FRIGHTFUL COLLISION IN THE IRISH CHANNEL.

Te Aroha News, Volume I, Issue 29, 22 December 1883, Page 3

FRIGHTFUL COLLISION IN THE IRISH CHANNEL.

Sinking of a Steamer and a Sailing Ship. The last day of October was signalised by another of those fearful maritime disasters which will make the twelvemonth nowdrawing to a close for ever memorable in mercantile annals. The catastrophe this time occurred in the Irish Channel, and the vessels in collision (both of which sunk in a few minutes) were the London and JjNorthWestern Railway Company's steamer Holyhead, and a German sailing ship— the Al- j harnbra — bound on a voyage from Liverpool j to New York with coal. The liners, which conduct the mail service between Holyhead and Dublin, are renowned all the world over for their speed, strength and power. The Holyhead was a recent addition to the fleet, a magnificent turn-screw boat of 842 tons, and built specially for the carriage of cattle. She left Dublin at 8 p.m. on the evening of the 30th, with 4 passengers, 16 horses, 300 pigs, and a crew of 27 all told. Everything went well till about half-way across, when the Alhambra was sighted. The night seems to liaye been fine, and both vessels clearly saw each other. By some means, however, the sailing ship got into the track of the steamer, and a dreadful collision ensued. The engines of the Holyhead were quickly reversed, but the Alhambra was cut down to the water's edge, and sank immediately, with the captain, his daughter, and several sailors on board. The Holyhead was found also to be sinking fast, and whilst two of her boats stood by the Alhambra, two more were lowered for hor own passengers and crew. All were saved with the exception of two deck hands down in the forecastle, and after the Holyhead sank the boats shaped a course for the Welsh coast. They were picked up eight hours later and safely landed at Holy head. One of the crow of the steamer gives the following account of the catastrophe : The night -was bright and starry when we started from Dublin at eight o'clock. On Tuesday there was a moderate breeze blowing from the south, with a long heavy swell. Everything went on all right until we were within twenty-live miles of the South Stack Light, when avo sighted this sailing vessel, about 11.35. The lights of the shij> ay ere visible for a long time previous to the collision. It was line and clear, and our lights, the usual ones, wore showing all right. When Avesighled the vessel she was tackinu 1 across, but she did not appear then to be coming in our way. As the vessel nearcd us phe suddenly veered round, crossing our course, and before the reversing of the engines could take any effect the collision had occurred. The bow of the Holyhead cut the vessel nearly in two amidships on the port side light down to the water's edge, and phc appeared to sink almost immediately. The rever&ing of the engines took the Holyhead away from her. Captain Hicks, who acted with prompt decision, immediately mustered the crew, whose discipline was remarkable. Two boats were lowered in as many minutes, and put off for the Alhambra, and four men were sent by Captain Hicks to put ropes over the bows. The captain then ordered two other boats* to bo got out to take us oft", it having been found out by this time that the Holyhead was sinking. One of the oiliceis reported that the fore Icompaitment A\as stove in, and that there was a great rush of water into it through three large holes in the bow. We saw the captain of the Alhambra on the deck of that vessel calling for his daughter. She run iup on deck in her night-dress and then went down into the cabin again. Her father followed her, and whilst they were below the ship sank, taking them down with her. The crew of the Alhambra told i us that the bow of the Holyhead went through their sleeping place. The cook was asleep there at the time, and the poor fellow was cut in two. Most of the watch below were drowned. Our boats succeeded in picking up seven, and on finding that no more were on the water they returned to the Holyhead. By this time the rest of the crew and passengers Avere in the other tAVO boats, the last man to leave the ship being Captain Hicks. It was believed then that no men were left on board, but avc afterwards found that the quartermaster, John Buckley, and John Evans, deck boy, had been left behind. Some of the men shook them as they lay in their bunk?, but could not rouse them. Our boats stayed by the steamer until she A\cnt doAvn. The Alhambra sank ten minutes alter the collision. In twenty minutes the Holyhead also disappeared. She sank sloAvly, until everything was below Awatcr and only her lights wore visible ; then suddenly there was an ex- \ plosion, and she plunged doAvmvards boAV first, a cloud of steam and smoke drifting from the place where she had been. The four boats then made tor Holyhead, the lights of which Avere visible in" the distance. We were in the boats for eight hours. The Avind freshened and the sea increased soon after the disaster. It Avas Avith great difficulty that we kept afloat, but of the many vessels we saw the first that came near was the schooner Gertrude, of Carnarvon (Captain Williams), who took us on board about eight o'clock, and treated \ts Avith great kindness, providing us Avith dry clothes and giving us plenty of hot coffee and eatables, and, rather than abandon us, he lost his fair wind to Hull, whither he Avas bound with a cargo of slates. The second mate of the Alhambra gives the folloAving account of the affair :—: — We left Liverpool on Monday morning. When the collision occurred the chief mate was on duty. About a quarter to tAvelve I came on deck, hearing the captain shouting, " Steamboat ahoy !" The steamer Avas then a short distance aAvay. I heard the captain shout out for his daughter. I ran to the ladies' room to call her. She came on deck just as the steamer struck us. I ran to one side and she ran to the other. The captain told us to look out for life-belts. All of us Avere crying out to the steamer. The lady Avent below to the cabin, and the captain followed. The captain, in going^ down, threAV his life-buoy to me. I picked it up and clung to the stays till our vessel Avent doAvn, which she did in about tAVO minutes. All the German crew speak in terms of high admiration of the prompt way in which the men of the Holyhead got out their boats, and say that they could not possibly have been quicker or smarter. i The steward of the Alhambra, an Irishman from Armagh, makes a statement which may throw some light on the cause of the accident. He states that the mate, who is among the lost, mistook the masthead-light of the steamer for a land-light, and the look-out did not tell him that there were other lights to be seen. The mate then gave the order, " 'Bout ship." This was being done when, by some means, the vessel Avas brought across the bows of the Holyhead. His also stated that the captain, seeing that the mate was mistaken as to its being a landlight, called out to countermand his order, and the barque, which had been going about, swung back again and drifted across the course of the Holyhead.