THE WRECK OF THE CYPRIAN.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVII, Issue 6511, 9 January 1882, Page 5

THE WRECK OF THE CYPRIAN.

The following is a fuller account of the wreck of the Cyprian, to which reference was made in a short extract the other day:— The fine Liverpool steamer Cyprian went ashore on the Carnarvonshire coast recently, two miles from the village of Bias Novin, and not far distant from Pwllheli. Only eight lives were saved out of twenty-seven of a crew. The story of the disaster, as told by one of them, is appalling, and shows that the catastrophe was due solely and entirely to tbe severe weather which the steamer encountered after leaving the Mersey It appears from the statement that the Cyprian left the Mersey with a general cargo for Genoa, Ac. At the time of starting a full gale was blowing, which continued during the whole of the day, though gradually increasing in strength until a perfect hurricane was encountered. The vessel made fair way at first, but shipped seas regularly; in fact her deck was never free from water. The water shipped washed every moveable thing off the deck. Indeed, the only thing that was tenantable with any safety, was tbe Hiiddle deck, where the bridge was situated. The steamer laboured heavily until 3 o’clock the next morning, when the first of the series of disasters, which ended in the ship’s destruction, took place. The seas had been dashing against and battering the steamer’s sides for many hours; and at 3 o’clock the steering gear of tbe fore wheelhouse gave way, leaving the apparatus in the after wheelhouse alone available, and which was at once utilised to tbe best advantage. Yery shortly afterwards one of the boiler tabes burst, and the water pouring on to the fire, put it out. Meanwhile the other boiler remained intact, and gave sufficient steam for tbe propulsion of the steamer. The third disaster happened a short time afterwards, and left the steamer at tbe mercy of the waves. This was tbe giving way of tbe apparatus in tbe after wheel-house, which caused the vessel to become unmanageable Sails were set for the purpose of steering her, but they were of little or no avail. The steamer remained battling with the elements for about eight or ten hours from the time the first accident happened. Not one of the crew had been to rest since the time the steamer sailed from the Mersey, and most of the men fully anticipated that the vessel would be nnab-b to weather the terrible storm. The engineer’s boy endeavoured to ' bring some water for the engineer, having for 1 this purpose to go on deck. He had no - sooner appeared on deck than he was caught by a wave which had just then come over the ■ ship, and hurled nearly the whole length of the > vessel. Curiously enough, the little fellow was • scarcely injured at all. Fearing the worst, 1 the steamer’s boats were got ready and provisioned, whilst a compass was placed in one of them. To launch them in such a sea was impossible; but even had they been once put on the water, they would most assuredly have 1 capsized. By this time most of the crew endeavoured to get on the bridge deck, fearing 1 the vessel would founder while they were below. Shortly before five o’clock the tubes of both boilers had burst, and put out both fires, so that no steam could be got to work the engines. Whatever hopes the crew had entertained of their vessel being able to withstand the storm were now dissipated, and the whole of the poor fellows endeavoured to prepare for the worst. The captain, who had been on the bridge the whole of the time, told the crew they must prepare to save their lives, and that it was each man for himself. All ; were now on deck, and could see the steamer rapidly and surely drifting towards the laud. All the time the Cyprian had been out she had only got a little way beyond Holyhead. The men, for the most part, seemed panic- ' stricken, and tried to obtain whatever they could .to enable them to keep themselves above the surface of the water. The steamer was driving nearer and nearer the land, and when about two miles off Kevin she struck on a rock with considerable force. When the perilous position of the vessel was realised by those on board the distress signals were exhibited. There was a couple of hundred people on the beach, but tbe fisg was blowing in the direction of the crowd, so that they could not see that the fiag was intended as a distress signal. It was just about five o’clock when the ship struck. Mast of the men jumped from the steamer into tke sea, in many instauoes having life-buoys round their waists. It was thought that thewhole of the crew, with the exception of two firemen, jumped from the steamer into-the sea. These two, it appeared, became ucserved, and went down with the vessel. Itwas stated that the captain had a life-buoy, but seeing a boy who had stowed himself away on board the ship at Liverpool without one, he told him to take his (the captain’s), as he could swim the distance to the shore. The captain, chief officer, and boatswain were seen struggling in the water, the boatswain endeavouring to catch hold of the captain to sustain himself, but the whole three perished. It was impossible even for the best swimmer to battle successfully against such a surge, and those who were saved were pitched on to the beach by the waves. In each case the survivors had lifebuoys. The engineer’s boy reached the shore holding an oar, whilst a lifebuoy encircled his waist. At one time the men were in the trough of the sea, whilst at another they were on the crest of a large wave. In these latter moments they could see their comrades struggling desperately to sustaiu themselves. The water was bitterly cold. About ten mirutes after the vessel struck, and while the survivors were still in the water, a peculiar noise was heard as if a piece of calico was being torn just by their ears. It was the steamer breaking in two. She broke apparently amidships, one half sinking on one side of the rock, and the other half on the other side, ihe cook, who perished, was in the galley just before the crew left the steamer. He was also accompanied by a boy. The seas which had come over bad proved so disastrous to tbe galley that the doors could not be opened, so that both the cook and the boy bad to be hauled through the roof. There were also many other narrow escapes before the ship struck. When the survivors reached the shore they were received by the people. Some of the poor fellows seemed to be suffering keenly from the immersion, which had only lasted about a quarter of an hour. Immediately they came near the shore they were caught by the people on the beach and taken eventually to three farmhouses, where they were kindly treated. The stowaway boy was too ill to return to Liverpool with the others, and remained at the farmhouse.