THE LY-EE MOON DISASTER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1258, 8 June 1886, Page 2

THE LY-EE MOON DISASTER.

Melbourne, June 1

Early yesterday morning, news was received that the passenger steamer Ly eeMoon had been wrecked at Green Capo on Sunday evening while on her way bet ween Melbourne and Sydney, and that seventy lives were 'oat. Later news confirmed the story, but lefc much cause for wonder why the catastrophe shoild have happened, the weather being clear, and the captain one of the most trusted in the Company’s serves. THE STORY OF THE WRECK The vessel passed Gabo Island at a quarter to eight, when Captain Webber reported a given course, which should have taken her clear of Green Cape. He then left the deck, after giving instruc tions that he wes to be ciiled when the steamer neared the Cape On returning to the bridge at a few minutes to nine, he found the vessel heading straight for the reef. The engines wereimmediately reversed, but the vessel dashed on the rocks with such force as to part her in two. Most of the passengers appear to have been below. Within ten minutes of strik ing the forepart of the vessel broke right away, and drifted towards the shore, turning round, and eventually lying broadside on the rocks on shore. All the passengers and crow on this part the vessel clung to the rigging and bulwarks, heavy ae s washing continually over the deck. Shortly after, the vessel bei«g in this position, the foremast went overboard, the end jus l -, touching the rooks. The boatswain and three seamen made their way ashore on the mast, but shortly afterwards the topmast broke, and this way of escape was no longer available. The lighthouse keeper, with the aid of the seamen, tried for a long time without avail to throw a line aboard. At last the boatswain succeeded in throwing a brass lock, with a fishing line attached, over the vessel, which caught ; and a rope attached to the line was pulled aboard and made fast. A bowline was then attached to the rope, and all the remaining passengers that had been saved were then palled ashore by means of the bowline. The after part of the ship remained on the reef, a hundred yards from the iffiore. It was impossible to render those aboard aoy assistance. No boat could live in such a sea ; and unfortunately there wers no rockets or life saving apparatus (except ropes) at the lighthouse. All the engineers and the greater part of the crew and steerage passengers were lost. Among the incidents of the wreck it is mentioned that there was only one lady on deck in the fore part of the vessel. The third officer, Fotheringham, made a

gallant attempt to take her ashore, and nearly succeeded, when she was struck Hy some floating debris and instantly killed. In addition to tnis lady, two other passengers died, not from drowning, but from exposure. The exposure endured and the dangera»experienced t y the survivors, may be gathered from the fact that although the vessel struck at 8 p in., those rescued were not all landed till half-past 3 a.m. All these are doing well, though some are much knocked about. One steamer passed the Cape, bound North, after the Ly-ee-Moon struck. She stopped temporarily, but was unable, from the position of the ship, to render any assistance. During the whole of this terrible time the behaviour of the passengers and crew was exceedingly calm and bravo. The third officer, Fotheringham, was in charge at the time How the vessel got on to the reef close under a lighthouse, and so short a distance from shore, is a mystery. The pilot steamer Captain C mk was despatc te from Sydney to the scene of the disaster to lake off the survivors from the lighthouse, dhe takes them to Sydney, and is expected to make Green Cape early to-day. Among the passengers who lost their lives was Mr A. M'Gregor, son of Mr M'Gregor, of the Dunedin British Hotel (he had been employed in the New Zsaland Insurance Company’s office), andO.G. Bradley, son of Mr J. G. Bradley, a merchant of San Francisco, who was on his way to start a business in Sydney. The Ly-ce Moon was not Insured. The Company adopt the principle of doing their own underwriting.