FEARFUL DISASTER AND LOSS OF LIFE

Southland Times, Issue 998, 5 August 1868, Page 3

FEARFUL DISASTER AND LOSS OF LIFE

IN" THE EIYER HOOGSLY. (From the " Englishman," April 24.) Lasb evening the ship Ethel, proceeding down the river in tow of the steamer Rattler, and at anchor off Nynan, near Hooghly Point, was run into on the port quarter by theship Agamemnon goingdown in tow of the steamers Celerity and Agra, and which had just cast off the steamer. The Ethel's cable parted, and both vessels drifted on the sand,- and immediately turned over. The chief officer and three of the crew of the Ethel were drowned, and also several of the Agamemnon's crew. The following particulars have just com© to hand : : — "No cargo of either ship could be saved. The masts of the Agamemnon a c visible, but the Ethel has entirely disappeared." The steamers have returned with the captains and survivors of the unforutnate ships. The Agamemnon was an iron ship of above 1500 tons register, belonging to Liverpool, and was bound to London with a general cargo of rice, seeds, tea, shellac, cotton, jute, hides, &c. The Ethel was a wooden vessel of 1746 tons register, was bound to Dundee with the largest cargo of jute which ever left the Hooghly, the property of Mr James C. Lyell of this city. The value of the ships and their cargoes amounted to above £100,000. We understand that a subscription is being raised in town for the survivors. The following are additional particulars gathered by our reporter -.—Captain M'lnnes, of the Ethel, reports that that vessel left Garden Eeach, in tow of the steamer Rattler, about 11 o'clock on Wednesday morning. Passed the Agamemnon in tow of the j Celerity and Agra, between Atcheepore j and JSTynan ; and came to anchor at the latter place at about twenty minutes to 5 p.m.. Shortly after the Ethel was brought to anchor, the Agamemnon came up, rounded to up the river, and cast off the Celerity, the other steamer remaining fast alongside. At that time the Agamemnon was about 150 yards above the Ethel ; she .then dropped down with the tide apparently with the intention of anchoring on the port quarter or astern of the latter vessel. There appeared to be not sufficient water for her to anchor in that position, and she then steamed ahead across the bows of the Ethel, with the intention of anchoring ahead of that vessel. In steaming across the bows of the Ethel the Agamemnon had a strong cant to the starboard, having the tides on the port bow, which caused. her to drift down towards the Ethel. iWhen it was found that the Agamemnon was nearing the Ethel, and that it was likely that a collision would take place, the stoppers of the chain of the latter were cut, and more chain paid out, but while in the act of doing this, the Agamemnon's starboard quarter took the Ethel on the port bow, and in the col-, lision the chain parted. The Agamemnon still keeping athwart the Ethel's bows, an anchor was let go from her, but just at the time both the vessels took the ground and then separated lying about half a ship's length from one another. When the Ethel grounded she gave a heavy lurch to: starboard, righted again^ but ■with the second lurch capsized, the Agamemnon going over about the same time. When the Ethel capsized the crew were in different partis of the ship about duties. The chief officer, Mr Holbut, ■was on the starboard side of the deck forward when he found the ship going over, started to run aft, and it is supposed that he must have, been killed by the fall of the loose, spars from the "top of the house on deck. Three of the/ crew of the Ethel are also missing. ; Those who were saved got to the weather or port side of the ship, and where ; picked up by the captain of the Rattler, by which vessel they were all brought up to town. When the Rattler left, there was only about three feet of the broadside of the Ethel and afew ; of her spars visible above, the water. The Agamemnon had totally disappeared."