MORE ABOUT THE GOTHENBURG.

Evening Star, Issue 3774, 30 March 1875, Page 3

MORE ABOUT THE GOTHENBURG.

The statement of the occurrence, given by Mr Wm. Thomas, a passenger, is that the wreck took place at half-past six p.m. on Wednesday, 24th February. The vessel was under full steam and sail, wi l hj a stiff breeze from the north, and wag going about eleven knots per hour. Soundings were taken round the steamer, and it wag found that while the:e were only a few feet of water forward, there was a sudden increase of depth to upwards of five fathoms aft. At first there did not seem to be any apprehension of serious results, and apparently the captain and officers hoped to get the ship off as the tide rose. With that object the engines were kept at work, turning astern, and the vessel was lightened forward as much as possible. But the force of the wind increased, until the vessel began to bump on the coral rock, and shortly before four a.ns. on Friday orders were given to get the boats out. There were four boats in all, and the two on theport side were first lowered, and were ordered to be taken round to the starboard side. Each had four men in it, but in some way the painters of both boats got loose, and they went adrifc. The men did their utmost to pull the boats up to the vessel again, but they could not do so, and as they receded from the ship they were only seen at intervals when the lightning flashed. The starboard lifeboat was swung ready'for launching, but just then the position of the ship was shifted to broadside on the reef, and she then slipped off the reef, turning on her beam ends, with the foreyardarm in the water. The female passengers were being lowered into the lifeboat as she hung from the davits, when a terrific sea broke over the deck, sweeping off all who were there, and leaving only those who had got into the fore-rigging. The fourth boat had been rushed by the alarmed people and was capsized, but not lost, as the painter remained fast to tlm ship. By that time Judge Wearing, the captain, the chief officer and the agent had all been washed away, and as the hull of the vessel was full of water, all who had remained in their cabins were drowned there. No one thought there was any great danger, until the vessel shifted her position, at about' three o’clock on Thursday morning, the 25th ult. What followed prior to the final settling down of the steamer occurred in a very brief period. Like others of the survivors, he did not see or hear anything of Mr Thomas Reynolds, Dr Milner, and other cabin passengers, and he thought they did not come on deck. Mrs Reynolds had been unwell throughout the voyage, and although some of Dr Milner’s daughters -were on the deck, he did not notice Mrs Milner. The most probable thing was that they were in their berths when the end came.