St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-31
WHOLLY UNPRECEDENTED.
1t Is the Greatest Calamity That
Ever Befel1 the American Navy.

~ rs 1uc 0fedUeSI CatamlUy 1ndt
Ever Befel1 the American Navy.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 30.-The
news from Samoa of the wrecking of
the American and German men-of- war
in the harbOr of Apia caused intense ex-
citement on the streets. Every bulletin
board was surrounded by all anxious
throng eager for particulars. Business
men whose interests extend to the South
Pacific islands, when questioned regard
idg the disaster, expressed belief that
no American merchant vessels were in
the harbor of Apia at the time
of the disaster, though num-
Der of coasters were reported
wrecked, unless some inter-island
trader carrying the American flag had
run in there for protection. Some sur
prise was expressed that so much dam
age had been done in a harbnr, but of
ficialS say it must be remembered that
the harbor of ApIa is merely an open
rOadStead, surrounded by coral reefs.
The escape of the English man-of-war
CalliOpe is
ACCOUNTED FOR
IN shipping circles in two ways: Either
that she was lying i'll the outer berth,
and consequently had more time to get
up steam and leave the harbor, or that
having more experience with these
storms, the British commander got I'D
steam as soon as he saw the storm
gathering. and put to sea before the
storm reached the harbOr. From the
accounts received by vessels arriving
would seem that the wind and
rain storms in the South Pacific had
been exceptionally severe. and had been
accompanied by electrical disturbances.
The log of the Oceanic company's
steamship. the Zealandia, which ar
rived here from Sidney on March 16.
shows that the vessel experienced
heavy seas during the voyage, and OH
March Il she passed the Mariposa
bound for Australia. heavy laboring.
Commodore John Irwin said concern
ing the disaster that it was
WHOLLY UNPRECEDENTED
in the history of the navy. "Not
through the war period. he said. ''eyen
along the Atlantic coast was there any
disaster comparable to this" ''Those
hurricanes are local disturbances of ter
rife violence" said one gentleman; 81
spent many years in that region and
know how sometimes the hurricane will
come almost without warning and in less
than four or five hours ali will be calm"
"There is hardly any anchorage in
Apia harbor," said Capt. Leary, of the
United States steamer Adams. which
recently returned from Samoa. ''and 1t
is very difficult matter to keep YES
sci off the shore in ordinary weather.
The anchors keep dragging, and when
was there with my vessel | found. it
necessary to carry my anchors out every
morning to keep the vessel from
going ashore. From reports received,
it would appear that the cOmman-
deTs were warned of the approaching
storm four days prior to its arrival. and
it is strange they would remain an
chored in the harbor, surrounded by
reefs and wholly unprotected, when, by
going out and around to the lee side of
the island, a distance of about forty
miles, they would be safe from any gale
or hurricane"
The loss of the paymaster and clerk,
with Capt. Schoonmaker, of the Van
dalia, Is considered due to observance
OF the naval rule that the captain
should
ALWAYS BE THE LAST
to leave his ship, and the paymaster and
clerk should not leave until just before
the captain. The officers and crew of
the Vandalia were well known in San
Francisco, and there were many touch
ing scenes at the United States pay
OlIce NHen Tue IlSI OF names or the dead
was displayed. Many persons living in
this city had friends or relatives on
board the wrecked vessels. One
of the lost, Ben Davis, is un-
derstood to be a relative of a
wealthy family somewhere in the East,
but was disowned for marrying girl
his inferior in social position. When
his wife died Davis came on to San
Francisco. and only few weeks ago
signed as seaman on board of the
Vandalia. George German, one of the
crew of the Vandalia, was well known
among the Pacific coast seafaring men.
He has family living in this state.
John Hanchett was recently en-
ployed on one of the ferry boats
running across San Francisco bay, and
signed as recruit OH the Vandalia.
John and Thomas Kelly were employed
iu the navy some time before going to
Samoa. 1t is understood their relatives
reside in this city. Carl KrauZ was also
known here, and previous to entering
the navy he worked as deck hand on
one of the steamers plying between San