A MYSTERY OF THE NORTH SEA

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 23 November 1901, Page 4

A MYSTERY OF THE NORTH SEA

Wandering Ship, with Sails Set, But No Crew.

The derelict hulk of a Norwegian brigantine, the Jeannette, was recently towed into Yarmouth Roads and beached. For a week she had been drifting about the North Sea without a crew.

The story of the Jeannette’s wanderings begins on the Ist .September. On that day Captain John Bruce, of the steamer Royal Dane, on a voyage to Newcastle from Hamburg, sighted her 200 miles south-east of Tynemouth. She was then water-logged, but both masts were standing, and all her sails but the main and jib were set.

Then Captain Dothie, of the steamer Pinto, on arriving at Plymouth, reported seeing her on September oth. She had then only one mast standing, and her rigging and canvas were in shreds. Although more than a week had thus elapsed, no news had been received,of her ere w.

On the following Saturday night two Ramsgate smacks, the Shamrock and the Bonnie Belle, came up with her off the Galloper lightship, near the mouth of tho Thames. They sent boats’ crews about and made cables fast, and commenced towing. They towed the Jeannette as far as Lowestoft by Monday morning, when the Yarmouth tug United bore down, and took charge of the brigantine.

By this time her decks were awash, and the vessel only floated by reason of her wood cargo. She was thus prohibited from entering Yarmouth Harbour, and was accordingly run ashore on the beach. There she lies. From the stump of her main mast flutters a handkerchief and a seaman’s garment, obviously intended as distress signals. Some lashings suggest that the crew tied themselves to the main mast, and were swept away. The foremast hangs over the starboard side with the bowsprit and other wreckage.