UNFORTUNATE PASSAGE OF THE WHITE EAGLE.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 87, 10 September 1874, Page 3

UNFORTUNATE PASSAGE OF THE WHITE EAGLE.

The South Australian Itegister of the 20th ultimo says:—“The White Eagle has well established hex-self as a regular liner between London and Adelaide, but never brought such a talc as on her present voyage. The ship looks much as usual from a distance, but close inspection shows that she has suffered from the heavy weather of the latter portion of her voyage. The lights on the poop-break were stove in, the starboard quarter boat has been washed away, the horses’ deck-house over the main hatchway has been sent to leeward, while the poopladder and house-deck gear are gone. This damage was sustained in a gale on August 11th, when the ship was almost south-west of Cape Leuwin, Rut of far more importance was the loss of the chief officer during the

violence of the storm. Mr George Dawson, the first mate, was a young man of great promise, who had been in the ship as second officer for two years, and on the last voyage was promoted. ll*■ was esteemed by everybody on hoard as an active and vigilant seaman, and in lot. 42deg., lon. lOSdeg., he f ound a seaman’s grave. The breeze had increased to a pale, which necessitated the ship’s howling along under lower topsails and forestaysails. The sea was terrific. and about the height of the tempest, at 9 o’clock at right, some duty called the chief officer to the lee-rail. Suddenly an immense breach of water from windward was followed by a heavy lee roll of the vessel, and the mate was washed away. It was but a moment’s work, and the alarm given must have been promptly acted upon, as the second mate and another person threw ropes which Mr Dawson clutched, and in the dark* ess he struggled to hold on. He reached a position where Captain Andrew was almost abU- to grasp his clothes when he lost his grip. The roue fled through his hands, and in an instant ho was gone for ever. The ship was tearing away before the gale at 15 knots per hour, so his chance was lost and gloom prevailed in the ship. On July Bth, another fatality occurred, the loss of John IVPLean, an able seaman, who had served in the ship faithfully during several voyages, and was in consequence rather a per, on board. He had been under med'cal treatment, but the ship’s surgeon discharged him from the sick list, and he was too desirous to return to duty. Next morning while aloft on the foretopgallant crossirees he suddenly lost, his hold and fell to the deck, where he was found a corpse. On an examination of the body the surgeon arrived at the opinion that the man had jbeeu suffering from heart disease, and had died before the fall.