The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1915-09-07
Damaged Gunboat Princeton In
Port En- Route To Coast
For Repairs
WARSHIP HAS GREAT
RENT IN HER HULL
Relief Work Continues But Gov
eminent Is Teaching Natives
To Be SeIf-ReHant

Vivid and colorful glimpses Of
American Samoa were brought to Hon
olulu Yesterday by Lieut. -Comdr. Mark
st. G. Ellis, who arrived in the United
States gunboat Princeton, former sta.
tiOn ship at Page PagO, now on her
way to San Francisco accompanied by
the auxiliary Nanshan. Captain Ellis
was in command of the Saroan ex.
petition, composed of the Nanshan and
tug Fortune, here early in august for
Samoa, where the Fortune replaced the
Princeton as station ship-a change
neeessitated by damage to the gunboat
year ago, when she ran upon an un-
charted rock near Tutuila. Permanent
repairs could not be made at Pago
Pago, but will be at San Francisco.
Captain Ellis was not at Samoa
when the great hurricane swept the
island of Mama late in February, but
It's effects had been described TO him
by Governor John Al. Poyer and Sur
geoh Parker, and he spoke from their
information. .'r
Worse Than 1889 Hurricane
HThe natives called II the Storm of
Storms" he said, "and II was worse
even than the great hurricane Of
1889. /" ~
4 1t was this storm that wrecked the
fleets of the United States and Ger
many in Apia hartor, and, up TO this
time, it had stood almost alone in the
annals Of South Sea tpmpeEts.
"YOu know how tropical island
appears from the sea, the officer con-
tinued; "all green and inviting. AZ
ter the wind Manua was brown, the
foliage close cropped as though a reap
or had gone over it. The tops Of the
cocoanut trees had been blown ava.
the leaves Of the taro had been strip
ped of by the wind. Manua was de-
vestated, and about 1000 persons made
destitute.
Situation Handled Ably
"Governor Poyer handled the situa-
ton in notably efficient Kramer.
Charity WIS given where charity was
necessary; but the great effort Is TO
teach the natives how to provide for
the future through their planting. IL
has been FIVE months since the hurri-
cane, and it win he another two
months or so before they will be rails
ing all their own foodstuffs again,
principally bananas and taro. In the
meantime, the government is aiding
them ...''' g.. =.
Manua WAS the only island Of the
Samoan group that suffered severely.
The wind was felt at Pago Page, but
there was no damage. s6el -
1--WE left Honolulu with the Nan.
shan and Fortune August q" Captain
Ellis went on. ave arrived at Pago
Pago August 10. The Fortune was
ready to 20 to Manua with foodstuffs,
which the Nanshan had carried"
The principal part of the cargo of
the Nanshan was coal and lumber for
the naval station, however.
Patch Leaks Slightly 49, .'
"On our return from Page Pago,
eleven days fat" said Captain Ellis.
"Of the eleven days, FIVE gave us bad
weather. We were six days 10 Fam.
ing and FIVE days from Tanning to
Honolulu. We did not touch at Fan
ming, but came by there so as not to
be more than 600 miles from land at
any time. II was not that danger was
expected from the temporary patch,
but wished TO be on the safe side IL
anything should occur. We made one
foot of water a day, but l consi er
that the voyage was in safety through
ont. An inspection Of the patch viii
be made Monday, but think there Is
no danger whatever, the inspection be-
ing merely TO make sure, aud we will
sail at one clock Wednesday after
noon for San Francisco
Captain Ellis described the feeling
of the natives for the Princeton, and
that reminded him of motion pictures
! in the far South Seas.
Great Hole In Huh
"When the Princeton sunk, the ma
tives aided all they could donating
their work TO the government. A hole
four by twelve feet was torn in the
boat forward, through the outer and
inner skins, when the ship struck
while on a cruise about Tutuila, and
there was grave danger that she would
! not be able to get TO land, hut the
matches were closed and she made for
Page Page. She reached shore near
the navy yard at Page Page, but sud
denly sunk at the dock, only the top
, of the lower mast being visible apoVe
the water. After being under water
for twenty-one DAYS, the naval forces,
assisted by the natives, raised her, and
| the TEMPORARY patch was nut on. The
raising was done under the Immediate
supervision Of Warrant MACH Bal.
hnger
"After being at sen for eleven days,
Honolulu hPrb0r certainly looked GOOD
to US, Cantain Ellis said. 81 have
been thinking of Honolulu and its
prospects, and it seems to me that it
should double in population in ten
wears. 1t is becoming a great port
for naval and merchant vessels, aud
the soldiers that will be added to the
forces here now. for whose maintrn.
an"e money will he spent and who