SHIPPING DISASTER. LOSS OF A COLLIER. ONE ENGINEMAN DROWNED.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 375, 8 June 1889, Page 5

SHIPPING DISASTER. LOSS OF A COLLIER. ONE ENGINE MAN DROWNED.

Early on Friday evening, the 24 bh ulfc., the well - known steam collier Duckenfiold, owned by Messrs J. and A. Brown, of Newcastle, while on a trip fiom that port to Sydney, ran ashore on Long Reef, situated a few miles north oi the Sydney Heads. She remained there for about a quarter of an hour, then rolled off into deep water and sank. Including the captain, there were 13 hands on board, all ot whom, with the exception of the donkey engine man, James Struthors, were saved. The Duckenfield was in charge of Captain Hunter, who says that the steamer left Newcastle at four o'clock on Friday morning for Sydney, with coal and copper. All went well until Long Reef was reached. A nasby choppy, and at the same time heavy, sea was running, with thick dirty weather, so that it was impossible to see the distance of a ship's length. The wind was about S.S.W. at the time of the accident. About seven a.m. the Duckenfield ran upon the reef and became fas). Captain Hunter immediately gave orders to clear the boats, and in a very short spaco of time they were lowered, and all hands left the vessel. The donkoy man, however, was drowned, the boat in which he was, with two comrades, capsizing. One of the other occupants of the boats, a man named Nelson, received injuries to his leg, and on arrival at Sydney was admitted to the hospital. After remaining in the boats for some hours, the survivois wero picked up by the steamer Hawkesbury, and conveyed to Sydney. The vessel was not insured, and was valued at £10,000.