In 1878, the United States acquired a fuelling station at the harbor at Pago Pago, on the island of Tutuila, in exchange for providing guarantees of protection to Samoa. The German Empire on the other hand desired concessions at the harbor at Apia, on the island of Upolu.[2]
The standoff ended when the 1889 Apia cyclone, on 15 and 16 March, wrecked all six warships in the harbour. Calliope escaped the harbour and thus survived the storm. Robert Louis Stevenson did not witness the storm and its aftermath at Apia but after his December 1889 arrival to Samoa, he wrote about the event.[3] The Second Samoan Civil War, involving Germany, the United States, and Britain, eventually resulted in the Tripartite Convention of 1899, which partitioned the Samoan Islands into American Samoa and German Samoa.[4]
Legacyedit
Walter LaFeber said that the incident made some 'reticent Americans' realise the power implications of expansion in the South Pacific.[5]
Galleryedit
An eyewitness drawing taken from a sketch by an officer on the Calliope.
SMS Adler, knocked over on the beach, 1889.
SMS Adler, view of her deck, 1889.
The wreck of SMS Adler, circa 1938
The wreck of USS Nipsic′
Wrecked ships in Apia Harbour. German gunboat SMS Eber is on the beach, the stern of USS Trenton is at the right, and the sunken USS Vandalia is alongside. SMS Adler is on her side in the center distance.
Wrecked vessels at Apia Harbour, Upolu, Samoa, during salvage efforts soon after the storm. The view looks about northward, with USS Trenton and the sunken USS Vandalia to the left and the beached German corvette Olga at right. The wreckage just off Trenton's stern may be from the German gunboat Eber, which was destroyed when she struck the harbor reef during the hurricane.
A view of the sunken USS Vandalia from the deck of USS Trenton.
Another angle of the wrecked warships.
Wrecked warships off Apia
Apia and the beach covered in driftwood and debris from the wrecked warships.
Salvaged guns from the wrecked American ships at Apia
A memorial at Mare Island Naval Yard for the Americans who were killed in the cyclone.
Illustrated London News for 27 April 1889; artist's conception of HMS Calliope being cheered on by the crew of USS Trenton as Calliope escapes from Apia Harbour. Calliope actually passed to the port of Trenton.
^Spencer Tucker (2009). The Encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American Wars: A Political, Social, and Military History. ABC-CLIO. pp. 569–70. ISBN9781851099511.
^Chambers, John Whiteclay (2004). "Samoan Incident". The Oxford Companion to American Military History. Oxford University Press. ISBN9780199891061. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
^Ryden, George Herbert. The Foreign Policy of the United States in Relation to Samoa. New York: Octagon Books, 1975. (Reprint by special arrangement with Yale University Press. Originally published at New Haven: Yale University Press, 1928), p. 574; the Tripartite Convention (United States, Germany, Great Britain) was signed at Washington on 2 December 1899 with ratifications exchanged on 16 February 1900
^LaFeber, Walter (1963). "The Strategic Formulation". The New Empire: An Interpretation of American Expansion 1860-1898. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press. pp. 122–123.
Further readingedit
Andre Trudeau, Noah. "'An Appalling Calamity'--In the teeth of the Great Samoan Typhoon of 1889, a standoff between the German and US navies suddenly didn't matter." Naval History Magazine 25.2 (2011): 54-59.
Conroy, Robert (2002). "Only luck kept the United States from being occupied by Kaiser Wilhelm II's army between 1899 and 1904". Military History. 18 (August).
Gray, J. A. C. (1960). Amerika Samoa: A History of American Samoa and Its United States Naval Administration. Annapolis: U. S. Naval Institute. ISBN0-405-13038-4.
"Hurricane at Apia, Samoa, 15–16 March 1889". Events of the 1880s. Naval Historical Center. 2002. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
Kimberly, L. A. "Samoan Hurricane". Events of the 1880s. Naval Historical Center. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
Lind, L. J. (30 December 1974). "The Epic of HMS Calliope". Naval Historical Society of Australia. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
Rousmaniere, John (2002). After the Storm: True Stories of Disaster and Recovery at Sea. Camden, MN: International Marine/McGraw-Hill. pp. 87–106. ISBN0-07-137795-6.
Sisung, Kelle S. (2002). "The Benjamin Harrison Administration". Presidential Administration Profiles for Students. Detroit: Gale Group.
Wilson, Graham (May–July 1996). "Glory for the Squadron: HMS Calliope in the Great Hurricane at Samoa 1889". Journal of the Australian Naval Institute. 22 (2): 51–54.
samoan, crisis, standoff, between, united, states, german, empire, british, empire, from, 1887, 1889, over, control, samoan, islands, during, first, samoan, civil, part, samoan, civil, warthe, sketch, features, locations, wrecked, german, american, ships, date. The Samoan crisis was a standoff between the United States the German Empire and the British Empire from 1887 to 1889 over control of the Samoan Islands during the First Samoan Civil War 1 Samoan crisisPart of Samoan Civil WarThe sketch features the locations of the wrecked German and American ships Date1887 1889LocationApia Harbour Samoa Pacific OceanResultBoth squadrons wreckedBelligerents United StatesGerman EmpireCommanders and leadersLewis KimberlyFrizzeStrength1 sloop of war1 steamer1 gunboat 200 marines3 gunboats 150 marinesCasualties and losses62 killed1 sloop of war sunk1 steamer sunk1 gunboat grounded 73 killed1 gunboat sunk2 gunboats groundedThe British in the cruiser HMS Calliope participated as mediators and the ship sustained fair damage Several merchant ships were also wrecked during the cyclone Contents 1 Background 2 Incident 3 Legacy 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References 7 Further readingBackground editIn 1878 the United States acquired a fuelling station at the harbor at Pago Pago on the island of Tutuila in exchange for providing guarantees of protection to Samoa The German Empire on the other hand desired concessions at the harbor at Apia on the island of Upolu 2 Incident editThe incident involved three U S Navy warships the sloop of war USS Vandalia the screw steamer USS Trenton and the gunboat USS Nipsic and three German warships the gunboats SMS Adler and SMS Eber and the corvette SMS Olga which kept each other at bay over several months in Apia Harbour which was monitored by the British corvette HMS Calliope The standoff ended when the 1889 Apia cyclone on 15 and 16 March wrecked all six warships in the harbour Calliope escaped the harbour and thus survived the storm Robert Louis Stevenson did not witness the storm and its aftermath at Apia but after his December 1889 arrival to Samoa he wrote about the event 3 The Second Samoan Civil War involving Germany the United States and Britain eventually resulted in the Tripartite Convention of 1899 which partitioned the Samoan Islands into American Samoa and German Samoa 4 Legacy editWalter LaFeber said that the incident made some reticent Americans realise the power implications of expansion in the South Pacific 5 Gallery edit nbsp An eyewitness drawing taken from a sketch by an officer on the Calliope nbsp SMS Adler knocked over on the beach 1889 nbsp SMS Adler view of her deck 1889 nbsp The wreck of SMS Adler circa 1938 nbsp The wreck of USS Nipsic nbsp Wrecked ships in Apia Harbour German gunboat SMS Eber is on the beach the stern of USS Trenton is at the right and the sunken USS Vandalia is alongside SMS Adler is on her side in the center distance nbsp Wrecked vessels at Apia Harbour Upolu Samoa during salvage efforts soon after the storm The view looks about northward with USS Trenton and the sunken USS Vandalia to the left and the beached German corvette Olga at right The wreckage just off Trenton s stern may be from the German gunboat Eber which was destroyed when she struck the harbor reef during the hurricane nbsp A view of the sunken USS Vandalia from the deck of USS Trenton nbsp Another angle of the wrecked warships nbsp Wrecked warships off Apia nbsp Apia and the beach covered in driftwood and debris from the wrecked warships nbsp Salvaged guns from the wrecked American ships at Apia nbsp A memorial at Mare Island Naval Yard for the Americans who were killed in the cyclone nbsp Illustrated London News for 27 April 1889 artist s conception of HMS Calliope being cheered on by the crew of USS Trenton as Calliope escapes from Apia Harbour Calliope actually passed to the port of Trenton See also editSamoan Civil War Second Samoan Civil War Siege of Apia German SamoaReferences edit Spencer Tucker 2009 The Encyclopedia of the Spanish American and Philippine American Wars A Political Social and Military History ABC CLIO pp 569 70 ISBN 9781851099511 Chambers John Whiteclay 2004 Samoan Incident The Oxford Companion to American Military History Oxford University Press ISBN 9780199891061 Retrieved 21 May 2021 Stevenson Robert Louis 1892 A Footnote to History Eight Years of Trouble in Samoa BiblioBazaar ISBN 1 4264 0754 8 Ryden George Herbert The Foreign Policy of the United States in Relation to Samoa New York Octagon Books 1975 Reprint by special arrangement with Yale University Press Originally published at New Haven Yale University Press 1928 p 574 the Tripartite Convention United States Germany Great Britain was signed at Washington on 2 December 1899 with ratifications exchanged on 16 February 1900 LaFeber Walter 1963 The Strategic Formulation The New Empire An Interpretation of American Expansion 1860 1898 Ithaca New York Cornell University Press pp 122 123 Further reading editAndre Trudeau Noah An Appalling Calamity In the teeth of the Great Samoan Typhoon of 1889 a standoff between the German and US navies suddenly didn t matter Naval History Magazine 25 2 2011 54 59 Conroy Robert 2002 Only luck kept the United States from being occupied by Kaiser Wilhelm II s army between 1899 and 1904 Military History 18 August Gray J A C 1960 Amerika Samoa A History of American Samoa and Its United States Naval Administration Annapolis U S Naval Institute ISBN 0 405 13038 4 Hurricane at Apia Samoa 15 16 March 1889 Events of the 1880s Naval Historical Center 2002 Retrieved 1 February 2010 Kimberly L A Samoan Hurricane Events of the 1880s Naval Historical Center Retrieved 1 February 2010 Lind L J 30 December 1974 The Epic of HMS Calliope Naval Historical Society of Australia Retrieved 1 February 2010 Rousmaniere John 2002 After the Storm True Stories of Disaster and Recovery at Sea Camden MN International Marine McGraw Hill pp 87 106 ISBN 0 07 137795 6 Sisung Kelle S 2002 The Benjamin Harrison Administration Presidential Administration Profiles for Students Detroit Gale Group Wilson Graham May July 1996 Glory for the Squadron HMS Calliope in the Great Hurricane at Samoa 1889 Journal of the Australian Naval Institute 22 2 51 54 13 50 00 S 171 50 00 W 13 8333 S 171 8333 W 13 8333 171 8333 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Samoan crisis amp oldid 1160779912, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
