FURTHER PARTICULARS. Auckland, April 1.

Otago Witness, Issue 1950, 4 April 1889, Page 2

FURTHER PARTICULARS. Auckland, April 1.

Lieutenant Wilson, of the wrecked ship Vandalia, has received a cablegram from Washington instructing him to use his own judgment in the steps to bo taken in respect to the Satnaan disaster. He is now negotiating with the Union .Company for the charter of too steamer Tekapo to go to Samoa with provisions and take home the shipwrecked seamen now at Apia. If unsuccessful in obtaining the vessel while here Lieutenant Wilson will go to Sydney on Tuesday, and enter into negotiations there. - - j ■ - ' ' In the despatches forwarded to Admiral Fairfax by Captain Kane, of.B.lSf.S. Calliope, it is stated that the reason why Captain Kane deemed it advisable to proceed to Sydney was that he had lost all his boats and his^ anchors except one. The Calliope was to sail under easy steam, and she will therefore, probably, arrive at Sydney on Thursday. Mr Blacklock, U.S. Vice-consul at Samoa, has "wired instructions to hotelkeepers at Apia that they must not furnish liquor to any sailor from any American man-of-war, and warning any person disobeying this order that his^ saloon will be broken into and the liquor emptied out. A considerable quantity of stores were saved fron\the Trenton after the storm abated, but nothing was recovered from the Vandalia. The German warship Olga is being lightened, and hopes are entertained that she will be, floated off the beach. The crew of the Nipsic are living on board that vessel. The bbipwrecked German sailors are quartered by German firms in their houses and grounds. Some of the Trenton's crew are quartered in a copra house belonging to M'Arthur and Co., and others are under shelter of tents and awniDg3 constructed for the occasion and erected on the grounds. * Private information from Samoa is to the effect that the naval disaster, so far as the Germans are concerned, has greatly injured the political situation. The Germans are simply at the mercy of the Samoans, and it is believed that the German officer who has gone to Sydney will simply charter a transport to remove the Adler's and the Olga's crews from the island. DESCRIPTION OF THE LOST VESSELS. ■ The following particulars of the vessels which were wrecked at Samoa are supplied by the Ghfistchuroh Press : — UNITED STATES MttN-QF-WAB— ALL UNABMOttBED. The'tf tpsicwas a screw sloop of 1373 tons displacement ; length, 183 ft 9in ; beam> 36ft ; built of wood ; ■draught, 14ft 2in ; indicated horse-power, 1375. She was launched in 1878, and her speed was II knots per hour. Coal oapacity, 130 tons ; armament, six Sin 4-ton smooth boreß; one bin 8-ton do; one <50-pounder muzzle loader. Built at Washington. The Trenton waß a frigate-built steam cruiser of '900 fc<ras displacement ; length, 252 ft 7in ; beam, 49ft 3in. She was built of wood and iron. Draught, .Gft4ln; indicatPd horse-power, 3100; launched in Bpeed, ,14 knots; coal capacity, 342 tons; •rmament, 118 in 8-ton. muzzle loading rifled Paltlser guna ; six light guns. Built at New York. The .Vandalia was a screw corvette of 2100 tons displacement; length, 216 ft Gin; beam, 39ft 4in> t»«.ilb of wood ; draught, 17ft 4in ; indicated horsetiower,' 1176. launched in 1874 ; speed, 7 knots per hour; coal capacity, 2lB tons. Armament, six 9in i-ton «moobh bores, one 8-in 8-ton |breech-loading rifle gun. Built at Boston. GKBMAtf ALL UNAHMOTTBKD. The Adler Was a gun vessel of 884 tons displacement, 177 ft 2in long, 32ft lOin beam. The hull was ■composite, and her draught of water lift Bin. She "find one propeller, and the indicated horse-power was 724. She w.as launched in 1883, and her speed vas 1 1 knots. Her armament consisted of two 15cm ■7!{-tott breech-loading rifled guns and two 12cm 27cwt ditto. Built at Kiel. The Olga was a sorew corvette of 2169 tons displacement; length, 226ft4in; beam, 42ft 7in ; hull, iron and wood sheathed ; draught of water, 18ft 4lns indicated horse power, 2397. She was launched in ISBO, and her 8p u ed was 14 knots per hour. Her armament consisted of eight 15cm ajfcon b.l r. ; two B.7cmscwtditto; four michine and one field gun. She could steam 2000 miles at 10 knots per hour. Built at Stettin. 'Che fiber, which vessel replaced the Albatross in fcho German navy, was a surew gun vessel of 1650 *ons displacement; length, 215 ft 10in; beam, 35ft; hull of steel and wood ; draught of water, 15ft ; indicated horse-power, 2400. She was launched in 1887, and her speed was 15 knots per hour. Her armament consisted of two 34 an. b.l.r. 14j-ton guns ; two 12} cm. 27cwt b.l.r. guns ; two 8.7 cm. b.l.r guns ; tour machine, al»o two carriages for launching torpedoes. Built at Kiel. THE COsT OF THB VBSSBLS. German..- Adler, £44.047; Olga, £113,812{ Eber» <ahout). J2B2.oCo— total. £239.859. United States. — Vandalia, £98,728 % Trenton f-bout), Nipsic (about), £35,000 — total, £i 09,326. The above are the launching costs. CAPTAIN HENRY COEY KANE: This gallant officer of H.M.S. Calliope, whose' \v owess as a seaman has earned for him the admiration of aW in -these colonies, arid whoße late BerviceS will, wejihink.be looked upon with favourable eyes by the Admiralty, was commander of the Northumberland in July 1882, when the Channel Squadron went to ' Egypt. He commanded the Northumberland landing party at the occupation of Ismailia, on the night of the 20th August. He was in command of the Canal Guard from Ismailia to Knntara from that date till selected for eecoud in command of %c NaVal Brigade to operate with the land forces; took part in. the night march of the 13th September, the battle of Te.'-el-Kobir, and the advance of troops to Zagazig ; appointed, commander of- Alexander, flagship of Admiral Sir B. Seymour, in September; promoted to c.\ptain for services in Egypt, mentioned in despatches ; naval attache (Egyptian medal, Khedive'B bronze star) ; member of the committee for revising, the Gunnery Manual of the Fleet 1879. He was born in December 1843 > naval cadet in March 1858; Bub-lieutenant, 20th July 18ti3; lieutenant, 31st August 1861; commander, 22nd January 1877; captain, 18th November 1882. " ,