Further particulars as to the recent destructive typhoon at Guam, and the loss of the U.S.S, Yosemite, are given in the Manila Times" of Saturday last. That journal says that Guam was devastated on November 13th by the fiercest. typhoon that had struck its shores within the memory of man, Houses were wrecked, the crops were ruined, and unless relief is at, once sent the people will die of starvation. There were several vessels in the harbour, among them the cruiser Yosemi and the Justin.
The cruiser Yosemite was dashed twice upon the reef, then blown 100 miles out to sea, where she was abandoned and scuttled on the 15th ult, The navy collier Justin, which had been in the harbour and mira-culeusly escaped destruction, tonk off the officers and crew of the cruiser. During the early part of the storm five members of the Yosemite's crew were ordered to find shelter for the ship's Jaunch in the lee of Cubras Islnd. The launch was capsized and all hands lost.
"The storm came up suddenly at 8 a.m. The Yosemite was lying in the harbour with her fires banked and two anchors down. The direction of the wind was north-east until 1 pan. when it suddenly shifted to south by east, and attained a velocity of 107 miles per hour. The baron meter went down to. 27.40 during the height of the storm. Before the Yosemite could get up steam she was dregging her anchor and drifting about a mile across the harbour, About 11 a.m. she struck the South Reef and knocked a hole inher forward compartment. She then drifted. half.a mile west, and brought up an hour later against cliff near Sumaye, carrying.away her.rudder post and greatly damaging het propeller. About 1 p.m. there was a sudden calm for a few minutes, and, then the wind blew with increased violence from the south-west. During the interim a volunteer crew of twelve attempted to take a life-line, ashore. Their boat was stove in and capsizod- and the crew thrown into the surf.
After battling for an hour and a half on the sharp coral every member.of the boat's crew. reached the beach in-safety.
During: this, time. the; Yosemite was blown off shore and drifted away.in the darkness. The cruiser was entirely helpless, the forward 80 foot compartment being full of water so thatshe was Well down by the bead, The engine. room was fortunately water-tight, so that it was possible to keep all the pumps going.
When the storm cleared, about 6 p.m., the Yosemite was found to be miles north and west of the island. That night and all of the following day she was kept afloat through the united efforts of officers and crew.
About 1.44 p.m. on the 15th the Justin was sighted and was soon alongside. After several attempts to tow the disabled cruiser, during which two chains and two Manila cables were parted, Lieut. Birere decided to abandon her. By 7 o'clock in the evening the 138 members of the crew, 26 marines and 9 officers were sheard the Justin.
Lieutenant Birere decided it would be best to scuttle the vessel before abandoning her. Chief Engineer Nichols of the Justin volunteered to go down into the Yosemite's engine-room and open the stopcock. This was hastily done and the cruiser was left to her fate. About 3 p.m. on the 15th the Yosemite's stern tilted high in the air, and she went down bow first, her stern bursting open as she cise posses.
The Justin had a miraculous escape from destruction. Chief Engineer Nichols succeeded in getting up steam in wonderfully short time, despite the fact that he was totally unprepared. The Justin's anchors dragged. When the wind changed, and it cleared for a few minutes, Captain Scott found that his vessel was but 100 yards from the cliff where the Yosemite was battering her life out, Fortunately his anchors hold, and the change of wind drove the Justin into deeper water, where she managed to ride out the gale.
The Yosemite was formerly the El Sud of the Morgan line. She was pressed into service as an auxiliary cruiser at the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, and afterwards retained as a valuable addition to the navy, The Yosemite was to have been transferred to Cavite in the near future and was, to have been the flagship of the fleet there. She was valued at $1,000,000.
The warehouse of the Western Commercial Company store was blown down. The loss will be about $30,000. About six months ago the same Company sustained a loss of $12,000 through a typhoon. The natives say that the storm of the 13th was the greatest in the memory of the oldest inhabitant, None can estimate the damage sustained by property in general, says our Manila contemporary. Not a house of any pre-tentions remains standing, and the crops are a total loss. Scarcely a vestige of green remains on the island. As copra is the only export the natives will have no income for years to come.—'* Hongkong Daily Press."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.