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Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20504, 24 August 1936, Page 2

The death has occurred o: Captain Harry Pearson, navigating officer of the Calliope in the Apia hurricane cf 1889. In the ’eighties of last century trouble arose between Germany, the United States and Great Britain over Samoa. Each nation sent v. - ''hips to look after its interests there, until by March, 1889, t’.cre were seven warships anchored in the harbour of Apia. There were three Americans (Trenton, Vandalia, Nipsic), three Germans (Olgti Adler, Eber) and one British (Calliope). They carried a total of 1500 men. Early in the afternoon of Friday, March 15, 1889, the barometer fell j to below 29 inches, a clear indication that a terrific storm was approaching So strained, however, were relations and such the individual pride, that none of th' ships would put out to sc?.. Each waited for the other to make the move. By evening the storm had begun; it continued all through the night with increasing violence. When day broke watchers from the shore saw that the Eb r was missing. She had dragged her anchors, struck on a coral reef and sunk. Only one officers and four men reached the beach alive. The storm continued all through Saturdc; The Nipsi'* rr - ' ■ "round, the Adler was lifted clean over the reef into a shallow lagc.n. The others, except the Calliope, went aground. Captain Kane, cf the Calliope, steered for the open sea. clearing 1 2 reef by 50 yards. He returned to Apia 'ly when he storr» had • ' ~ ded. One hundred and fortyfive office’ s r nd men perished as a result of the wrecking of the six war ships.