THE SAMOAN DISASTER.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 289, 23 April 1889, Page 2

THE SAMOAN DISASTER.

ARRIVAL OF THE CALLIOPE AT SYDNEY.

CAPTAIN KANE’S NARRATIVE. H.M.S. Calliope passed Sydney Heads shortly before 1 o’clock on the 4th, and anchored soon afterwards iu the Man- of-War Cove. The men-of-war in harbor were decorated with bunting in honor of the Calliope’s return, and aome anonymous admirer* sent to Captain Kane a lovely wreath, intended to convey welcome and congratulation* ; and thia floral tribute waa, much to the delight cf the men, hoisted to the masthead. As the vessel came up the harbor she was cheered by large numbers of people on the Manly, Chowder Bay, and other boato, and when passing through th* Heads, was heartily greeted by th* Permanent Artillery Force at South Head. The ship herself, looked at casually, seems little the worse for the rough handling which she had undergone ; but, when closely examined, the effects of the wind and weather are abundantly apparent in the tarnishes, chafings, and wrenchings about her sides and on deck. No very serious damage was sustained. The bowsprit and head-gear and figure-head were carried away by a collision in the harbor during the height of the storm, when the war vessels were crowding down upon one another, and making almost inextricable confusion. The foreyard was also sprung, and all but one of the boats were either washed away or stove in. The ship herself remains as right and tight as ever, there not being the slightest trace of a leak nor any sign of eerious strain. One of the principal points on which the public mind has been exercised since the news of the disaster reached us from Samoa, is whether it would not have been better for the vessels to take advantage of the warniug afforded by the falling barometer and put to sea before the storm broke in its full fuice. It is now learnt from the officers of the Calliope that such a course would undoubtedly have been the best, and would almost certainly have been followed under ordinary circumstances. A* matters stood, however, all the pilots and other weatherwise people at Apia, whose experience extended over a very long period, and whose advice wae entitled to be respected, distinctly assured the officers in charge of the war vessels that they had nothing to fear, that the strong winds which had previously prevailed would not be exceeded if even equalled in force, and that the falling barometer only indicated a slight blow and heavy rain. Lulled into a false security by this advice, the officers made everything snug, and awaited the break of the storm with the utmost confidant*. They only found the mistake which had been made when it waa too late to adopt the proper course, and there they remained oaught, as Admiral Kimberley expressed it, " like rats in a trap " in this small harbour, with scarcely more than enough room lor one or two large ship*. Seventeen vessel*, including «even large warship*, were cooped up, and, as thing* got gradually developed, got mixed in a moat extraordinary manner. At sea all the warships might have escaped, but aome of the officer* of the Calliope express the opinion that any ship less strong than theirs would have been broken in half by the terrific seas which struck their vessel. They say that no other vessel in the Australian squadron, not even the Orlando, oould have behaved so well as the Calliope did, and they do not disguise the great pride they feel in being connected with such a splendid ship. The most graphic pictures of the force of the hurricane were drawn by one of the officers, who, speaking with earnestness and impreisiveness, said few people could have any conception of the terrible power against which they had to fight, and the utter futility of all their skill and courage, unless fortune had favoured those who were battling against the storm. The seas which broke over the vessel while close to the reef were something terrific. Everything beyond a few yards was obscured by the spray, and the water was such a perfect maelstrom that they they could not tell with certainty -where the reefs were, the breakers losing their distinctive character in the midst of the awful turmoil. They knew thia, however, that they were frequently and for all too long a period within as little as five or six feet of the reef, which, if once touched, would have rendered their case hopeless. When Captain Kane made up hi* mind to go to sea if possible, he had not one but several distinct dangers to face. In the first place, it was not clear before he let go his only remaining anchor that his vessel would be able to stand up against the terrific sea raging in the entrance to the harbour, but he decided to brave this risk. After this question had been satisfactorily answered, he had to clear two large vessels lying directly in his track seawards, and had to run in the teeth of a blinding hurricane within a few feet of the reef on one side and the Trenton on the other. After successfully negotiating all these difficulties by dint of consummate skill and splendid seamanship, he had to face the risk of being driven on the western reef, which wae only escaped by a few yards. When the Calliope left her anchorage there were no guides,to navigation except the position of the vessel in front of him, as everything else was obscured by the spray. After passing the Trenton he shaped his course by the position of the ship’s bow, and then stood up to the hurricane, following the wind as it shifted round to the westward. Throughout the whole time subsequent to the abandonment of the anchors, the engines of the Calliope developed a power which would have been sufficient under ordinary circumstances to drive the vessel fifteen knots an hour, but such was the force of the wind and sea that notwithstanding everything the engineers Could do she oould not be propelled more than half to three-quarters of a mile per hour. The captain speaks highly of his engineers, and of the splendid way in which they worked ; but, in fact, everyone seems to have lent himself to his work with such will as only true hearts could show. Ono thing which stands out beyond everything elee in connection with the experience* of the Calliope is the fact that Captain Kane chewed himself brave and skilful to a degree which aroused the enthusiasm not only of his own men but of everybody who had the opportunity of judging of him. His officers and men are never tired of ex- . tolling him, and one of the former especially stated with the utmost confidence that not one man in a (thousand oould have handled the ship in the splendid way he did. He re mained perfectly calm throughout the trying time, gave his instructions with coolness and decision, and impressed everyone under him with his ability to meet any emergency with which human skill oould cope. Perhaps one of the most affecting incidents, apart from the actual losses of life which occurred, was that which took place when the Calliope wae passing the Trenton. The American flagship was lying helpless and apparently with nothing to guard her against ultimate destruction, but still Admiral Kimberley and his men found heart to cheer again aud again the people on board the Calliope, whose plucky conduct had excited their highest admiration. This outburst of feeling, while inspiriting the objects of it, affected them so deeply that tears were aeen on many cheek*. Admiral Kimberley wa* to impressed with the way in which the Calliope was handled that, on th* return of the British vessel to port, he wrote to Captain Kane saying that the cheers of his men, given as the Calliope passed, came from the bottom of their hearts, and were prompted by the gallant way in which the Calliope was brought out of the harbour. He remarked that the outburst of feeling only showed, as the former American Admiral (Tuffnell) had said, that "Blood was thicker than water.” Admiral Kimberley afterwards presented to the Calliop* the quarter boat, over which the Calliope'* yards barely passed, as she rode past the Trenton on her way out. A return gift was made by Captain Kan* to Admiral Kimberley, who was grateful to receive it, consisting of a diving and pumping apparatus which formerly belonged to the Cwlliope, and which will prove exceedingly useful in examining sunken vessels. Despite all the admiration and eu ogiea of which ho has been the object, Captain Kane take* little or no erdit to himself, while the officers and men insist that whatever honor may be due to anyone in connection with the affair must fall solely to the captain. They are all agreed in saying that no vessel wa* ever nearer to total destruction than the Calliope during th* time she was in the harbor, and they also attribute their pre-

sent safety very largely to good fortune. The people on shore at Samoa were delighted when they saw the Calliope steaming safely away, and the fact that the only British vessel in the harbor wae saved, whil* all other* were destroyed, made a profound impreuion on the natives. Some ascribe the result to the prayers of those ashore, and the fact that the English captain aent his men to church, while others attribute it to the superior wisdom and power of th* subjects of Queen Victoria. Captain Kane i* a smart-looking man of medium height, in th* prime of life, ana evidently “ every inch a tailor.” When interviewed, Captain Kane entered fr**ly into the narrative of the whole dieastar. Th* Vendalia came down close on th* Calliop* • port bow, the r*et being on the port querter, with the Olga dose on her starboard quarter. Then began a fine old game, inaemuob a* Captain Kane could not let the Calliope out to the extent of her cables with the r*ct »o close behind her, and the dread of almost equal force stood in front, for if he attempted to move hi* veisel he would have ran into , the Vandalia, and if th* Olga had gon* ahead the would have collided with the Calliope. They went on in thi* way, and it is no exaggeration to say that on two occasion* the Calliope’s rudder was within six feet of the boiling mass of water breaking up against the face of the reef. It the Calliope bed touched it would have been all up with her. He had to eheer over to get out of the way of the Olga, to go ahead to prevent striking the reef, and to Black the cables when the Vandalia came down upon them. On one occathey went too far forward, and put their jibboom into the etarboard quarter gallery, and on the second occasion they almost closed, and put their bowsprit into the Vandalia. The Calliope touched her with her bows just as the Olga came up-on their star- j board side, and nearly rammed thoM through. The Calliope just managad go ahead, scraping put the Olga her bows. When ha found that sort thing going on, and that it was only using steam and working the helm that he oould keep clear of the reef, he decided to remain in the position no longer. There were two courses open to him, to slip the cables and go straight out, risking all chances of the machinery breaking down, aud the engines not being strong enough to drive the ship through the sea, and the rudder giving way ; or to beach. her on * sandy place, similar to the position of the Olgo, where they could be in oomparitive safety as regarded the lives of all on board, although not secure for the ship. If the Olga got off, it must be found to be considerably damaged. He thought he would have to save all, so he made up his mind to go out. They slipped the cable accordingly, and waul ! bard ahead, calling up every pound of steam, and every revolution of scr*w, having everything, in fact, working u hard a* they could go. They went out, but in making the passage the ship literally stood on end. She went right up and down again, and th* water was coming in at th* now* u ah* dipped, running off aft immediately, but , coming in again ju*t at quickly u aha ro»*. He really wonders how the machinery and I rudder stood it. It was same thro* or four minutes before they gathered any way at all in th* tremendous sea that waa rannlng. Eventually they made a littl* headway, and wont out slowly They cleared the Vandalia and went clot* to th* Trenton, *o close a* i to put the foroyard over her forequarter, and , as the eea lifted the Calliope up she rolled to Portland her foreyard just want over the forequarter of the Trenton, and down on the other side. It was as pretty a thing and ae lucky an escape as could well be imagined, i They just managed to clear the outside reef, I notwithstanding that the wind was across , the quarter, placing the ship in imminent I danger, and they all thought, even after mak. , ing such progress and getting outwards, that they would strike on the reef. However, they [ cleared it, leaving only about 60 yard* to spare. It was a tremendous *aa. and th* wind must have baen very strong to raise such 4 ) a sea. When they got outside they etc 4 right away to the north, and it blew very i hard all the afternoon, and daring Saturday ► night. On Sunday it want down a little, and , on Monday he entered and had a look at the , harbour, and went out again, as it was still ; dangerous; but on Tuesday morning he . returned to anchor. They found nothing , afloat but one little cutter, all the ships of : war being wrecked—four completely, and two 1 ashore.

The narrative* of the other officer* and men are to the same effect a* that of th* captain, many declaring that though they had been in all parts of the world, ana weathered many terrible gale*, they never ■aw such a fearful gale as the one in question. Every moment they thought they would strike the fatal reef which girdled them on all sides, and as ship after ship went ashore their fate seemed certain. Everyone praises the admirable coolness and pluck of Captain Kauc. Down below the firemen and others had a fearful time. Every crevio* had to be stopped to keep out th* enormous Suantitie* of water which were hurled on to ae deck, and for hours they had to work in a stifling atmosphere, the furnaces in full blast aud every ounce of steam on. It wa* hardly possible to breathe. They oould feel the vessel trembling in every timber and tearing and jerking at her anchors. Fearful as was the case for those above, those below were worse off. The Calliope struck the Vandalia fair on the quarter, aud then it was thought all waa lost. This appeared to decide the captain to trust to steam rather than ba sacrifice 1 to a collision and th* almost certainty of going on the reef*.