LOSS OF THE LOCH FINTAS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 438, 29 September 1908, Page 3

LOSS OF THE LOCH FINTAS.

Captain and Mate Stand by the Ship.

The Survivors.

Launceston, September 27

Cape Portland reports that a large unknown barque struck a reef off Foster’s Island at nine o’clock this morning and sank. Boats were lowered from the barque but there was apparently no time to do anything.

Four survivors have been :ound.

A later report states that the vessel lost was the L,och Fintas, bound from Port Pirie to Callao (Peru). Residents state that about 9.30 on Saturday morning a barque was seen coming from the direction of Boobyalla Bay, when she struck a reef, and within half-an-hour had disappeared. On Friday a fierce north-west gale raged, and running before it as the vessel was at the time, the bottom must have been torn out of her by the reef.

A close search was made for survivors along the coast, and late last night word came that a boat had landed between Cape Naturalist and Eddystone. Few particulars are available. The crew, 24 in number, were all foreigners. Four boats were launched,* but all were stove in. Nine men clung to the wreckage.

The captain and the mate stood by the ship. The last words of the captain|were “ Don’t bustle, boys—don’t hurry!”

A boat with four men landed about midnight on Saturday. The men*tramped to Mr. Grove’s residence, a distance of about eight miles, reaching it at 4.30 in the morning. The survivors state that one of their mates was seen clinging to a dinghy. If saved, he would be on Foster Island. The second mate went out of his mind, singing hymns. He jumped, overboard, and when last seen was drifting seaward, with a life-belt tied round his neck. The rescued men are Scandinavians.