THE LOSS OF THE SHIP LOCH ARD.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1349, 11 June 1878, Page 3

THE LOSS OF THE SHIP LOCH ARD.

[Bv Telegraph.] [PER PBEBS AGENCY.] Melbourne, June 3. Particulars of the wreck of the Loch Ard state that a shepherd named Ford discovered Pearson on the cliffs. Both went whore Miss Carmichael lay exhausted, numbed, and comatose amongst some bushes. He was first washed ashore on a spar. When he reached land he heard a lady screaming, dashed in and saved her. Pearson found on reaching the shore ho was about a mile east of Sherbrook. The captain had let go the anchor, but the ship dragged and went down in two minutes. There was no indication of outlying rocks in the vicinity, but the coast was remarkably bold with high cliffs. Had not Pearson by heroic conduct climbed the cliffs no one would have been left to tell the tale of disaster. At the time the vessel struck the captain and some sailors were in the long boat disentanging the life boat. They went down and were not seen more. The Loch Ard had seventeen passengers and a crew numbering thirty hands. The declared value of the cargo was £53,700. She was insured for £13,000 in the Southern Insurance Co., of which £9OOO was re-insured—-£looo in the British Foreign Insurance Co. and £IOOO in the Cornwall. The cargo was insured for £30,000 in various offices. The Carmichael family were coming out to settle in Queensland. The survivors state that two days previous to the morning of Ist June the sky was overcast, and the captain was unable to take observations. At four o’clock on the morning of that day they saw Danger Reef scarcely half a mile from the shore. The ship was under close-reefed topsails, running before the wind. The captain gave the order to bring the ship to the wind. She would not weather the land, and he then let go both anchors. She would not hold, and dragged. When 150 yards from the rocks, the captain slipped both anchors, and tried to put on sail, but had only got the mainsail set when the vessel struck on the starboard quarter. It was then just breaking day. Immediately the topmast fell over, killing two seamen. The captain ordered the crow to get the boats out for the lady passengers. This was not done, the waves washing over the decks. Pearson and and five other seamen got into the lifeboat but werewashed over. Pearson swam to the boat and kept on it while it drifted into a small bay where the ship had struck at daybreak. After a little while ho heard a cry and saw a lady clinging to a spar fifty yards our,. He swam out to her. She appeared insensiole He disengaged her hands and dragged her ashore. The cliff he climbed is about 100 ft. high. From Miss Carmiehael’sstaleinent it appeared that she was nearly the last on board, being in conversation with the captain juet before the ship went down. The captain said if she should survive to tell his wile lie had died like a seaman at his post. She was bound in a cork life-belt. Before Pearson came to her rescue two others were clinging to the same spar, but she saw them washed off. The bodies of Mrs Carmichael and her eldest daughter were washed ashore. They were encased in cork, and were fully dressed. The body of Reginald Jones was also washed ashore.