The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-16
WORK OF A HURRICANE
Thrilling Fight With Wind and
Waves at Apia.
SHIPS WERE SUNK
How Many Brave Jackies Were Swept
Overheard by the Incessant On.
slaught OF the Merciless
Billows.

The recent destructive work of the
storm king in West Indian waters, by
which so many fine ships were sunk.
has started every ancient mariner of
storytelling proclivities to spinning
yarns of deadly hurricanes experienced
I'm the uncertain tropics. They include
stories of a sudden rush of fierce winds
a rising mountain high of waters that
five minutes before were smooth. n
then catastrophe. death and the escape
Of the narrator by a hundred-to-one
chance. But all Of the stories being
told OF hurricane and death. none COM
pare in interest with the narrative OF
the great Samoan disaster hat Jsckies
OF long service are recalling for the
e%diication of the forecastle.
But for the luck OF the United states
navy and the indomitable pluck OF OFF,
GERS and men, the disaster would have
been greater. As IL was the coral rocks
OF Apia proved the graveyard OF sew
eral fine ships and many brave men.
The foreign vessels in the arbor Jared
much worse than the American. as VIII
presently be told.
There had been trouble in Samoa. the
native chief Mataafa having rebelled
and fred on the crew of a German
m~an-of-war as they were rowing
ashore. The United States government
ordered the Vandalia. Nipsic and the
flagship Trenton. under the
OF Rear Admiral Kimberly. to proceed
10 Apia to ook after American inter-
ests there. When the United States
feet reached Apia they found there one
British and three German warships'
with a mixed lot OF merchantmen. The
harbor of Apia Is entered through a
narrow rift in n chain OF coral reefs,
there being just enough room for a ship
OF large size to get through. The chain
OF reefs is only three miles In circum-
ference. and when the great fleet OF
warships and merchantmen lay al
anchor in close proximity to each other
and to the treacherous reefs the situa-
ton was not a desirable one from a
Samoan's point OF view.
But the sky was blue. the birds sang
and the rebels were quiet on March ii,
1889. when the American ships arrived,
and no one aboard thought there was
anything more dangerous In prospect
thar a possible disagreement with the
m who, as in the case at Ma
Mia recently. were putting on airs ana
threatening to blow the rebels on the
face of the earth for daring to IRE on
a boats crew wearing the uniform OF
the kaiser. This was Monday. On
Thursday the scene changed In such an
awful manner that the superstitious
natives attributed II to the direct inter
ference of Providence.
The instrument aboard the ships IN
Ap,a harbor I'VE the usual warning or
an approaching storm. and the custom
sry were taken. Sails were
furled. superfuous spars hauled down.
an extra hitch taken on the ropes. the
fastenings OF the guns looked to. sddi-
tional anchors dropped, and every care
taken to be ready for the hurricane.
which all knew and dreaded In that
quarter. Every vessel remained In the
harbor. a mistake that some OF h q ma
val men a reason to bitterly regret
later.
Thus the storm king found the vessels
in Apia harbor when he burst upon
them in a whirl Of wrath In the after
noon OF Thursday. March IA. The night
began with every man at quarters. and
the knowledge, from the fury or the
elements. that only the best seamanship
and the strlctest and smartest obedience
to orders would save the day. -Four
anchors held the Trenton fast Tor
awhile. but in the course OF the long
fight the fierce seas and incessant rush
OF the wind broke the cable one after
mother. until at last the Trenton drift
I'd. the interior of the ship a democrat
lied mass OF wreckage. the engine room
flooded. and little the crew and
death but the hand OF Providence.
More than once In hat terrible night.
when the rudder became foulded and
the anchors parted. the officers ana men
OF the Trenton gathered on the heaving
deck and solemnly shook hands prepar-
atory to the final plunge. but narrow
"a some OF the escapes were. the Tren-
ton managed to keep on the deadly
reefs. There are few more thrilling sto-
ries in the annals OF the American navy
than that which describes one incident
OF the aIl-night fight for life In the grea'
Samoan storm. With the reefs only n
few feet from the bow Of the seemingly
doomed Trenton u was seen by Admiral
Kimberly thai unless some sail could he
set the end was only a matter or sec
onds. To set a sail was an absolute i'm
possibility. The Americans ready re-
sources suggested a substitute. The
men were ordered to the shaking yards
20 form a human sail. IL looked Ike
death 10 mount the rigging In that fear
full gale. but the Jackles hesitated only
a momen The next they clambered
IN the rigging, the wind caught tbs
compact human mass. the ship swung
around. and again the Trenton wa'
saved.
what a sight met the appalled, gsz'
Of the Trenton's men when day brok'
on March 49, On the reefs were tn
remains Of the German warship Eber
the angry waves dashinR and pounding
, over the poor wreck. while the win'
howled a triumphant accompaniment
The Eber had been the first TO fall
; victim to the fury OF the storm. He
, misfortunes began when she collide'
with the American vessel NipsiC
shortly after this the demon Of tn
gale seized the Eber and she wa
rushed on the reefs with frightful force
, only -four Of her crew OF 80 men go
: ashore. What the waves didn't get ~
I the remainder were pounded TO dealt
, on the coral reefs. The Nipsic Ia
, made a game fight. but after beini
rammed by the Olga she Was run Ol
/, the beach at a spot where the reef
gave place for a narrow space OF SAND
. All the crew got ashore safely.