THE FOUNDERING OF THE TEUTON OFF THE CAPE.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2343, 6 October 1881, Page 4

THE FOUNDERING OF THE TEUTON OFF THE CAPE.

Two Hundbed Lives lost. From the latest date of the Cape “ Times” wo obtain particulars of the loss of the Union Co.’s s.s. Teuton, which has been recorded in our cubic messages. It appears that the Teuton left Table Bay on August 31st. She hod landed eighty-three passengers at the Cape, and then sailed for the other coast ports. She passed Quoin Point on the evening of the above date. The quarter-master, Mr Kromm, gives the following narrative: “ The evening was beautifully fine. The moon was overhead, the stars were shining, and there was not the slightest sign of fog or vapour. Suddenly the ship struck without, any warning whatever. I do not know who the officer was on the watch. It was not the chief officer. Just after striking, the ship shivered like an aspen leaf, and heeled over to port. There was some little confusion—the women shrieked, and there was a general rush on deck. The pumps were immediately sounded, and it was found that the fore compartment w») leaking. The order kept on deck was admirable, and officers and men vied in their efforts at soothing the passengers. The boats were slung out board, and they were all ready provisioned with biscuit and water within half an hour of;the ship striking. Tho passengers were all ordered on tho p,iop, and were told to sit quietly until they were ordered off to their respective boats. Tho doctor was in charge of the passengers on the poop. All this time the ship was settling down by the head gradually. Volunteers were called for from amongst the passengers for the pumps, and they assisted freely. After striking, the ship’s head was put round to the westward, evidently with the hope of reaching Simon’s Bay. There was a little south-east wind, with a little sea on. It was between a quarter-past seven and half-past seven when tho ship struck, and up till half-past ten the vessel kept on her way, and everything was orderly on board. At half-past ten the ship’s bead was so down that her stern was out of the water, and the screw was of little use. Tho captain now gave orders for tho starboard waist lifeboat to be lowered, and the women and children to be put in, which was done, the boat being lowered, and the women and children handed into it. Tho ship was then hardly moving, for her propeller was out of water, and was no longer any use to her. The engines wore stopped, and steam was gradually being blown off Tho starboard quarter boat, which had already been lowered, was ordered alongside to receive passengers, and that was the first time I heard Captain Manning’s voice, He said, l Why don’t you hurry up and get the boat alongside ? ' He had no sooner the words out of his mouth than the ship gave a dip, and in leas than a minute she appeared to make a somersault. I, seo:ng this, made a jump overboard at her port quarter, I could not swim, but I was fearful of being carried down by the suction, and I hoped to bo picked up by the port quarter boat, which had been lowered some while. I struggled about, and at last saw at a short distance one of the boats showing a light. My cries for help brought them to me in about five minutes, and I was taken into the carpenter’s boat.”

With regard to the efforts made to save the passengers, Mr Kromm states:—“ We heard few cries. The bulk of the passengers must have gone down in the vortex. Most of them were on the poop, and when the ship went over, head down, the passengers must have been precipitated into the water, and they must have gone down in the suction. She went down like a streak of lightning. I would not have believed it possible that a vessel could have gone down so suddenly. There was a loud crashing of timber, an escape of steam, a wild rush of water, and the Teuton was out of sight. We only saw some wreckage floating about. I fear—indeed, I am almost certain —that the boat with the women and children in it was fastened by a rope to the vessel, or did not gel clear of the vortex. The moonlight enabled us to see everything distinctly; we could sot see anything of the boat with the women. We heard no cries, and after pulling around the spot for half an hour the course of the two boats was made for Simon’s Bay, steering for the Cape of Good Hope, The boat’s crew pulled all night. The men were most orderly and wellbehaved, and did everything they could. Sail was got on the boat at daybreak. There was then a fresh breeze and an ugly jobblo of a sea, which compelled us to keep baling. Wo overran ten or twelve miles in mistaking the entrance to Simon’s Bay, and but for this we should have been earlier in Simon’s Bay than we were. The carpenter’s boat, which was a better sailer than ours, and had made a direct

run for the bay, arrived there first. In fact, she ran out of our sight altogether. There were crowds of people on the wharf as we came up to it, and the greatest kindness was shown to ns all. We had to be lifted out of the boats, for we were so cramped with sitting and with cold that we could not more.” The carpenter says that the ship did not ■trike heavily, but appeared to have struck somewhere on the port side abaft her bow. For some time there was not a drop of water in the engine room or after compartments. He took command of a boat, and, with the boatswain’s boat, remained as near as they could judge on the scene until daybreak, but did not see any trace of debris or hear any cries. He was on the forecastle head shortly before the ship struck, and he did not think she was unusually close to land. He was not convinced whether it was rook or wreckage the ship struck on. Mr Allen, a passenger, speaks in high terms of the discipline on board, but is of opinion that' too much time was lost in getting the people into the boats. Everyone describes the end as being most sudden—the ship made one plunge and all was over. There is hardly a survivor who has not lost a wife, or wife and children. A quartermaster who is amongst the saved was on the bridge with the captain at the time of the ship sinking. Accounts from Simon’s Town, where the survivors landed, state that “ the Teuton struck this side of Agulhas at about 8 o’clock, got off the reef, and steamed back for Simon’s Bay for over two hours. She gradually went down by the head. The captain had confidence in steaming into safety. One boat full of ladies got entangled with the ship’s ladder and capsized, and all were lost except a sailor. The first boat arrived here at 20 minutes past 1 o’clock, in charge of the carpenter, with 14 people; the second boat, in charge of the boatswain, with 13 people. They speak very hopelessly jof more being saved, although the night was very fine, and the ship had seven fine boats. The s.s* Dido went down at once to try to save some* thing.” The Teuton left England with 236 passengers. She landed 83 at Cape Town. Four were embarked at Oape Town. Computing the officers and crew at 85, there were 242 souls on board when she struck. Twentyseven are known to be saved. Commenting upon the circumstance of the wreck, the ** Oape Times ” observes :—“ Although at present the gallant captain, who went down with his vessel at his post of duty, can be charged with nothing more than over-confidence in the floating qualities of his vessel, and the officers and crew have vied with each other in showing kindness and attention to the unfortunates on board, there seems to have been a fearful want of foresight displayed. According to all accounts which have reached us the sea was comparatively calm, the night was clear, and the greatest order prevailed. Under these circumstances it seems inexplicable why the boats wore not lowered, and the passengers handed into them, and instructions given for them to lie by the ship until her real seaworthy condition was [ascertained. To this oversight, induced by over confidence, is -3ue the fatality that is without a parallel in the annals of our shipping since the foundering of the Birkenhead, the particulars of which ore known wherever the English language is spoken. It seems, perhaps, harsh ere tho voice of the captain has been still but for a few hours, to say anything that will add to the grief of those who will mourn hie loss; but we cannot allow tho opportunity to pass without entering a strong protest against tho prevailing fashion of trying to out off corners at sea, in order t<- make a quick passage. So for as we con gleer, the Teuton was too close in shore, nor would there seem to hove been the slightest need for her proximity to the coast, unless set thitherward by an unknown current, or out of her course through deviation in her compasses.”