MORE ABOUT THE DANDENONG.

Evening Star, Issue 4237, 25 September 1876, Page 4

MORE ABOUT THE DANDENONG.

The Dandenong was well known as a regular trader between Melbourne and Sydney, and was purchased at Home by the owner, Captain W. Howard Smith, who brought her out here. She was a staunch and strongly constructed iron Bcrew steamer, of 743 tons, builder's measurement, and was built in 1867 at Palmer's Jron Woiks, Jarrow-en-Tyne, the same yard from which were launched the Barrabool and Queensland. The Dandenong was on her 207 th trip when this disaster occurred. The value placed upon her by the owner is L20.U00, but she is only covered by insurance to the extent of Ll4 000. The insurances are with the Adelaide Marine and the Southern, but v these companies, it is understood, have divided the risk with other offices. Much sympathy is felt for Mr Howard Smith, the ' owner of the Dandenong, whose recent losses in connection with the collision between the Queensland and the Barrabool add to the weight of this fresh disaster. The following narratives are supplied by M* Lawson, chief officer of the Dandenong, M? Ash, and other passengers by tho illfated steamer :

MrjLawson states:—" We experienced fair weather till Saturday afternoon. Then came on a dull drizzling rain, and at 5 p.m. the wind suddenly shifted to the east, and rapidly increased to a gale. At 2 a.m. on Sunday we sighted land, supposed to be Cape Edward. The gale at this time seemed to me increasing, and the ship labored heavily, taking in a great deal of water on deck. At 1 a.m. on Monday the engineer reported that the engines had broken down, and the captain immediately hauled up N. and by W., the wind shifting S. and E., and increasing in violence. The captain went below to ascertain the extent of the damage, and learned from the engineer that the screw shaft had broken in the stern pipe, and that the ship had commenced making water rapidly. Bedding, blankets, and everything else available were used to stop the leak, but to no purpose. The donkey engine was set to work at once, and the engineer, having partly stopped the leak, proceeded to disconnect the shaft, in order to get the main engines to work on the bilges, but owing to the ■water gaining so fast they were unable to succeed. By this time the water had gained so fast that the fires were extinguished." Mr F. Ash, one of the rescued saloon pas-

seugers, gives the following version of the ' diaister. tie says:—" The first intimation we had of any immediate danger was at half-past 7 a.m. Monday, when the captain came forward and called on us to relieve the seamen in baling out the vessel. He said it was a matter of life or death, and almost the whole of the male passengers most readily responded to his call. We were very anxious for our own lives, and the anxious faces of the women gave us additional nerve. We went into the engine room, and found there was a great quantity of water in it. The pumps could not be worked, for what reason we did not then know, but afterwards learned that it was on account of the screw shaft having broken. There not being sufficient hose to reach the donkey-engine, we could not obtain any help from that quarter, and we depended altogether on our buckets. We all worked willingly, but were disheartened by the water gaining on us. Notwithstanding our unsuccessful exertions, the captain worked manfully, setting a noble example to his men. At 3 p.m. we knocked off baling, as our efforts were unavailing, and battened down the hatches and the coalhole at the rear of the engine-house to keep the water from getting into the main hold. Shortly afterwards a sail was observed, distant about three miles, and we, for the first time since seeing the water increase, felt a little hope of being saved. Signals of distress were hoisted, and to our great relief no sooner were they up than the barque changed her course and bore down to us, coming as close as was practicable. The whole of the boats belong, ing to the steamer had been got ready, and upon the barque heaving-to the lifeboat was lowered, in charge of the chief officer, Mr Lawson, and she was manned !y three seamen and a volunteer named Geo. I'ayne, a fine young fellow, aged twenty five years, who was on his way to JN'ewcastle to. join a ship as first mate. The chief officer behaved with much coolness while some passengers were getting into the boat. When she started off, there were fifteen persons in her altogether—the chief ©fficer, three sailors, Mr Payne, Mr and Mrs Wakefield, and eight children. We very anxiously watched the boat's progress towards the barque, bhe was very strong, but she was tossed about like an eggshell by the tremendous seas running, the spray splashing into her, and drenching her occupants. The next moment she was down in a trough of waves, and out of sight. At last we saw her go np alonside the barque, but the next minute she was dashed to pieces and her fragments oarried away, Mr Payne being wen on one piece of the wreck. The chief officer and two of the men managed to scramble into the barque, but the father, mother, and feeven children found watery graves.- We were still more fanxious when the next boat, which Captain M'Dougall, a passenger, had volunteered to take charge of, prepared to put off. The boatswain and men were at the oars, and Captain M'Dougall at the helm, and the passengers were one man and a number of women and children. The whole were got on board safely and the boat put back for the steamer. Captain M'Dougall remained on board the barque, and the boatswain took the helm, two men only being at the oara, the third being engaged in baling the boat. A boatload of women and children were taken from the steamer and placed on the barque, when the boat went adrift and no more trips oould be made. The second officer, Mr M'Kwan, was placed in eommand of another boat, in which a number of men got. Passengers could have got in, but preferred to wait for the captain's boat, which was considered to be the most safe. The boat was badly mansed. One of the oars was broken, another could not be well worked, as the rowlock was broken, the third was pulled by an invalid passenger, but at the fourth was a sturdy tar. I was in this boat, and can vouch for the determination and pluck displayed by the second officer, Mr M'Ewan, who, though a young raan, was the meanß of preventing the boat from being swamped and. capsized. He was yery cool, and handled the helm splendidly. "When we got alongside the barque our stem ■truck her heavily three times, but wo " could not ward her off. One of the men was washed out of the boat and landed upon the barque, and others laid hold of the ropes . which were thrown down to us. We all, with the exception of a man named Fergusson, managed to scramble on board, but he, poor fellow, went to the bottom. I have been in many tenific storms on the but never saw a gale to equal that of Monday. The eea was very confused, and the spray flew with such violence that it was painful to get struck with it. There were two boats left on board the steamer, the captain's and a small dingy, but whether the could be launched was a matter of doubt, unless they were thrown over the side. There was only one ftmala left on fcoard the steamer, as far as I am aware, &AjjjU£ pftor vojnah, was with fn invaljd husjjotpl and child. Notwithstanding her husband's entreaties to save herself and

child, she would not leave him. The scene on board the steamer quite astonished me. " The female passengers were wonderfully calm. No screams were heard, nor were there any demonstrations of grief, except when the barque appeared to be passing away without sighting the steamer. When in the boat* the men and women crouched down and did not move. This added much to the success attending the trips made. Mr Hartley, a cabin passenger, says that there were three boats attached to the Damlenong, but that a considerable time elapsed before the lirst boat could bo lowered—half-an-hour he thinks, but the time very likely appeared to him longer than it really was. He also thinks that the ship was not properly supplied with pumping apparatus, which was fitted to be worked by steam. Mr Hartley is of opinion that Captain Irwin considered their only hope of safety lay in transhipping the passengers - from the steamer to the barque, but nearly the whole of the passengers were afraid to trust themselves in the open boat. MrWinship, of Newcastle, was among those who refused to get into the boat. This reluctance is to bo accounted for partly by the imminent danger of death in the boats, and partly from the hope that they could be saved in the captain's boat. William Blair, a steerage passenger, says : —The first intimation I got that there was anything wrong was at 6 o'clock on Monday morning. The weather was thick and hazy, and it was impossible to Bee more than a few miles. The engineer was up to his neck in water for a considerable tima. After the barque was signalled the captain hai no hope, and was very anxious that all the passengers would go on board the barque, and precautions were strictly taken. When the first boat which left the steamer struck, all the passengers with the exception of a child were drowned. The first mate and the two sailors seized ropes hanging over the side of the barque, and the little girl, whose mother, father, three brothers, and two sisters were drowned, had a rope thrown round her, and she was saved. The second boat returned to the steamer, and took, on board myself, wife, and child, two sisters of mtrcy, a few other j women, and children—ten altogether. We soon found that the main pin of the boat was gone, and the hole (through which the water was coming fatt) was an inch and a quarter in size. I kept my finger in this all the time to stop the water. When we got to the barque all the men remained in the boat until the woman and children were safely landed. The fourth passage from steamer to barque was made by the third boat that left the ship. It was in charge of the third mate. It got to the barque safely, and just as the passengers weie get ting out it was swampud. All tbat could clung on to the ropes, but two were drowned. A young fellow named Guiding was saved, after being in the water half an hour, by having an air life-preserving I coat on.

Mr M'Ewan, the second officer of the Dandenong, appeara to hear a somewhat charmed life, as he was third officer of the ill-fated ship British Admiral, that was lost on King's Island, in 1873, when nearly all the crew and passengers were drowned. Captain M'Dougall, one of the passengers saved, has had a recent experience of shipwreck, as he was master of the Water Lily that was lost a few months since at Port MacDonnell, S.A. Mrs M'Connachy, who has also been losr, ia the wife of the captain of the barque Moneta, and was proceeding to Sydney to join her husband. As the Moneta has not yet arrived, it will be sad news for the captain when he reaches port to learn tht- death of his wife. In addition to the valuable general cargo the Dandenong had on board, she was also carrying 160 high-classed stud sheep, which had been purchased by .New > s outh Wales and Riverina buyers at the recent annual ram sales, the lot being valued at from L 3,000 to L 4,000, and some at 600 guineas each.