WRECK OF THE SUSANNE GODEFFROY.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 4, Issue 173, 20 November 1880, Page 3

WRECK OF THE SUSANNE GODEFFROY.

» i (Auckland Eteitmg Star, Uctvlir S.J Newcastle. Septem>>or 28. The porl of Newcastle has again been the scene of a disastrous shipwreck, accompanied ly the loss of life —the unfortunnte vessel in this instance being the ship Snsanno Qodeffroy, 1,100 ton? reeUter, belonging to Sydney. About half-past eight o'clock this morning tho townspeople were startled by the booming of the signal gnu at Flagstaff-hill, denoting that a vessel was in danger outside the Heads, and in a little time the hills overlooking the sea and the vaiions points of observation along tho wharfs were lined with an eager and excited crowd of spectators. In the early morning to day the wholo of t'.ie dreaded Oystor Bank at the entrance to the port, and bright beyond, weie covers with white foaming sens, while across tho entrance to the hart our—in what is known as the " bar " —very heavy breakers rolled in continually. The signals flying at the flagstaff denoted that a steamer and a ship were then outside exposed to tho elements. The former turned out to be tho steamer Morpeth, which had left this port shoitly after daylight for Sydney, but had been compelled to turn back after getting as far as Redhead. Tho Morpeth weathered the entrance in safety, and soon after caino up the harbour and made fast at tho wharf. All attention was then centred in the fate of the ship, which was then close down of! Nobby's and labouring heavily in tho seaway. As soon ns the signal gun was fired the lifeboat crew paddled off alongside the Government steamer Ajnx, which was lying in readiness in case of some such emergency at tho buoys, and waited, whilst (he doomed ship, left to her destruction, wallowed about in the trough of the sra with her head pointing to the beach. ]lalf-an-liour after the gun was fired the ship ran into shoal water, where she struck heavily several times, and finally lodged hard and fast on the sandy bottom, where the sea was making clean breaches over her. Almost immediately after striking fast, the ship parted in the middle, and in ten minutes time there was nothing to mark the spot of her destruction but a heap of floating debris, which was quickly scattered by the. force of the heavy seas, and washed up on the beach. Owing to the distance from this port at which the ship went to pieces—some eight or ten miles —some considerable time elapsed before any reliable information reached the city concerning the fate of the. crew. It «-as subsequently found that the only near witnesses to the destruction of the ship and of the fate of the crow were some half-dozen residents in the neighbourhood, who, observing the ship heading for shore, hastened to lend what assistance they could. By the help of those men, the captain—R. Edmondson —was the first taken out of the reach of the waves ; but ho was in such an exhausted and critical condition, that he only survived a very little time. The rescuers were compelled to leave him to give their attention to the rest of the crew, am] in this respect they worked in the most gallant and determined manner, and succeeded in saving fourteen out. of the whole crew, which numbered twentyone, all told. After a little time. SubInspector Thorpe, and Sergeant Dick, with a number of police, Captain Allan, harbourmaster, and Captain Murray, with his men, belonging to the Permanent Force arrived on the spot: but very little remained then to be done, as the whole ship was broken up into matchwood, and such of the crow who were not. at once saved were beyond human aid. There is every probability that had further assistance been at hand, several others of the crow might have been pulled up. Mr. Taylor, the chief officer of the ship, was plainly seen within a few yards of the beach ; but they were unable to reach him before be was swept away by the return wave and never seen again. One of the seamen shared a similar fate. Nearly all those who reached tho shore managed to do so

by dinging on to pieces of wreckage, and allowing tlio waves to .sweep them in. As soon as proper assistance arrived, the rescued men wore provided with such clothing as could be obtained from the people aliout, and sent on to Newcastle, where they arrived about half past live p.m. They were nearly all much bruised and knocked about, and many of thorn suffered from exhaustion. Four were taken to the hospital for treatment, whilst the remainder were attended to by the .shipping-master and comfortably clothed and housed. Captain Edmonson was well known in nautical circles. He was for ]2 years connected with the A. S. N. Company, and for a long long time had charge of the (runga, the Ocean, and other steamers belonging to that Company. Ho leaves a wife and several children in Sydney. Mr. John Taylor, the chief officer of the ship, was formerly in the Black Diamond lino of ships, and held a master's certificate. He commanded, at different times the Wnverley, Minora and othor vessels. There has been gross mismanagement displayed, in some quarter or anothur in connection with tho handling of the lifeboats on this occasion. It is stated in the narrative of one of tho survivors, that they had tho signals of distress flying from tho tituo thoy sighted Nobby's.