[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.]

HERALD BUREAU.
CORNER FIFTEENTH AND G STREET, N. W.,
WASHINGTON, MARCH 30, 1889

Never since the ill starred man-of-war Huron went down a dozen years ago off the North Carolina coast has there been so much excitement at the Navy Department as there was to day when the news arrived that three American war vessels had foundered in the harbor of Apia. The despatches printed in the morning papers announcing that the Nipsic, the Vandalia and the Trenton, of our navy, and the German ships the Adler, the Eber and the Olga had gone down in a hurricane with a frightful loss of life, were generally discredited. Those who did not look carefully at their internal evidence of genuineness caught at the idea that they were of a piece with the hoax of last month about the sinking of the Nipsic with the guns of the Olga.

But after ten o'clock there was handed to Secretary Tracy a cable despatch which confirmed the news in the worst features. A crowd of interested persons had gathered before the Secretary came down to his office and the place was filled all day with inquirers and with messenger boys bringing despatches from the friends of the officers and men of the Samoan fleet.

THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRAL

A hurried consultation was held between the Secretary and Commodore Walker, the Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, and the Secretary determined to reply at once to Admiral Kimberly's request for instructions and to give him freedom to act as he deemed best. The despatch sent over the cables in reply was as follows:-

Lieutenant Wilson, for KIMBERLY, care American Consul, Auckland:-

Take such steps with regard to Nipsic and wrecks and sending men house as you deem proper. Full power given you.

Monongahela sailed for Apia February 21.

The disaster, its causes and its effects, were the uppermost topics of conversation here today, both in naval circles and among the general public. The naval officers were loth to advance theories as to an event of whose details they were in ignorance, but it seemed to be a common belief that if our vessels and those of the Germans had been properly supplied with coal and had had their fires burning they might have steamed out to sea, as the English steamer Calliope is reported to have done. The British vessel was anchored nearer the open sea than any of the others, though the American craft were not much farther in. It is certain, however, that they were entirely without coal. The Nipsic relieved the Adams in the harbor of Apia in January and has been under strict orders to stay there and watch the Germans. The Trenton started from Panama, 5,260 miles from Apia, and the Vandalia from the Mare Island Navy Yard, at San Francisco, 4,200 from Apia, early in the year, and both arrived there in the latter part of February with their bunkers and deck loads entirely cleaned out. There was not a pound of coal to be had, and the Nipsic was afraid to go to Auckland to fill up her bunkers, because by so doing she would leave the three German ships in control of the naval situation.

NO COAL AT PAGO-PAGO EITHER

There was no coal at Pago-Pago, the island of the group which belongs to this country, only thirty miles from Apia. It is called a coaling station, but this seems to have proved a misnomer. The island was acquired in 1872, but our government has not apparently discovered in seventeen years the strategic importance of having an ample supply of coal there. The nearest point at which coal could be obtained was Honolulu, 2,100 miles away.

After the beginning of the Samoan difficulties Secretary Whitney saw the importance of supplying our fleet and immediately took measures to do it. The Vandalia arrived at Apia February 22, and the next day the store ship Monongahela, loaded with stores and carrying a large dock load of coal, left San Francisco for Samoan. She is a wooden sailing vessel, and although looked upon as fast cannot make the run in less than fifty days. This would bring her to Apia April xx nearly a month after the hurricane. There is also a cargo of coal xxxx from Philadelphia by way of Cape Horn, but it will be months before it will arrive. From the conversation of the naval officers it is evident that the Englishman, who had just arrived on the station, was better supplied with coal than either the American or German ships. The Calliope stopped at Auckland and coaled on her way to Apia and had a large supply on board.

THE GERMANS ALSO SHORT OF FUEL

The German vessels appear to have been no better off, and they had no coaling station where they could expect to get coal.

The harbor of Apia is a somewhat exposed one, opening toward the north. It is a reef harbor, perfectly secure, unless, perhaps, in December, January and February, when the north wind drives in the heavy sea, rendering approach and anchorage a little trying to the navigator. A chart recently received at the HERALD'S Washington Bureau from Apia shows the anchorage of the different fleets and easily suggest how the disaster might have occurred. The British steamer Calliope was anchored nearest the mouth of the harbor where, with her fires up, she might have got to sea. The American fleet was anchored farther in, where a gale from either north or south would blow the vessels on the reefs. With steam up, however, it would have required but a short time to follow in the wake of the Calliope and reach the open sea. The German fleet was in for the worst position, anchored well in between coral reefs, which threatened the vessels with destruction if they dragged their anchors in either direction. The Samoan Islands are of volcano origin and apparently the remains of extinct volcanoes. They are surrounded in most cases by coral reefs, within which are the harbors.

A SMALL HARBOR AND POOR HOLDING GROUND.

Captain T. O. Selfridge, U.S. N., was found the Navy Department this morning poring over a chair of the harbor of Apia, which he visited several years ago. He said that while it was a very bad harbor it was the best on the island of Upolu. Like all the Pacific Island harbors, that of Apia is formed by a coral reef encircling the island at a short distance from the shore. The anchorage space available for men-of-war is contracted, being about one thousand feet wide at the mouth of the harbor. The bottom is sandy, affording poor holding ground for an anchor, and the harbor is exposed on the north. On each side of the entrance are coral reefs, which are awash a high water and are surrounded by shoals. The depth of water ranges from four to eight fathoms pretty deep water being found close in shore, which would enable a ship to get close in.

Hurricanes or cyclones at Apia come up usually from the southwest, and revolving in the harbor tend to force vessels on the rugged reefs or rough shores.

The last hurricane occurred at Apia just six years ago. Fortunately no men of war were in the harbor, but every merchantman was driven ashore and wrecked, houses were destroyed and palm trees uprooted.

THE OFFICERS WHO WERE LOST.

Captain C. M. Schoonmaker, who commanded the Vandalia, was appointed to the navy from New York in 1854 and rose from the grade of acting midshipman to that of captain, to which he was commissioned 7th of October, 1886. His widow and brother [Judge Schoonmaker] live in Kingston, N. Y., and have been notified by the Navy Department of the sad occurrence.

Lieutenant of Marines Francis E. Sutton was appointed to the Naval Academy from New York in 1877. He was graduated No. 6 in a class of ninety-six, and after a cruise returned to the Academy for examination for promotion and passed No. 2. On his own application he was appointed second lieutenant of marines, being the first graduate of Annapolis to enter the Marine Corps. He was promoted to be first lieutenant, March 9, 1888. He was stationed at Mare Island, and had just been detailed to command the marine guard of the Mohican, but the Vandalia sailing suddenly for Samoa before the arrival of her marine officer Lieutenant Sutton took his place expecting to fall in with the Mohican on the cruise. His father is resident of Rome, N. Y. At the Navy Department Lieutenant Sutton is regarded as having been on of the brightest and most intelligent officers of the Marine corps and his loss is greatly deplored.

Paymaster Arms was appointed from Connecticut in 1864, and has been on duty on the Vandalia since May, 1887. His family reside at the Crawford House, New London.

Paymaster's Clerk John Roche was appointed from llion, N. Y. He was twenty-eight years of age and a man of athletic build. His nearest living relative is J. Jeffrey Roche, assistant editor of the Boston Pilot.

THE AMERICAN SHIPS.

Naval Constructor Hirshborn, who is acting as chief of the Construction Bureau during the illness of Commodore Wilson, said:-"The Trenton, which was admiral Kimberly's flagship, was the best wooden vessel in the American navy and the best ship of the old navy. The Vandalia was another fine vessel, and had been thoroughly refitted in the Mare Inland Navy Yard at considerable expense just before she sailed."

Many officers recall the fact that the Trenton - which is set down as having a speed of 12.6 knots-when in the Red Sea as astonished the Englishmen by easily running away from crack vessels of their fleet, rated as 14 and 16 knot vessels. She was launched in New York in 1877, at the Navy Yard. She was ship rigged ; length, 253 feet beam, 48 feet ; draught, 20.6 feet. She was of 3,900 tons displacement, or about 800 tons more than the Boston and Atlanta. She had 420 officers and men aboard when she sailed from home.

The Vandalia was rebuilt at the Boston Navy Yard and launched in 1876. She was 26 feet long, 30 feet beam, 17.3 draught and 2,000 tons displacement. She was rated as a 12 knot ship and carried 200 officers and men.

Nipsic was a vessel of the old war navy but after six years repairing at the Washington Navy Yard she emerged in 1879 as a practically new vessel, little but the old keel remaining. She was bar rigged: Length, 185 feet; beam, 35 feet; draught 14.3 feet, displacement, 1,375 tons. She was a slow vessel s things now go, being set down as a little over ten knots in speed. She sailed away from the United States with 180 officers and men aboard , making the total strength of the American fleet at Samoa eight hundred men, or nearly double the strength of the German forces.