Foundering of a Barque

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 116, 24 March 1891, Page 4

Foundering of a Barque

" | PER /TJNITEP/PRE'SS ASSOCIATION. | Sydney, March 22. The crew of -the- barque Don "^ Nicholas arrived! here-: to : day' in boats belonging to the vessel. The barque i left Newcastle for ban Francisco on Mai;cli n 4 with a bargo t>f 1300" tons of . coaVi!. land .'Captain reports -;that when only five days out heavy -storms were, '^experienced, .during vhich the^vessel sprung a leak.' The " pumps were . started,,, but as the crew -^were unable to cope -with the water -•twojsf Jjhe ishjp's boats were lowered „ and/jpreparatipns- made for leaving the ship. The water increased with such v-Tapidijty that the crew... were compelled ■„rto;ls«ve the barque when about 500 - miles off the coast 7 of Australia, and -.shortly , afterwards, she disappeared. '■■ ;J The boats' were very scantily 'provided "With... r provisions, and owing to an «yersig ! tit"tne'c6mpaßs iV was left behind but the captain managed to take observations by means of a broken •chronometer. Those in the boats consisted of thirteen crew and two passengers, and the ration served out to eacb. man was one. soda biscuit and half a pint of-'. 'water per day. After nine ! days, during- which the occupants^of' the b oats ; 'suffered severe privations, they reached Sydney Heads to-day. r - 'The : Don Nicholas was a vessel of 975 tons register.