Loss of a Sailing Ship;

Manawatu Herald, 12 May 1900, Page 2

Loss of a Sailing Ship;

The iron ship, Sierra tfevada.", ttjoo ' T ■"■ tonsregister, in command of Captain , Scott, 113 days out from Liverpool^ Melbourne with a general cargo for fames Service and Co.* went ashore it three o'clock on Wednesday- mpcjtyy, ■ng near, London Bridge Rock* s Portsea, on the eastern entrance to" Port Phillip. ' ■"• m: :■"■; /■■• Only five of the crew, which hum-' " hered twenty-eight, have been saved. The names of the survivors -are .:■** "-. * McGuffie, Mackay, Griffiths^: Gilligan and Jack Mackay. The lattet ,/was,,:..<■;'badly, injured. There w§re. ,'jgb passengers on board, , * The,. seaman Griffiths states^ xKi^t two hours after the vessel^ strtrck'^TO*** became a total wreck. Lights 1 Wetfc/ being burned at the time as signals Tor a pilot to come afottfatlfoPiV^ .veather was very rough, and the wind carried the ship right cp on to the v roeltSi , * - Griffiths states that land was sighted three days ago. Sail was shortened on the vessel yesterday, owing to a heavy south-west gale, which increased in violence as darkness set in. Shore lights could be seen during the night by those on board, but fcb&aiapKstw**? off land. Whee the doomed teasel' bumped, her decks- were swejpi by heavy green seas. " The sutiviydjrs had i great difficulty in reaching thd shore. Orders were immediately given by the captain to let go an anchor, but, says Griffiths, it failed to hold. .One, 1 - of the lifeboats was. lowered when ijt , was deemed expedient to leave the,. ship, but capsized with teh^neh im-, mediately on reaching the water. No rockets were sent up when the vessel struck, as it was not thought that serious danger threatened. ; > One of the surviving seatnen swam ashore. The others managed to reach the beach in a boat. The. body of Jtje master, Captain Scott, 4 "* has been * washed ashore. NAMES OF THE Mi^Siffit®^ The following members of the <*£»«»•& ararbelieved to have beec drown^ra-^W^ Captain Scott ; Mr Craw££y|^cue£^officer; Mr Barron, second mate; Jones, Spedding, Weasala, Webbin Rollason and another,. nanae 4m known, apprentices ; Blackfenrn/ Smith, Hurle Brown, Tongue, Freemani Price. Burke and Russel, sailmaker and steward, whose names are at present unknown. THE VESSEL. • There is now scarcely a vestige of Sierra Nevada remaining.