Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-13
THE LOST VANDALIA.
Desperate Condition Of Those Who
Survived the Terrible Storm.
LIEUT.. wEBSTER'S EXPERIENCE
Clinging to the Wrecked Ship Through Long
Hours Of Great Peril-Hopes Of Assistance
Blasted-The Final Rescue Of the Few Sur
vivors-Ths Brave Engineer Force.
PART III.

PART II.
Last Saturday stopped just as was making
last desperate effort to reach the deck.
My final struggle was determined by the
fact of the apparent impossibility Of getting on
deck by way Of the after hatch. the water
pouring over the stern and port sids Of the ship
in such volumes that felt the desperate con-
dition of my affairs, and, guided by what little
hight came down the fore hatch and accom-
panied by a. fireman named Melville, 1 strug-
gied forward on the berth deck, the violent
motions OF the ship as she thumped the bottom
with every sea throwing US to the deck every
few feet as We stumbled onward On INV way
toward the hatch l. noted the fact that the
perrin deck was. being filed with binding mist,
which must have como from the pipe supply-
ing steam to the capstan engine under the top
gallant forecastle, but through the dim light 1
recognized Ensign Heath, who had come
Dei0w Tor some purpose in connection
Win his duty. Determined that no re-
nection should rest upon my memory
as an officer in the event of this being
my last day upon earth. 1 called Heath's atten-
tlon to the fact that all of my men were ont of
the engine rooms and fire rooms and requested
nlm TO remember this to my credit should he
De my survivor. He hurriedly promised to re-
member my request and, in point of fact re-
niinaed me afterward Of my reporting to him
N-SA 0ueA Sh the TACT tlat the
glneer department was under discipline and
obedience to the bitter end.
heachlng the hatch Immediately abaft the
break OF the forecastle managed to scramble
on deck not far from the galley. and in COM
mon with every one else in NV neiahborbood
seized a dashed hammock. many of which
were under the forecastle, as sort of life
preserVer at the last extremity. MANY of the
crew were huddled together under the star
, uoara SIDE OF the forecastle and for few min
utes II seemed as though we were in place Of
salety. Tor although the water was pouring over
the topgallant foreeastie and christening to
engulf the ship with every surge the spar deck
was comparatively free of water probably two
1eet deep, ard the port forward pivot port still
niaihtalned Itself against the blows of the sea-
soon. however, as the ship settled more and
more and as the rose with each interval of
time, the port bride ports were stove in the
port pivot port was carried away, and before
we could realize what had happened we found
ourselves up to the neck i'll water and q wild
forecaste
casting aside my hammock as a needless in
cumDrance l made dash for the starboard
ladder leading to the forecastle, but while do
my my pest TO escspe from the beatingiwsves,
session OF the ship, 1 lost my footing, was cast
headiong into the waterway, and in my wild
struggles Tor something to hold fast to must
nave clutchedropes or other objects in such way
Ihat pretty nearly all of my finger nails, soft
ened rs they were by the hours of soaking thew
mad undergone, were turned back, all uncon-
sclousiy to myself ct the time and. az 1 had
kicked my shoes off at the first sign of a strug-
gle Tor life, my feet became badly bruised
curing my struggles, and when at length l
managed 10 secure rope made fast at its
upper end and clambered to the topgulIant
iorecastle found had been considerably
bruised but 20 far a. could ascertain no
bones were broken.
THE 1EAL CONDITION coMpRRHESpEp.
For the first time was able to see for my
SELF the situation us far as the Vandalia was
concerned.
The majority of the officers we're aft on the
poop deck, some OF the men had gone aloft.
some Sol were In the rigging and not few we're in
the same situation myself Once in awhile
a man would take his life in his hands and
jumping overheard, make a brave attempt To
reach the shore l. believe without exceprfon.
these men were drowned, for the sea was con.
santy increasing, while the strength Of the
men was as steadily growing less a short dis
lance inside of the Vandalia Law the Ninsic
driven up on the beach and abandoned by her
crew and officers
we were lying approximately broadside to
the beach and about $50 yards distant, where
we could plainly see the natives and men and
officers from the Nipsic passing TO and fro in
VAN endeaNOrs to render some assistance to
their endangered fellows. Soon the shin began
to NIL with water and miscellaneous duantity
OF Moaning objects came pouring up through
Tue Tue na'ch"ays; chalrs. mattresses, pieces of
lumber, hammocks, all the debris of n wrecked
ship, soon filled the decks, and. floating away
over the buiwarks, which by this time were
just awash, covered the sea with floating wreck
age dangerous. to swimmers and indicating
'he sac TACT that the Nandalia was a doomed
ship. -
Our situation was desperate to the last do
gree. and as the began pouring over the
topgalant forecastle it became evident that n
nigner perch was necessary so. with Hobson's
cholce before me, chmbered to the fife rail of
tue loremsss and securing position ON the lee
life. VA i0A "e"@
lhe poption was one filed with peril, 10, the
seas, mountains high, engulfed all that part of
the snip every few minutes and az was stand
ing Darefooted on the coils Of rope cast over the
pins OF the fife rail, one bare arm tbrnst
through the starboard Jacobs ladder the otbsr
hand srasping some OF the running rigging
ieadlng abort, found my situation sufiicientlv
painful. With me and in precisely the same,
phsht were hve or six Of my men, prepared 10
stand by the wreck while life endured
Some distance up the starbourd fore rioo,,.
erouched Assistant Surgeon Cordeiro ana
Lieut.. Culver, while somewhere aloft and ar
posed to the full fury of the blast. SURGEON
Harvey was clinSing, naked from the waist up.
the fierce gale having torn his shirt off so,nr
time during the forenoon.
Boon afSer acquiring a foothold on the ;se
rail the ship began to heel slowly over towarS
the sea until 1t seemed certain that abe ,~as
going to eapsize or be beaten to pieces NV ~
waves, which grew in violence the longer ths
CHANCES FOR RESCUE SMALL.
My heart sank within me as this tbouobt
passed through my mind, for in the face q,
such sea as was then running, filed as it would
be with the most dangerous wrsckape. the
chance for rescue was too small to be recEonea
on.
Just as it seemed that the nextse would Too :.
the ship to pieces the movement STONED and
slowly began to retrograde. until az Iengfb
reaching approximately an even keel. the sb;n
settled on the bottom and our fear at last was
over. = ""o
slowly the hours passed. and TO an .nnso,-
ances the gale was ne nearer an end than Al the
beginning, while the sea, steadily inc zinc
began to sweep an occasional man oyerboarI
and to go overheard now meant certain death
Some OF our men tried to swim to the s.Nin
sic, and once In a while the attempt was suc-
cessfui, but the larger part Of those irving the
desperate venture were carried BY the current
out past the range Of vision, and with two ex
ceptions were drowned long before reachiNx
any considerable distance seward =.
These two exceptions were Chief Engineer
Greene and Naval Cadet Wiley, both of whom
were drifted sufficiently near shore to he res
cued by the Samoans through the surf. /. And
here 1t may be proper t. add one more to the
many testimonials of the bravery, Judgement
and skill Of these Samoan warriors Anparentlv