THE MACGREGOR'S LaST VOYAGE FROM SYDNEY TO AUCKLAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 168, 9 July 1875, Page 2

THE MACGREGOR'S LaST VOYAGE FROM SYDNEY TO AUCKLAND.

The following account cf the Storm encountered by the a fi. MacGregor on ber last trip across from Sydney to Auckland appea r s in a cc eat iswe of the Southern Cross: — Friday the llth: 'ihe wcathe-- by thia time bad increase-! to a h.r.ous gale, and a tremendous sta running. Tlie rain driven by the fury of the storm, descended on the deck like hail, while the thundpr " roare I and the lightning flighed with terrible vividne«», lighting up for a, moment the fearful scene of b tttle between man atid the infuriated elements. The spectacle was enough to make (be stn«te-it heart quid, the roaring sea seeming every moment a out to swamp the ship. The Macgrapor jrode it out well, however, for every lime a ■mountainous sea appeared to bs coming on boird t.he rose to it ii;iuch better tban mi_*ht have been experted, and after poising fnr a moment on the cree', ng iin plunge i fa tQ the foiling vortex. The gale kept increasing .throughout the niifht, aid ab'iu*. 2 p.m. & ■terrific sea hurst ri«ht over the vessel, bw e:»---ing over the butcher's shop, nb ;ut 3') fhocrp, nnd -seveial larjfe li.fni.oop_, heei-'es l»rae qn« rti ties of deck gent, and, continuing iti deadly course with awful velocity, literally tote away the daor of the captain's cabin, which wa* closed at the time, hurling it inwards. The Captain was within at the time, «4«d recei'. ed a trtmeadou* flow from thi door over the eye, cutting if op.n. He then fonnd himself np to the neck in water, and] with difficulty mtde his w»y out. The seal then poured into the engine and furnncrf rooms to a considerab'e height, and extial gcuiaiied the lovrer fires. Then the fui •danger of the s tuation became apparent, ti had one more such sea broken over the vtssll it must inevitably have sealed the fate of 4 1 on board, aod sr nt every ami to * th<it Inurle irom which no twelltr returns." The forla «<jf the wave may be imagined by the fact thit alter baying broken down the cibin do -r, at\ smashed a considerable amount nf woodwork, it Ind strength enough left to drive in a plonk forming part of the bock of fche captain's cabin. But it did not stay here. In the .aft part of the vissel the passengers, ali of whom B_ad turned int) their berths and wer_. I> ing awake listening to the fury of the storm, and half blinded by the intensely vivid lightning which ever and anon flashed through the port* ani lit up .the cabin, were startled by an awful crasljiag sound, followed hy that of volumes of water pouring into the the saloon. They a!) rushed out, thinking that the .hip was gotig down bodily, and that she was filling with water. On geitivg into the saloon, the fkyligbt was found to have given way, and the heavy sea had poured in, the flow being Sft deep in'w^ter, which rusbf d with great viol*, nee from sido to side, jdth every roll ofthe ship, forcing ite. way jfl£r> the cabins, and setting everything in them afloat. For a few minutes a dead silence preveilt I. evrryone present imagining his list moments Jo be at band, momentarily expecting other «ea.* to follow and settle the vessel. The inaction wa,?, however, but of short duration, for British pluck w<*s equal t'i the situatiou, and every male passenger, alter having speedily procured a number of buckets, and io fact vessels of all descriptions cap ible of holding water, turned to with a wid and iormed a line for baling out. Provident ially •at ibis time the water bee .me .juietej, and no cnore such seas broke over, so that ia the ■coui«3 or .about two hours the water in the «aloon was «.:no«t entirely baled out, and shortly after four o'clock the passengers were •once more enabled tn hb down, being thorough - ly tired oat. mauy of theiu h * YiD S hadj no *kep foi twenty four hear*, '