Terrible Shipping Disaster

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 107, 4 March 1890, Page 2

Terrible Shipping Disaster

1.P38 UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Brisbane, March 1 News of a shipping disaster attended with sad loss of life has reached here. The British and Indian Company's steamer Quetta, on her homeward voyage, struck a rock which it is said is not marked on the chart, near Cooktown, with terrible force, splitting her completely through. There was fearful confusion among the passengers, who rushed aboxit the deck wildly in despair and crying for help. The vessel sank in three minutes from striking, and a large number of those on board went down with the vessel. March 2. There is terrible excitement here over the wreck of the steamer Quetta, inasmuch as she was a full ship with over 100 passengers on board, including between 30 and forty ladies, and also a large number of well-known citizens, who were going Home on a visit. Her crew consisted of about 30 European officers and 95 colored men. The ship was valued at £65,000, and is not insured. The steamer Merrie England, which has returned from . Thursday Island,, searched several. islands for survivors, but without success. The total number of souls on board so far as known was 280' of whom 116 were saved, leaving 166- to be accounted for, all of whom are supposed to be drowned. Captain Saunders aud Pilot Keating were on the bridge-, with a bright light, five weather and sea calm. There was no apparent dauger r aud the vessel struck a rock six miles from Mount Adolpbus on the quarter aud it ripped the whole side out of her. Nearly all the passengers were on deck at the time, and a panic ensued, the passengers scrambling into .the boats heedless of the commands of the captain and the officers, who remained cool throughout the exciting time. In less time than it cakes to relate the wreck of the Quetta sunk, amidst the cries of those were left on board in a helpless con dition. A large number of both crew and passengers were swallowed up in the vortex, never to rise again, while others floated about, and were picked up as quickly as circumstances would allow. Some of those reported missing may reach the adjacent islands, but hope is very remote. Those .saved are Mise Nicklin and baby girl, Messrs Corser, Clarke, Renton, tSladert, Davidson, .Ashford, Wrathall, Gregory, Cameron, Train, Murphy, Dunne, Debuey, captaiu and officers, 23 Lascars, 25 coloured-firemen, 11 saloon boys 3 Cingalese duck passengers, aud 28 Japanese deck passengers. Pilot Keating and all the ladies in the saloon were drowned except one. The captain stales that he was on the bridge with the pilot when the vessel struck. He at once rushed to the end of the saloon deck and instructed the chief officer to get the boats out. He then rushed forward and ay he fouud the ship settling by her head eudeavoured to get the women into the boats,' and she sauk rapidly and he had only time to climb into the rigging and thiow himself mto the water, wheu the stem of the steamer rose completely out of the water. The vessel tnen heeled over and went down, the whole time uot occupying more then three minutes from the time of striking. He undressed himself iv the water and swam about for half an hour before being picked up by a lifeboat, which was already full of people, and the water which was rather broken, washing over the gunwales.. All hands but four jumped out of the boat with a view of having her' bulled out, but the state of the water pro vented this being attained and all got luto the boat again. This boat reached the land at 1 in the morning, one of the other lifeboats reaching the shore before, aud i he captain gave orders for it to go out and search for survivors. ' She returned full, having picked up all visible. LATER PARTICULARS. The awful suddenness with which the Quetta sank made it impossible for anyoue below to reach the deck, and all the engineers were drowned. Tiie vessel passed over the rook at the rate of 12 knots, per hour. One of the passengers states that he was sitting on the port hatch with his wife and children when the vessel struck. The captaiu called out " All hands aft," but the second steward said it was all ii^ it, and the vessel had only stopped to anchor. Terrible confusion ensued, especially amongst the women. His wife jumped off the ship into tiie sea, and he followed shortly alter with the child iv his arms. He never saw his wife afterward. When in the water he was held up by a coloured man, aud in the struggle lost the child, which was drowned. He next got hold of a boat, to which a large v umber of persons were clinging, and assisted to get her upright, when the water was bailed out, and all hands, numbering about 70, got in. The land whs oyer three miles away from the scene of the wreck. The officer on the bridge threw lifebuoys overboard, and all the officers and men did their best. The survivors suffered very much from cold during the night. A sad case in connection with the wreck is that of Mrs Jackson and two children. Her husband was drowned n few weeks ago in the floods in Brisbane River, and she' and her family were left penniless. She expressed a wish to return to England, and the public subscribed sufficient funds to defray the cost of her passage. . It is feared that all three are lust. A saloon passenger named Gape, who was lost, was on his way Home to inherit a fortune of £55,000. He had previously been wo > king as a labourer at Beenleigh for some months at 20s per week. He was refused passage, as the vessel was full, but induced the Shipping Company to give him a berth on payment of £20 over the ordinary fare. The revised list of passengers and others on board the ill fated . steamer Quetta shows that 137 persons were saved while 145 were drowned/ The oargo was insured for £50,000 and the steamer for £42,000, principally m English and Australian officees. Mibs LaCey was rescued in a most miraculous manner. She clung to a raft until midduy on Saturday, when she left it and tried to swim ashore. The .current carried her away, aud then the kept floating without support for twenty-four hours, having been in the water for thirty-six hours before being rescued. Brisbane, This Day. The bearing of the rock on which the Qnotta struck is correct, and the Admiralty chart gives 12 fathoms of water. The rock is right in the track recommended by the Admiralty. Miss McKlen, one of the only two ladies saved, states that they were singing and practising in the concert room when the steamer struck. She went down suddenly at the. last moment, leaving nearly 200 people all huddled together in the water and treading on each other. By the aid of a plank she swam ashore, reaching land next morning. All through the night there were people calling for help. She thinks most of tho ladies were caught by- the awning when the ship sank. The carpenter had a marvellous escape : "While attempting to clear a boat he got his leg jammed, and went down with. the vessel, but the shock with which she struck the bottom set him free and he fioa'tfcd to the top again.