WRECK OF THE LOCH ARD.

Kumara Times, Issue 534, 13 June 1878, Page 2

WRECK OF THE LOCH ARD.

[press agency.] Auckland, June 11. The s.s. Rotorua has arrived from Sydney, and brings the following particulars respecting ths loss of the Loch Ard: — Particulars of the wreck of the" Loch Ard state that a shepherd discovered Pearce on the cliffs. Both then went to where Miss Carmichael, in an exhausted and comatose condition, was amongst the bushes. He was first washed ashore on a spar • when he reached laud he heard the lady screaming, and darted in and saved her.

Pearce says on nearing the shore, about a mile east of Sherbrook, the captain thrust out anchors off the ship, but the anchors dragged, and she went down in two minutes. There were no indications of outlying rocks in the vicinity, j but the coast is remarkably bold, with i high cliffs, and had not Pearce, by hei’oic conduct, climbed the cliffs, no one would have been left te tell the tale of •disaster. At the time the vessel struck the captain and some sailors were in j the long boat, disentangling the life boat.' They went down and were not i seen any more. I The Loch Ard had seventeen pas-1 sengers and a crew numbering thirty hands. The declared value of her cargo was £53,700. She was insured for £15,000 in the Southern Insurance, of which £9OOO was re-insured ; £SOOO in the British and Foreign Insurance and £IOOO in the Cornwall. The cargo was insured for £30,000 in various offices. The Carmichael family were coming out to settle in Queensland. Thomas Pearce stated that two days previous to the morning of June 1 the sky became overcast, and the captain was unable to take observations. At 4 o’clock on the morning of that day he saw a dangerous reef, scarcely half a mile from the shore. The ship was under close reefed topsails, running before the wind. The captain ' gave orders to bring the ship to the ' wind, but she would not weather the land. He then let go both anchors; she would not hold, and dragged. ' When 150 yards from the rocks the captain slipped both anchors, and tried to put sail on, but only got starboard quarter. It was just breaking day when immediately the topmast fell over, killing two seamen. The captain ordered the crew to get the boats out for the lady passengers. This was done. The waves had washed over the decks, and Pearce and five other seamen got into the life-boat, but were washed over. Pearce swam to the boat, and kept on to it while it drifted | into a small bay, where the ship had ' struck at daylight. After a little while he heard a cry, and saw a lady clinging to a spar fifty yards out. He swam out to her. She appeared insensible. He disengaged her hands, and j dragged, her ashore. The cliff he climbed is about one hundred feet high, i From her statement it appeared she • was nearly the last on board, being in conversation with the captain just be- < fore the ship went down. The captain ( said, if she should survive, to tell his < wife be died like a seaman at his post. * He was bound in a cork life belt. Be- • fore Pearce came to her rescue two others were clinging to the same spar, i ( but she was then washed off. 1 The bodies of Mi’s Carmichael and ] her eldest daughter were washed ashore. They were encased in cork, and fully i •'dressed. The body of Reginald Jones was also washed ashore.