A typhoon devastates the Mortlocks; German ships move survivors to Pohnpei and Saipan.

What happened

The Catholic history says the storm claimed over 200 lives and stripped the Mortlocks of all food crops. German ships evacuated large numbers of survivors to Pohnpei and Saipan, and several hundred Mortlockese made new homes on Pohnpei.

Why it matters

Mortlockese who became Catholic on Pohnpei later asked for their own missionary, which began the Catholic Church in Chuuk; their community also took root on Sokehs Island.