LOSS OF THE WANATA.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 246, 25 April 1866, Page 3

LOSS OF THE WANATA.

(From the Some News, 26th February.) Another Australian passenger-ship has been los.t in the Bay of Biscay, but fortunately on this occasion without anyloss of life. Subjoined are the circumstances relative te the disastrous occurrence: — The Queen of Beauty left London on the 2nd January for Melbourne joaA in consequence of heavy weather brought up in the Downs, which she did not leave until the 23rd. On the 6th of February at noon sbe was in lat. 4613 N., and long. 10-15 W. Towards midnight she was a ,little to thes westward, standing with her bow north, under single reefed topsails, foresail, mainsail, jib, spanker, and staysail. The wind was from west to wesfc-south-west, with a very heavy sea running from north-west, and a thick haze hanging' low on , the horizon. The captain was on deck. A ship was reported on the lee bow, and the Queen of Beauty's after yards were thrown aback immediately to avoid a collision, but this was impossible. The force of the blow was, however, diminished, and the stranger was struck on the port side just abft the fore rigging, and was cut down nearly to the water's edge. She proved to be the ship Wanata, 1437 tons, Captain Todd, belonging to Messrs. Baines and Co., of Liverpool, for Melbourne. The Wanata left January 26 with 183 passengers, chiefly Government emigrants, including 60 single women. Among the passengers were two clergymen, Messrs Walker and Lawson, Miss Markham, Mr Tucker, Mr Gourley, Mr Shaw, and Mr Withington. Her crew consisted of 45 officers and men all told, of whom 28 were seamen, including 10 or 12 Swedes, Italians, and other foreigners. The Wanata had experienced very heavy weather, and just before the collision took place during the second mate's watch. Her proper lights were exhibited, one being a red light on the port side. Immediately after the collision the carpenter was lowered down to try to patch the hole, but in this effort he was unsuccessful, in consequence of the heavy sea which was running. The ship was laden with iron, coal, and a general cargo, and towards the morning the crew broke into the hold and became drunk, disorderly, and mutinous. Previous to the collision one of them had to be placed in irons for disobedience. On the morning of the 7th Eebruary the doctor was assaulted when preventing some of the crew from going among the single women. During the latter day the weather was so boisterous that no attempt could be made to transfer the passengers to the Queen of Beauty, which continued near. The pumps were kept going chiefly by the aid of the passengers. On the morning of the Bth it was considered that the Wanata could not be saved, and at 9 a.m. preparations were made for conveying her passengers and crew and some provisions to the other ship. For this purpose the longboat was placed in charge of the boatswain, and the two lifeboats under the command of the niate, Mr M'Clelland, and the second mate. They were kept on this duty until nearly dusk, Captain Todd and Dr Stone, the surgeon, being the last to leave She Wanata ; their boat was nearly swamped. At 7.30 p.m. the Wanata was observed to be on lire, apparently aft, and her mizenmast was supposed to have been burnt out. It is conjectured that when the crew' went below to "rummage" the passengers' cabins they set the ship on fire accidentally. The Queen of Beauty is what is termed a " short ship," and had but one passenger. Owing to this circumstance the second -cabin and saloon were fortunately unoccupied, and were appropriated to the use of a portion of the passengers of the Wanata. By the collision the Queen of Beauty lost her jibboom and cutwater, and had her bulwarks damaged. At 8 p.m: on Thursday, the Bth, she bore up for Plymouth. Captain Stoll, R.N., the Government emigration offices there, made arrangements for the reception of the passengws in the depot at Stonehouse. The crew of the Wanata appear to have made great depredations. One woman passenger has lost a purse containing seven sovereigns; another lost a gold watch. Dr Stone has missed a package of very valuable papers. It is supposed that had the ships locked at the time of the collision both would have gone down immediately. Each was aback. The Queen of Beauty, 1235 tons was built at St. John's in 1861, and is under charter by the Black ~Ball line. The Wanata was built at New Brunswick in J852. All the passengers belonging to the Wanata were safely landed on the evening of February 10th from the Queen of Beauty in the Sound. - The emigrants were placed in the depot at Stonehouse, and were well satisfied with their quarters. They have made grave complaints of the conduct of some of the crew of their ship, especially of White (an Englishman), Kennedy and Micman (Irish), and a man named Cox, all of whom were frequently intoxicated after the col.ision. Among the men were two ; Spaniards, one of whom quarrelled with a shipmate on Sunday, the 4th, and was put in irons.. They state that on the 6th, about two hours after the collision, Captain Todd gent some whiskey to the steerage passengers, who were working at the pumps, when Micman and other seaman knocked the messenger down, stole the bottle, and drank its contents. On the 7th, Cox struck the second mate on the quarterdeck, and was put in. irons ; but he broke ' from them and freed himself. On the 9th, when on board the Queen of Beauty,^ Micman was discovered iix possession of Vk Jb el tobacco mi some of the p&s<

sengers' clothing ; tie was put in irons by Captain Chapman. / In reference to the Wanata, the passengers state that previous to the collision she .was pumped every watch, about a quarter of ah hour each time, and that the collision did not cause much leakage. The hole was stopped by the carpenter with boards covered with oakum, canvas, tar, and two or three coats. They consider that had she been British built and not so old the master would not have abandoned her. The officers of the ship said that when put on the starboard tack she made six feet *of leakage in 10 minutes, and that it was necessary to keep her constantly on the other tack. ' There is a statement by the passengers that the Queen of Beauty was seen j half-an-hour before the collision ; that | the Wanata' s port light was not burning briskly, and was taken in to be rectified, and then replaced. The Queen of Beauty's stem broke into the steerage berth of Jonathan M'Neil, who, with his wife, was asleep at the time ; he is a returning Australian, and was slightly injured. The young women emigrants, about 60, chiefly Irish, are in charge of Mrs M'Avoy, matron, Many of them are badly supplied with clothing. With the exception of the master, chief officer, second officer, and doctor, all the crew of tb.e Wanata left Plymouth for Liverpool.