The John T. Berry. FURTHER PARTICULARS. THE CAPTAIN'S NARRATIVE.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 239, 28 January 1888, Page 4

The John T. Berry.

FURTHER PARTICULARS. THE CAPTAIN'S NARRATIVE.

By the arrival of the Ivlanapoviri from Sydney this morning, we have further details of the burning at sea of the American shipJohn T. Berry. - The "Sydney Herald says : " The Berry ' carried 25 souls, 14 of who ji have arrived here. The crew, consisting of 20 sailors, a cook, and steward, was a mixture of nation- ' alities, including Norwegians, Swedes, Danes, Qermans, and Chinese, besides 1 English and Americans. The appearance of the poor fellows as they came ashore wasdeplorable, in the extreme. Tliey had. , no time to . provide clothes beyond what they wore, and those had been. , a good deal torn in their passage of 67Q* ; mifes in an open boat. Their exposure tOj -„ our tropical sun was very manifest, owing . to the small Yankee caps worn by such of . • them as were fortunate enough to have- any. t head-gear whatever. One especially had. - to wear a portion of another man's drawers, to cover his head. Another had lost ,twa parts of his nether garments, and all were without coats or boots. The captain is. ; James Watt ; the , chief , officer, R~ Matthews ; and there ,was a passenger pi*, - , board, viz., John Beams; all of whonv Altogether with most of the crew, are young r - , men. " The captain is a young fellowof only 2$ ,^ years of age. He states that on the night of „ the 9th iuBtant,iiboufc 9.30, fire was reported. „' by the mate.. He immediately had, tiha •;«• boats pro visioned, launched them) and <. , allowed, them to^drop as|»er,n., Owing to the , v combustible nature of fchacar^o, there, could },><,> be no hopes whatever entertained of getting , „-- bhe fire under or saving the ship. In a very, . short time the forepart exploded, destroying, the foretold, when they at once took.to -the. - boats, he (the captain) taking- charge of, one, and giving .the second mate charge of - the other boat, witfill souls ', lie also gaye- „ him a compa&s and told him' to steer, for, .<* Australia. The captain had also a.compasg,, \ . buUusQhronom'eterwasaccidentallylpstpv«^ ( -.; t , the side when getting things, into the boat.; .; •Ho stood by with, his boat till daylight, but . » saw nothing ( of the otlier boat. „ ,The .Qpn-^,,'* flagration was a. grand sight front} an ai:tist'9 v _i ! t>bint of; view, though 'to him. who ,sv the burnipg,of wha,t ( had,,been his home fos tt ■* fiye years' it >vas,a v,cr,y sad. one., t T^e J.-,T. t - v',; u ', ; Berry \ was as. good a vessel as ever 9a j rried f .' v(1 .the American flag.,, At daylight .Jfcnoyj^,,^ "steered in tho direction of ; Australia, pigftt-^*,^ .ing nothing fcill Sunday nigfjVAvhen^they^,) 'saw a steamer light and 'shortly after saw .Solitary lighthofe^T^^rifa plenty of l bisouits : an'd: tinned, pr.ovisibJiS}ntHdvigh^ - .'ibliey suffpreel great}y f t)ir,ough i4 thir^ rj being iMsi reduced to.ari allQwance of three c ;teaBEjopii-.^ "full sei ; vea l twice Y a- ! da^^fiicH. Deing-^ed? 05 ■ in a-kerob©Ae«tini was :v%' rttfdh? tiUxfttia^W ',bufc <as. they had (}n:ly.H2 ( o f minutes ijtso igetw»?fl /J tl|^ > yra^.jp i to^tp, JSQ .reiiiedy this. ' The captam was unable, to r^taolSfty bi'ValUables'-df^fty ; d§scn|»^ *;* .^y^K.tjjo ,ahip!shph.pers *and^4his4oer6£fioatQ J «Hi lost. They had been out seven days.' ahd seven niglits when they reached here/ •