OFFICIAL INQUIRY UNDER THE WRECK'S ACT AT BLUFF HARBOR.

Southland Times, Issue 882, 15 January 1868, Page 3

OFFICIAL INQUIRY UNDER THE WRECK'S ACT AT BLUFF HARBOR.

On the application of C. F. O'Toole Esq., Sub-Collector of Customs, and Investigator of Wrecks for this port, under " The Shipwreck Act, 1863," an enquiry was held at the Court House, before I. N. Watt Esq., ARAM., and Captain Waldron, Nautical Assessor, into the circumstance relative to the wreck of the "G-eneral G-rant" at Auckland Islands some eighteen months ago. The first witness called was — W. M. Sanguily, who deposed that the " G-eneral Grant," of Boston, U.S., 1103 tons register, Captain "W. H. Loughlin, and owned by Messrs Boyes, Richardson and Co., of that city, left Boston, 28fch November, 1865, for Melbourne, and after a favorable passage arrived in Hobson's ■ Bay on the 13th March, 1866. Took in a cargo of wool, hides &c, for London, also 59 passengers, among whom were six ladies and about twenty children ; the crew consisted of 24 men all told. The last observation taken by the Captain was on Eriday, llth May, at eight a.m. ; after that time an observation could not be taken on account ofthe thick weather ; on Sunday, 13th, Disappointment Island, one of the group of the Auckland Islands, was sighted ; at halfpast 10 p.m., all handswere called on deck, and squared the yards, to keep the ship off the land ; about half-past eleven the

Main Island was seen ; the wind falling ' away to a dead calm, the ship drifted into a cove on the coast, at the end of • which was a cave, about 400 yards situated on the west of Main Island. The ship was driven into this cave, the roof of which came into contact with her head gear, and consequently carried away her foreroyal and topmast. The ship was gradually working her way into the cave further, through the action of the tide, and the other yards and topmast went, causing a shower of rocks and wreck to descend on the ship. One piece of rock went through her forecastle deck, and another through the starboard deck-house ; all the passengers and crew having taken shelter in the cabin, the only place of safety from the missiles from above. As the water was smooth the Captain concluded that it would be advisable not to launch the boats until daybreak, when a spar was fastened across the deck and one of the boats was launched. This boat was to go outside of the cave and see if a landing could be found, but not finding any the boat waited outside of the cave and did not return to the ship. In about half an hour the second boat was then launched under the charge of the first officer to tranship the ladies and children into the one outside ; three seamen and a few passengers were slung into her over the ship's stern, among whom were Mrs Jewel, Nicholas Allen,, and Frederick Coughey. The ship at this time was sinking; the long boat was washed off the deck and about forty souls got into her. The cause of the ship sinking was on account of the swell lifting her, and the stumps of her masts coming in contact with the roof of the cave, had forced the foot of her masts through her bottom as well as having her bilges chafed on both sides against the sides of the cave; when the long boat got about 100 yards from the stern of the ship, it swamped, and out of about forty, only three were saved ; these were, David Ashworth, . passenger, Aaron Haymen, able seaman, and myself ; having swam to the previous boat, we were picked up by them ; the Captain, who did. not leave the ship,' could be seen standing on the mizzen cross trees, as she went down in eighteen fathoms. The first officer proposed going to the ship to pick those up who were left struggling in the water, when she went under them, and to take the Captain off, but he was overruled by those in the boat, who were afraid that those that were in the water would swamp the boat. Both boats pulled outside and consulted what should be done, and decided to pull to Disappointment Island, six miles off, the coast, all along being very high and perpendicular rocks; reached Disappointment Island at dark, and remained during the night, and then made for the Main Island, and got into Port Eoss, after being three days and two nights in the boats. In Port Hoss we found a small hut, and remained during the night there ; the next day we found another hut with the name "E. Shrive," cut in letters over the fire-place. On 13th July, Musgrave's hut was found (the second attempt we had made to find it) ; on returning to the second hut, tlie party divided, one half to stay at Musgrave's, the other at the second hut; this was done in order to keep a good look-out for passing ships. The party who remained at Musgrave's hut returned in December 1566 to repair their boat, in order to make a start for New Zealand ; they left on 22nd January 1867. They had no chart or compass, but presumed the course was E.N.E. the names of the parties are as follows : — Bartholmew Brown, Chief Officer, of Boston. U.S.. Andrew Morrison, of G-lasgow, A.8., "W". New- ■ ton Scott, of Shields, A.8., and Peter M'Niven, A.8., of Islay. On the departure of the boat for New Zealand the party at the second hut removed to Enderby's Island where they lived on seals for fifteen months and caught a few pigs. Iv November 19th 1867 the cutter Eanny was sighted. On the 21st the brig " Amherst," Capt. Gilroy, was also sighted who saw our signals ; the next day we were taken on board, she prosecuting her voyage sealing until she landed us in the Bluff this day. The names of those lost as far as I can recollect are— passengers — Mrs Ott. and^five children, Mrs Allen and three children, Mr and Mrs Oldfield and two children, Mr Laing, Mr Mitchell, and others, names are unknown to me ; the crew lost are as follows : — W. H. Loughliu, Captain, of New York, B. E. Jones, second officer, of Mass, Magnus Anderson, carpenter, Sweden, Keeling, steward, purser, cook, assistant cook*, names unknown, two seamen names unknown, and the first officer's wife. Ofthe passengers saved are Mrs Jewell, Mr Teer, Frederick Coughey, David Ashworth, and Mr Allen. Of the crew saved, Bartholmew, Brown, Chief Officer, Andrew Morrison, W. N. Scott, Peter M'Niven, Wm. Ferguson, Cornelius Drew, all A.B.'S Aaron Hayman and W. M. Sanguily and Joseph Jewell, and David M'Lellan, A.B. By Mr O'Toole.— -None of the ship's papers were saved, nor any cargo ; can't say whether the ship was insured ; the ship's actualregister tonnage is 1103 tons. Never have been to the wreck since we left her, our boats and weather prevented us. "Wm. Eerguson, A.B. I was at the wheel from eight to ten p.m. onthe night on which the wreck occurred. The land was sighted whilst I was at the wheel. The weather was foggy, with a N.W. breeze. I am the only survivor of my watch, excluding those who left the island in the boat to make the New Zealand coast ; these were in the same watch with me. No attempt was made to put an anchor out when we found we could not clear the land. I have been at sea twelve years, and from my experience, I think all that could possibly be done was done to wear the ship off the land. I don't know whether the ship was insured. The captain and officers were sober ; no disturbance that I know of arose on board from the time ' we left Melbourne.

Mary Ann Jewell. — I paid my passage money but hadtosignarticlesasstewardess. My husband was an able seaman on board. No person on board acted as stewardess. There was no disturbance on board from the time we left Melbourne until the accident on Auckland Islands. JamesTeer, mariner, by occupation, and a passenger from Melbourne to London by the G-eneral Grant. Left Port Philip Heads on fourth May, 1866 ; had light westerly winds till the eleventh ; had hazy weather after that date ; captain and officers were sober men, and efficient, as far as my experience goes ; sighted land on thirteenth, about half-past ten, p.m. Everything possible was done to keep the ship off ; in fact, the captain went so far as to ask the advice of some of the passengers whom he thought capable of forming an opinion ; told me he could not get an observation for forty-eight hours, or he would not have been so near the land ; the ship struck about one a.m. with her jibbom against the walls of the cave ; at half-past one, her spanker boom struck the walls also, which carried it away along with her rudder ; the cave being only a little broader than the ship, she chafed her bilges against the sides, and also tbe stump of her main mast bumping against the roof, which, I think, must have penetrated through her bottom, are the causes ofthe ship sinking. This ended the inquiry.