The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-03-18

of the loss of these vessels and lives has in 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 sea. At the
time of the w~recking of the Yankee vessels three
German warships were destroyed, the loss o. life
upon them being much heavier thai upon ours.
The German vessels were the Olga, Adler and
Eber. There was in the Samoan harbor at the
same time her majesty's ship Calliope. This
vessel was the only one which went through that
awful hurricane unscathed. 1t owed it's safety
not to superior seamanship, but 70 the fact that
its powerful engines enabled it to put to sea and
there with prov to the blast outride the storm.
On Friday, March Is, 1889, at one O'Clock in the
afternoon, indications of BID weather were APP
parent on the horizon. The coming disturbance
was first noticed by the American commanders,
who at once made preparations to meet 1t. The
lower yards were left down, the topmasts housed,
fires lighted and steam was raised. The Trenton,
flagship, held the outer berth, while the Nipsic
held the inner. At three o'clock it was blowing a
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 YES
sells head in the teeth of the blast and the ship
went crashing on 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 was found that the rudder
was broken, and they were useless. The Tren-
ton was leaking badly, and, though bedding was
jammed into the assures and all hands went to
work bailing, the water gained and soon put out
the fires. Two of the Trenton's anchor held and
it was not yet swept from it's moorings. At half
past nine on the morning of Saturday the hurri-
cane was at its height.
In the afternoon the wind hauled a 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
Oara Eopf tha uoSco1 from tr;lip- ~ ,oaF NH.
attempt was made to set storm sails, but it was
inefectual. Then a last hazardous experiment
was tried. The men were ordered to the yards,
there to form a living sail, as they stood With
their bodies In a compact mass side by side and
with arms encircled. To attempt to mount aloft
in that hurricane seemed certain death. Fearing
that there might be hesitancy to obey, Naval
Cadet jackson, little more than a boy, sprang to
the ladder and led the way aloft, followed by the
crew.
Finally the Trenton reached the vinicity of the
Vandalia, which was on the reef, with great seas
breaking over it every moment and rapidly going
to pieces. Captain Schoonmaker of the Vandalia.
with many of his men 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 was unable to
stand the strain. His last word was one OF en-
enlargement and hope to his men, and then, with
four others, he was carried to his death. OF the
officers and crew of the Vandalia at the time the
Trenton came alongside SO were dead. The 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 ] saw the pei ilous
position of the Vandalia's crew they resolved to
save their brothers. Rockets with lines attached
were sent over the Vandalia's rigging, and the
the Trenton's men began the dangerous work Of
saving. Captain Farquhar ordered the hagship's
hand into the rigging where tha unuSiojana r,o.a
dashed. They had their instruments with them
Play the 'Star-Spangled Banner " ordered Can.
tain Farquhar.
The music came with a will, and the notes of
the national anthem rose over the roar of the
waters and the howl of the hurricane.
The storm abated. The Nipsic was well beached.
but badly broken up. The seven men lost by that
vessel were drowned while attempting to launch
a boat. The reports of the officers of the three
American ships told of the heroism of the com.
mon sailors, but said nothing of their own. The
story in full came from admiring aliens.