The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-10-02
WINDS HOWLED DEATH KNELL
OF GALLANT MEN
STRUGGLE WITH HURRICANES
The Awful Disaster in the Harbor of
Apda-''Star Spangled Banner"
Under Strange Conditions


of fierce winds, rising mountains high of
smooth, and then catastrophe, death and
the escape Of the narrator by a hundred to
one chance. But of all the stories being
told of hurricane and death, none COM
pares in interest with the narrative of the
great Samoan disaster that Jackies of
long service are recalling for the edifica-
tion of the forecastle.
But for the luck of the United States
ravy and the indomitable pluck of officers
and men, the disaster would have been
greater. AS it was, the coral rocks Of Apia
proved the graveyard of several fine ships
and many brave men. The foreign vessels
in the harbor Jared much worse than the
American, as will presently be told.
There had been trouble In Samoa, the
native chief Mateafa having rebelled and
fired on the crew Of a German man-of-war
as they were rowing ashore. The United
States government ordered the Vandalia,
Nips!c and the flagship Trenton, under the
command Of Rear Admiral Kimberley, to
proceed to Apia to look after the American
interests there. When the United States
fleet 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 chain of coral reefs, there being just
enough room for ship of large size to
get through. The chain of reefs Is only
three miles in circumference and when the
great fleet of warships and merchantmen
lay at anchor in close proximity to each
other and to the treacherous reefs the sit
uat.on was not desirable one from a So
moan's point Of view.
But the sky was blue, the birds sang and
the rebels were quiet on March H. 1889,
when the American ships arrived, and no
one aboard thought there was anything
more dangerous In the prospect than a
possible disagreement with the Germans,
who, as In the case at Manila recently,
were putting on airs and threatening to
blow the rebels off the face of the earth
for daring to fire on a boats crew wearing
the uniform of the kaiser. This was Mon
day. On the Thursday the scene changed
In such an awful manner that the supersti-
tious natives attributed It to the direct
Interference of providence.
The instruments aboard the ships in
Apia gave the usual warning of an ap-
proachlng storm, and the customary pre-
cautions were taken. Sails were furled.
superf1uous spars hauled down, an extra
hitch taken on the ropes, the fastenings
Oh the guns looked to, additional anchors
dropped and every care taken to be ready
Tor the hurricane, which all knew and
dreaded In that quarter. Every vessel re-
manned in the harbor. A mistake that some
OF the naval men had reason to bitterly
regret later,
Thus the storm king found the vessels
In Apia harbor when he burst upon them
In whirl OF wrath in the afternoon of
Thursday, March 14th. The fight began
with every man al quarters and the knowl-
edge' from the fury of the elements, that
only the best seamanship and the strictest
and smartest obedience to orders would
save the day. Four anchors held the Tren-
ton fast for awhile, but in the course of
the long fight the fierce seas and incessant
rush OF the wind broke the cable of one
after another, until at last the Trenton
drifted, the interior of the ship a demon
allzed mass OF wreckage the engine room
hooded, and little between the crew and
death but the hand of Providence.
More than once in that terrible night.
when the rudder became fouled and the
anchor chains parted, the officers and
men OF the Trenton gathered on the heav-
Ing deck and solemnly shook hands pre-
paratory to the final plunge, but narrow
as some of the escapes were the Trenton
managed to keep off the deadly reefs.
There are few more thrilling stories in
the annals of the American navy than
that which describes one incident of the
all-night fight for life in the great Samoan
q fhn &c, 1,,lxx
the bow Of the seemingly doomed Trenton.
1t was seen by Admiral Kimberly that I'M
less some sail could be set the end was only
matter of seconds. To set sail was an
absolute impossibility. The Americans
ready resource suggested a substitute.
The men were ordered to the shaking yards
to form a human sail. 1t looked like death
to mount the rigging in that fearful gale.
hut the Jackies only hesitated moment.
The next they clambered up the rigging,
the wind caught the compact human mass,
the ship swung around, and again the
Trenton was saved.
What sight met the appalled, gaze of
the Trenton's men when day broke on
March 18th. On the reefs were the remains
of the German warship Eber, the angry
waves dashing and pounding over the poor
wreck, while the wind bawled a triumph
ant accompaniment. The Eber had been
the first to fall victim to the fury of the
storm. Her misfortunes began when she
collided with the American ship Nipsic,
Shortly after this the demon of the gale
seized the Eber and she rushed on the
reefs with frightful force. Only four of
her crew of seventy-five men got ashore.
What the waves didn't get of the re-
mainder were pounded to death on the
coral reefs. The Nipsic had made a game
fight, but after being rammed by the Olga,
she was run on the beach at a spot where
the reefs gave place for a narrow space
to sand. All the crew got ashore safely.
The German ship Adler was a plaything
for the great seas, which lifted her up as
though she had been a mere chip and flung
her on her side on the coral reefs. A score
of men were thrown into the water and
lost. The rest of the crew of one hundred
and thirty men managed to cling to the
stranded ship until the storm abated. The
Vandalia, of the American fleet, collided
with the British ship Caliope early lin the
struggle and had to be beached. Through
the awful night the officers and crew chung
to the rigging, but when the men of the
Trenton rescued them the next day thirty
nine brave Jackies and four officers had
been lost. Among the officers was Captain
Hchoonmaker, who was knocked overboa I'd
by gun that had broken loose from its
faatenin0s He WAS never aeen nj gain