Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-06
PART 1.

on tne 10Th OF March. lSSy, In the gale whlcn
wrecked also the flagship Trenton, the U. s. s..
Nipsic and H. l. G.. NJ. S. Adler, Olga and
Eber. OF the above named vessels the Nipsic
and Olga were gotten aAost and are still bear
ing the flags Of their respective nations
This narrative must bear personal character
for a reason which will appear during its pro-
cess, and as my means of observation up to the
time of going on deck were limited to my i'm
mediate surroundings, i write in the first per-
SON.
During Friday, the 18th Of March. 1889. the
weather had turned stormy, and gusts of fierce
wind weighted with rain came down over Apia
mountain, indicating a gale Of wind
on the south side Of the island, but
one result Of the direction Of the
wind was perfectly smooth sea in Apis har-
Dor but little fear was entertained Of the out
come, and although the barometer kept going
down IN most abnormal manner, the aspect
of the weather was not regarded as at all
dubious. Toward night, however, the rain in
creased in violence and the wind shifted from
south to north and east, blowing directly into
Apia harbor. and. as the barometer continued
slowly falling, orders were given to secure
everything for bad weather. so by shutdown of
the 18th We had sent all the light yards down,
secured tOpmasts, secured the battery for sea
and lighted fires under four OF the six boilers.
One other boiler already had steam for dis
filling.
IHE ENGINEER DEPARTMENT ALL
Everything was in good condition in the en-
gineer department and at 10 o clock that night,
when / turned in, no thought entered my mind
Of the momentous events the next day had in
store for the ship.
Once or twice during my sleep1 walked up
sufficiently to note that the motion of the ship
was somewhat more irregular than was usual
even in Apla. where often a heavy swell
makes in from the Pacific ocean of sufficient
strength to make it unsafe TO keep between
deck air ports open. At o o'clock Chief Engi-
neer Greene called me to relieve him, which
did, and took my station in the engine room
within few minutes after being walked up.
The chief was in the ward room, and sitting
not far from him was Paymaster Arms in his
night gown, and to my mind, as l passed
through on the way to the engine ROOM looking
very much alarmed / never saw the payrnaster
again, save a momentary glimpse through
hatch hood about daybreak of that day. The
engines were running slowly when / reached
the engine room, and after satisfying myself
that everything was in good order took my
place on the upper platform. from whence /
could overlook nearly the entire department.
The motions Of the ship at this time were
very violent and what between pitching roll
Ing and bringing up against the anchors. a firm
footing was next to impossible. Things went
on In this way without notable incident until
about o clock. when the wind seemed to in
crease In violence, the sea rising at the same
time in direct proportion, and some one from
said that one or two merchantmen had APP
parently foundered at their anchors and that
the Eber and Adler. two German men-of-
war, seemed to be in danger of going on the
reef. but that 1t was too dark to speak with
much certainty of anything.
TREMENDOUS SHOCK FELT.
About 545 or perhaps near o'clock a tre-
mendous shock was felt. and for an instant We
al thought below that the ship had struck Al
most before, however. the idea could be put
into words an immense mass of water came
Iourneying down through the engine room
hatch, deluglng everything and nearly carrying
me OF my feet into the moving machinery be-
low. From this We understood that a sea had
boarded Us from forward, swept aft with al
most resistiess force, filling the decks more
than hatch high With water. and finally drown
Ing out the cabin, after throwing every one
about the decks on the beam ends"
One OF my men, an old oiler, named John
Myers, was on the topgallant forecastle at the
time, and before he knew what had happened
to him found himself tossed aft in the swirl
OF water, bringing up against the cabin bulk
head more scared than hurt. From this time
We were being boarded by seas continually,
and the engins room was being deluged with
sea water so frequently that attempt to es-
cape the deluge was hopeless and divesting
myself OF everything save nv shoes and stock
ings, an undershirt and pair of trousers, stood
In my place Of vantage. overlooking everything
IN the department., giving orders when neces-
sary, watching the steam gauge, the chronom-
eter. and waiting for events.
Gradually, as the situation grew more despe-
rate. the steam pressure in the boilers was in
creased until final pressure of sixty pounds
was reached, and the speed of the engines was,
from time to time, increased, and by obserya-
ton and the reports Of my men from hour to
hour was able to inform Capt. Schoonmaker
and Cariin, who occasionally appeared at the
engine room hatch, that everything was going
on satisfactorily, and that had no reason TO
fear any untoward event in my part of the
ship. have characterized the motion of the
ship as violent when / entered the engine
room at i o'clock. but that word is inadequate
&c express the state of affairs as daylight began
to clear the scene for observation.
CONSTANT GRIP NECESSARY.
A constant grip of something was essential to
safety, and an occasional lurch of unusual
force would cause even the hrmest grasp to
waver for moment
Soon after daylight word was passed down to
me that the NiPsic was ashore, the Eber on the
edge Of the reef, and the Adler apparently
drifting toward the same perilous point. SO
Tar, was told, our anchors had not dragged
and II the engines held out II was thought that
no great danger need be feared for the
vandalia.
As the da! wore on. however, the Olga and
Csliiope, German aud English men-of-war re-
specayely, seemed to be running amuck
around the harbo and to avoid collision with
the former, WHY would have been fatal to
both, our chains were veered TO their full ex-
tent. and that seemed the turning point in our
tight for life. Beginning at that time, be-
heve. the Vandalia began dragging her anchors,
and as every iatnOm dragged Drought the two
anchors nearer and nearer together lessening
their PRACTICAL holding power, and the gale
instead Of showing signs Of slackening its force
Increased to hurricane. the sea keeping pace
with the wind, IL became evident that We were
fast approaching q desperate strait
As the ship would roll and careen until the
deck was almost perpendicular from nv van
tage In the engine room i could catch glimpses
of the ses- the weather and whatever else
could be caught in the few seconds offered for
observation During one Of these glimpses
saw ship almost on top Of US. pitching and
tossing like an egg shell, and az the same in
slant saw her Keel as far aft as under her
mainmast, by which some idea can be formed
Of the terrible state of the sea- This vessel
was the English war ship the Calliope, and
moment after a rush Of our men forward
past the engine room hatch indicated some APP
preaching calamity, and fierce shock, shax-
Ing the snip from stem to stern, told that the
Calliope had struck US. The shock threw
every one from his feet, and il seemed as
though some fatal injury must have been done
TO one or both ships
TEE END NOT YEr COME
But a. our starbosrd quarter galley vas the
only sufferer, and as / saw the Calliope a mo-
ment later on the port beam, 1t was evident
that the end was not yet come. One of the
doleful effects Of this collision. however. was
the breaking of water gauge glass on one OF