The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-24
Barkentine Ruth Brings News
From Southern Seas.
Storm DevaStates kusaie While Fight
ing and BlOOdshed Rules at Pandpe
and Ruk With Dire Results.

II" HE barkentine Ruth arrived from the
southern seas yesterday after an eX-
citing cruise. She brings the news OF
q hurricane at Kusaie, fighting at
Ponape. the probable death of +. D..
D'Keefe, the copper king Of zap; the re-
lease Of J. Y. Melander, an American
,.tizen. by the Spaniards; the wreck Of
the HOratio and the probable loss of the
missionary schooner Hiram Bingham. In
Ruk there IS tribal war and the mis-
sionaries have taken sides. John Extrom
a passenger on the Ruth, lays the blame
for all the trouble at the door Of the
preachers of the gospel Of peace. AT
Ponape the Germans are trying to gam
q foothold, and the natives are prepared
10 fight the moment any concession IS
granted them. All I'm all there were hVely
times in the Carolines
The Ruth brought up Captain West OF
the wrecked whaling bark Horauo ana
his wife; w. +. Joseph, first officer VII
liam Besse, second officer; Thee Surgeon
sailmal5er: A. lobe. boatswain, and TWO
sailors, also of the Horato. Captain
West has little to add TO the account of
the loss of his vessel already published
in The Call He attempted 10 enter the
harbor without q pilot and the vessel
crashed on hidden reef and became
total loss Three tons Of copper, seventy
five tons of old iron, rigging and gear
from the wreck was brought up on the
Ruth The remainder Of the barkentine's
cargo was 2SS tons copra and 1900 cocoa
II wonder what has become of the
missionary schooner Hiram Bingham?
said Captain Charleston yesterday. Cap
tain Walkup was short in his crew, so he
signed on four of the wrecked sailors
from the Horatio and sailed from Kusaie
for San Francisco on February 10 last.
N
since that ] have been TO POnape, where
I lay at anchor a week; to Ruk, where
: lay another week, and to Guam, where
remained five days. From Guam l came
direct TO San Francisco.
The biggest storm ever known ragged
In the Caroliues last February. At kusaie
II carried away two miles of the coral
reef and turned the lagoon harbor into
a boiling cauldrOn. Houses were blown
down. cocoanut and breadfrUit' trees were
torn up 10y the roots and the waters We're
backed up until the town was flooded.
DIS. Channon and Rife, the missionaries
with their wives and families We're COM
PEELED to flee to the hills, and Mrs Oleane
ana another woman missionary nearly
lost their lives. I was off the group when
the hurricane came down and ! never
saw such a blow before Luckily we were
blown 10 shreds and we had TO scud under
bare poles. The next trader that goes to
husaie VIII hardly recognize the place
and the crop OF copra will be light for
several years owing TO the number of
cncOauut trees that We're blown down
'You have had the news that J. V. Me-
lander am American trader had been
made a prisoner by the Spaniards at
Pouape on July last They not only
made him prisoner but also confscated
his schooner. Well, shortly before we
reached Ponape Melander was given his
schooner and was told he could go as
soon as he pleased. The Governor was
an smiles assuring Melander that he
never had been a prisoner, as his papers
had not been taken away and he could
have left IN his vessel whenever he
pleased Melander said nothing, but
seized the opportunity and sailed at once
for kusaie.
"Ponape is practically in a state of