The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-31

COCK In 1899. She was irving n enter the
mouth OF the Colorado river nm in Orc
ss pn. navigation is extremely dangerous
aneIe, ana sue grounded on a bar. Her
~ ~, EoI ashore all right, but by the next
niornIilg the ship had entirely disappeared
save that her bowsprit cap stuck out of
quicksards 'A' sHii'ihs
IN 1868 the brig of war cambridge en-
S191uhtered a cyclone off Cape Hatteras.
, nne colored cook belonging 10 the vessel
was picked up day or two later. clinpino
to some floating wreckage and told how
tRe snip had been capsized and every one
vi MS companions drowned. In 1877 the
sioop OF war Huron, commanded by LIEN
tsenant-Commander George p. RYAN. was
lost very much as the Despatch was the
other DAY. she was running down the
e oUais toward Norfolk, keeping in shore TO
avoid the Gulf stream. 1t was a dark and
stormy night, heavy gale blowing from
the east, and she went ashore The com
Ihander and few others were saved. but
nearly all the crew were drowned, ninety
eight persons losing their lives.
IN all the history of disasters to the
United States navy no catastrophe hes
been so completely and tragicalIv dramaric
as that which occurred in the harbor of
Apla, Samoa, in March, 1899. The story
OF mat irIghtful incident is still vivid in
the recollection of the civilized world
hpla mas very poor harbor, Insufficient
~ protected from the awful wind storms
p!reValling In that region OF the South Pa
ciflc,a affording little holding ground,
Tor anchors. At the time mentioned
three vessels of war belonging To this
country were there-the frigate Trenton
nagship OF the Pacific squadron. and the
steamers Vandalia and Nipsic.
hurricane OF the most tremendous de-
scrlptlon swept across the ocean. accom-
nh 6
tropical storm, and when night fell the
vessels were in danger. Amid the hovlinc
OF the mighty winds and rain that drove
IKE sieet, the natives gathered by thous-
ands on the shore to watch, as well as thew
could In the darkness, the battling of the
ships against the fury of the elements.
FIRST the NlpsIc began to lose the grip of
her anchors, and her commander was
Obliged to run her upon shore, all
OF her crew being saved except
about half-a-dozen. There were other
vessels of war in the harbor, both German
ana British, and H. NJ. S. Calliope came
into collision with the Vandalia which
was disabled by the shock and carried be-
fore the gale onto reef. The Vandalia's
captain was thrown into the sea and 9TH
ers OF her company persisted in trying to
save themselves by swimming. The rest
OF the officers and crew chung to the rig
glng of the wreck.
the reef the Trenton broke anchorage and
was driven ashore. AS she was swept by
the Nandalia, borne with all hands
TO well-nigh certain death, the
45O men upon her crowded decks
burst into a mighty shout of "Three
cheers for the Vandaliar' and the hundred
or more unfortunates clustered in the tops
Of the sunken Vandalia replied with a
feeble cheer in return. And then, while
the Trenton sped past before the hurri-
cane TO the fate that awaited her, her band
burst out with the inspiring strains of the
Star Spangled Banner"
Never, surely, was music played under
such circumstances. 1t was a noble thing
to see great snip of war driven to her
doom by irresistible fate with the flags of
the United States flying at her topmasts
and hailing death with the national an
them. Most of those heroes live to tell
the tale today. but in that awful storm no
less than l42 gallant American and Ger
man seamen persisted.
Undoubtedly many of the vessels which
disappear at sea mysteriously, never to be
heard from again, are wrecked by collision
with "derelicts" - floating water-logged
hunks, such as are continually borne
hither and thither by the ocean currents
To strike such an obstacle is about as sure
destruction to ship as humping into a
rock would be. They are much more
dangerous than rocks, however, because
the latter can be located permanently,
while these floating wrecks are constantly
shifting their positions, so that no
body can tell where one is likely to be
come upon. Besides they are so low
down in the water that it is very difficult
TO see them in time, even by day. The
photographic office of the navy makes a
regular business of recording the situa-
tions of all reported derelicts as nearly as
possible, putting down on the pilot charts
warning marks. From time co time ex-
petitions are sent ont for the purpose of
blowing them up with dynamite.
1t is curious what fatality seems to
pursue vessels that have certain names
For example, the name Boston for a ship
is regarded as very unluckv. Four Bos-
tons in the United States service
have already come to grief in one
way or another and the fifth has
been in some sort of trouble ever since she
was built and named by Secretary Whit
ney. There has never been a steamer San
Francisco yet that has not been lost, and
Guerrero is another hapless designation.
On the other hand ships named Constitu-
ton have always been remarkably FORUM
ate. Sailors, who are proverbially super
stitious, do not like to sail on vessels
which are named after others which have
haaD wrpckad RENr RACuF