SEVEN DAYS AND NIGHTS IN OPEN BOATS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 1008, 6 December 1881, Page 4

SEVEN DAYS AND NIGHTS IN OPEN BOATS.

Information has just been received by the Liverpool owners of the large ship Acadia of 4 the total loss of that vessel and cargo. The news was brought by the ship Ocean King, which has arrived at Liverpool from San Francisco. The Ocean King on her voyage anchored off Pitcairn Island, and was informed that the crew of the Acadia were then on the island, their vessel having got ashore on Ducie Island, and become a complete loss. The Ocean King brought home a letter from the captain, from which it appeared that the disaster occurred on the sth June last, at eight o’clock in the evening. The Acadia was commanded by Captain Stephen George, and he, together with the rest of his crew, escaped to the Ducie Island in the small boats. After remaining there three days the shipwrecked crew put off in their boats, with the object of reaching Pitcairn Island, which were about 300 miles distant. This journey occupied seven days and nights, and on the 15th June the men arrived at Pitcairn Island, and were well received. When the Ocean King touched there the men were reported to be all well, and expressed themselves in favour of staying on the island until a vessel touched there on her way to San Francisco, which is about a month’s sail from Pitcairn. The Acadia at the time of stranding was bound to Queenstown for orders, and had on board a large and valuable cargo of grain. She was the property of Mr. George Rush Crow, of Liverpool, and of 1212 tons register, having been built at Clifton, United States, in 1872. In the event of a vessel not soon turning up at Pitcairn Island on her way to San Francisco, the men had intimated their intention of reaching the latter place by way of the Society Islands.