THE S.W. GALE IN LYTTELTON AND LOSS OF LIFE.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 307, 7 June 1875, Page 2

THE S.W. GALE IN LYTTELTON AND LOSS OF LIFE.

The wind sprang up on Friday night, at a little after 6 p.m,, and increased in force, as the night advanced till, about 2 a.m. on Saturday morning, it blew a perfect hurricane. About 8 o’clock on Friday night a boat belonging to the Syren put off to proceed to that vessel. Her crew consisted of the second mate, Evan Morris, three seamen, Nati Peter Lorson, William Toomey, H. Wilson, an apprentice named Arthur Winch, and the steward named Cavers. The boat was a new whaleboat only three months old, well found with iour oars, and none of the crew were much under the influence of liquor. It appears that they pulled off towards the ship, but met with such terrific squalls that they were unable to proceed, and, after an hour’s fruitless endeavour, gave it up and let the boat drift towards the barque Mystery, and hailed that vessel, entreating them to throw them a rope, which those on board did. Unfortunately they were unable to catch the rope, and swept past the vessel; the apprentice then called out that he knew a sandy bay on the western side of the harbour, and the boat was accordingly headed in that direction; pulling along the shore in the pitchy darkness, the boat struck a rock, and the steward, who was in the bow, was pitched over into the sea ; another wave came and throw him high on the rock (the sea running seven feet “high at the time), he held on to the painter of the boat which he had in his hand, for a moment, but was stunned with the shock, and when he recovered he hailed, but there was no answer, and nothing was to be seen either of the boat or its occupants, he scrambled on shore and came to Lyttleton with the news, but it was impossible to do anything in such weather, as no boat could live. On Saturday morning Captain Rees, the master of the Syren, and others, had a thorough search, and at last succeeded in discovering the remains of the boat in Gollan’s Bay. The pieces were strewed along the beach from Mr Buckley’s house to the point, but nothing was to be seen of the men, who no doubt were dashed against the rocks and perished. All yesterday parties were out, but without success. The bodies will be dragged for today, On Saturday Captain Cleary, of the Emperor, came on shore in the Mullough, s.s., and reported that a boat of his, with three men in her, had left the brig on Friday night. As they had not reached the shore it was feared they, too, had perished, and yesterday morning the s.s. Mullough proceeded in search. When they were off the Quarantine ground the missing boat was discovered coming towards them. It appeared they had been unable to face the full force of the gale, and had pulled into smooth water on the weather shore near Rhodes’ Bay, and stopped there till the weather moderated. On Friday night, about 10 p.m., such a heavy sea was rolling in at the waterman’s steps that the boats there fared very badly. Two were dashed to atoms, and five so severely injured as to be thoroughly useless. This damage might have been avoided had the boats been,

hauled up on the slip, but few of the men took the precaution of doing so before 7 p.m,, and then there was such a sea on that it was impossible. The casualties amongst the shipping, considering the tremendous forceof the gale and high sea, were few and insignificant. At 10 p.m. on Friday night, in a terrific squall, the schooner Enterprise drove down on the barque Queen of the Sea, and carried away the latter’s foretop nallant mast, and her own foreyard, and the Queen of the Sea settled astern and carried away the jib-boom of the Prince Alfred. During the night the Cicero, ship, dragged her anchor half a mile. On Saturday morning, at 11 a.m,, the Magellan Cloud, brigantine, drifted close to the end of the breakwater, and hoisted distress signals. It was blowing too hard for any boats to go to her assistance, but during a heavy squall the wind shifted to 5.8., and her stern swung in shore, her cable was slipped, and she drifted into a safe berth inside the breakwater, and with the assistance of volunteers was soon made fast. Her anchor and chain were recovered by Pilot Reed yesterday. The damage done in the town was insignificant, though there were several slips, and of course some of the roads and drains are slightly injured.