The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-09
DEVASTATION In GUAM.
Commander Schrocdcr's Report ON
the November Hurricane.

|
Frank w Hackett. Assistant Secretary
of tie Navy, has received from Comman-
der seaton Schroeder, a report OF the hur-
ricane, which swept over the island of
Guam on November 13 and its results.
| The storm caused the loss of the Yosemi-
! lie and 1--WE men in a steam launch of that
vessel. The men were Frank swanson.
coXswain George Aubel. seaman, J, L.
| Aehaffy, apprentice first class; William
f. Davis, fireman. first class; and Joseph
, Anderson. coal passer Two bodies were
recovered. but they could not be identified
and they were buried in the naval ceme-
/ terry
| Commander Schroeder speaks in the
highest terms of the unfinching courage
and determination evinced by Lieutepant
Bierer and the officers and men under his
command Lieut.. Albert Moritz, the en-
6ineer officer. is specially mentioned as al
| so deserving of commentator. Captain
Scott of the Justin. also receives praise
from the Governor for his excellent judg-
ment and skillful management in the
search for the Yosemite
The Governor says: The devastation on
, the island is deplorable. Some OF the old
er Inhabitants say that the hurricane of
1855 was as severe but since that year
nothing has been known to equal it. The
| barometer (mercuriaD was 29.S7 at a.
m. in five hours and a half it had fallen
to 2S.17; and then il rose to 2S.70 in two
and half hours. The wind was from the
north until about 80 p. m, when it veer
ed to the eastward. Most of the houses
in A nd of hp no
have their roofs intact.
The palace was entirely unroofed, doors
ana blinds crushed in, and the interior
wrecked and drenched The saw mill
! building was entirely demolished, and
the distilling building and naval ware
house unroofed. All other Government
buildings were more or less badly dam
aged. and IT will be a long time before
things can be restored to good condition
| BY about IL a. m, the sea had begun to
Invade the town. reaching to the middle
of the plaza, but began to recede immed-
lately as the wind went to the eastward
and the barometer rose. officers and men
of the station worked bravely and hard in
rescuing parties. and many women and
children were saved and conveyed by them
to places Of safety and cared for during
the rest of the day and night. few
buildings, such as the Jail, public school,
and Guajan club. having more or less roof
itlt were lilD anu VI
ficers whose quarters remained habitable
freely sacrificed every vestige OF comfort
and filled their rooms with refugees.
with one or two exceptions, the con-
duet of all was such as to cali for warm
commentator, as the wind and Tying
debris made il dangerous to move about
in the streets Fortunately. no one Of the
command was seriously injured. Among
the natives only two casualties in this
town are reported In the neighboring
villages of Sinajana, Antigua, Asan Te-
pungan and Pitt the destruction was still
more complete, but no lives lost At |
Vic there were four men killed. mara
Jan, on the southeast coast suffered most |
OF all, the entire town being leveled and |
some twenty eight persons killed The |
centre OF the typhoon must have passed |
very close to that part judging from the |
rapidly with which the barometer fell 4
and then rose while the wind went to |
east and southeast. Reports have not |
yet been received from the Merizac dis |
trict. The ten ketch Frolic, which was |
in one of the southern ports. is not to be |
found, and is certainly destroyed with |
her crew.
After the storm the male population |
of this district was organized in the va
rious wards to clear away wrecks and |
rebuild houses. The people appear to be |
settling down to "0rh Win cheerful |
which argues frequent previous &C
qualntance with privations. The crew of |
the Yosemite are employed clearing and
repairing roads, rebuilding bridges and |
telephone lines and in all other ways |
in which useful work can be done. The
permanent repairs to bridges and the
restoration of the fine road recently built |
and repairs to public buildings will take
much time and be quite a drain upon the
resources of the island. more imme-
diatelV 10 civ 10 he eft
uation by the fact that in a short time
without outside help the island would be
starving. Practically all cocoanut trees
are stripped, if not felled and may not
bear for a year or more; bananas and
breadfruit are also gone, and crops OF
corn and rice destroyed. There is little
to eat among the natives now. and soon
that will be consumed. and they have no
cocOanuts or copra with which to buy
provisions | have therefore bought up |
all available staple articles of food, and
have already had to distribute certain
amount to those in actual present need.
A further unfortunate feature of this
terrible Visitation was that ii came just
as we had begun to pass the climax of a
serious epidemic of grip; there have been
no casualties in the command and the
number on the sick list has not exceeded
Il per cent. but among the natives the
mortality was most deplorable especially
among the children. The medical officers
were overworked and temporarily pros
trated by fatigue and fever Assistant
Surgeon FurlOng was transferred up here
from the Yosemite day or two before the
storm which accounts for his not being
On board at the time. Surgeon F. A. Hesler
had to be relieved from duty and placed
upon the sick list against his will for a
couple Of days by my order. l am happy
to report that conditions are improving
although probably the number of deaths
among those attacked has been materially
increased by fright and exposure
In the midst of the desolation that
reigns it is realized that II could easily
have been worse. and that we have much
to be thankful for The drifting of the
Yosemite through the reefs without instant
destruction seemed almost miraculous
Had the storm burst at night the loss OF
life on shore would have been very great
Also We had just landed a good quantity
Of coal. so that the distiliEg part of the |
ice plant could be used and increased sup |
plies OF water produced for distribution |
among the natives whose wells we're filed
by the sea and temporarily ruined Since |
the day after the blow the weather has
been fairly good and people have been !
able to improve their shelters"