Sad Tale of the Sea.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 150, 23 May 1884, Page 2

Sad Tale of the Sea.

WRECK OF THE SYRIA. HARROWING SCENE. (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Auckland, May 22. The s.s. Penguin arrived at Fiji late last night. The Fiji Times, of tho 14th instant, gives the following particulars of an exciting wreck :— The Syria, a full-riged iron ship of 1140 tons, Benson, master, left Calcutta on the 12tn March with 480 coolies and immigrants on board, bound for Fiji. Her passage w<» a very good one and fortunate one. She sighted Kadavu on the morning of Sunday, and thence the course was shaped for Suva. As night closed m, the wind and sea rose, but all was supposed to bo going well until about 8.30 o'clock, when breakers were saen on the leeward. An attempt was at once made to put th© ship about, but she was then within the influence of a swell, and while m stays struck heavily, and was carried up past the edge of the reef. A very heavy sea was then running, which broke bodily over her, smashing m all her boats save one, and sweeping the decks. On sounding, the carpenter found four feet of water m the hold, and it was plainly to be seen the case of the vessel was hopeless. About 11.30 o'clock the only sound boat was lowered, and her mate, engineer, carpenter, and another European, with three Lascar sailors, were despatched to Levuka to report the disaster and to procure assistance. With great difficulty they managed to get about five miles through the shoals on a falling tide, and then had to anchor for the night. In the morning they saw the main.nast had gone by the board, most likely through the rolling of the vessel. They then continued their journey, and arrived m Levuka a little after noon. As soon as the disaster was reported steam was got up on board the U.S.S. Company's Penguin, which was fortunately at the wharf : ; but some delay was occasioned m sending her off as no one cared to assume the responsibility of giving the cider, and it was not till 5 o'clock the steamer left with Captain Cocks, the Harbourmaster, and Captain Barrock on board, to see what it was possible to do m the way of rendering assistance. The Penguin returned to port about 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, and the following is the narrative of uer trip :— lt was dark when the vessel reached the neighbourhood of were the wreck was supposed to belying and nothing could be seen of her! Rockets were sent tip and port-fires burned m hope of obtaining some answer which would help to determine the position ; but as all proved unavailing, the Penguin ran down to Suva with the news, and arrived there about midnight. It was then soon known that the news had reached there bofore her. The s.s. Thistle, which left Levuka early m the* morning, arrived m Suva about 8.30 o'clock p.m., and reported the wreck on shore. At the time the Penguin arrived preparations were almost completed for the start. The s.s. Clyde had steam up, boats and punts had been collected, and both having been added to from the Penguin,, the steamer with the lot m tow left to go up the iuside reef about 12.30. The Thistle was loading stores for Lukulau for coolies who were to be taken to that island from the wreck. The Penguin left again for the wreck at 6.30 next morning, and found the strandsd vessel on the extreme pointof Nasalai reef, about 20 miles from Suva and 30 from Levuka. Had she been two cables' lnngth further out she would have gone all clear. The Penguin arrived abreast of her about 8.15. The foremast and foretopmast were then alone standing with the foresail lose and set apparently to help drive the wreck higher and higher up. She lay on the edge of the reef m a fearful sea, which was breaking over her masthead. It was utterly impossible for the steamer to approach her, and even to go too close m was to incur a risk which no hope of effecting any good would justify. It would have been certain death, m the estimation of every experienced man on board, for any boats even to have got into the breakers, churned to white angry foam by the jagged-edged coral reef at times visible as the purf receded. From ouiside the wreck was unapprochable by anything except rockets and life-line apparatus and that could only have been efficiently used from the shoreward side. As the Penguin passed, her foremast went by the board, and only the hull remained, and that showed signs of giving way i amidships. About 25 or 30 passengers came to the weather side, and seemed to gaze on the passing steamer, but no sign to attract attention was noticed. The wreck lay aLout three and a-half miles off the shore,bnt for three hundred yards inside her position was a seething and boiling surf, which none but a stout boat could have made a way through. Between this and the shore was comparatively still water, and about half a' mile from the vessel several canoes and one boat were lying, apparently to piok op anyone who might get through the surf. The Glyde, with her boats and punts, was passad off Nukulau about seven o'clock. The breeze was strong, and she appeared to be getting, along very slowly. After the Penguin had passed the wreak about two miles, Captain Cromarty grieved that be could be of no direct assistance, and 'only anxious to devise any means of aiding, decided to run back to Nukulau to see if he could t*>\v up any small steamer or boats. When he got back to Nukulau the Clyde, with her boais, had gone apparently through the back water, and the only vessel to be seen was the s.s. Cakobau. This was signalled, and shortly after she appeared to come ont and follow the Penguin, then steamed back and again got abreast of the wreck. About noon the sea was much lighter, and the tide had fallen considerably, but m the meantime the wreck had parted amidships just aft the forerfgging. The forepart lay .at an obtuse angel to. the aftar part. There was a yawning rent visible m her side when her plates had collapsed, and not a soul could be seen on the wreck, though all glasses on the. steamer were turned to her so long as hope remained of distinguishing anyone. The Clyde and her boats were not m view and could not have got up m time, and the canoes and boat which had been seen beforo had now disappeared. It is impossible to say what loss of life, i£ any, there may have been. The only thing of which those on board the PenSum ore certain that there was no one on the wreck when they passed at noon. Those saved were on shore, and it can but he hoped, m spite of most grava rhisgiving, that all have reached thara m safety. All we can say at the present moment is that there is no certainty that life has been lost, but the next newa from Suva will be looked for with paiaful anxiety.