DISASTROUS COLLISION AT SEA.

Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 515, 6 May 1869, Page 2

DISASTROUS COLLISION AT SEA.

SUPPOSED LOSS OT FOnTV LIVES. 1 A collision occurred in the English Channel on Sunday, Feb. 7, between the ship Calcutta of London, and the Prussian barque Ercnia. From the latest accounts it appears that the two captains and seventeen mqD have been drowned, while, twenty-one other persons are missing. About 12.20 a.m. on Sunday, when 150 miles S. W. of the Lizard, the Calcutta sighted the lights of another vessel in her track, the lights, burning dull. Captain Owen ordered his shjp to be steered as near as he could to get under the stern of the vessel ahead. But this vessel, which proved to be the Emma, of Memel, was making no headway. The Calcutta put her helm up, but in a few moments after sighting the Emma, the collision took place. Instead of getting under the'etarn of the Emma, the the Calcutta must have come in contact with, her about midships, for she appeared to be cut in two. In three minutes the Emma went down bows foremost. Ropes were lowered over the sides of the Calcutta, and the mate, cook, and two boyß were thus got on board ; but notwithstanding every effort, the captain and six men were drowned. The Calcutta % to until the morning, and Captain Owen gave orders to e.xamiue his ship. A very large hole was discovered in her bows. The pumps were set to work, and the donkey engine was kept going constantly, and it was toped that the ship might be kept afloat and get safe to land. But these hopes were soon dissipated, for the water was gaining upon them. All hands were kept at the pumps, and two steam pumps were also worked, but they, soon got choked. Captain Owen, however, kept her head in the direction of the land! although lie also ordered the boats to be got in readiness, as it was found that the head of the ship was sinking into the water deeper and deeper every hour. Robinson, the second engineer, made two fresh boxes for the punips, and they were all again got to work on Monday, but the water gained psreeptibly and continuously. About twelve o'clock on Monday the crew weut aft to the captain and inquired what he intended doing. The captain replied they had better try it a couple of hours longer, and see whether there would be auy improvement, and he would talk to them again. Several hands remained at the pumps, and some went below to clear awa.y the cargo of telegraph cable for the purpose of lightening the ship. About two o'clock, p.m. on Monday, all hands were called ou deck, and it was then determined by some of the crew to put off in the ship's boats. The vessel had on board six good boats and a steam launch, aud endeavors were at first made to get the latter off, but without success. One of the other boats was then let down and 15 men got into her under the command of the third mate, and after that a boat containing eight persons. Just before the boat left, the captain cried out, " For God's sake do the best you can for yourselves." The boat containing the eight men landed after fearful perils on the beach between Penzauce and Marazion about ten o'clock on Monday night. A third boat left the Calcutta about half -past three o'clock on Monday afternoon, haying six men on board. The fourth boat, the lifeboat, left about half-past five, with a full complement of the crew. While the mate was assisting to get this boat over the side of the ship, she swung in, and knocked him into the hold, causing a fearful gash in his face ; ho was insensible, and apparently dying. The captain's gig was then lowered, and Captain Owen, seeing the .id^aoLthejmate.^oxder.ed_himAoJbej^jnto. ship's papers, also a midshipman, named Wright, and others — in all thirteen. The captain said he would himself lower the boat down, and was about to do so when the rope slipped, the boat was capsized, and the whole of the thirteen were left struggling in the heavy sea, only three of them being saved. Captain Owen, the mate, and midshipman Wright were among those drowned, and the boat was smashed against the ship's side and left hanging. Only eight hands were then left on board the ship. These eight continued throughout the night to pump, and heave out more of the cable, and at daylight on Tuesday morning they were about eight miles south of the Lizard. The French vessel Lucy, Captain Bertha, from Nance to Liverpool, was near the vessel throughout Monday afternoon, and in the evening picked up the six of the crew who had left in the third boat, namely, the second mate and five others. Captain Bertha went to the vessel again on Tuesday forenoon ; she was still afloat, but all hands had then left her. Those six were brought into Falmouth on Tuesday afternoon. Early on Tuesday morning flags of distress were observed from Cadgwith, flyiug from the Calcutta. The life-boat Western Commercial Traveller was soon in readiness, and put off. The vessel was about ten miles distant, and ihe crew pulled gallantly to the ship. They reached the ship in about an hmir and a half, and succeeded in rescuing the eighteen men remaining on the ship, whom they brought ashore at Falmouth on Tuesday afternoon. The third mate took charge of the quarter-boat and lowered it, as ordered by the captain ; and after tossing about for nearly an hour with fifteen in the boat they picked up by the Greek brig Crissopighi. Two of the crew were drowned in attempting to get on board the Crissopighi. The thirteen survivors were landed at Falmouth at six p.m. The life-boat came ashore at l'endeen Quay, west of the Lizard, on Tuesday morning. No bodies, however, had come ashore up to Tuesday afternoon, and it must for a time remain an open question whether the seventeen persons who left the Calcutta in her have been picked up by some passing vessel, or have perished. The Calcutta had on board a crew of (54 souls, to which were added the four men rescued from the Emma. Of this GB, eight were landed at Penzance. Twenty-seven others were landed at Falmouth on Tuesday. Ten were lost by the capsizing of the captain's gisr, and two getting aboard the Greek barque. Thus | forty-seven are accounted for, leaving twentyone unaccounted for, about the number who wou^d be in the lifeboat which was washed ashore at Pendeen Quay. We learn from Plymouth on Wednesday night, that the Calcutta was boarded that morning by a Plymouth pilot, ten miles outside the Eddystone. Glyn, the pilot, remained on board alone, and sent his cutter for assistance. The Government tug Carron then M'ent out. At ten o'clock the Terrible sighted her, and after three hours' hard work got a 13in. hawser and 40 men on board, and towed her into the Sound safely at six o'clock to-night. She is in a greatly dilapidated condition. No news has been received of the twenty-one missing men.