THIRTY LIVES LOST. Wreck of a Steamer at Newfoundland.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 206, 4 June 1887, Page 4

THIRTY LIVES LOST. Wreck of a Steamer at Newfoundland.

A St. John's (N. F.) special says: The first news reached here of an appalling marine disaster that occurred at Southwest Channel Harbour, to the eastward of Cape Pay, late on Sunday night. Shortly after midnight the inhabitants of a neighbouring shore were aroused from their slumbers by the sound of a steamship's whistle. Hastening to the edge of the water they peered through the darkness, rain and fog. to locate the position of the steamer. Presently rockets were observed to shoot up in rapid succession. The vessel was only about 400 yards from the land, but a heavy gale and a tremendous sea prevented boats being sent to the rescue. Torches and tar barrels were burned along the beach, and the bells sounded, in order to give the imperilled people an idea of their position. But beyond this it was absolutely impossible to make any attempt to aid the vessel. Heartrending cries from those in distress were borne in on the gale. About 2.30 o'clock the ship made a plunge and disappeared beneath the sea. The storm continued till daybreak, when it subsided sufficiently to allow boats to put off to the scene of the night's catastrophe. Plenty of wreckage was found floating about from which the ill-fated steamer was found to be the John Knox, Captain Bradley, from Glasgow bound to Quebec with a cargo of iron, liquors and bricks. The bodies of the captain and fifteen of tho crew have been recovered, one of the latter being identified by a certificate of discharge found in his coat pocket as that of John McGuire. As the steamer had a crew of about thirty, there are over a dozen bodies still missing. The John Knox was an iron steamer of 135 tons registered, built at Jarrow in 1883. She was owned by Neil Milan of Glasgow.