THE LOSS OF THE STEAMER MANCHU.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 72, 24 August 1874, Page 3

THE LOSS OF THE STEAMER MANCHU.

The Shanghai correspondent of the Alia California .sends the following, which is a sworn statement of Captain Lowell, given before O. B. Bradford, United States deputy oon«ul-general, on the 4th April, relative to the loss of the steamer Manchu. with nearly fifty lives : United States Consulate-General, Shanghai, April 4th, 1874—0 n this 4th day of April, 1874, before me personally appeared Archibald 0. Lowell, who, being sworn, deposes : —"I am an American citizen, and late master of the American steamer Manchu. I left Nagasaki in command of the said gatcamcv Manchu on the evening of Saturday, the lllh day of March last past, at II o'clock. Mr D. El. Spedding was on board, and Mr J. IT. Ookcr was a passenger. (J. T. Amu:;; was mute ; A. Courage, second male ; Mr Tenchest, chief engineer; Mr Grader, second engineer. Of others of the crew and Chinese passengers there were forty-live, none of whom were Europeans. We proceeded to sea, and about half-way from Nagasaki to Cape Jotto, we ran into a Japauese fishing boat and sank it. We turned the steamer around, lowered a boat, and saved all—five persons. This made the whole number fifty persons besides Europeans. We then proceeded on our voyage, everything going on right, until on Monday morning, the lGth March, we had a strong north-west blow, with a heavy sea, and the steamer rolling very heavily. The two coal bunkers gave way at once, and the coal running therefrom choked the pumps and the engine, stopping the latter by the coal falling in and all around it. It ceased to move from that time. This was about 6.30 a.in. We used every endeavor to Ire. the pumps and pipes, hut to no avail We ynt I the crew to work baling with buckets,

and threw overboard sonic coal which was in baps which were on the main deck. All hands, passengers and all. were set to work bailing. The water speedily gained on us. I got out drags to try and got the vessel's head to the wind, but they proved of little use. owing to the ship's rolling and the sea being very high and boisterous. During the night of theKJtii find morning of the 17!h I had the second mate getting the boats ready, and putting provisions, water, compasses, fee, in them. At daylight on tlie 17th the water was up to the main dock beams. I then ordered the men and passengers into Ihe boats, of which Micro were four, two life boats and two ordinary wooden shin's boat". The wooden boats were not very good ones ; the life boats were in good order. We launched the boats, and all embarked in them safely, and pulled a short distance from the ship. We had not been in the boats more than 15 or 20 minutes when the mate's boat (a life boat) tilled with water and swamped, losing the second engineer and a number of the crew. I went to their assistance in my boat, and pulled, into my boat; the chief engineer and six Chinese. These I took and apportioned between the two wooden boats, and then went back for the remaining persons. Before reaching her the second time she had turned over, and lost all except Jones, the mate, and a Chinese boy. These I got into my boat. The mate. Jones, was insane from exposure. In a few moments I saw that one of the wooden boats had swamped, and I went to it. When I got to it I found that all its occupants had drowned. No Europeans were in that boat. It was in charge of the quartermasters. At this time the sea became worse, and T heaved my boat to. The remaining wooden boat I last saw about an eighth of a mile distant, apparently waterlogged, and drifting before the wind. In her was the chief engineer and two quartermasters. This left me and my boat with Mr Spaulding, Mr Coker, Mr Jones (mate), and Mr Courage (second mate), and 12 Chinese. We could not go to the assistance of the boat in the night, as the sea was so heavy, and our boat was overloaded. We lay hove to until 2 o'clock p.m. of the 17th, and, the wind hauling more to the westward, we made sail, and steered for the coast of Japan. Our position was about 180 miles from Cape Jotto, in a S.W. by W. J W. direction. About ten minutes after putting sail on her the boat swamped, and tinned partly over, losing nine Chinese. The boat, was waterlogged, and each successive sea breakingover her. About half-past 4 p.m. Mr Coker jumped overboard, having bidden us good-bye, and saying that he could stand it no longer, as the agony was too great, and he wanted to end his sufferings. He had suffered from sea sickness, and was sick when he came on board at Uajonki. About dark, Mr U. T. Jones, who was insane, crawled overboard. He had been raving crazy since I had taken him from his boat. About dark, Mr Spedding told me that he saw no chance of his life being saved, and that he 'wanted to get out of his misery, and he proposed to drink a whole bottle of brandy. He took a full bottle of brandy, drank one half, took a breath, and then drank the remainder. About an hour afterwards he died. After drinking it he began to talk as a man would under the influence of drink. He said he was born a few miles from Dublin ; that he had four brothers and an aunt living—three brothers in America, but ho did not say where the other brother and aunt were. He said he did not know how his business in Shanghai was, but that it would be in a dreadful mess. He said he was engaged to be married to a Miss Twigg. He said he had made a will, which was in the hands of Mr M'Laughlin. A Chinese ateof opiumanddied in the boat. The night passed, and the next day found me, Mr Courage, and two Chinese in the boat. The weather moderated, and we putthe two Chinese overboard, with a rope to each and an oar for them to rest on, in order that Courage and I could bale the boat out. While bailing the boat out one of the Chinese threw up his hands and let go of his oar, and disappeared. Shortly after this, we got the boat bailed out, and then rested, as it was calm and we were exhausted. We passed the next night in the boat. All this time we had had only two Chinese hams, found in the boat, and one bottle of Bourbon whiskey. At daylight of the 19th we saw a sail, and we pulled for her, making signals with two towels on an oar. We succeeded in getting to her, as, after they had seen us, the vessel ran to us, and proved to be the German brig Otto, Captain Adamson, bound from Yakohama to Cuifoo, After being on board on her for eleven days we landed at Cuifoo, and then came to Shanghai in the Shiny King. At Cuifoo I visited General Cornabc, United States consular agent.