The Wreck of the Loch Sloy.

Manawatu Herald, 13 May 1899, Page 2

The Wreck of the Loch Sloy.

The crew and passengers of the Loch Sloy, which was wrecked near &* Brother Island, off Cape Borda, the western point of Kangaroo Island, near the southern coast of South Australia, numbered in all thirty, five porßoD3.

The names of the four survivors are *. William Mitchell and Duncatf McMillian, able seamen ; William John Simpson, apprentice ; and David Kilpatrick, passenger. Mitchell states that the vessel drifted so close to the rooks that she could not run out again, and she struck heavily. An enormous se^ was running. " I never," he says, " saw anything to equal the Bight, even round the Cape Horn."

This is the third time Mitchell lias been wrecked. Captain Niccol he describes as " a splendid Christian," adding that from the time the vessel struck the captain never moved off the deck, but stuck firmly to his post to the last. Within ten minutes of the striking all bands had been washed overboard. The two women passengers, Mrs Leicester and Mrs Cartridge, showed remarkable spirit. They climbed the mast and showed no fear, but the masts were washed down in a few minutes. The vessel struck at 5 a.m., and at daylight only the bottom part . waa left. Kilpatrick and Simpson were unable to swim, but managed to float ashore on barrels. Mitchell swam ashore with McMillan. He gives a graphic account of his long and difficult swim ashore. He had several narrow escapes from being dashed to pieces by the wreckage. Mitchell also states that the rock on which the survivors were providentially thrown was the only possible landing place. The vessel struck the rocks half a mile off the shore.

The gunpowder which formed part of the cargo caught alight and exploded.

All the survivors were thrown on , the rockg within two yards of each £ other. They Baw no sign of any other living being, then or afterwards. The little party wandered about in quest of succour, and were soon in desperate straits for want of food and water. When at last a water-hole wa^ discovered, 1 Kilpat- 4 rick, who was by this time in a delirious condition, refused to budga from it. His companions uped all i heir persuasive power to induce him to resume the journey, but as he , could not be prevailed upon to go on -^ they were obliged to leave him in onW to pave their own lives.

Mitchell and Simpson were eight ihxyi in reaching a settlement, und were in a delirious condition when found near Miy'd house. B^th, however, revived wonderfully after a bath and a maal.

Simpson says that most of the passengers made the trip in the Loch Sloy on ace )uat of their health.

The sparoh for Kilpatrick, who was left by bi.o companions at the waterhole, will be resumed this morning.

It is feared that he will have wandered from the waterhole and been lost or become qnite demented.

The poor fellaw was in delicate health, and the trip to the colonies wag being made for the benefit of his health. He had spent three days on a ledge of rock, where he was thrown by the sea, before he was able, with the assistance of his companions, to scale the cliff, and was unable to travel more than thirty yards at a time. Fie then collapsed. His companion? were reluctantly compelled to leave him at a waterhoie.