THE WRECK OF THE OROYA. A PASSENGER'S ACCOUNT.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8168, 24 April 1895, Page 3

THE WRECK OF THE OROYA . A PASSENGER'S ACCOUNT.

A passenger by the Oroya, who arrived at Albany in tho Massiln, thui describtd her stranding : "I ftrrivod at N»ploHon Sunday, the 3rd of March, and emb irked on boaid the Oroya, which started on hor voyage some time after midnight. Thero was po pilot on board. The uit»ht vims very dark, and a strong Rale was blowing at the time. After starting the ship swung round with tho gale, »nd loat ho»dwiy, She then went broadside on to wi'hin 100 yards of the shore on a sandy bottom, about three miles in a wosterly direction from the landing-plac<\ The first intimation I had of tho accident was tho bumping of the ship on the shore. This was just before daylight Tho officers tired somo rocko's and blow the foghorn, and made other signals of distress, but, strange to say, there was do reply from tho shore, nor any notice taken of our perilous position. Hoits were then lowerort, and tho lauding of passengers began amidst great danger, as the sea was gutting up, and occasional broikers were running all over the ship. Four seamen were drowned oning to a boxt which was returning to the steamer being upset in tho surf. Towards midd-iy the gale increased, and the whole of the passengers could not land till next morning, after which the mails and t-»g-gago were taken on shore. This occupied some two days. There was no panic of any kind on board the ship, and the iCtpuiu did all he could for tho passengers, but it was a matter of great comment that we got no assistance from the shore* although there wero hundreds of persons about who appeared to be waiting to pick up wreckage"