THE CITY OF NEWCASTLE'S PASSENGERS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1363, 11 December 1872, Page 2

THE CITY OF NEWCASTLE'S PASSENGERS.

Tho following are the particulars from the Sydney papers of the saving of the City of Newcastle's passengers : — The barque John Enox, whioh arrived at Sydney on the 23rd ultimo, brought five passengers and three seamen belonging to the barque City of Newcastle, who were picked up at sea. Captain Jenkins furnished the following particulars with respect to the circumstances attending the rescue of the unfortunate people : — "The John Knox left Port Cooper on tho 13th instant with a strong fair wind. On the 14th instant, at three minutes past 6 p.m., a boat was descried full of people, one mile on the port beam, the vessel then being eight miles from Stephen's Island, in Cook's Strait, and going ' ten and a half knots. Everything was at once let go by the run, and the ship rounded to so as to bring the boat on the weather beam ; a very heavy sea running. On the boat reaching th& ship a line was hove and passed to leeward, and with considerable difficulty all were got safely on board. They proved to be four ladies and a little boy and three seamen who had been wrecked on the barque City of Newcastle, from Wellington* on the 11th instant, bound to Sydney, which went on shore on the 13th instant in Cook's Strait, but tbe spot the survivors did not know, and the only information obtainable from them respecting tho accident was that the ship struck at half-past three a.m., against what appeared to be a bold bluff cuff. The boat in which they were saved (only 14ft long) was got out, and the passengers placed in her, as also the three men who were ordered by the captain to pull round a point which he indicated, bnfc they were unable to do so, and got forced by the wind away to sea, and were drifting about for sixteen hours, when providentially sighted and picked up. Thero was neither water nor provisions in the boat, and no shelter for the females, and in the midst of a gale, with the sea continually breaking over them. All that could be done to attend to their wants was promptly carried out by Captain Jenkins and his passengers. Dry clothing was provided, as they nad saved nothing from the wreck, and the necessary stimulants supplied; and. doubtless, had the John Knox passed them an hour later, all would have perished that night."