The farmer and mechanic., 1913-11-18
GALLANT FIGHTING CRAFT IS
!. OVERTAKEN BY QUEER FATE
Famous Little Npsic, Which Weathered Terrible Sam
oan Hurricane, to Become Cold Storage Receptacle
Helped to Make History.

!, was for this ignoble end
s ,,e Nipsic, time man-of-war.
una ',bered the great samoan nurrl-
cane - ,ecejving ship ad later prison |
reer me Bremerton navy yard.
snip ,rotor. the once proud fighting
hse been purchased from. the
crai. s.ates government and fitted
Chtv huge icebox, says the New
fVrn or year after July 10th the sal
r.a' :, puget Sound come up to
h,on h,,ine waters in such numbers
'pa, the canneries cannot handle
.I@, NO and the Nipsic is stationed In
ui." ". Gan .Tulan group of Puget Sound
,h' .sa,-ec the surplus for canning
az w. mention the Eipsic is to recall
,arri6c Samoan hurricane of
W. ob f5 1889. This little third
W. was stranded, the Trenton and
vandalia. two gallont members OF the
la wooden fleet, were lost, and three
German warships wrecked In the
worst storm that ever swept the South
pocitr How the Trenton's crew
n.srmed rse,no into the rigging with their
hodies to form a sail to assist the en-
U;ra in keeping the ship of the reef
,hat later proved her doom; how
II NJ : Calliope finally steamed
from the harbor in the face OF wind
md sea and thus escaped disaster {;
how the Samoans. harassed by Ger
man annexation plottings, forgot their
.nmity dashed into the surf and
saved the kaiser's sailors, are details
If this wonderful sea story that
Americans still remember.
Hut the International background
of the disaster is now almost forgot
,cn. Away off there in Apia harbOI
three American and three German
ships were moored, because the Unit
ed States had challenged the policy
Of Germany hungry for colonies.
But for the tense situation Whicf
existed ashore the warships wouiC
probably have all put to sea and beer
saved But neither the German com
mander nor Rear Admiral Kimberly
l.. S ~. commanding the little
American feet. left the harbor. Th'
one warship that did escape was II
NJ s Calliope, which steamed out IL
the teeth of the gale when the en-
gines of the other warships were to-
weak even to keep them off the rec
that finally sealed their doom.
The hurricane experienced was tn
most thrilling that ever came to tn
Nipsic. She was a modest little craft
only 593 tons, mounting five guns
She was authorized during the civl
war Her hull was built at Ports
mouth. y H., navy yard, and launch
ed June is, 1868. Whence came he
name is not definitely known. A thre
weeks search Of the naval record
recently vagely established that Nipsi
m In ~F foS n
rvation, but originating, presumabl!
In Massachusetts. The engines wer
shipped from the works Of Woodru
&Beach, at Hartford. They built wa
craft speedily In those days. BY o.
iober l. 1868, the Nipsic was stan(
ing ont of Boston harfor for tn
south, and on New Years day she d.
suoyed rebel schooner at Morrel
MET, ;. c.. her one exploit of tf
war.
Began Regular Service.
WIN peace and dispersal of II
vast blocKading feet. the Nipsic b
gan regular service. She " ent in Il
orazh squadron in 1866, and by 18'
sdS attached to the north Atlant
meet under Commander T. o. Sc
.Iluge, who, in 1870. took her to Ce
srai America, where he conducted t
- Va tiie IStuIIluS VI OdIle
nilch IN one section is even ma
lo"er than Panama, and which w
9nce considered a feasible canal rOu
SSesplte the high mountain ridge tn
uNldes the oceans. Many officers w
since have achieved distinction in t
nav! did watch and division duty
sae Nipsic. She was rebuilt in IS
W 1s me Washington navy yard.
ool She was commanded on the +
sopean station by commander c.
I,"vanioenmaker, ,"ai who eight years lat
n vst MS life in the Samoan disast
C"nese he commanded the Vandal
w,Vil'ihdnder II. B. Seely and Co
.Gidhusr w. S. Dana also had the N
~ O 2elore, in 1868, she was taken
M NJ facihc by Commander Dennis
Ill me samoan question was then
49, use eelebre of American forei
r3.S rGu'S The Spanish-American w
W ~ us world-power responsibiliti
ir iss SUI! ten years distant. but Wa,
"a7 s'oh claimed and asserted pol
M ~, interests and rights in the
IS-aA islands. BY a convention
- me town and district of A
~ IN placed under a municipality,
80 e head Of which were the cons
"a TIE Cnited StatoS Corpoapv .