THE SAMOAN DISASTER.

Evening Star, Issue 7875, 6 April 1889, Page 2

THE SAMOAN DISASTER.

A COINCIDENCE,

It will be remembered that the cables some few weeks ago contained an account of a supposed engagement between the United States man-of-war Nipsic and the German vessel Olga, in which the former was alleged to have been sunk by the Olga. It was pointed out at tho time that the story must be imaginary, as if any such engagement had occurred we must have heard of it in this colony long before the news could have reached England. American papers just to hand contain the following telegram, which was the foundation of the report : Breslau (Germany), March 7. Tho 'Schlesische Zeitung' prints the following sensational private telegram from Samoa : The Gorman frigate Olga has bombarded Mataafa's camp. The captain of the American man-of-war protested, but seeing his protest disregarded, lie opened fire on the Olga. Tho shell burst between decks, doing much damage. The Olga then directed a torpedo at the American ship, blowing her up, and she sank with all hands.

Naturally great excitement was occasioned in America on the publication of the telegram, and the conclusion arrived at was that, supposing the telegram to be true, the Nipsic was the American man-of-war which had been blown up. Now, singularly enough, it appears that the Olga was the German vessel which started " running amuck," as it was termed, during the recent gale, and the Nipsic was the first vessel with which she came into collision. Sho damaged the smoke-stack of the Nipsic, rendering her engines useless, and the captain of the latter vessel then had to run her ashore. The telegram as to the supposed battle was printed in Germany on March 7. The hurricane did not occur till nine days later.