COLLISION IN THE BAY OF BENGAL.

Kumara Times, Issue 941, 6 October 1879, Page 4

COLLISION IN THE BAY OF BENGAL.

SUPPOSED LOSS OF NEARLY 100 LIVES.

The Calcutta Englishman gives the following account of the collision between the steamer Ava and the ship Brenhilda on May 24, by which the former vessel was sunk and 70 lives were lost: —We regret to have to report the total loss of the British India Steam Navigation Company’s steamer Ava (Captain Dickenson) which left this port at half-past six o’clock last Thursday morning (May 22), and the Sandheads at about five o’clock on Friday afternoon. From what we have been able to glean of ths particulars of this sad catastrophe, it appears that the Ava was struck amidships by the incoming ship, Brenhilda, at a little after 2 a.m. on Saturday, while in charge of the second officer. A large hole was made in her side by the collision, and she filled rapidly and went down in less than 20 minutes. Of 150 souls on board some 50 were saved, including all the first-class passengers, except Mr Simpson, a planter from Cachar, three of the second-class passengars, and all the officers of the ship, except the captain, doctor, and purser. Between 80 and 100 souls, including, as far as we can learn, the whole of the deck passengers and the greater part of the native crew, went down with the ill-fated ship. One boat was smashed by the collision, and one stove in by the sea. Great promptitude was shown in lowering the other three, the first of which, the gig, contained the ladies and children, Mrs Laurie and infant, and Miss Hart, with Captain Martin and Mr Laurie, first-class passengers, the chief officer, the stewardess, a native ayah, an orphan boy of three years, who had been sent to England in charge of the doctor, the gunner, and one lascar. Poor Captain Dickenson, who is said to have displayed the greatest presence of mind, and behaved most admirably throughout, refused to leave his ship, and was last seen standing on the bridge. Mr Simpson jumped over the stern of the steamer, and, it is believed, must have been struck by the screw, or sucked under, as he sank at once. The ship’s doctor hesitated to jump into the boat when told, and is believed to have gone with the ship. One of his last acts was to go below and bring up the little boy above mentioned, and put him into the boat. The boat containing the passengers got clear of the steamer with great difficulty, owing to the persistent efforts of the lascars to haul her back, in which they would have succeeded had not the chief officer, who, as well as the other officers, behaved splendidly, jumped over board and cut the rope with a hatchet. The Brenhilda (Captain Skerr) hove-to after the accident; but she had drifted to some distance from the Ava, and the first boat, containing the passengers, was nearly two hours reaching her. During this time the boat in question was half full of water, partly owing to the heavy sea and partly owing to the plug being knocked out in the baling. The other two boats remained near the scene of the disaster till daylight, and succeeded in rescuing several persons from the water. The chief officer also also returned with the first boat, mannedby a crew from the Brenhilda, but nothing was then to be seen of the Ava or those who were on board when she went down. The Ava went down by the stern, after her deck had blown up with a loud report, and her masts had fallen, the the foremast falling across the bridge, A few minutes after she was struck there were 14 feet of water in the engine-room. The Brenhilda had her bows stove by the collision, and her fore compartment filled with water. Fortunately, she was very light, being in ballast, or it is highly probable that she too would have foundered, when not a soul could have been saved. She arrived in port with the survivors from the wreck. The night being beautifully clear at the lime, the collision appears inexplicable. Every attention was shown on board the Brenhilda to the passengers who, it is needless to say, saved nothing but the clothes they had on at the time of the accident.