WRECK OF THE SURAT.

Evening Star, Issue 3391, 3 January 1874, Page 2

WRECK OF THE SURAT.

Our morning contemporary the ‘ Guardian’ published the following extra this morn ing :

Balclutha, 10 35 a.m. The Surat struck on a submerged rock ten miles north of Dog light; her speed carrying her over. '1 he captain put to sea; the crew and passengers, including the women, pumped all night. The passengers say wild confusion ensued. The crew and passengers opposed the officers. Distress signals were raised to a passing steamer, but they were hauled down by the captain, who threatened to shoot any oue who signalled, and stopped the women from waving their shawls. The chief mate was disarmed by the seamen as he was about to scuttle the boat. The captain disregarded the entreaties of the doctor and passengers to make for shore Go ultimately beached the ship, and landed sixty passengers, when the vessel drifted, and was again beached at the month of Gatlin’s River. The passengers crowded into the huts at the sawmills, and were kindly treated. They nave lost all their luggage. &c. Some of the females were in the busk all night. It was found in the morning that the ship was sinking in the sand. The deck was below high water level, and she is likely to break up. The chief part of the cargo is railway iron, and plant for the Kaikorai Woollen Factory. Since then we have received the following information:— Balclutha, 1.30 p.m. A messenger has just arrived from the wreck. The sea is breaking over the vessel, and she has been abandoned. Thp captain reports that the Surat struck on a reef of rocks off Chasland’s Mistake on Wednesday night; that she did not make much water at first, but tbat the’ water soon gained rapidly. He hoisted a signal of distress (ensign downwards ; half mast high) and also put off a boat to intercept a passing steamer. The steamer was the Wapganuj, but those on hoard her did not observe the ensign, and they thought the boat was one from shore. As soon as possible the captain landed 100 of the passengers at Blood} Jack’s Point. There being then six feet of water in the hold, and gaining rapidly, the ship was beached on the JSpit at Gatlin’s River. All landed except the mate and two seamen, who stopped by the vessel. No luggage’ provisions, cargo, or anything else was saved’ except a very little bedding and the clothes tha*. were b.eing worn at the time. The Wallabi is to take all hands from the Npit, and convey them tp the \ ire, which will be at Port Chalmers about 9 o’clock to-morrow morning. The mate an I the two seamen, lelt on board the vessel when she was beached, made signals of distress at 4 a.m. yesterday, and were taken off by the captain and the boat’s crew. There are very conflicting accounts as to the wreck and the subsequent circumstances, j

LATEST INFORMATION. Captain Thomson, Harbor Master, who went to the scene of the wreck in the Vire, telegraphed the Provincial Government this afternoon as follows “Arrived at daylight and engaged the Waliabi to bring the passengers from the sawmills to the Vire. We expect to reach Port Chalmers to-morrow morning. Mr Allan, the Immigration Officer, requests that a train be ready to take the immigrants to the barracks on arrival. of the luggage was saved, and it is feared the ship wid prove a total loss ” The Ueelong proceeds down to the wreck with a few men.