FRIGHTFUL COLLISION IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Issue 10, 8 December 1877, Page 3

FRIGHTFUL COLLISION IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL.

New Yiirk, September 22.—London papers of Thursday, the 13th hist., which have just arrived, furnish full particulars of the terrible collision in tin- English Channel on the 12th itist. In the darknea of that night a disastrous collision took place at lea, a few miles off Portland, Between two large vessels, one of which sunk almost immediately, and the other kept afloat only a very short time. Of the 120 stated to have been on lsmrd both the foundered vessels, only twelve are known to have been saved.

The greatest disaster happened to the ship Avalanche, which left London, on Saturday last, for Wellington, New Zealand. She was a fine, and nearly new iron vessel of 1,100 tons, and had on board 2ii saloons passengers, 17 secondclass passengers, and a crew of 31, including captain and officers, besides S apprentices. Of these the third mate, and two of the crew are the only souls known to have escaped from the wreck. She was commanded by Capt. Williams, and had also on board a channel pilot named Broderiok. The other vessel was the Forest, of Windsor, Nova Scotia. She was a wooden ship, built by Churchhill, of Nova Scotia, in 1«73, and was owned there. At the time of the disaster she was commanded by Captain Lockhart, and was also outward bound from London. She was in ballast, and her crew numbered only twenty. Of these nine were rescued, together with the three men from the Avalanche. The Avalanche was guing down the channel, some miles out to sea, ott' Portland, the night being very dark, and the weather somewhat rough. The wind was blowing stilly, and at frequent intervals there were driving showers of rain. About a quarter-past nine o'clock she was run into by the Forest, which, cutting her between the main and mizzen masts, nearly broke the Avalanche in two. In an instant all was confusion and despair. The water rushed into the great gap that was caused by the recoil of the Forest, which struck the Avalanche several times, and the large emigrant ship rapidly settled down. Sherrington, the third mate, and two of the seamen somehow managed to scramble on board of the Forest, but others of the crew on the deck of the Avalanche, either did not perceive the great extent of the calamity, or could not make their escape in a similar manner. Those who escaped from the ill-fated ships declare that in three minutes from the collision the Avalanche sunk, and carried with her to a watery grave the whole of her passengers, and almost all her crew. One of the survivors states that the night was so dark that it was almost impossible to discern the mass of human beings who were struggling for life in the water below, but tlie cries of men, women, and children were heartrending. Some few managed to scramble on deck as soon as the Avalanche was struck, but all went clown with her. The sea must have been literally alive with human beings, nor was the state of things much better on board the Forest, though that vessel was not quite so seriously injured. Her crew found that sufficient damage had been done to render it impossible for them to run for the land at such a time of night, and in such weather. They therefore took to their boats, it Ls said, in about a quarter of an hour after the Avalanche had disappeared. The master and the first mate of the Forest went in a boat with the three men who had escaped from the Avalanche, and, after being tossed about in the channel all night, were found in the morning by some fishing boats, and rescued. Seven other men took to another boat, and they also were picked up by the fishermen. The second mate, of the Forest and others of the crew took to another boat, but are believed to have been drowned, as their boat was found bottom upwards, and the body of one man, a carpenter, has already been washed ashore. The Forest, soon after being abandoned, settled down and sank not far from where the collision occurred.

Captain Lockhart States, the ship was going between three ami four knots an hour, under .single-reefed upper top-sails, and whole lower topsails, with foresails, and foretopniast stay-sail. She was under sueli close canvas on account of the heavy wind then blowing, and because the night was so dark. There was a good lookout kept, and he was on the deck from H o'clock until the time the collision occurred. Shortly after 9, the lookout man reported a light on the lee, and, on his looking at it, he made it out to come from a ship on the port tack. He at once examined his lights to see if they were all right, and found them burning very brightly and in their proper positions. Soon after that the second mate told him he thought the strange craft was very near, when he ordered the man at the wheel to luff. This was done, and being light and under loose canvass, sho paid off, when almost immediately the two ships came into collison, the Forest striking the Avalancho between the main and the niizzcn masts. A few minutes after the collision occurred, the Captain of the Forest directed his officers to see what state his ship was in, when they reported she was nearly filled with water up to tho between decks. As they knew it would be impossible to keep her afloat, ho told the men to have the three boats launched*, and save themselves as best they could. Another survivor, John Sherrington, says : 1 was sitting in my bunk at !) o'clock last night; we had a channel pilot on board named Hioderick, who was on deck at tho time. I heard

the pilot sing out, " Hani it|>," ami immediately afterward, " Port your helm" from two voices. I recognised one as the pilot's, hut did not know the other. I 'turned out of mv bonk, find heanl the second mate sing out to the first iii.it.' •■ Bowling, Bowling, come on deck ; I think there will be another smash." I went on deck and aw the jibboom of the other ship strike against our mainmast) mapping the jibboom in two. 1 rushed past the mainmast, and fell down the quarter hatchway on tiptop of some passenger* who were crowded underneath. I then stumhled across thu other hatch leading to the lower hold. I felt a gust of wind coining up ami rushed for the deck again, telling the passengers if they wanted to save their lives to go on deck immediately. As I was going up the gangway ladder the ship smashed into us again. I rushed on the poop, followed by sevoral passengers, and saw the captain standing by the break of the poop. I told him the ship was sinking, and that he had better catch hold of some of the loose gear of the other vessel when next she came down on us. I caught hold of a chain hanging loose from the strange ship, and she carried me with her. I saw another person holding on to the gear. I rushed to the port side of the forecastle head of the ship Forest and saw the Avalanche going down stern riist, and 1 threw loose ropes into the water for the drowning people. I then went down on to the main deck and saw the crew rushing about in all directions. Having discovered our second mate, who came up to me and shook hands, I went abaft to the wheel, and found it hard a-star-board, anil immediately put it hard aport. I next assisted in launching the boats. The second mate got into one, and I into another, with members of the Forest crew. I sang out, and asked if anybody else was coining, when lines were thrown over and four or five scrambled into the boat. The mate then sang out for Captain Lockhart to come, and after some delay, he came, and we shoved off, and soon after we saw another boat, but quickly lust sight of her again. A tremendous sea was running all night. We were battling with the waves ten hours, and this (Wednesday) morning were picked up by Portland boats. I did not sec the Forest go down, but I watched her two hours. Only myself and two of our crew are saved. As soon as we got clear of the ship F saw people running about, and saw blue lights and rockets fired. The vessel was struck four times, and went down in about four minutes. I knew the Avalanche was sinking, as 1 felt air coining up.