WRECK OF THE GERMANIA.

Southland Times, Issue 1731, 22 April 1873, Page 2

WRECK OF THE GERMANIA.

(From a Home paper.) From the various particulars that have come to hand respecting the wreck of the English steamer Gerroania, 3,113 tons, in consequence of running aground on a sand-bank on Ponte de Coubra, we learn that 99 of the persons on bpard were saved and 24 drowned, and that the greatest attention was paid to the shipwrecked persons by the Bochelle people. From Saturday evening until Sunday morning the crew and passengers remained clinging to the wreck, a furious sea running all the time. They were at 'ast perceived by a French steamer, which not being able, in consequence of the terrific storm raging at the time, to approach them, sent out its boats, and by the heroic exertions of the men the survivors on the wreck were saved. Ont of the officers of the vessel has written a report on the occurrence, in which he says : — "Theship's boats were bo damaged by the sea that it seemed at first impossible to leave the vessel. But when daylight came it was found that one of them, though in a very bad condition, might still be utilised. Being let down and manned, it set out for the shore. On the way it met the fishing- boat J. T., coxswain, Joseph Tristan-, and it came back to the steamer at the same tiaae that the boat from the floating light arrived. The steamer Mendoza, leaving the river en route from Bordeaux to Marseilles, sent her three boats, and all the shipwrecked were then atrie to leave the vessel. Great praise is due to Joseph Tristan for the efforts he made to save us. Without his opportune assistance we should have bad to deplore the loss of many people. We ought, also, to express our gratitude to the captain and crew of the Mendon. At I.a Bochelle every inhabitant was desirous of lessening, by his cares, the horror of our situation." The Courier de la Bochelle adds :— " What the unfortunate men do not tell us of is the horrible sufferings they experienced during eighteen long hours, twelve of which were in a black cold night. A few moments after the stranding of the Germania, the sea dashed against her with such violence that she was filled with water; ■ She then began gradually to give way, and it became impossible to remain on deck, swept as. it waa fora and aft by furious waves At half-past eight (evening) the mainmast fell. Half an hour afterwards the mizen-mast also came down, carrying with it seven persons who had taken refuge in the rigging. It was a horrible moment for the others ; they heard the ominous creakings all around them, the vessel was going piece by piece, and here and there, in the darkness of. the night, were heard desperate cries, heartrending calls, to which no one could reply — friends carried away by the sea, to whom none could bring succor. One wave carried off a poor mother and her four children. Towards five o'clock in the morning, a young girl, who had passed the night in the forepart of the vessel, and whom despair deprived of her better judg ment, attempted to go on to the bridge. Thrown down by a wave she was dashed with violence against the bulwarks and crushed to death. Her agony was horrible. The first embarkation from the steamer into the fishing-boat was disastrous. Impelled by, despair and sorrow, the unhuppy beings /precipitated themselves into the boat, and the result was that six of them were drowned. In leaving the vessel it was necessary to abandon the body of a little child of seven months, which had died during that fearful night in the arms of its father. The officers, in their report, attribute the loss to incorrect movements on the part of the pilot." The Genpania,. Captain Trocks, one of Messrs Allan Brothers' new line of screw steamers trading between Liverpool and the Southern States of- America, left that port on Wednesday, the lsth. December, for New Orleans, via Panillac, and it is our painful duty to add that Miss Bebecca Elizabeth Bayly, the only daughter of Mr tharles Jasper Bayly, chemut, of Walthatn Cross, was one of the passengers that perished in the ill-fated ship. Mies Bayly, who was 24 year* of |»#e] had for some time past been engaged tb;ayoung mah;*'the son of an Essex farmer, who is J how residing near New Orleans, and she was on her way to America for the purpose oi being ,

married and settling in that country. The young lady who hag lost her life in so sad a manner wan well knows and ereatly respected in Waltham Cross and the locally, and the newa of hpr exceedingly painful and unfortunate death cast quite a gloom over the whole neighborhood Great sympathy was also manifested for Miss Bayly's "friends in their melancholy bereavement. The Germania was a steam vessel of 3113 tons grOBS tonnage, and about 320 horse-power. She was about five years old, and was built at Harfclepool, having been bought when on the stocks by the firm who owned her when she was lost. She was in every reapect fitted for service as an ocean passenger steamer, and her owners had reason to feel perfect confidence in her, for she had previously made for them frequent successful and speedy voyages across the Atlantic, and she was well found, efficiently officered, and strongly manned. Captain Trocks is an old and tried commander, and his officers had for the most part been educated in the employ. The crew, all told, numbered 96 ; and the Germania sailed from Liverpool with 27 passengers, four of whom were cabin passengers, and the rest, chiefly foreigners from Bremen and other parts of Northern Europe, were intermediate and steerage passengers. The destination of the Geraania wns Havana and New Orleans, and she was to touch on her way at Bordeaux and oae of the ports on the North of Spain, at both of which places she was to receive an accession of passengers. In order that there might be no delay «r uncertainty in picking up a pilot off the mouth of the Gironde to navigate the ship t» Panill ie, which for large vessels is the port of Bordeaux, a Gironde pilot, certified as possessed of the fullest capacity for his duties, had been specially brought over from France to accompany the Germania from the port of departure. Twenty fomr persons in all perished, twelve of the crew and twelve passengers. Miss Bayly WBB the only cabin passenger lost : the remaining eleven passengers were intermediate and steerage, and without exception, it is believed, foreigrers. Of the members ot the crew lost, six were sailors, two were firemen, and four were stewards. All the officers of the ship survive. The following is an authentic list of the passengers and crew lost by the wreck : — Crew : Jacques, chief cook ; Bitton interpreter j John Cotterell and John Jones, stewards :— Murphy, and — Conner, firemen : — Lawrie, carpenter ; Williams, Carley, Coggins, Taylor, and Edwards. Passengers: Miss Bayly, Mrs Early and four children, Jean Lalaque, Donat Flour, Marie Farre (infant) Togoni Battista and Vicenza Battista ; a Jersey man uaknown, On Christmas-day there was a. collection in the churches of La Kochelle on behalf of those reicued from the wreck. The collection yielded about lOOOf.