Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-08
THE HURRICANE AT GUAM
COMMANDER SCHROEDER REPORTS
HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE.
Entire Town Leve1ed and Twenty
Eight Persons killed-PeOple Re-
covering From the Blow.

Advices bearing date November q, 1900,
from Commander Seaton Schroeder at
Guam have been received by Assistant Sec
rotary Hackett. They are confined to a re-
port of the terrible hurricane that devas-
tated the island on the 18th of November
and caused the loss of the Yosemite and
five men in the steam launch of that vessel.
The names of the men are Frank Swanson,
coxswain George Aubel, seaman; ]. l..
Mahaffy, apprentice first class; William F.
Davis, fireman first class; Joseph Anderson,
coal passer. Two bodies were recovered,
but could not be identified They were
buried in the naval cemetery.
Commander Schroeder speaks in the high
est terms of the unf1inching courage and
determination evinced by Lieut.. Bierer and
the officers and men under his command.
Lieut.. Albert Moritz, the engineer officer,
is specially mentioned as also deserving
of commentator. Captain Scott of the
Justin also receives praise from the govern
or for his excellent judgment and skllful
management in the search for the Yosem-
lite.
The governor says that the devastation
Of the Island is deplorabe Some Of the
older Inhabitants say that the hurricane
Of 1855 was as severe. but since that year
nothing has been known to equal 1t. The
barometer (mercuraD was 29.S7 at am.
In five and one-half hours it had fallen
to 2S.17, and then it rose to $50 in two
and one-half hours. The wind was from
the north until about 1:30 pm, when 1t
veered to the eastward.
Most of the houses in Agana are down
and few of the others have their roofs in
tact The palace was entirely unroofed,
doors and blinds crushed in and the interior
wrecked and drenched. The sawmill build
ing was entirely demolished and the dis
tiling building and naval warehouse I'M
rooted. All other government buildings
were more or less badly damaged, and it
will be a long time before things can be
restored to good condition BY about IL
am. the sea had begun to invade the town
reaching to the middle of the plaza, but
began to recede Immediately as the wind
went to the eastward and the barometer
rose. officers and men of the station work
ed 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.
A few buildings, such as the jail, public
school and Guajan Club, having more or
less roof left, were turned into dormitorles
and officers whose quarters remained hab-
liable freely sacrificed every vestige OF
comfort and filled their rooms with refu-
gees. With one or two exceptions the con-
duct of all was such as to call for warm
commentator, the wind and flying de-
bris made 1t dangerous to move about In
the streets. Fortunately no one of the com
mand was seriously injured. Among the
natives only two casualties are reported
in Agana
In the neighboring villages Of Sinajana'
Antigua. Asan, Tepungan and Pitt the de-
struction was stih more complete put no
lives were lost. At Vic there were four
men killed
Inarajan, on the southeast coast, suf-
fered most of ALL the entire town being
leveled and some twenty-eight persons
killed The center of the typhoon must
have passed very close to that part, Judg-
ing from the rapidity with which the ba-
rometer fell and then rose. while the wind
not yet been received from the Merizdc
district. The tenketch 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
the Agana district was organized in the
various wards to clear away wrecks ana
rebuild houses. The people appear TO De
settling down to work with a cheerfulneSS
which argues frequent previous acqualnt-
ance with privations. The crew of the
Yosemite are employed clearing and re-
pairing roads, rebuilding bridges and the
telephone line and in all other ways in
which useful work can be done. The per-
manent repairs to bridges and the restora-
ton of the fine road recently built and re-
pairs to public buildings Will take much
time and be quite a drain upon the re-
sources of the island. A more Immediately
serious aspect is given to the situation by
the fact that in short time, without OUTSIDE
help the island would be starving. Prac-
tically all cocoanut trees are stripped, Il
not felled, and may not bear for year or
more. Bananas and breadfrult 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, ana
they have no cocoanuts or copra with
which to buy provisions Commander
Schroeder says:
81 have therefore bought up all available
staple articles Of food and have already
had to distribute a certain amount to those
in actual present need
IncloSng his report Commander Scnroe-
der says
"a further unfortunate feature Of this
terrible visitation was that 1t 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
u per cent, but among the natives the
mortality was most deDlorable, especially
were overworked and temporarily pros
trated by fatigue and fever Assistant
Surgeon Furlong was transferred up here
from the Yosemite a day or two before the
storm which accounts for his not being
on board at the time Surgeon F. A. Hester
had to be relieved from duty and placed
upon the sick list against his will for
couple of days by my order. / 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
I'm the midst of the desolation that reigns
it is realized that it could easily have been
worse, and that We have much to be
thankful for. The drifting of the Yosemite
through the reefs without instant destruc-
ton 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 good quantity of
coal, so that the distilling part of the ice
plant could be used and increased supplies
of water produced for distribution among
the natives whose wells were filled 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"
THE GREAT STORM AT GUAM.
v,aI In Call