THE WRECK OF THE RANGOON.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1204, 22 December 1871, Page 2

THE WRECK OF THE RANGOON.

fMELBOURNE TELEGRAPH, NOV. 29.]

From accounts furnished by some of the passengers who arrived last night by the Behar, we are enabled to gather the following particulars. It was about ten minutes past six o'clock on the evening of the first November, when, all the passengers, mails and cargo being on board the Rangoon, the vessel was on the point of starting on her Australian voyage, and was merely waiting to hoist up the small boat which, had come alongside with the local mails, just outside the outer harbor, when the Rangoon drifted with the strong current and struck upon the Kudda rock. At this time steam was up, and the ship was going on ahead. She bumped three times and grazed the rock, making the whole ship vibrate from stem to stern. The night was rather dark, and this added to the consternation which ensued on board. 1 The passengers ran to and fro with inquries as to what had happened. The ladies were frightened, and appeals were made to the officers of the ship and the steward for information as to the extent of the danger, for all were but too well aware that some great calamity had happened. Captain Skottowe, who was on the bridge, in the most praiseworthy manner, endeavored and with some success, to calm the fears of the excited people; and one of the officers stated that the ship was not making any water, but at the same time the most energetic measures were resorted to by the captain and officers. The boats were ordered to be got out immediately, and two of the passengers were stationed at the gangways with drawn cutlasses in their hands to prevent the boats from being rushed by the Mahays. The fears of the passengers having by this time become somewhat calmed, they were reconciled in a measure to their awkward position, and the whole proceeding of disembarkation was concluded with quiet and decorum, and i.he Malay crew, although they did not render much valuable assistance, nevertheless did not attempt to ciowd into the boats. Such of the passengers as had their worldly goods with them in their cabins were enabled to save them, but there was little time alio wed for delay, for the water was now risiug rapidly in the hold of the vessel, and in the space of about a quarter of an hour after she struck the fires in the engine rooms were extinguished, Still the water made its through the lower deck, and rose at the rate of about 18in. every 10 minutes. The stern appeared to be the highest part out of water, and the cabin floor for some time remained dry, but in the hurry and excitement of the moment many who could have rescued their effects failed to do so, self-preservation being in this case the first law of nature. Eight boats (including two life-boatsj having been launched with the most praiseworthy expedition, the whole of the passengers, with what little they had saved, vverc transferred to them, and taken to the ship Sydenham, which fortunately was lying at the outer anchorage not far distant, and there they remained until taken off by two steam tugs sent from the shore in answer to the signals sent up from the fast-sinking Rangoon, For four long hours the signalling was kept up, and j the blue lights and rockets warned j those on shore of the disaster which j had occurred only about two miles distant, but they were unheeded, those by whom they were observed being under the impression that the signals were intended tq, announce the ai rival

of the overdue Travancore, with the China mails. In the meantime Capt. Skotfcowe, with most of his officers, stood by the sinking steamer, and their conduct throughout is spoken of highly by all the passengers. Mr Burrowes, the fourth officer, is said to have exerted himself in the most praiseworthy manner to save some of the effects. He descended to the main deck almost at the last moment, but at. the time the water was rising fas;, and he found it quite useless to attempi the hopeless task of endeavoring to save any of the mail bags. The Rangoon was six hours before she finally settled down; then she was observed to go suddenly down by the fore, with her stern high in the air, until at length she sank in fifteen fathoms of water, with only the tops of her masts visible. The vessel being constructed in water-tight compartments, she was kept afloat for a long time after the water reached the main deck. It is estimated thab the loss of passenger.-*' luggage and effects alone amounts to something like ,£3,000, as but few have been able to secure anything of value. Many have lost their all, and when they landed from the steamer last night, the sparseness of their luggage was apparent. One unfortunate second-class passenger, just returned from carried a bundle as representing his little all, the hard savings of seven years having been left fathoms deep in, Galle Harbor. Others carried a small portmanteau, while not a few boasted thab their worldly possessions were to be found entire on their persons. The officers have been great sufferers in this respect, for while they labored in the cause of others, they were unmindful of their own personal interests. Nearly the whole of them have but one suit of clothes left. The stewards are spoken of as having worked most industriously, and particularly in conveying the shipwrecked passenger:-' from tin? steamer to. a place of safety on board the Sydenham. At the first alarm, of course all was confusion and bustle on board the Rangoon, but the coolness displayed by the officers had the effect of preserving the most perfect order, and instead ofthere being any unseemly scrambling tc* gain the boats, all was conducted with precision, but at the same time with expedition. Captain Skottowe at once saw the danger when the vessel struck, and lost no time in securing the safety of those on board as the first and chief consideration ; and had the signals been, replied to from the shore with promptness and alacrity, instead of allowing them to be disregarded for four hours, it is maintained that the Rangoon could have been towed inside the harbor and much of the cargo saved, for it must be borne in mind that she did not actually sink until about midnight—just six hours after she struck. The European mails being parked in canvas bags, will be rendered quite useless, even should they be regained, which is scarcely probable. The Behar has brought on a. few bags containing the Ceylon Mails, but nothing else. The Australian passengers through the mishap had to remain in Galle for a week, and pass their time as best they could, until another steamer could be telegraphed for from Bombay, which was promptly done. ISTo European papers wtre to bo obtained either for love or money, and consequently the stock on board was limited in the extreme. The Behar landed her passengers last, night,, the P. and O. Company having sent a special steamer into which they were transhipped,