THE LOSS OF THE STEAMER TEUTON.

Patea Mail, 21 October 1881, Page 4

THE LOSS OF THE STEAMER TEUTON.

The Cape Times gives particulars of the disastrous loss of the Union Co.’s s.s. Teuton, on the East Coast of Africa. It appears that the Teuton left Table Bay on the 31st. She had landed 83 passengers at the Cape, and then sailed for the other coast ports. She passed Quoin Point on the evening of the above date. The quarter-master, MrKromm, gives the following narrative: “ The evening was beautifully fine. The moon was overhead, the stars were shining, and there was not the slightest sign of fog or vapor. Suddenly the ship struck, witnout any warning whatever. Ido not know who the officer was on watch. It was not the chief officer. Just after striking, the ship shivered like an aspen leaf, and heeled over to port. There was some little confusion, the women shrieked and there was a general rush on deck. The pumps were immediately sounded, and it was found that the fore compartment was leaking. The order kept on deck was admirable, and officers and men vied in their efforts at soothing the passengers. The boats were slung out board, and they were all ready provisioned with biscuit and water within half-an-hour of the ship striking. The passengers were all ordered on the poop, and were told to sit quietly until they were ordered off to their respective boats. The doctor was in charge of the passengers on the poop. All this time the ship was settling down by the head gradually.' "Volunteers were called for from amongst the passengers for -the pumps, and they assisted freely. After striking, the ship’s head was put round to the westward, evidently with the hope of reaching Simon’s Bay. There was a little south-east wind, with a little sea on. It was between a quarter past 7 and half-past 7 when the ship struck, and up till half-past 10 the vessel kept on her way, and everything was orderly on board. At halt-past 10 the ship’s head was so down that her stern was out of the water, and the screw was of little use. The captain now gave order for the starboard waist lifeboat to be lowered, and the women and children to be put in, which was done, the boat being lowered, and the women and children handed into it. The ship was then hardly moving, for her propeller was out of water, and was no longer any use to her. The engines were stopped, and steam was gradually being blown off. The starboard quarter boat, which had already been lowered, was 'ordered alongside to receive passengers, and that was the first time I heard Captain Manning’s voice. He said, “ Why don’t you hurry np and get the boat alongside ?” He had no sooner the words out of his month when the ship gave a dip, and in less than a minute she appeared to make a somersault. I, seeing this, made a jump overboard at her port quarter. 1 could not swim, but I was fearful of being carried down by the suction, and I hoped to be picked np by the port quarter boat, which bad been lowered some while. I struggled about, and at last saw, at a short distance, one of the boats showing a light. My cries for help brought them to me in about five minutes, and I was taken into the carpenter’s boat.”

A cargo of white pine timber is to be sent from Feilding to Melbourne, via Wanganui, comprising 90,000 feet as a trial shipment.

A mangold weighing 26£lb untopped, grown by a Waikato settler on land sown by him with mangolds on the 14th February last, after the main crop qf potatoes had been dug up, is considered worthy of special mention and exhibition at Hamilton.

Tasmanian Salmon. —The report for 1880 of the salmon commissioners states that for the first time in the River Derwent fishing for salmon with rod and line has been successfully practised in the salt water. Fish have been caught weighing up to 10 lbs. The revenue derived during the year from the sale of ova for other colonics,"and from the issue of fishing licenses, was more than sufficient to cover the cost of the establishment.