The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-03-18

of the loss of these vessels and lives has it
the recital OF a showing of undaunted American
heroism, coupled with romance which it IS lard
to equal in the truthful annals of the At the
time of the wreckfng of the Yankee vessels three
German warships were destroyed, the loss O. life
upon them being much heavier thar. upon OURS
The German vessels were the Olga, Adler and
Eber. There in the Samoan harbor at the
time her majesty's ship Calliope. This
vessel the only which went through that
awful hurricane unscathed.' 1t owed its saIety
not to superior seamanship, but 20 the fact that
its powerful engines enabled it to put TO sea ano
there with prov to the blast outride the storm
On Friday, March Is, 1889, at O'Clock in the
afternoon, indications of b.,d weather were ap-
parent on the horizon. The coming disturbance
was first noticed by the American commanders
who at once made preparations to meet it. The
lower yards were left down. the topmasts housed
fires lighted and steam raised. The Trenton,
flagship held the outer berth, while the Nipsic
held the inner At three o'clock it was blowing
gale. An hour later the port bow cable Of the
Trenton parted. The Vandalia tried its best to
steam out in the face of the gale, but there was
not power enough in its engines to keep the
sells head in the teeth of the blast and the ship
went crashing a reef.
All night long the storm increased in violence
The flagship at daylight lost its wheel, and
though relieving tackle and a spare tiller were
instantly attached, it found that the rudder
broken, and they useless. The Tren-
ton leaking badly. and, though bedding
damned into the assures and all hands went to
work battling, the water gained and soon put out
the fires Two of the Trenton's ancHor@ held and
it was not yet swept from its mornings. At half
past nine the morning of Saturday the hurrf
cane was at its height.
In the afternoon the wind hauled bit and the
flagship parted its two chains and drifted toward
the eastern reef Magnificent seamanship on the
part OF Captain Farquhar and his navigating Off
GERS kept the vessel from striking the reef The
attempt made to set storm sails, but it was
Intellectual Then a last hazardous experiment
was tried The men were ordered to the yards
there to form a living sail, they stood with
their bodies in compact mass side by side and
with encircled. To attempt to mount aIoft
in that hurricane seemed certain death Fearing
that there might be hesitancy to obey, Naval
Cadet Jackson, little more than boy. sprang to
the ladder and led the way aloft, followed by the
crew.
Finally the Trenton reached the vinicity of the
Vandalia, which the reef, with great seas
to pieces Captain Schoonmaker OF the Vandalia,
with many of his and officers. had been
swept overheard and drowned long before. The
commander had been on the bridge through the
whole of the storm, and weakened finally by the
constant pounding OF the waves. he unable to
stand the strain. His last word was one o. en-
enlargement and hope to his men. and then with
four others. he carried to his death OF the
officers and crew Of the Vandalia at the time the
Trenton came alongside SO were dead he rest
were in the rigging expecting every moment that
the masts would go by the board. and that they
would meet the fate OF their comrades.
When the Trenton's Office the Pc fIous
position Of the vandalia's crew they resolved to
save their brothers Rockets with lines attached
sent over the Vandalia's rigging. and the
the Trentons men began the dangerous ork Of
saving Captain Farquhar ordered the hagship's
band into the rigging. where the musicians were
dashed They had their instruments with them
Play the 'Star-Spangled Banner ordered Cap
tain Farquhar.
The music came with will and the notes Of
the national anthem rose the roar Of the
waters and the howl OF the hurricane
The storm abated. The Nipsic well beached
but badly broken up. The seven men lost by that
vessel were drowned while attempting to launch
q boat The reports Of the officers of the three
American ships told Of the heroism of the com
sailors. but said nothing Of their own The
story in fun came from admiring aliens.