TOTAL LOSS OF THE BARQUE FRUITER, AND TWENTY-THREE LIVES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 848, 22 October 1870, Page 3

TOTAL LOSS OF THE BARQUE FRUITER, AND TWENTY-THREE LIVES.

[EROM TkE SYDNEY EVENING NEWS, OCTOBER I.] The French war steamer Guichen which came in this morning brings the tidings of the total wreck of the barque Fruiter, which has been attended with a most frightful sacrifice of life and the entire loss of the ship and a valuable cargo. The vessel sailed hence for New Caledonia, having on board twenty seven souls, of whom all have perished excepting four.

Fair winds attended the ship, and after a fine run of six days she had almost reached her destination. At 11 p,in. sail was shortened, and the vessel kept under easy canvas, awaiting for daylight. At 5.30 a.m. three of the hands were on the look out on the forcecastie-head, when the inate ga\e them the word of breakers ahead. An attempt was made to wear ship, and on attempting to do so she struck heavily on a reef, and passed over it, aud was then in deep water, The rudder unshipped, but there appeared no indication of the vessel immediately foundering, as the mate, Mr Morwick, sounded the pumps, and reported only eighteen inches of water in the vessel. The crew for a moment turned their at tention to rigging a temporary rudder when, without any warning, the disabled barque sank bodily with her living freight. The ship's dingy, however, floated, and three of the seamen, Begg, Beck, and Johnston, with Mr Schmidt passenger, managed to get into it; the boat was half full of water, and having only one padoie in it, there was no possibility of saving the remainder of the passengers and crew, and scarcely a vestige of the wreck was to be seen. The reel' on which the vessel struck proved to be the Isle of Pines Reef about thirty miles from New Caledonia. There was a strong S.E. wind on at the time, with thick, rainy weather »nd heavy sea. Those who got into the fjoaji reached New Caledonia, in three

days ; and a cutter was sent round to the wreck, but nothing could be seen excepting a few pieces of floating plank. There are various conjectures respecting the sudden disappearance of the barque. It is asserted by some as probable, that her bottom had fallen out; but others think that the mate must have been mistaken in reporting only 18 inches of water in the hold".

The barque was the property of Capt. Robertson of Sydney, and was insured for .£IOO,O in Metcalfe’s office. Captain Stevens leaves a wife and family at this port. The family of the Schmidts had previously been settlers of New Caledonia, and were returning to settle in that place. Mr Atkinson was a passenger by the Commissary from England. The crew saved from the wreck have arrived here by the Guichen. LIST OF THOSE DSOWNED. Passengers. —Mr and Mrs George Schmidt, Misses Eliza, Louisa, and Emily Schmidt, Mr Schmidt, jun., Mrs F. Schmidt, Miss Jones, Messrs Atkinson, Blakley, and 7 natives. Crew.-—Thomas Stevens, master; John Morwick, mate ; Charles Belcher, second mate; James Saunders, cook and steward; James Stewart, A.B. SAVED. Mr Schmidt, jun., passenger ; John Begg, Alfred Beck, and Frank Johnson, A.B.