ONE HUNDRED LIVES LOST.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 199, 16 April 1887, Page 2

ONE HUNDRED LIVES LOST.

The Shanghai " Mercury " of January 21st gives the following account of the sinking of a Chinese man-of-war and the loss of nearly 100 lives : The Peninsular and Oriental steamer Nepaul, with the mails for Shanghai, was going " half-clow " about 6 30 o'clock yesterday morning, a fog of Borne density prevailing at the time. She was then about thirty-eight miles from Wooeung and eight from the Tungsha lightship, and as she proceeded was blowing her whittle and foghorn. Suddenly the whistle of a steamer was heard quite close to them. The engines were at once reversed, but it was too late to prevent the Nepaul crashing within a few" seconds into the Chinese man-of-war Wan Nien-ching amidships, the war ship sustaining such injuries as to cause her to sink in about three-quarters of an hour after being struck. A lady passenger by the Nepaul says the shock of the collision was but slightly felt on the steamer. When she came on deck the bows of the Nepaui were enveloped in a cloud of eteam and smoke, the result of her having crashed into the man-of-war's boilers. The latter vessel wns then einking gradually, the whole of the saloon deck and rigging being crowded with Chinese. While the vessels were in collision most of the Europeans belonging to the man ofwar leaped on to the Nepaul, eooae catching on to the anchor chain, but before tho last European was able to jump the two ships had separated. The man-of-war went down in three and three-fourths fathomß of water, and when she settled her rigging which was above water was crowded with Chinese. There was great difficulty in lowering the Nepaul's boats owing to a hard frost during the night, which rendered the ropes stiff and unworkable, Six or eight boats, we are informed, wero lowered and at the wreck in about twenty minutes after the collision. While the man of-war was einking, Captain Alderton, of the Nepaul, had the steamer manoeuvred co as to keep her aa close to the wreck as was consistent with safety. A high sea which was running at the time added to the difficulties which the rescuing boats had to encounter, and led to a greater losa of life than would have otherwise occurred. Most of those who were drowned were huddled together on top of,the saloon deck, and were washed off by the waves as the vessel sett'ed slowly down A number were lost as tho boats from the steamer got alongside. The officers had to leap from the boats on to the deck of the man-of v/ar and actually push the Chinese violently into the boats. The combined effects of fear and the benumbing influence of the cold to which they were exposed seemed to have completely unnerved them. Every effort was made by Captain Aiderton to rescue the Chinese washed off the man-o-war as they fbated past the Nepaul, some clinging to pieces of wreckage, while others seemed to be kept afloat by their thick, heavily padded clothes.* Several of the passengers also rendered good service in this line. A strong tide was flowing, carrying the wreckage rapidly past the Nepaul. Beside the boats sent to the wreck, one was kept especially cruising about to pick up those in the water. One young girl, a servant to a Chinese mandarin's wife, who, with her husband, was on board the man-o-war, was picked up after boing half an hour in the water. She was perfectly benumbed and helpless when brought on board the Nepaul, but made a good recovery. Her mistress was alao very nearly dead when taken off the wreck, but was "brought round." Both mistress and servant lost their husbands, who were on board at the time of the collision. Between 180 and 190 of the Chinese on board the man-of-war were rescued by the boats of the Nepaul. Most; of these were taken off the wreck, the others having been picked up while floating p*et the Nepaul. The number eaid to have been lost is atated to be from 80 to 100, but we were unable to obtain precise information on the point. The greater part of these "were washed off the saloon deck, while others are reported to have lost their fives through jumping into the man-of-war's boats, which it appears they cut' adrift, and which was capsized. The collision was due to the prevailing grey fog, which was of a deceptive charaoter. in judging distance, ,and 5 " ,man-of • war -being, hidden by a^fog bank, When the Nepaul was eight miles from.tfte ligHtship the ,piloy we hear, .imagined" he was only three 'miles' distant." At the^time of the , collision the, s c^ptaiii, pilot and, first jpfScfija , of ;the Nepaul .^ere on th^e pridgfy while.in the bow there f ere another dfficer; an .English, '.sea^atf and a Lascar, bo the lookout kept .would lap.poai? to ha vo been very efficionib,, '"' !"' * V ; "' ,' The Wan. N^n-chjng,wa;efr3mTa| ( wanfoo i qnd had ft number "of petty mand4"n^ <iri, board, wVpiwete, 'cdmjteg.t-6 ejGJerfd their New Year^ef'eV.'We" 'und&staiid Mb Wy, o,f.,S..:Young, lateen iS^mineV ,lb the,'CtisttptueK.who died J in'F6tmosa sdme iriotitnß !agQ,vW^ae on board and'Trent^down "with .the yejeej, j . ... , 7

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