The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-20


Rose mountain nigh and fell.
And stilI far north towards me north
we s1esred. ana ali was we'll"
The Vessels Doomed.
As stood with :. group Of other sea-
fariHg men IN the friendly shelter Of the
doorway Of the United States consulate
At Matautu. watching the Caiiiops leave
the barber. ami gazing at the Trenton
and Nandalia. uow the only vessels
SIio@t. which were pitching and lurchlns
tearfully IN the trough OF the heAyy sea,
felt sorely detected lest they should
De doomed 10 a destruction which sp-
pear@d almost inevitable. Both vessels
were dragging slowly, but surely. toward
& long dangerous coral ledge which ex-
tends CLOSE along the beach ar Matautu.
and my heart quailed when I thought q
the many poor souls on board who were
IN imminent jeopardy.
For the benefit Of the ,lninitiated will
stats that ii was impossible ter the Tren-
ton and Nandalla. both wooden vessels.
70 Initiate The example OF the staGnch
Ironcla2 CsNiope. Cor their engines were
not OF sufficient strength ana power 10
force them ahead against the tempest
This Will De readily understood when 1t
i considered that. as already stated, Un-
der ful pressure Of steam they were an
able 70 hold 10 their anchors. Earlier IN the
Gay both vessels might possibly nave been
successfully beaChed, but such an attempt
was utterly impracticabl now. for The
storm was Al Is very height. The only
hope for their salvation was that per-
chance the hurricanes fury would ahate
at sunset, 10 which everybody expect
antiy looked forward.
But the storm did NOT diminish IN vio-
lencs when daylight faded. on the con-
trSry, as the evening advanced the gale
was bowling at the rate Of ejghty-f.ve
miles an hour. About o'clock just IS
l had reached my quarters 81 Matafele,
news came from Matautu that the Wanda
LA had been driven on the reef heretofore
mentioned. within a quarter OF j mile
from the beach and nearly abreast of the
American consulate. In company with
several other marines / started cut 20 get
back 10 Matautu. but * WAS an arduous
task. for the sea was now washing across
the road. inundating the gardens and wa
had 10 crawl over fallen tree trunks and
dilapidated fences that ohstructed our
path at every tsep. The night was in
tensely dark and il rained and blew as
had seldom seen It before.
\ Dreadful sight.
Arrived at last AZ the consulate, a sight
met my eyes that Will never be defaced
from my memory Amid the vivid flashes
OF lightning l discerned the Vandaha
partly sunk between the reef, her officers
and crew clinging in every available part
OF the swaying rigging 10 escape from be-
ing carried overheard by the tremendous
seas that swept continually across the
deck. The poor sufferers, drenched 10
the skin by the pelting rain and furious
spray, were beset by vet another grave
danger. The huge Trenton, swiftly drag
ging her anchors. was drifting toward the
Nandala broadside on. aud II seemed inn
possible for her 10 avoid crashing into the
partly submerged vessel.
Capt. Shoemaker, of the Nandalia,
had been violently thrown across his
cabin during the previous night and was
severely injured One OF his ears was
ly lacerated. His gallant first Lieutenant.
who had been on duty increasingly all day
and the previous night, and was himself
utterly worn out, mad tried hard TO sup
port him in the rigging. but il proved
futile. The captain was unable 10 hold
on, being too weak from loss of blood and
exhaustion, and begged to be left on tho
quarterback, where he renamed support
ing himself by ciinging 10 a stanchion. y
terrible sea shortly after struck the deck.
knocking the captain down between two
of the guns. and ere he could recover
himself and regain his foothold, another
huge wave swept him overheard. and that
was the last ever seen of him.
A boatswain's mate of the Nandalia,
a noble. courageous fellow. who was an
expert and daring swimmer. undauntedly.
in true sailor style, volunteered to swim
with Il line toward the beach for tho pur-
pose or getting a hawser hauled ashore
from the wreck.
Before the brave sailor got half way 20
the shore the treacherous undertow OF
the reef, which was seething and eddy
ing like a whirlpool drew him into the
vortex and he persisted.
Native Nv miners PowerleSs.
Consul Blackjack offered a reward OF
$500 to any person succeeding in taking r
line on board the Inflated Nandalia. and
two sturdy Samoans, Who are wonderful
expert divers and swimmers, made the
attempt. but after battling In vain with
the furious breakers for some time they
were forced 10 abandon the hazardous
venture barely escaping with their lives.
shortly afterwacd the Trenton grounded
s0lidly on the outer edge OF the reef in
close proximity to the Nandalia. From
the Trenton's rocket apparatus line
was fired across the Vandalia's deck and
"a hawscr successfully hauled aboard the
former. by means OF which the men who
were in the fore and main rigging got
safely on board of the flagship, bat Just
as the hawser was about 10 he shifted to
rescue the people in the mizzen rigging
the Nandalia's mizzsn mast broke on
short 10 the deck and f0rty-tcrce men
were carried overheard. Among them
were the ships purser ana his clerk. who
bofA had belts with gooily amount Of
gold strapped around their waists.
The Trenton did not shift her position.
l,5t remained solidly imbeddcd on the
reef. Her bottom was stove IN and much
water had collected on the lower decks.
which forced ne crew and the survivors
Of the Nandalia 20 remain ali night on the
upper deck
After midnight the hurricanes force be-
came spent and the wea her gradually
moderated. Al dayhreak on Sunday
March H. il wa bright and clear and
though the Wind was Stili blowing pretty
fresh the sea had gone down constdera-
bly Preparations for getting the sur
vlVors Of the Adler ashore began early.
the Samoan natives distinguished them
selves I'm = rraIseworthv manner by taeir
ende4vofs 70 render az possible assist
ance. Boldly they plunged iuto thc SURF
and lifted the furnished amt exhausted
tiernaus~ Of whom wore almost
naked-out ~ the boats ana carried them
NIP the beach 10 their quarters The Trcn~
toms crew. numbering 4Ss officers and
mon. together wltn E3+ Survivors cf tAo
N8ndsila--sbout 900 wca--Hgre transfer
rea ashore daring the day. and late in ne
afternoon Admiral Kimberly. rhr iast r9an
to leave tue wrecked flagship, sune
ashore WIEN his har@C's crew. Orders were
a once issued for thT Nspsie crew ta re-
p8tf ora board tdetr vessel which ny
aground on the beach. ana patrols vera
gent araun1 Ire town 20 bring the men
together
MeArthurs spacious yard waa pat az ths
e snns al 81 the admiral In serve as a
camping ground for fue sh4p's company
- tho Trenton. while the carpenters %
the ncet. assisted by othaTs from the
town. hastily constructed lone Wooden
.r.t r.srs..