THE. LY-EE-MOON, Graphic Narrative of a Survivor. Melbourne (via Bluff), June 8.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 156, 12 June 1886, Page 1

THE. LY-EE-MOON, Graphic Narrative of a Survivor. Melbourne (via Bluff), June 8.

The Kev.aMrPoole, one of the saloon pas* sengers "rescued from 1' the ill-fated vessel, Bends the following account to the " Melbourne Age":—"We" left; Melbourne on Saturday, 1 and all went well till Sunday evening. The steamer passed Gabo's land,at a quarter to 8 p.m., when the captain gave the couree that would have kept her clear of Green Cape, and left instructions to be called on nearing the Cape. A few minutes before nine p.m. he same on deck, and then found the vessel heading straight for the reef off the Cape on which she struck shorty afterwards. The engines were immediately reversed, but the thip was too firmly fixed to be removed. Within ten minutes from the time of striking, the forepatt of the veasei, in which was the saloon, broke right away, and drifted towards the shore. Then, turning round and reversing its position, it eventually lay broadside on the rocks on shore. By this time the steamer had canted over with her deck almost perpendicular and facing the shore. All the passengers and crew who were on board this part of the vessel clung to the rigging and bulwarks, some of them being outside the vessel and standing on the porthole. Heavy seas were continually washing aver the wreck, and the wonder is that all the passengers were not washed away.

A Scene of Terror and Dismay. Shortly after;* the vessel still being in this position, the foremast went overboard, the end just touching the rocks. The boatswain and three seamen made their way to the shore on the mast, but shortly afterwards the topmast broke, and that means of escape was no longer available. The lighthouse-keeper, with his staff and seamen, tried for a long time, .but without effect, to throw a line on board. At last the boatswain succeeded in throwing a brass hook with a fishing line attached over the vessel, which was immediately caught by several on board, and a rope having been attached to the line and pulled on board and made fast, one gentleman made his way to the shore hand over hand, but finding that he dropped in to the sea, and was with difficulty rescued, a bowline was attached to the rope and a few got on shore. One of the seamen then took a rope from the ship, and made a guy to a bowline, and the remaining passengers that were saved were then putted ashore on the bowline. Among those saved were five passengers, nine crew, and the steward. Eighteen adults and three infants remained in the saloon after she struck. On account of the stairs breaking away, and water rushing into the cabin, and from the position of the ship, it was impossible to save them. The after part, containing the engineers and steerage passengers, remained fixed on the reef, about 200 yards from the shore. It was impossible to render those on this part of the vessel any assistance. No boats could possibly live in the sea that was breaking on shore, and unfortunately there were no rockets or life-saving apparatus. All the engineers, and the greater part of the crew and steeiage passengers were lost; among these was Mr Morrison, the chief officer. The waves were so strong that before the morning nothing but the masts of the after-part were visible.

Incidents of the WrecK. - Among the incidents of the wreck it may be mentioned that only one lady was on deck of the forepart of the vessel at the time she struck. The third officer, Mr Fotheringham, made a gallant attempt to take her on shore, and had nearly succeeded when she was struck by some floating debris, and instantly killed. Her name has not been ascertained. Mr Fotheringham managed to regain the ship by catching hold of a gentleman who had just succeeded in regaining the vessel himself after trying to get ashore by the mast, This was before the rope from the .shore was made fast to the vessel, and the "attffempt to gain the shore by these two !*was! so hopeful from the nearnesß of the ship }to t^e land, that it justified the undertaking.

(i Cause of the Disaster. '- The Melbourne "Age" says that the lA.j-f.N. Company have had a practice of continually changing their captains, and neiice ho one of them has a proper opportunity to get,,used to his work, for in .scarcely any two ships will the action of ' the', compasses be found to correspond, and there ' are nearly always deviations 'on each »which a captain must watch ,and allow for in steering. Any small deviation of this kind by the compass of the Ly-ee-moon, unnoticed by the captain when hugging the shore northward from Cape Howe, would mean destruction, and thia is probably what has partly caused the calamity. As there are no rdeka charted on the coast within manf miles of Green Cape, the vessel'must have run ashore and become a wreclc. ' ,' .. ;„,. , was Capjb^in Webbers 1 first voyage in „the Ly-ee-Moon. He' is. a yery experienced man on the coast, having made several ■ trips! between Melbourne and Sydney ,in command of various vessels. His' last trip 'previous' to the wreck ; was in the steamer Birdsgatej belonging to the same Company, and be"was transhipped from'tier' ,in' order],' to, • allow Jof 'her receiving 'Her mbnth'ly overhaul! l> ' ' ' '" 'tw

' List of Passengers and Crew. ( .There were' 81 persons on board the Ly-ee-moon, and only 16' were saved. ■

The following is a full list of the vessel's passengers and crew: — Belonging to Melbourne : Saloon -Mr? Jennings, Mrs Campbell and infant, Mrs McKillop, Mrs Hamilton and 2 Misses Hamilton, Mrs Ellis, M*s Dargener, Mrs Mclntyre, Mrs Coghill, Mrs H. Adama and Master Adams, Messrs 0. G. Bradley, Graham, W. Johnston, B. C« Holmes, A. McGregor. Steerage -Mr and Mrs Shot-, +©11, Messrs R! H. Sperd, RogeVa, Warren, J. Foote, A. Salemenbeg, J. Williams, J. Lumsden, J. Wilson, J. Carroll, j'. Me- , Burney, Morrison, J. F. Thompson. Belonging to Sydney— Messrs A. Smith," D. C. Harris, K. Cox, fl. Lumsden. Belonging to Brisbane— Rev. W. Poole. Ship's company : A. Webber, master ; J. R. Morrison, chief officer; T. Hudson, chief engineer ; J. Hutchinson, 2nd officer; A. McCue, second engineer; James Fotheringhatn, 3rd officer; J. Marshall, 3rd eneineer; W. Thompson, chief steward ; H. Young, 2nd steward t Robinson, carpenter; O. Thorpe, boatRwain ; J. Kelly, bedroom steward ; J. W. Gardener, saloon waiter : C. Coyle, forecabin steward ; E. Bailey, 2nd forecabin steward; J. M. H. Millar, mess-room steward ; Sarah H. Jeffrays, stewardess ; A. Petzoding, first cook ; R. McGuffing, second cook ; J. McPherson, third cook j R. Jones, pantryman ; T, Wing, donkey engineer. The following were the A.B.'a:-A. B. Johnston, C. R Haldrew, P. M. MeNally. A. Markoff, A. Bergland, J. Isbisher, J. Davies, and M. Tyrell. Firemen: R. Gill, H. K. Hudson, R. Seaton, P. Henderson, and Monk. Lamptrimmers ; L. Christian, G. Harvevt D. Johnston, and J. Walker.

The Survivors. The list of the saved so far as at present reported comprises the following passengera :-R©v W. Poole, D. C. Harris, H, Lumaden, A. Smith, Master Adam 3. Ship's Company: Captain Webber, J. Hutchinaon, 2nd Officer ; J. Fotheringham, 3rd officer ; W. Thompson, chief steward; Thorpe, boatswain ; D. Robertson, carpenter ; Francis MoNally, seamen ; Andrew Johnston, seaman • Andrew Bergland, eeaman ; Michael Tyrell, seaman. The Rev. W. Poole was several veara ago pastor of the Baptist Church, Emerald Hill.

A Theatrical Company's Losses. Among the sufferers by the wreck is W. F. Holloway, the well-known actor and manager, who lost a theatrical wardrobe. The members of the company lost their jewellery, dresses, and property. Amongst the lost property are the entire professional effects of ihe following:—-Mrs W. J. FTolloway, Mrs Charles Holloway,' (Miss Alice Deorwyn), Miss Constance Deorwyn, Miss Neta Steel, Miss Essie Jennyngs, Mr W. J. Holloway, Mr Charles Holloway, Mr E. Steward, Mr H. Hodson, Mr H. Jewett, Mr A. Rolfe. The whole company came overland, sending the wardrobes and accessories by sea under care of Mr A. M. McGregor, who is, among the drowned passengers. Mr Holloway and his Company were uninsured. The value of the Lye-ec-Moon and freight is estimated at between £20,000 and £30,000, and the whole was insured in the Australian Steam Navigation Company's own office.

The Scene of the Wreck, It is well known that in clear weather and in" daylight steamers trading between Melbourne and Sydney passed very close to both Cape Howe Green Cape and Gaboieland. Under such circumstances they are quite warranted in doing so,as deep water ia to be found almost up to the cliffy approaches, while in fact the lighthouee-keepers on Gabo Island often hail and speak to passing steamers. The danger creeps in, however, in thick weather, when cautious captains keep well out to sea, though it is known that all round th© coast is hugged as much as possible in order to cut trips as short as possible.

Previous Wrecks at the Spot. Disaster Bay, in which the wreck occurred, has been the scene of a great many wrecks, including the steamer City of Sydney, barque Allan Simpson, and schooner Stormbird.

Eventful History of the liy-ee-Moon. The Lye-ec-Moon was built of iron in 1859, at Blackwall, and had a most eventful hietory. She was built as a blockade runner, and experienced some service off Charleston, in the American war. In her early career she had paddle wheels, and could steam about 18 miles an hour. Her American experience was a short one, after which she was engaged in the Chinese opium trade. She was also utilised as a mail boat, her duties being to intercept vessels, and carry the mails into the ports of China, whence tney wore conveyed overland to the merchants. In 1872, at Hong Kong, the vessel foundered, and was, after being raised, taken to England by Mr Stevens who purchased her. She was then altered into a screw steamer, and after making 2 or three passages to Torres Straits via Singapore, was purchased by Captain Tronton, on behalf ef her present owners, This was in 1878, and shortly after her arrival in Sydney she was completely gutted by fire. Some alterations were then effected to her in the shape of improved passenger accommodation. After this she proved herself most serviceable up to the time of her wreck.

Sufferings of the Survivors.—Their, Heroic Behaviour. The vessel struck about 9 a.m. on Sunday, and those rescued were not all landed until 8.30 a.m.' on Monday. All are doing well, though some were very badly knocked about, The behaviour of the passengers and crew was. exceedingly calm and brave.

<; A lady, being aboj.it to marry a man who was very low in stature, was told thaVihe was a very ;bad fellow. «« Well,'' said' she, if he is bad,' there's one comfort—there" is very little of him." [ ' , „";"*'