Providence has for the moment settled Samoan affairs by giving
unquestioned ascendency to the native chief Mataafa. On March 30th, telegrams were received in Washington and Berlin announcing that a tremendous hurricane had on March 15th broken over Samoa, probably driving before it a great sea-wave. Three American men-of- war, the Trenton,' 3,900 tons, the Vandalia,' 2,100 tons, and the Nipsic,' 1,375 tons, were driven on shore and wrecked. At the same time, the German cruiser Adler,' the corvette `Olga,' 2,169 tons, and the gunboat Eber,' were thrown on the rocks and rendered useless, though the `Olga' may ultimately be got off again. Nothing survived in the harbour of Apia except H.M.S. Calliope,' whose Captain, either expecting the storm, or for some other reason, had got up steam, and forced his vessel out of the harbour and out to sea, whence she reached New Zealand safely. The total loss of life is variously estimated, but was probably about one hundred and forty. Mataafa, and his followers did their best to assist the wrecked Germans, and, of course, until the fleets are replaced, they remain masters of the situation.
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