WRECK OF THE AVLANCHE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5143, 17 September 1877, Page 3

WRECK OF THE AVLANCHE.

[The following telegram has been received from the Agent-General, and was published by the New Zealand Times as an Extra on Saturday evening.] London, September 12. The following are the names of the colonists who were returning to New Zealand in the Avalanche:— For Wellington : Mrs. and Miss Cooper, Cecil Walyer, J. 0. Cooper, Neil Pearce, eldest son of Edward Pearce. For Wanganui: Henry Wilkins and family, Miss M. Watt, Miss Taylor, Mrs. Shields, Mrs. Wychodie, J. M. Richards, Miss Foote. [Since the receipt of the Agent-General’s telegram on Saturday afternoon, we have received the following from the Press Agency:— London, September 13, 3.45 p.m. On Tuesday night the Avalanche, bound for Wellington, when off Portland, was struck amidships by the American ship Forest, and both sunk in three minutes. Sixty-three passengers, chiefly returning colonists, were all drowned. Of thirty-four seamen, three were saved, including the third officer. Of the crew of twenty-one on hoard the Forest nine were saved. The bodies are being washed ashore. Amongst the lost are whole families, including eight Wilkiness, six Lees, and four Chamberlains. It will he seen that the full particulars as to the names of those on board the Avalanche have not been telegraphed yet. There were sixty-three passengers ~ou the vessel, who the Press Agency telegram informs us were chiefly returning colonists, yet the names of about thirty have only been forwarded. Wanganui appears to have been a heavy sufferer, whole families formerly residents of that town having gone down with the vessel. Some of the names of the colonists which are telegraphed as bound for Wellington are unknown here, and they evidently belong to some other part of the colony. Mrs. and Miss Cooper are the mother and sister of Mr. Cooper,, a clerk on the wharf. It will be seen that Mr. Edward Pearce, late M.H.R. for Wellington, has lost his eldest son. We are unable to glean any intelligence about Mr. Cecil .Walyer, another of the passengers. Mr. J. C. Cooper, it is said, was.formerly a resident of the south of Canterbury. Messrs. Levin and Co. have received a telegram from Messrs. Shaw, Savill, and Co., confirming the loss of the Avalanche. The owners of the vessel express their deepest sympathy with the relatives of those on board the ill-fated ship. It appears that the Avalanche was in charge of the pilot at the time of the collision, and he was also lost with the vessel. The collision was evidently a severe one, for the Forest, the colliding vessel, also went down in a few minutes. The Avalanche was struck in the most dangerous place, amidships being considered the weakest part in the event of collision.