COLLISION IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL. LOSS OF 20 LIVES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 331, 5 January 1889, Page 5

COLLISION IN THE ENGLISH CHANNEL. LOSS OF 20 LIVES.

The Press Association's correspondent telegraphs :— The survivors of the crew of the steamer Saxmunclham, of Newcastle, Captain Milne, and of the Norwegian barque Nor, of Tonsberg, Avce landed at Weymouth last evening, their vessels having been in collision at two o'clock that moi*ning, thirty miles E.N.E. of St. Catherine's Point. It appears that the steamer, which is of 1,632 tons, left Newcastle on Friday for Ancona with coals and coke, anol everything proceeded well until aboub two o'clock yesterday morning, when she was run into amidships by the Nor, 796 tons, bound from Stettin with petroleum. The effects of the collision were so serious that within ten minutes afterwards the steamer foundered. Almost immediately after the collision the ■ Saxtnundham's jollyboat was successfully launched, after which the starboard liieboafc was launched. At this time the stern of the steamer being under water, ten men got into the jollyboat and five into the lifeboat), the remainder being engaged in endeavouring to launch the port lifeboat, but owing to the heavy sea they were unsuccessful, and before another boat could be got out the ship foundtred. Captain Milne, the second engineer, ar.d one of the firemen were afterwards picked up by one of the boats, and efforts were made to save the other men, but with out succe&s ; in fact, it was a miracle "jhow any were saved, as the boats wei'e almost swamped. The boats afterwards cruised about and hailed the Nor captain, luit did not get any reply. The chief mate, who was in charge of the jollyboat, warned those in the lifoboat not to go near the barque, as she appeared to be foundering, and they accordingly left her. The men in the lifeboat were picked up by the schooner Water bird and landed at Weymouth, and during the afternoon the whole of the crew of the Norwegian barque were landed at Portland. A telegram from St. Catherine's Point reports that the Nor has been taken in tow by Her Majesty's ship Monarch, and when last seen at three yesterday afternoon was about fifteen miles W.S.W. of St. Catherine's, steering iup Channel. The captain of the Nor declines to give any particulars of the collisiou. Captain Milne, of tho Saxmundham, left for Newcastle last evening. He stated that tho crew numbered thirty. Of these he landed with seven. Ho believes twelvo perished, bub that ten in the jollyboat bavo beon picked up.

Potatoes are expected to be very high in price in Waikato this season, owing to the Australian markets being empty, and the recent late frosts having spoiled a larger portion of the crops*.