THE BURNING OF THE COSPATRICK.

Evening Star, Issue 3757, 9 March 1875, Page 2

THE BURNING OF THE COSPATRICK.

[By Telegraph.] , Auckland, March 8. The Cyphrenes brings newspapers containing accounts of the burning of the Cospatrick. The following is a copy of the deposition of Henry Macdonald, before the Receiver of Wrecks:— He was second mate of the ship Cospatrick. Ihe vessel was supplied with a fixed fire engine on the forecastle head, with suction pump down, steam moveable fire engine with rubber suction hose, and also a considerable quantity of delivery box engines. They were in good order, and were employed in the endeavor to put out the fire, rind throw large quantities of water. The vessel was well supplied with fire buckets, with lanyards attached. 0 vessel proceeded on her voyage, and met with fine weather and light winds. Two births occurred at 10 p.m. on the 17th of November. During the voyage the master’s hat blew overboard, and the port boat was instantly lowered to pick jt up, and returned to the vessel in a 6 “ time. On Tuesday, 17th November, a ' noon » the vessel was in lat. 37.14 S. At 12.25, the weather was fine, with the wind blowing a light breeze. The deponent had charge of the first watch, and whs relieved at midnight by the chief officer. The vessel was barely steering. About a quarter of an hour before midnight deponent went carefully round the upper deck, over the poop and forecAll was well, and there was no smell of fire or any other matter to attract attention. Deponent had been below about three-quar-ters of an hour, when he was aroused by a cry of “ Fire !’■ He jumped out of his berth and rushed on deck undressed. He met the master at the cuddy door, in his shirt. The master ordered deponent forward to inquire the cause of the alarm. Deponent rushed forward and saw a dense smoke comingfup from the fore-cabin. The chief officer was getting the fire engine to work, and the passengers and crew were all rushing on deck. The cry was that the fire was coming up from about the boatswain’s locker. D'epondent returned and assisted the master to endeavor to get the vessel about, but she had no steerage way. In a few minutes flames came up the forecastle, and the foresail was hauled up. The vessel

now came up head to wind, which drove the smoke aft, the flames bursting up the forehatchway. The master sent for deponent, and asked if it was possible to get volunteers to sec where the fire was. It was impossible, as the smoke was suffocating, and deponent asked the master if he should put the boats out, and the master said, “No, but do what you can to put the fire out.” The foremast boats by this time caught fire, and the flames were now coming up iho main hatchway. Deponent sent men to clear away the boats on the sides. The starboard quarter boat was now lowered, and about eighty —mostly women—put in. The davits bent with their weight, and as the boat touched the water she turned over, and the people were all drowned. Hencoops and other moveables were thrown over, but it was of no avail to save their lives. He now stationed two men at the sort boat to prevent anyone lowering it except iy the master’s order. The officers now made an attempt to get the long boat overboard, but then; was too much confusion to get proper help. Her bows caught fire and she was abandoned, and there was a rush for the port lifeboat, which was lowered, and about thirty or forty people got into her. Deponent slid down and got on board by the fore tackle. The boat was kept clear of the ship. The chief mate and a female jumped overboard and were picked up. By the time the boat got to the rear of the ship the main mast fell overboard. Shortly afterwards the stern blew out, then the mizen mast fell. After first speaking to the master, deponent got the signal. ammunition thrown overboard. At daylight the starboard lifeboat was found full of people. Deponent heard shouts from the officer to take cherge of her. He got alongside and took charge. Thomas Lewis, A.8., Edward Cotter, 0.5., and Bentley, an emigrant, also got into the boat with deponent. The gear of the remaining boats was divided between them, deponent’s boat getting one oar and a broken one. The two boats kept company, hovering round the burning ship the whole day, until the afternoon of the 19th, when the ship sank. There were thirty Eeople in deponent’s boat. Deponent then ept to the north-east for the Cape of Good Hope, as did the other boat. The boats kept company all the 20th and 21st November. When it commenced to blow they separated. They were without provisions or water, mast or sail, and had but one oar and a half. Ttie wind was southerly, and by taking one of the footlines they managed to rig a sail with the girl’s petticoats, and so keep the boat in her course. One boat contained Baker, the emigrants’ cook, the three A.B.’s, one ordinary seaman, and twenty-three passengers, with deponent—in all making thirty people. The other boat contained the chief mate, with four A.B.’s, an ordinary seaman, the batchers, and six passengers, including one baby aged eleven davs. The people rapidly sank from want of food and water. By the 25th they were reduced to eight in number, and three of these were out of their mind. On the 26th, before daylight, a barque passed, which they hailed, but were unseen. On Friday, the 27th, they were picked up by the ship British Sceptre, of Liverpool, and the five people then remaining alive were received on board and treated with every kindness. Two, however, Robert Hampton and one passenger, died before they reached St. Helena, leaving deponent, Thomas Lewis, and Edward Cotter. So far, he knew only three survivors. Deponent considers all the gear was regularly kept in the boat, and must have got thrown out in the confusion. The oils used for the side lights, for the lights in the cuddy, were kept in the port quarter galley. The crew, including deponent, had lucifera, which they used to light their pipes and lamps with when necessary. The boatswain was the only person having access to the boatswain’s locker, of which he kept the key. Nothing was kept there but the stores already enumerated, and deponent does not know whether the boatswain had been there that day. There was one ordinary seaman told off to go into the coal hole every day to fill baskets, which were hoisted by the emigrants. No other person was allowed to go into the coal hole, and deponent, who used frequently to talk to him about the coals, heard no remark as to their heating or smell. He did not know how the fire originated. Signed. Henry M‘Donald. Rowan Lewis, quarter-master, gave corroborative evidence, and said the boat in which he escaped remained two days by the burning vessel. They were much exhausted from thirst, and, having no water or provisions, rapidly sank. He could not account for the fire.

Edward Cotter deposed that when the ship caught fire, the emigrants formed a line on deck, and passed water along. The emigrants got tin dishes, and everything that could hold water, but the fire burned very fast. When the deckhouse caught fire they were panic stricken, and ran away, the smoke stifling them. When lowering the boats people were sliding down and falling into the water. In the boat after leaving the ship, all they did was to lead each other a hand about. In the boat there was not much talk. The biggest, fattest, and healthiest-looking went off first. It was not from them that blood was obtained, but from other men. Witness only ate twice; he drank whenever a vein was opened, and felt better the last two days in the boat than before then. His great thought was of being picked up. It was cold during night, but very hot in the day. They had escaped with barely clothes to cover them. {From our own Correspondent.) Auckland, March 9. Tremendous excitement was caused in London by the Cospatrick news. Telegrams were received some tinm before the arrival of the steamer Nyanza with the survivors; arid when that vessel was due at Plymouth the London journals despatched special reporters to await her arrival. These chartered special steamers, and endeavored to board the steamer before the Custom’s officer and secure a monopoly of the news, Mr Forbes, ‘ Daily News ’ reporter, who was the first man in Paris after the siege, succeeded in first boarding the Nyanza, and when the others got aboard it was found that Mr Forbes had disappeared with the survivors. When the latter turned up again, it was found he had entered into a contract with them, giving the mate LIOO and the two seamen L 25 each for a monopoly of their statements for the * Daily News.’ The sailors sold the St. Helena papers, with a brief account, at from L 5 to Ll6 per copy. The * Standard’s ’ special offered Cotter, one of the survivors, LIOO to act on behalf of his journal, but the ‘Telegraph’ held him to his agreement. Lewis, a weatherbeaten sailor, was the salvation of the party in the boat by ms indomitable energy. He divided into nine portions the dreadful food which sustained them. Cotter was some time ago in the coasting trade of New Zealand, and was working his way out again. He was six months on the James Anderson at Port Chalmers, then on the steamer Patterson, and afterwards worked ashore for M'Kenzie Bros, on the Port Chalmers and Oamaru railway. The ‘Star’s’ London correspondent says Mr Vogel was greatly excited by the affair, and telegraphed from Florence like a house burning, Shaw, Saville’s office from Thursday till Monday lay unopened, owing to the Christmas holidays. The ' Star’s' correspondent considers that Captain Elmslie’s coolness was affected through his having his wife and family aboard. He was so agitated that he allowed some boats to burn before his eyes, and made no attempt to provision others. Since this catastrophe attention has been paid to the Tintern Abbey bound to Canterbury, of which the ‘ Times ’ srys if anything happened to her not half the passengers could be saved.