MARINE CASUALTY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 451, 5 March 1890, Page 5

MARINE CASUALTY.

1 STEAMER QUETTA TOTALLY WRECKED. SHE SINKS IN THREE MINUTES. Uhe news of a shipping disaster, at. tended with sad loss of life, has reached here. The British and Indian Company’s steamer Quetta, on the homeward voyage, struck on a rock, which, it is said, is not marked on the chart, near Cooktown, with terrible force, splitting her completely through. T here was fearful contusion among the passengers, who rushed about the deck wildly in despair, and crying for lie’p. The vessel sank in three minutes after striking. A large number of those 011 board went down with the vessel. The location of the disaster is in the vicinity of Mount Adolphus and the Two Brothers’ Island. The captain wires to the agents that she struck at 9 last night, witii appalling loss of life ; only 100 saved. EXCITEMENT AT BRISBANE. Brisbane, March 2. There is terrible excitement here over the wreck of the steamer Quetta, inasmuch as she was a full ship, with over a hundred passengers on board, including a large number of well-known citizens, who were going Home on a visit. Her crew consisted of about 30 European officers and 95 coloured men. The ship was valued at £65,000, and is not insured. THE PASSENGER LIST. The following is a list of her passengers Saloon : Mesdames Prentice, Cooksley, Waugh, Talbatt, Ross, Watson, Barlow, Poland, Nicklin, Lord, Whish, Archer, and Lacey (2), Misses Wright (2), Nicklin (2), Captain Whish, Messrs Watson, Gape, Dawson, Nicklin, Archer, Blackford, George, Prentice, Benton, Hall, Debney, and Wordsford, Mr and Mrs Corser and child, Mr and Mrs Davids and child, Master Lord. Steerage: Mesdames Jackson and family, Willett and family, Copeland and 3 children, Lewis, Cross and child, Woodhall, Davidson and 2 children, Coombe and 2 children, Rrightman and 2 children, Misses Williams. Smith, and Whitley, Messrs Green and wife, Wrathall, wife, and child, McSacdery, wife, and 2 children, Jackson, Garner, Ashford, Moore, Jeffers, Alban, Cameron, Dunn, Hurst, Reilly, Gregory, Sear), Murphy, Fulton, Drain, Marshall, Glasgow, Davidson. OVER IGO DROWNED. The steamer Merry England, which has returned from Thursday Island, searched several of the islands for bho survivors, but without success. The total number of souls on board, so far as known, was 282, of whom 116 were saved, leaving 166 to be accounted for, all of whom are supposed to be drowned. AWFULLY SUDDEN SHIPWRECK.

Captain Saunders and Pilot Keating were on the bridge, with bright moonlight, fine weather, and sea calm. There was no appearance of danger, and the vessel struck a rock, six miles from Mount Adolphus, on the quarter, and ripped the whole side out of her. Nearly all the passengers wero on deck at the time, and a panic ensued. All the passengers were scrambling into the boats heedless of the commands of the captain and officers, who remained cool throughout the exciting time. In less time than it takes to relate the wreck the Quetta Fank amidst the cries of those who were left on board in a helpless condition. A large number of both crew and passengers were swallowed up in the vortex never to rise again, while othors floated about and were picked up as quickly as circumstances would allow. Some of those eported missing may reach the adjacent islands, but the hope is very remote. LIST OF THE SAVED. Those saved are Miss Nicklin and baby girl, Messrs Corser, Clarke, Renton, Stodart, Davidson, Wrathall, Gregory, Cameron, Ashford, Murphy, Train, Dunn, Debney, captain and officers : 23 Lascars, 25 coloured firemen, 11 saloon boys. Three Singalese deck passengers and 28 Japanese deck passengers, Pilot Keating, and all the ladies in the saloon were drowned, except one. THE CAPTAIN’S STATEMENT. The captain states that he was on the bridge with the pilot when the vessel struck. He at once rushed to the end of the saloon deck and instructed the chief officer to get the boats out. He then rushed forward, and as he found the ship settling by the head, he endeavoured to get the women into the boat, but she sank rapidly, and ho had only biino to clutch the rigging and throw himself into the water when the stern of the steamer rose completely out of water. The vessel then heeled over and went down, the whole time not occupying more that three minutes from the time of striking.

PRESENCE OF MIND. He undressed himself in the water and swam about for half an hour before being picked up by the lifeboat, which was already full of people, and the water, which was rather broken, washing over the gunwale. All hands but four jumped out of the boat with the view of having her baled out, but the state of the water prevented this being done, and all got into the boat again. This boat reached the land at one in the morning, one of the other lifeboats reaching the shore before it. The captain at once gave orders for it to go out and search for the survivors. She returned full, having picked up all visible. After the vessel struck, the men rushed to the boat stations and cleared them, and to this action is attributed the launching of the two boats, otherwise the loss of life would have been far greater. Not a vestigo of the vessel remains.