Description & Notes

2 1/4″ wide (Actual: 2.258″ wide x 2.979″ high x .569″ deep). Bronze body. Bronze shackle. Operating key. Catalog #80.Commemorates the Apia Samoa Hurricane of March 15-16, 1889. 7 Naval war ships were wrecked or sunk during this event. We believe the inscription was added after manufacture.

“HURRICANE APIA 1889”

Commemorative Padlocks

Manufacturer Wilson Bohannan Co. More

Height 979" high

Body Bronze

Shackle Bronze

Collector The David Heuermann Collection

Date Added February 2026

Catalog Notes

Details table.MsoNormalTable {font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; } The Storm at Apia, Samoa, 15-16 March 1889 Report of Rear-Admiral L.A. Kimberly APIA, SAMOA, March 19, 1889. SIR: It becomes my painful duty to report to the Department the disastrous injury and loss sustained by the vessels under my command in the harbor of Apia during the hurricane which swept these waters March 15 and 16. When the gale commenced there were in the harbor the following men of war: U.S. ships Trenton, Vandalia, and Nipsic ; H[er].B[rittanic].M[ajesty's]. ship Calliope , and H[is].I[mperial].G[ermanic].M[ajesty's]. ships Addler, Olga, and Eber . There were also a few merchant vessels and small craft. The Nipsic had the inner berth, and the Trenton (last to arrive) had the outer berth. Indications of bad weather appeared during the forenoon of Friday, March 15, and at 1 o'clock on that day I commenced preparations to meet a gale by sending down the lower yards [that carried sails] and housing topmasts. Fires were lighted [in the ships' propulsion boilers] and steam raised. By 3 o'clock the gale had developed. It blew hard during the evening, and about 8 p.m. we parted our port bower [anchor] cable. During the night it blew with great violence, but with aid of steam the vessels kept in good shape till morning. At daylight we had hoped for a moderation of the wind, but were disappointed. The gale set in with renewed fury, and early in the forenoon it was evident that some of the inner ships were ashore and those nearer to us were riding uneasily. The flag-ship lost her wheel about this time. It carried away with a crash and seriously injured some of the helmsmen. Relieving tackles [ropes and pulleys designed to operate the rudder and steer the ship in the absence of the steering wheel] and spare tiller were applied promptly, but it was discovered that the rudder was broken, and soon it was entirely useless. The wind by this time was blowing with hurricane force and the s