Wreck of the Barque Ellen

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 11, 25 July 1891, Page 2

Wreck of the Barque Ellen

[ PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. I Sydney, July 23. Further intelligence from the Seal Rock Lighthouse states that the barque Ellen (not Helen as previously tele* graphed) has foundered, and that the boat which was attempting to make the Seal Rock contained the only survivors, and these were reduced by three, owing to the capsize. July 24. Particulars of the loss of the barque Ellen are now to hand. She left Newcastle for Noumea, and not Auckland as at first supposed, on July 3, with seven hundred tons of coal. On the 9th, when two hundred miles off the coast of Australia, a fierce gale began to blow, with high seas. The vessel made bad weather and commenced to leak, and it soon became evident that she was sinking. The crew worked the pumps continuously for three days, and then abandoned her. A boat containing all hands left her on the 12th, and an hour later she foundered. In their hurry the crew forgot to bring away a supply of fresh water, and only a very poor supply of food was found in the boat. Night quickly came and with it began an unbroken ohapter of suffering. The boat was headed for the coast, but fell in with more bad weather. The waves broke oyer the little craft and while one half of the men pulled the oars, the other half had to bail her out to keep her afloat. This went on for some days. The captain, when after a couple of days of dayß no sail hove in sight, lost heart; and died. The steward also died, and two sailors were washed overboard and drowned.while a third jumped overboard in delirium. Three more were drowned in attempting to land on Seal Rocks. They were were nine days without water and. two days without food. A man named Peterson was the only one that reached land. This Day. Three seamen went mad within three days through drinking salt water. Their meat lasted till the 20th, and a little rainwater was caught, but it was brackish owing to the spray which came overboard. The signal-tnan atJSeal Recks lighthouse endeavoured to signal the men not to land pvvmg to the surf, but could not make them understand.