[Samoan Movie Broken Promise Download
Laurice Whack
Since the 1780s, American merchant ships had been traveling the Pacific Ocean to China, trading ginseng, furs, and silver dollars for tea, chinaware, and silks. As this trade increased during the 19th century, United States diplomatic policy focused on securing commercial access to both Chinese ports and the many island groups across the Pacific. Although Samoa was off the main trade routes, American missionaries and steamship promoters encouraged governmental interest in the islands. At the same time, Britain and Germany, each with colonial possessions nearby, were also interested in the islands; for example, German merchants in particular were deeply involved in the Samoan copra trade. During the 1870s, all three powers established treaties of friendship and commerce with Samoa and secured the right to establish coaling and naval stations at Pago Pago.
In the late 1880s, German intervention in the civil war that broke out in Samoa outraged American public opinion and tensions grew in the islands. By March 1889, three American warships had been sent to Apia, Samoa, there joining three German warships, and one British, in a watchful standoff in the harbor. On 15-16 March 1889, a violent storm struck the islands, destroying or disabling six of the seven warships in Apia Harbor. Screw steamer USS Trenton, screw sloop USS Vandalia, and gunboat USS Nipsic were all wrecked, resulting in the deaths of 51 sailors. All three German warships also sank, killing 150. The disaster did ease tensions, paving the way for a previously scheduled conference at Berlin and eventually the islands were brought under a German-American protectorate in 1899.
SIR: It becomes my painful duty to report to the Department the disastrous injury and loss sustained by the vessels under my command in the harbor of Apia during the hurricane which swept these waters March 15 and 16. When the gale commenced there were in the harbor the following men of war: U.S. ships Trenton, Vandalia, and Nipsic; H[er].B[rittanic].M[ajesty's]. ship Calliope, and H[is].I[mperial].G[ermanic].M[ajesty's]. ships Addler, Olga, and Eber. There were also a few merchant vessels and small craft. The Nipsic had the inner berth, and the Trenton (last to arrive) had the outer berth.
Indications of bad weather appeared during the forenoon of Friday, March 15, and at 1 o'clock on that day I commenced preparations to meet a gale by sending down the lower yards [that carried sails] and housing topmasts. Fires were lighted [in the ships' propulsion boilers] and steam raised. By 3 o'clock the gale had developed. It blew hard during the evening, and about 8 p.m. we parted our port bower [anchor] cable. During the night it blew with great violence, but with aid of steam the vessels kept in good shape till morning. At daylight we had hoped for a moderation of the wind, but were disappointed. The gale set in with renewed fury, and early in the forenoon it was evident that some of the inner ships were ashore and those nearer to us were riding uneasily. The flag-ship lost her wheel about this time. It carried away with a crash and seriously injured some of the helmsmen. Relieving tackles [ropes and pulleys designed to operate the rudder and steer the ship in the absence of the steering wheel] and spare tiller were applied promptly, but it was discovered that the rudder was broken, and soon it was entirely useless.
The wind by this time was blowing with hurricane force and the seas were very heavy. The ship had begun to make water [i.e., to get water inside the hull from leaks or water coming down the hatchways from waves breaking over the decks] during the early morning. The hand pumps were manned and all bilge pumps in the engine-room put on. The water gained and threatened to put out the fires [in the boilers]; the greater part of it seemed to be coming into the hawse pipes. It could be checked in this way but not stopped; for the violence of the seas was so great that it would force back everything that opposed it. All hands were set to bailing, and the handy billy rigged, but by 9:30 a.m. the fires had been put out and the men driven up from the fireroom. Work at the hand pumps and with the buckets continued from this time throughout the gale, with the hope of being able to relight the fires and keep the ship afloat.
A little before noon the Calliope was seen to be very uneasy at her moorings, and soon she steamed towards us, having parted or slipped her cables, and making an effort to go out the harbor she came near colliding with us and steamed out in the face of the hurricane. In the afternoon, with the wind having hauled [changed direction] a little, the flag-ship was more unsteady at her moorings and parted two chains, one soon after the other. We then drifted over towards the eastern reef, escaping the wreck of a merchant bark by the mere chance of her dragging as we approached her. We drifted until our stern was almost against the reef for a long while and pitching heavily. We drifted in this position along the reef for a considerable distance until we came to where it turned more toward the eastward. Here we found smoother water and our remaining anchor seemed to hold quite well for a time. This position, however, put us directly in the hawse of H.I.G.M.S. Olga, which vessel had one of the smoothest berths in the harbor at this time. She as riding well and had control of her engines. Efforts were at once made to heave over the 8-inch rifle-gun from the forecastle, to assist in holding, but it could not be done in time. We slowly drifted upon her, and she avoided us twice by skillful use of helm and engines, but soon after cut into our quarters, first on side, then the other, carrying away boat's rigging and quarter galleries [the windows which protruded from the hull on each side at the stern], but not essentially injuring the hull.
During this time the officers of the flag-ship made every effort to manage her by the storm sails [fore-and-aft sails rigged between the masts] and putting men into the rigging. We drifted by the port side of the Olga, and across to the western reef, dragging the anchor and tailing now on the western reef as we had before done on the eastern. Some of the wrecked vessels were now in plain sight; Nipsic well inshore on good bottom, stern to the seas; Vandalia sunk against the reef, masts standing and tops and rigging filled with men; spray and surf flying to their mastheads. Eber nowhere to be seen. Adler on her side, high on the reef. The Olga had turned for the shore and going ahead under steam and sail was beached on god bottom and in a good position, stern to the seas.
All this time the gale was blowing with unabated fury. About 6 o'clock we were expecting to strike the reef momentarily. It was directly under our stern; but, as on the eastern side, an under tow or current seemed to carry us along the reef and keep us just clear of striking. This we came down to where the Vandalia was lying, and it was evident that our stern would soon strike against her port side. As we approached her rockets were fired, carrying lines, with the hope of rescuing the people on her masts. This proved very successful, and the men from the main and mizzen were rescued first. Soon after we struck the Vandalia with violence, and her main and mizzen masts went by the board [i.e., broke off and went overboard]. We then swung gradually and settled into a position alongside of her, just touching the bottom, and our stern grazing a small wreck and the reef. The men were rescued from the foremast of the Vandalia, and thence on during the night we continued to beat upon the bottom and against the Vandalia with great force.
The wind during this (Saturday) night blew with hurricane force, squall following squall with hardly any appreciable interval. The seas, however, were not so high as they were further out, and we got through the night without additional serious misfortune.
Just before daylight the flag-ship was visited by two boats manned entirely by natives, who carried lines to the shore. This was dangerous work, owing to the darkness, to the sea and current, to the reefs and wreckage, and to the difficulty of approaching the Trenton on account of the Vandalia's wreck.
The men were kept at the pumps and buckets without cessation, with a view to hauling off the ship, if possible, and keeping her afloat when the gale abated. In the morning the wind moderated. It was then ascertained that the propeller was missing. The ship had settled hard on the bottom, and the water could not be reduced; it was up to the engine-room platform and rising. Under these circumstances, and in the absence of any docking facilities or marine railway appliances [used to haul a ship out of the water for repair] and powerful pumps, the abandonment of the ship became necessary. Stores were gotten up as rapidly as possible, and people got their effects ashore. Immediately thereafter the crew was set to work getting out and saving from her everything possible. On Monday the water was up to her gun deck, and she had settled more to port and was still lower in the water.
The Vandalia is completely submerged, only her foremast and headbooms showing above the water. The Nipsic is lying in about 7 feet of water at low tide (rise and fall about 4 feet). She would probably have to be hauled astern some 500 feet to float her at high tide. She has lost her smoke-pipe, also her rudder, and her propeller is badly damaged. Her crew remain on board, and she keeps her bilges free of water by the steam-pump. I have ordered a board to investigate at once the possibility of saving the Nipsic, and to further investigate and report upon all circumstances connected with the loss and damage of the vessels by the gale. The report of this board will be forwarded by the first opportunity after its receipt by me. The crews of the Vandalia and Trenton are in barrack on shore. The Calliope steamed into the harbor this morning, showing signs of having experienced heavy weather. She goes to Sydney as soon as possible for repairs, and through the kindness of Captain Kane [British Royal Navy] her diving outfit has been turned over to us, and it will be of the greatest assistance in saving stores. I commend his services to the Department, and trust that they will be regarded as worthy of recognition.
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