commanding officers
had ever had experience in the Samoan
islands, or knew Of the risks attending
an attempt to ride out hurricane inside
the reef.
The disaster at Apia was the most
severe that has ever overtaken the Ameri-
can navy in time Of peace, although
there have been many. In 1858 the AL
bany, sloop Of war, was lost in West In
dian waters. She was never heard from
after she sailed on her last cruise, and Is
supposed to have gone down in cyclone
with every soul Of her crew Of 210 off,
GERS and men. In the Same year the
brig Of war Porpoise, with crew Of 100,
went down in the China seas without
leaving trace Of her end. Five years
later another sloop Of war. the Levant,
was engulfed in the waters of the Paci-
&c, ad Dot one Of the crew Of 200 was
saved. The brig Of war Bainbridge met
. cyclone of Cape Hatteras In 1868. A
day or two afterward a colored cook
was picked up on bit OF wreckage, and
he told the story Of the loss of every ons
Of his shipmates.
Some years later the old Yorktown was
blown ashore near the Cape Verde islands
On the African coast, but the crew e.
capped. During the frightful earthquake
at africa, Peru, in 1868, when the entire
town. with the exception of two houses,
was destroyed, the ship Of war Wateree
had curious experience. She was struck
by series of immense tidal waves, one Of
which carried her seven or eight miles
inland, depositing her in tropical forest,
where she ended her days as hotel. The
storeship Fredonia, which was anchored
at africa, was caught by the same monster
wave, which rolled her over and sunk
her instantly, with every soul on board.
In 1857 the Monongahela, now in active
service, had a peculiar experience. She
was caught up by tidal wave, carried
over a number Of large buildings on the
island Of Santa Cruz, West Indies, knock
ing down one Of them, and deposited in
the streets of city. Workmen were sub
sequently sent there, and they blocked
her upand launched her again. About
fifteen years ago the Saginaw was cast
away In the night upon one of the islands
Of the Pacific. Although the wreck of
the Huron occurred thirteen years ago,
the disaster is still fresh i'm the minds Of
people on the coast. The ship was wrecked
On Currituck beach, N. c., and very few
Of the crew escaped to tell the story.
The Trenton and vandslis have hoth