FEARFUL SHIPWRECK.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1139, 14 February 1884, Page 1

FEARFUL SHIPWRECK.

Despatches of January 18th report the total loss of the steamship City of Columbus, belonging to the line between Savannah and Boston, and the loss of more than 100 lives. The scene of the disaster was on a reef called Devil’s Bridge, off Gay Head, near New Bedford. The steamer le r t Boston at three o'clock on the afternoon of the 17th for Savannah, and sttnck at 8.45 next morning. The cause of it seems to have been want of attention by the pilot, as he told a passenger who was in the tigging with him after ttie vessel struck, that he lad fixed toe course of the vess 1 and fastened the wheel, and as he was very co'd he went to tlie smoke stack to warm himse f. He remained there twenty minutes, and when he returned to his post he found the ship had veered round. When ha ascertained that the vessel was among the locks, and it was probably, impossible to save her, he put her right in shore, and ran her as high as he could, with the r -suit, tout although she drew 17ft of water the forepart was in lift. Onethird of the nassengers were women and children, not one of whom were saved. One survivor said it was fearful lo see the women swept off. Some riished on d ck with their husbands, and as the fu 1 fmce of the storm broke upon them, realising dl was lost, th y threw their arms around their husbands’ necks and bade them good bye. A few moments later thev were swept o'erboard. A moti er with her child held tight in her arms was borne awav by the waws almost before reachi g the d* ck. No; one woman readied the tigging, and a majority were washed oveiboard by ’be waves. A number \ve*o probably smothered in their berths The stew ard, who was in the rigging with about forty others, says they clung to the sbromls with their fingers. One of bis companions would, every tow and then from exhaustion, lose bis hold and drop into the raging s' a ; but roost of those who were fortunate enough to gain the rigging were rescued. C.iptain S. E. Wrigot was saved. Out of a passenger list of eghty and a crew of fortyfive only twenty-nine were saved.