Year: 1869

Captain Neweil's Statement Of the Catas-


trophe-Heroir Conduct of the Japanese


soldiers.


WASHINGTON, May H. 1889.


The State Department has received from our Con-
sui at Kanagawa. under date of March L. the par
tculars of the loss OF the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company's steamer Hermann on the evening of the
18th OF February, together with the following full
statement by Captain Newell or the loss OF the Her
MANN


was ordered to take command OF the Hermann
as soon as that vessel should return to Yokohama
from Yedo. and did so on the morning of the 18th
instant There were then on board $50 passengers
and crew OF eighty men. The heavy south
westerly gales which had prevailed for
twenty-four hours previously had broken. the wind
had veered to north and east, and the barometer
indicating better weather l proceeded to sea at
noon, bound to the Straits Of Saugar. Outside Of
cape Sagami we encountered heavy sOuthwesterly
swell, but wind fresh from north and east; passed
the breakers Mia LEDGE about six miles distant,
at 4:3O p. NJ and then steered northeast by east till
seven p. NJ; then steered northeast by east, half
east, one hour; then east northeast TIL nine p M;
then steered east by north, half north the ship
strong wind. These courses should have taken the
ship about eight miles from the land at the
Point of Kawatzu, but l supposed the heavy
southwest sea would set her on shore. and therefore
Thought the distance from land might be about five





The night was extremely dark and hazy, so that
saw the land very indstincty, and altered the ships
to the eastward. in the manner related above
to give the Point distance about seventyiive miles
from Yokohama, wide berth, the native pilot on
Point. although its existence was not indicated on
the chart nor mentioned In the sailing directions
steered this course, east by north hall north iroM
seven till nine O'Clock. had then no apprehension
whatever, and had just been aft to the standard
compass to examine the course made by It, and was
going forward again when discovered breakers on
the port bow and immediately after saw them ahead.
l then ordered the helm "hard port" The ship at
once answered the movement OF the helm, but was
caught by u tremendous roller and thrown with
great violence upon the rocks striking first forward
a sR M Seas Ss the
violence forced her over the reef. the water fllng
the ship meanwhile rapidly. The vessel thus drted
settled fairly up on the bottom and to the
hurricane deck. This was about ten O'Clock A. M.
the bows were stove IN and the hull more or less
broken by the fOremast. l had concluded at once,
cling to the wreck, as no boat could live IN the
breakers about us; and | ordered tnat the D0ats
should not be lowered Ine me preservers, OF Nv. wnicn
sengers shown their use. threw up some signai
rockets, when the people on shore lighted fires IN q
little bay which the town Of Kawatzu ia situated.
At nalf-past ten O'Clock p. NJ. the port boats were
swept away. two OF them being at once swamped
alongside Some o. the crew jumped INTO the third
was overwhelmed close by. soon after l mad the
With people. In two OF them they cut the painter
and attempted to reach the snore but were swamped
at short distance from the wreck: Tne tnird % anu
under the the wreck afforded from the break
for about half an hour and then went ~ towards
came upon the hurricane deck Between midnight
and ten A. NJ. one OF the tunnels fell upon the king
rods and thence rolling forward upon the hurricane
deck broke it OF amidships, causing loss
OF life to number Of, Of people pP,nsoas, collected
gone The sea reaching the hurricane deck broke
up the whole OF II forward but the after portion
alongside and seemed to save forty or fifty people.
We then collected on the warehouses; ana rigging.
The wind and sea moderated rapidly tne @ .a former
or the land very cold and piercing. Some OF the
people were washed of some tried TO save them.
selves pieces of the floating wreck The boats
being mostly lifeboats, although swamped, still
nOated and washed into the small bay by the surf,
and those persons who clung to them were saved.
II "a impossible for me estimate the loss OF lite
rhe ship nrst struck the reef az nine r. M, ana
and broke up the hurricane deck until about one
A. NJ, and those who were swept away IN the
various casualties happening In the interval were
carried in shore by the surf while Oated by the iie-
preservers or by clingng to portions OF the wreck
We suffered greatly from the cold and some OF those
in the rigging proved unable to endure ii. Az day
lirh found the wreck lay about three-f0urths or
mile from shore and near the bay mentioned above.
The ship was about 0ne-iourth oil mile furier out,
was swept by the heavy rolling seas TO che spot
where she finally settled. ] had little hopes, from
the boats during the night were saved; but as II ar
forwards proved many OF them were. About 100
people still remained on the wreck. soon one OF
the ships boats and number Of native craft
came OF from shore The latter would not come
alongside SO that was obliged to transfer the peO-
pie from the wreck them by OF the lilcboat.
when, however, the weather moderated still more.
tue Japanese boats came alongside and Helped to
take or the balance Of the people. AT two =. M all
those who remained by the snip through the night
were safely landed on Shore Before closing. would
remark that the behavior Of the Japanese was he
rOic. When the ship struck, those brave men. sud-
denly reused from sleep by the awful crash, seemed
to comprehend the situation IN a moment There
was no stampede and no disorder. From the 1rst
they were quiet and cool, retaining wonder
fully their presence OF mind and calmly
awaiting the commands OF their leader. This
officer called them on deck, and after
consulting with me as to the proper course to be
pursued ordered his men to stay by the ship. On
hearing this they retired to their rooms, where they
remained until driven from them by the water
rising In the vessel. None OF them attempted TO
leave the vessel without permission from the ofncer
In command, and I noticed that those who de-
termined TO try swimming ashore stripped them
selves with the exception Of belt about the waist,
and fastening to this their swords jumped into the
sea. ON arriving at Kawatzu we mustered hfty-
eight, Officers and men, tho first oflcer, water
tender and twenty OF the crew having been lost.
We walked sixty miles through the country. meeting
everywhere with Kindness and on reaching the head
OF Jeddo bay obtained the boat which brought us To
Yokohama.