Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-11
ABOARD THE TRENTON
The Disastrous Hurricane Off
Apia Recalled.
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO
AMERICAN AND GERMAN WAR;
SHIPS WRECKED.
Vessel Saved by the Expedient OF
-
Vessel Saved by the Expedient Of
Lieut.. r. M. g. Brown, Who Order
. ed the Ships Rigging Manned.

/ Saturday will be the fourteenth ami
versary &C the disaster to the navies Oh
the United states and Germany In the mar
Dor OF Apia, Samoan Islands" said an om-
cial of the Post Office Department. who
served a long period as an electrician IN
Uncle Sans navy.
I'm the harbor prior to the hurricane that
dealt such desoiation and destruction. not
only to the shipping assembled lying
peacefully at anchor but to the whole
group Of islands, with the consequent
great loss Of life, were the fleets Of Ger
many and the United States. the occa-
sion for such fleet in small and al
most unknown corner Of the globe being
the struggles for political ascendancy OF
the two rival factions of natives repre-
scented by Mataafa and Tamasese. respec-
lively.
II was attached to the Trenton, which
received orders in Payti. Peru to proceed
to Panama and await the arrival of the
U. S. S. Dolphin, having on board Rear
Admiral Kimberly, who would transfer his
flag to the Trenton. Prior to the arrival
of the Dolphin At was rumored that the
Germans had fired into and sunk the Nip
Este at Apia for interfering with the local
native affair. OF course, we were anxious
for the admiral's arrival to proceed to the
scene Of German interference. Kimberly
transferred his flag, and we Immediately
sailed for Apia, drilling constantly day and
night.
I'm due time the Trenton arrived at Pa
peete, Tahiti, where we took on coal, wise
precaution at the time When we sighted
the Samoan Islands the natives came of
to the ship in small dugouts; some swan
and c.ambefed on board They wanted to
see the great ship and the great chief who
had come to settle their troubles. We ar
rived on the morning OF the 18th, moored
the ship broadside to the town and ship
ping. The foreign and United States naval
officers In port Immediately came on board
to report their views of the case.
I'VE found the Nipsic lying peacefully at
anchor. and not sunk. as reported in the
United States. I say peacefully advisedly.
as the Vandalia and Nipsic had just passed
through successfully a heavy gale of wind.
The only anchorage for shipping was in g.
channel formed by the coral reefs. We on
the Trenton were employed in clearing the
the northeast looked very black and for
bidding, with a low barometer, the wind
singing a mournful tune through the ships
masts and rigging.
Preparing for Blow.
Toward evening on the day Of our ar
rival we slipped the stern mornings and
dropped an additional anchor and sent
down the light mast and yards. 1t was re-
ported at this time that our admiral Sig
nailed the Germans. asking them If they
would go to sea, receiving a negative an
swer. We made preparations for q hard
blow. We got up steam dn an additional
boiler, dropped the third anchor. battened
down all matches sent down the topmasts
and lower yards, virtually stripping the
ship of her heavy top hamper. This was
no mean work, as the old navy sailors
know.
The ship commenced to tug and strain
at her cables until relieved by the engines,
which We're kept going until the amount
Of water that poured into the ship finally
put out the boiler fires, driving the firemen
up on the gun deck. I escaped from the
dynamo room. where the water was up
to the deck. the Trenton being the first
warship In the world to be equipped with
electric Illuminating. firing. and searchlight
fittings
THE ships crew were divided into
to save the ship Our detail wrapped the
cables with clothing, allowing some to pay
out. so as to stop up the hawse pipes. which
came in on our berth deck. a structural
error; others worked at the hand pumps.
others -bailed water out with buckets and
passed some up to the spar deck: others
at the tiller ropes. the steering gear having
broken, including the steam and hand
wheel, others carrying up timed provisions
and biscuits clear of the submerged decks
for use to sustain life during the struggle.
During this time the Nipsic had been
providentally beached near the mouth Of
river. the only sand patch in the harbor
Her crew had succeeded in escaping on
shore excepting seven men drowned by at
tempting to escape in the gig. The Van
dalia had been drifted ashore, but was
submerged above her rail. and what re-
manned of her crew were in her rigging
exposed to the full fury of the elements.
slip her cable, and steamed past us.
We gave her three cheers. receiving only
the response from her commander. who
landing on her bridge, acknowledged same
Inc hn r,~I
| the reefs and get to sea.
THE German ship Olga was consider
able worriment to us as she appeared not
to be under control. She. At one critical
The Adler. ship Of $500 tons. was
picked up bodily by the sea and hurled
bottom up 1000 feet from the edge Of the
reef on dry land. The mountainous sea,
destructive though it was. was her saliva
ton. Her commander at a critical moment
slipping her cable she rose on the noun
tain of water and was carried bodily to her
berth, where she now lies bleaching in the
sun.
1.-The Eber was driven underneath the
coral growth OF the reef and at least half
on board were lost. For three days we on
the Trenton had been living in suspense
Our cable snapped when not relieved by
the propeller. We drifted near the edge
Of the reef. scraping it. and losing our
rudder. stern post and propeller.
Manned the Rigging.
''If it had been the ships side. she would
have foundered in a minute. and probably
this would have been the case only for the
prompt order of that representative of the
old school Of Annapolis, Lieut.. r. NJ G.
Brown, who gave the order to man the
mizzen rigging The force of the wind on the
mems backs SO situated was such that It
veered the ship off, The winds velocity was
estimated from. during the gale so to 40
miles an hour during the three days. On
and on we went. until finally our sus-
pense was ended by the ship drifting and
laying her bones side by side with the
Vandalia. In doing 50 we almost destroyed
the Vandslia and her crew. but. provi-
dentially sea pitched the Trenton to one
side. We threw lines to the poor Van
dallas men. and rescued them. thirty-five
in all. Many Of her men sacrificed their
lives in attempts to cross the inner whirl-
pool Of waters to succor those whom we finally
saved. Our captain ordered us to cheer
the Vandalia at this time, which we did
with a viii. giving vent to our suspended
excitement.