River Falls Journal

BATTLING WITH THE TEMPEST.

Story of the Recent Storm Along the Samoan Coast—How the American and German War-Ships Were Wrecked—A Fierce but Futile Struggle with the Worst Hurricane Ever Known in That Region—The Number Drowned Was 146—Noble Work of King Mataafa's Subjects.

Apia, Samoa, March 17.—The hurricane which passed over the Samoan islands March 16 and 17 was the most violent and destructive storm ever known in the South Pacific. The loss to life and property was very great. To the United States and Germany alone was lost 146 lives and $4,000,000 worth of property. Six war-ships and ten other vessels were dislodged or driven ashore. Of the American gun-boats the Trenton lies near the United States consulate and is fast going to pieces. The Vandalia is buried out of sight between the Trenton and the shore. Her shattered foremast and smoke-stack rise from the water to mark the spot where the Italian vessel struck and lay for twelve hours before the swift torrent of water swept four officers and thirty guns from her decks and rigging. The Nipsic lay for several days alongside the reef. The Eber, with her bow high on the beach and within five feet of the water's edge. The Olga, though badly damaged, has hauled off a few days after the storm and is the only war-ship afloat in the harbor. She lost four men by the swamping of a boat, and two others who jumped overboard were drowned.

It was on the little German gun-boat Eber that the greatest loss of life occurred. She had a complement of six officers and seventy men. Five men were ashore during the storm. When the vessel struck the reef she sank completely out of sight, and in a minute later there was not a vestige of her to be seen. Every man on board was lost except one officer and four sailors.

The German corvette Olga suffered less than any of the other vessels. The British ship Calliope was the only one that escaped. She, having very powerful machinery, put to sea. All the other vessels had a full head of steam on and three or four anchors out, but before that awful storm they were like toys in the hands of a giant.

Many of the sailors became drunk soon after they got ashore, but the officers rallied them and the injured were cared for. The natives rendered every assistance, Americans and Germans being treated alike. The damage on shore was also very great. Houses were unroofed and blown down and trees and fences were blown across the streets so that passage was almost blocked.

The storm was not unheralded. For several days the barometer had been steadily falling and Friday the wind began to blow. However, nobody thought the gale would be so violent. The gun-boats had their engines working to relieve the strain on their anchors, but no commander had foresight enough to put to sea.

All the vessels weathered the storm through Friday night, but all had dragged their anchors. A little after 5 o'clock the first rays of dawn broke upon the scene and to those on shore revealed a spectacle not often witnessed.

The position of the vessels was entirely changed. The wind, which was blowing from the northeast, had swept them from their former moorings and they were all bearing down in the direction of the reef. Black smoke was pouring from their funnels, showing that desperate efforts were being made to keep them up against the wind. Their decks were swarming with men clinging to the masts or any other objects.

The hulls of the war-ships were tossing about like corks. One moment the vessels seemed to stand almost upon their beams' end and the next instant their sterns would rise out of the water and expose to view the rudders and rapidly-revolving propellers. Then the huge prows would be lifted high in the air, only to plunge into the next wave and deluge the ships with a torrent of water. It was then seen that the vessels were doomed and they soon succumbed to the fury of the tempest.

Soon the Adler came ashore and she was followed by the Nipsic. Most of the men on the latter were got to shore on a hawser which the natives made fast. The British ship Calliope was still in the harbor. She was lying near the Vandalia and a collision between the two seemed certain. The Calliope was nearer shore and her bow close to the stem of the Vandalia. Great waves were tossing the two vessels about and they were coming closer together every minute.

Suddenly the great iron prow of the Englishman rose high in the air on the crest of an enormous wave and came down with full force upon the port quarter of the Vandalia. The crash was awful. The jib-boom of the Calliope was carried away and the heavy timbers of the Vandalia were shivered. Every man who stood upon the poop-deck of the Vandalia was thrown from his feet by the shock. A hole had been torn below the rail and the water rushed into the cabin. It seemed that the Vandalia had received her death blow and the men rushed up the hatches in the belief that the steamer was sinking, and it was only after great effort that the officers persuaded them to return to their posts.

Just after this collision Captain Kane of the Calliope determined to make an effort to steam out of the harbor, as he saw that to remain in his present position would lead to another collision with the Vandalia or throw his vessel on the reef. He accordingly gave the order to let go all anchors. The Calliope's head was swung around to the wind, and her powerful engines were worked to their utmost capacity. It was an anxious moment on board the corvette, as with her anchors gone she had nothing but her engines to depend upon to keep her off the reef. The steamer seemed to stand still for a moment, and then the rapidly revolving propeller had its effect, for the vessel moved up slowly against the great waves, which broke over her bows and flooded her decks from stem to stern.

Clouds of black smoke poured from her funnels and fresh coal was thrown into the furnaces. All her great power was used in the desperate struggle against the storm. She seemed to make her headway at first inch by inch, but her speed gradually increased until it became evident she could clear the harbor. As she passed abreast of the Trenton a great shout went up from over 400 men aboard the flag-ship and three hearty cheers were given for the Calliope. "Three cheers for the Trenton and the American flag!" was the answer that came back across the angry waters. The Calliope passed safely out of the harbor and steamed far out to sea, returning after the storm abated.

An attempt was then made to beach the Vandalia, and she was run alongside the reef and within 100 yards of shore, when she grounded. Several attempts were made by the natives to take a line to her, but they were in vain. The vessel swung around with her broadside to the waves, and one by one officers and crew were swept off by the torrents of water, but few being saved through the heroic efforts of the natives.

The Trenton had thus far weathered the storm through the skill of her navigating officer, Lieutenant Brown. Her rudder was however, carried away and her fires put out by the rush of water through the hawser-holes. She then fouled the Olga when the latter let go her anchors and was run ashore. The Trenton drifted up toward the Vandalia. A new danger now arose. The Trenton was sure to strike the Vandalia, and to those on shore it seemed that the huge bulk of the flag-ship would crush the Vandalia to pieces and grind her hundred men still clinging to her rigging into the water. It was now after 5 o'clock and the light was beginning to die away, and in half an hour the Trenton had drifted up to within a few yards of the Vandalia's bow, and the men in the rigging of the latter were troubled with fear as they saw the Trenton approach. The poor creatures who had been clinging for hours to the rigging of the Vandalia were haggard and bleeding, but they held on with the desperation of wretches who hang by a thread to life. Their last hour seemed to be upon them. The great black hull of the Trenton could be seen through the darkness almost ready to crush into the stranded Vandalia and grind her to atoms.

Suddenly a shout was heard across the waters. The Trenton was cheering the Vandalia. The sound of 430 voices broke upon the air. "Three cheers for the Vandalia" was the cry that warmed the hearts of the dying men in the rigging. The shout died away upon the storm and there arose from the quivering masts of the sunken ship a response so feeble that it was scarcely heard upon shore. The sound of music next came across the water, the Trenton's band was playing "The Star Spangled Banner." The thousand of men on the sea and shore had never before heard strains of music at such a time as this. An indescribable feeling came over the hundreds of Americans on shore who listened to the notes of the National anthem mingled with the howl of the storm. For a moment only they were silent and then they broke forth with a cry that rent the air and reached each of the struggling men on the rigging of the Vandalia.

The men who had exhausted every means during the whole of that awful day of rendering some assistance to their comrades now seemed inspired to greater efforts. The collision of the Trenton and Vandalia, which every one thought would crush the latter vessel to pieces, proved to be the salvation of the men in the rigging. Notwithstanding the tremendous force of the waves the Trenton dragged back slowly, and when her stem finally struck the side of the Vandalia there was no shock and she gradually swung around broadside to the sunken ship. As soon as the vessels touched the men in the mizzen rigging crawled out on the yards and jumped to the deck of the Trenton. The men escaped just in time, for as the last left the yards the mizzenmast of the Vandalia fell with a crash on the side next to the shore. The other men escaped in the same way.

From 7 o'clock in the morning until 6 in the evening, when she grounded, the Trenton held out against the storm without steam or rudder and her escape from total destruction was miraculous. The skillful management of her navigating officer, Lieutenant K. M. G. Brown, was all that saved the lives of 450 men. Admiral Kimberly, Captain Farquhar and Lieutenant Brown stood upon the bridge all day and directed the movements of the ship. Oil was poured overboard, but it had no effect in stilling the waves.

The Olga was still standing off from the reef and holding up against the storm better than any other vessel in the harbor had done, but just as the Olga commenced to move up against the wind her bow came in contact with the starboard quarter of the flag-ship. The Olga's bowsprit and figurehead were carried away, and the heavy timbers on the Trenton's quarter were shivered; several boats were torn from the davits, and the American flag which had floated from the Trenton was carried away and fell to the deck of the Olga. Fortunately the vessels drifted apart after the collision, and the Olga steamed ahead toward the mud flats in the eastern part of the harbor. The Olga's prow was imbedded in soft mud in the safest part of the bay. No life was lost.

King Mataafa came down from his camp early in the morning for the first time in several months and directed the natives in their work. He expressed the greatest sorrow on account of the disaster, and feared that the American people would blame him for being the cause of the war-ships coming down to Samoa to be lost in the storm.

Mataafa pointed out to Admiral Kimberly the danger of sickness breaking out among the men on account of exposure, and on behalf of his own people he offered to vacate all the Samoan houses in Apia and allow the American sailors to have the use of them. Admiral Kimberly thanked Mataafa and told him that it would be almost impossible to control the men if they were scattered around among the native houses. He promised to consider the affair, however, if the situation became more pressing.

By noon there were nearly 800 American sailors on the streets of Apia. The saloons were crowded with them and it was not long before many were disorderly. Vice-Consul Blacklock, recognizing the gravity of the situation, issued a peremptory notice to all saloon-keepers in town, of whatever nationality, forbidding them to sell or in any way furnish liquor to American sailors, and notifying them that if they did not obey this order a guard of marines would be sent to their places and all liquor emptied into the street.

Captain Fritze, senior German officer, was asked to co-operate in providing police protection, but he notified the American officers he was afraid to trust his own men as guards, as the American sailors would attack them, and he requested the Americans to take full control of the town. This was accordingly done.

Contracts were made with various parties for feeding sailors, though it was a difficult matter to provide them with much food during the day. A temporary hospital was provided for the large number of men injured or suffering from exhaustion.

Apia has the appearance of a camping ground. Trenton sailors have erected temporary tents in the large yard near the center of the town and the Vandalia survivors have quarters near the American Consulate. Survivors of the Adler and Eber are quartered in the warehouse of the German Trading Company. The officers and crew of the Olga are living aboard their ship. The town is under marine guard. The greatest precautions are being taken to keep the town clean and to prevent disease breaking out among the men.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 15.—Additional Samoan advices say the Admiral commanding the American fleet was the last to leave the Trenton, his flag-ship. Admiral Kimberly said he considered faulty construction of the Trenton's hawser-pipes as indirectly the cause of her wreck.

The Germans and Americans held memorial services at different dates for the dead. At the German service Admiral Kimberly and other American officers attended. Only about one fourth of the bodies have been recovered. Some of these were badly mutilated. It was difficult to identify them, or even to tell the nationality, and it was finally determined to bury all at one spot together. The interments were made as speedily as possible, owing to the extremely hot weather. Some of the bodies, including that of Paymaster Arms, were wrapped in Samoan matting for burial.

The political situation in Samoa remains unchanged. Mataafa declared some time ago that all the blood that had been shed was on account of German interference in Samoan affairs. He believed the war would end if the Germans would cease giving assistance to Tamasese, as the latter would be almost powerless alone. Mataafa hoped that Kimberly would formally protest against the part the Germans had taken. Should Malietoa be released by the Germans and return to Samoa, Mataafa says, the question of who should rule would be settled between Malietoa and Mataafa. There would be no trouble on this account, as Malietoa had resigned in Mataafa's favor.

Following is a correct list of the victims of the disaster:

United States steamer Vandalia—Captain C. M. Schoonmaker; Paymaster Frank H. Arms; Lieutenant Frank E. Sutton, marine officer; Paymaster's Clerk John Roach; George Morrage, boatswain's mate; George Gorman, carpenter's mate; M. Craigan, captain of after guard; William Brown, quartermaster; T. G. Downey, pay-yeoman; B. F. Davis, equipment yeoman; M. H. Joseph, equipment yeoman; N. B. Green, bayman; H. P. Stallman, bayman; C. H. Harkins, storage steward; R. G. Stanford, landsman; W. Brisbane, Captain's steward; Thomas Kelly, fireman; Joseph Grimm, fireman; W. Howat, coal-heaver; E. M. Hammer, M. Erickson, C. P. Kratzer, Thomas Reilly, John Kelly and Henry Baker, seamen; John Hanchett, sergeant of marines, F. Sessman, sergeant of marines; M. Cashen, corporal of marines; N. Kinsella, corporal of marines; H. E. Gehring, F. Jones, G. Jordan, F. Wilford, H. Wixted, E. Montgomery, John Sims, G. H. Wells, C. Kraus and E. Geldner, private marines, and four Chinamen.

United States steamer Nipsic—H. Pontseel, seaman; John Gill, seaman; G. W. Cullen, A. P. Prentice, Joshua Heap, Thomas Johnson (colored), captain's steward; William Watson, fireman; N. P. Kelleher, coal-heaver.

United States steamer Ironton—Joseph Hewlitt (colored), landsman, killed on deck by falling spar.

H. I. G. M. S. Eber—Captain-Lieutenant Wallis, Lieutenant Eckhardt, Lieutenant Von Ernst Hausen, Surgeon Marbenhauer and Paymaster Kusize.

The names of sixty-six sailors who perished on the Eber can not be ascertained here, as the rolls were all lost and Lieutenant Gaedeke, the only surviving officer, has no other record of the crew.

The schooner Lily lost two men—Anthony Ormsby and a Hawaiian. Two natives were also drowned in the surf while attempting to rescue men from the Vandalia.

The whole number of lives lost was 146.

Nearly every man who clung to the rigging of the Vandalia during the storm was more or less seriously injured, and for a day or two the hospital was crowded.