The farmer and mechanic., 1913-11-18

A
moan-American- treaty, whereby thet,
Oniteo states was to receive the same
privileges as might or had been grant
eo 10 any other government Com
mander Richard Leary, on the old
team sioop of war Adams. had been
stauoneo at AHa. where his action in
tnWartlng the political maneuver of
the German consul and naval COM
mander have been described in Rob
eft Louis SfevenSOn'S "A FoOtnOte to |
history" Mr.. Stevenson was then
living In Samoa. Rival climants for
the throne, Tamasese and Ma.aafa,
tnreW the Samoans into civil strife |
Captain Brandeis. The German con
sui in 188 had induced the Ger
man naval commander to send
ashore from the Olga a landing party
to disarm the forces Of Mataafa. In
the combat Of December 1S, 1888,
twenty Germans were killed and
thirty wounded. The incident was re-
garded as indicating nothing less than
German desire to annex the islands
The Germans and the English recog-
nized Tamasese as king, yet the Sa-
means hOcked to Mataafa. The Ger,
| mans. siding with Tamasese, bonn
| barded Mataafa's villages, proclaim
ed martial law. searched English
vessels. destroyed American property,
and suppressed the British newspaper
| at Apia.
But meanwhile in Europe and at
Washington conditions had changed
Prince Bismarck declared in the
reichstag. in January, 1889, that Ger
many and England were going hand
| in hand so far as Samoa was con-
cerned Lord Salisbury notified him
that Great Britain declined any share
of the responsibility for the German
attack on the Samoans. On Febru-
ary 18th, Knappe, the Jealous Ger
man consul at Apia, was duly made
the diplomatic goat" for he then
received from the chancellor a dis
patch stating that he had no right
to assume the government of Sa-
moa by Germany.
Take it Immediately back wrote
Bismarck, evidently, meaning that
!, Germans effort to control the situa-
ton was at an end. Shortly there
after Rear Admiral Kimberly arrived
) on board his flagship. the Trenton
; Capt N. II. FarQuhar commanding
the American force became stronger
Kimberly found that Mataafa apG
: Tamasese were still at war, the Ger
: man consul endeavoring to induce
r Mataafa to make peace on terms
e giving Germany preponderant IN
S fiuence in the administration. Rea
c Admiral Kimberly brought news tina
: Germany had proposed a resumptio,
g in Washington in 1887, and he ad
T vised both factions to await the de
r cision Of this conference.
: This was the situation when tn
! hurricane occurred. Outside of -
e Footnote to History" probably tn
= most vivid description Of the disas
s ter. especially SO far as it concerne
q the Nipsic, is contained in an accoun
written by School-master Heisier, G
the Nipsic, and published in Me-
le York newspaper of April Is, 1888
= He wrote:
le "A remarkably low glass on Marc
- Is predicted the approach OF one
ic those gales which sweep across ~
l. South seas at this season or the yea
4 Mindful of the warning, the memo
he war made the usual preparations Il
n, heavy weather, but not one expecte
r a hurricane of such terrific force
as that which during the ensuing nlgi
te leaped down upon the natlonal v
at sells and the mercantile shipping, an
40 sounded the death knell Of Jas BRAY
ne men.
IN 1.-The unusual number OF veSse
70 crowded within the narrow limits
In of the harbor rendered the danger
u collision more imminent than tn
N. arising from the force of the gal
er while upon every SIOC iIO"AN
er. edges of the coral reefs, enveiopii
la. the straining vessels in a threate
n ing circle of foam.
10. .The German gunboat Eber w
to the first to strike. Her anchor So
W. began to drag, and despite the Id Ia
that she was Steaming aheao II
he speed she gradually approached Z
gn reef In surging ahead during siig
ar, lulls in the storm she several I'M, tlm
es came up so close upon the Nipsi'
n stern as to render a collision see. zee.
I'll ingly unavoidable flnailS, ai, !,
Ia most desperate efforts to hold n
of ground. her cables parted and
,ia drove down upon the inner reef WI
at frightful force. The sea inteo q
uls on the edge of the reef. and as II /
nd her she heeled over into deep wa,
80 .;nLinc iromediate The heavy Sc
3e- soon beat her to pieces. Before nle
in not a vestige of the vessel was 10 :
he seen at the point where she struck