THE WRECK OF THE CITY OF NEWCASTLE.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1346, 21 November 1872, Page 2

THE WRECK OF THE CITY OF NEWCASTLE.

FDItTHER PARTICULARS. Tho following additional particulars of this disaster appear in the Colonist of the 19th :— instant, the passengers were awoke to find the weather misty, and the vessel ashore, close to a high precipitous rock, the bowsprit close in shore against the cliff. No shock was experienced of the vessel striking. She ap|>eared to have gone into one of those numerous small indentations on the coaat, and slid between the rocks, or grounded gently on tho sloping shore. At all events she was fast aground, but scarcely any movement was perceptible, save a gentle rise and fall as the tide made. No one knew exactly where the ship was, but preparations were made for escape. The largest of tho three boats were lowered, but tho stern fastenings hung in the davits a little, and sho went down bow first, and was immediately swamped. She was, we believe, lowered ou the weather side of the ship. The captain's gig wns next lowered, and she was properly got afloat. Into her was placed Mrs Fox (who is an invalid) Mrs Filcher, Mrs Jones, Mrs Cameron, the three children, and three seamen, ono of whom was an old whaler, and knew tho locality about Tory Channel. Unhappily no provisions r,l any kind or wator was pat on board thia boat with, the women and children ; co Mr Fox reports. Thia boat left the ship, to be followed by tho other boat, which was also lowered, but narrowly escaped swamping in the operation. Into this boat went the captain, four sailors, the ship's steward, Mr Fox, and Mr Abbot ; bat on a cry from the boat that she could not hold so many, Mr Abbot left her and climbed ba:k to the wreck. It was well he did, for the boat wns found in such a leaky condition that at times all hope of keeping her afloat deserted her occupants, and incessant baling in a rising and troubled sea was found necessary, and even then tho boat was on the verce of being swamped, being nearly half. fall of water. When the second boat left the ship, there remained on the wreck. Mr Abbot, the second and third mates, the carpenter, the cook, and one other seaman. Prior to leaving, the captain told the men left on the wreck that if they would cut down the foremast and "fall" it properly it would reach the cliff, and they could walk ashore by this means. After leaving the ship, the second boat soon lost sight of the gig with the women and children, and in fact tho inmates required all their efforts to save their lives in a leaky boat, with a sharp breeze and a tumbling sea. They rigged a blanket for a sail, and the captain had to exercise the most watchful care as each gust came to keep the crazy boat head on to successive seas. Finding it impossible to round a small island because of the high uea that was running and the rising wind, tho master risked taking a very narrow passage between the island and the mainland, •and in this he succeeded, almost by a miracle, for it was studded-with rocks on which the sea was continually breaking,. After getting through this/ and keeping baling for bare life, nearly np to the knees in water, and with the doable danger of capsizing as the boat heeJcd over under each squall, with the water close to ihe gunwale on both sides— they were fortunate enough to espy the schooner Canterbury, bound to the Grove for timber. This saved them ; and at nine o'clock on Thursday morning, only four hoars after leaving the wreck, the wen in thia boat, which probably could not have kept afloat another couple of hours, were saved. They were much exhausted, the water was fast gaining on them, they were unable to climb up the schooner's sides, and were literally dragged on. board, the boat going down almost immediately.