FOUNDERING OF THE STEAMER CATTHERTHUN.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 35, 9 August 1895, Page 2

FOUNDERING OF THE STEAMER CATTHERTHUN.

GREAT LOSS or LIFE— ESTIMATED AT OVER FIFTY. | (Per Press Association}. Sydney, August 8. The steamer Cattherthvm struck on Seal Rocks at 2.30 this morning and sank in fifteen minutes. A boat containing the captain, doctor, second mate, two other white men, and sixteen Chinese and crow landed at Forster, and tho others are supposed to be lost. Later. The Cattherthun left Syduey last night for China, via way ports, in charge of Captain Neill Shannon and the following officers :— W. P. Pinney (mate), Langfeir (second mate), Harold Reffilcr (third mate), R. H. Anderson (surgeon), J. H. Harper, F. Wilson, J. W. Adams, A. Wolsteu, Holmes (chief, second, third, and fourth engineers) R. Manning (chief steward), W. Jackson (quartermaster), and a Chinese crew of 44. She carried as passengers — 11. Fraser, T. C. Crane, Copeman, Dr Anderson, Capt. Fawkes, Mesdames Mathias and Loriug, Miss Loring, aud fifteen Chinese. Tugs have been sent from Newcastle to tho scono of the wreck. The following statement has beeu obtained from Crane : — " We cleared the Heads at 5.30 last night, followed by a south-west gale, a high, broken sea, aud rain squalls. All went well till twentyfive minutes past two, when the passengers were aroused by a severe shock, quickly followed by a second shock. The captain quietened the passengers by telling us we wero only struck by a sea. Shortly after this wc were roused out by order of the captain and told to go on deck. The ship had a strong list to starboard aud heavy sea.s were breaking over her fore and aft. The position w r as appalling, for tho ship was evidently settling fast. The officers and crew had already succeeded in getting out lifeboats, but the efforts to lower them were greatly impeded by the tremendous seas, which constantly broke aboard, carrying the boats in again. The port lifeboat was swept off the davits. A noticeable feature was the coolness and discipliue of all ou board. The captain, | chief aud secoud mate, and Captain ! Fawkes were swept over the bridge, aud the same sea smashed tho cutter to atoms ; the sea was then level with the rails and breaking clean over tho poop. The starboard lifeboat was successfully launched, and a moment after the steamer gave a sudden lurch to the starboard and disappeared. All survivors were subsequently picked up." An intense sensation has been caused in the city by the loss of the C ntterthun, accentuated by the uncertainty as to the fate of the missing people. The survivors were very much exhausted when they reached land, and no accounts have been received from them. The vessel must have been somewhat south of the lighthouse, as the keeper did not see her. The tug has just returned and reports a high sea and no sign of the vessel or boats. Sbe had 81 on board all told. Accounts are conflicting as to the number saved, variously stated at 22 and 25, but the latter is certainly the limit. Several coastal steamers passed the Seal Rocks during the day, and their arrival is anxiously awaited here to night in almost the forlorn hope that they may have rescued some of the persons who were on board the ill-fated vessel. The passengers saved are— Dr Copeman, of London ; Capt. Fawkes, pilot ; and Mr Crane, official of the Eastern Extension Company. The spot where the survivors landed is 20 miles from Seal Rock. Amongst the persons missing are Mrs Mathias, wife of a captain of a steamer trading in Chinese waters, who was formerly connected with Messrs Money Wigrams, an Australian SS. Co. ; Dr Anderson, ship's surgeon ; and a young Victorian doctor named Smith, who joined the ship at the last moment. The hull was insured in London, and the general cargo was insured for between £20,000 and .£30,000. There was £10,800 in specie on board. .£5OOO was shipped afc Adelaide, and the rest belonged to the Chinese passengers. There was one bag of mails from Wellington and two from the Bluff. Crane remained iu the cabin to within a minute or two of the foundering, and then went on to the poop and remained twenty minutes in the water before being picked up. Di* Copeman was in the starboard cutter when washed away, but clung to a spar, and then dropped into tho water till picked up by the lifeboat. Langbear, who was in charge on the bridge, refuses to make a statement. After striking, the steamer continued her course for some distance. It is supposed she struck a sliding blow on the edge of tho outer reef of rocks, and ripped open her side. She swung off at a tangent, and went ahead till she filled with water. Off the outer rock there is a depth of 25 fathoms. Seal Rock, where the disaster occurred, is on the coast about 200 miles north of Sydney.