LOSS OF THE ‘MEGÆRA.’

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 4, 11 October 1871, Page 3

LOSS OF THE ‘MEGÆRA.’

Tiie following arc the principal particulars relating to the wreck of H.M.S. ‘ Megaara ’: — On the night of the Bth June, when in latitude 39 - 2 south, it was discovered that the ship leaked considerably, the pumps were therefore manned ; on the 12th the leakage increased, and the donkey pump was put to work, men also bailing. This was continued till the 15th, when the water still gaining, steam was got up, in order to use the bilge pumps. The vessel was then run for St. Paul’s Island, with the hope that the ship’s divers might be able to siop the leak. She arrived there on the 17th June, after lying-to in a heavy gale the previous night. On the 14th an attempt had beeu made to stop the leak by placing a plate lined with indiarubber on the inside, but without success - The leak appears to have originated in a plate which was much worn, the edges of the hole being so thin that they could be easily bent with two fingers. Shortly after arrival the ship carried away her anchor (bolli flukes and crown). Another anchor was let go, and the screw kept going to case the cables ; men working continuafly at the pumps. Captain Thrupp having ordered the three chief engineers on board (belonging to ‘Megaara,’ ‘Blanche,’ and ‘Rosario’) to examine the ship, they reported that the ship was unsafe to proceed, even if the present leak was stopped, as the plate was so much honeycombed ; but still Captain Thrupp does not appear to have abandoned all hope of being able to repair sufficiently t® go on. On Sunday, 18th June, the chip parted her cable close to the anchor; and the sheet anchor was let go. There was not suflicieut space in the anchorage to use more than one anchor, the wind shifting very suddenly with heavy squalls. The divers found several rusty places on the bottom of the ship, some of considerable extent; and at the one near the leak the corners of the plates were quite eaten away ; whilst ou the inside, the ship having been further cleared of water, the chief engineers found that the girders were eaten at the bottoms, some quite, and others nearly through ; one of the worst raa across the plate with the leak. The pumps were constantly becoming choked with pieces of iron about the size of a five shilling piece ; these were evidently from the ship’s bottom, as the cement was still on many of them. On a review of these things the captain considered it would be worse than useless to try to continue the voyage, the nearest port of Australia being 1800 miles off, and the ship having on board over 400 people. Accordingly, on thie Suuday (June 18), after prayers were read, the crews were informed that the ship could not proceed. Every *ndeavour was then made to land provisions and stores. Tne ‘ Megscra’ was anchored in the snuggest spot that could be found. A Frenchman living on the island pointed out the place used by whalers resorting thither. On the following day (19th), although steam was kept up to ease the cables, she carried away her third anchor. Several

boats were at this time inside the bar landing provisions. As the wind was increasing, it was of no use to anchor again. Though steaming with full power, the ship’s head twice paid off, and she was only saved from going on the rocks by steaming full speed astern ; and it was as much as could be done to prevent her being blown away from the island. As it was certain the ship could not remain in this dangerous position during the next night, and there was only only one anchor left. Captain Tlirapp decided to run the vessel aground on the bar, which he did in the afternoon, and let go his remaining anchor and kept the steam going to prevent the ship slipping off; she bumped heavily, and the water rose immediately inside, and soon extinguished the fires. The ship remained upright with 12 or 14 feet of water in her.

The work of landing provisions and stores was actively resumed, officers working as well as men filling coal bags, and landing coals and tanks to distil water; the charts stating that there was no water on the island. The men behaved very well, and no cases of drunkenness occurred, though there was no lack of temptation. Two boats belonging to the island were manned, loaded, and unloaded entirely by the officers. Theie were several old sheds and houses on shore, which, with tents erected from sails, afforded shelter for men and stores. Biscuit appears to have been the. only thing short for some time. Water was discovered in abundance, and as it rains pretty frequently, there was little apprehension at first on that score. Any quantity of fish and crayfish were to be had, the fishing party catching as much as 1501bs. a day while the weather was fine. Turf was cut in qnantities for fuel and stacked, and arrangements completed by the 2411 i for condensing water at the rate of 300 gallons a day. Sunday, the 25th, prayers were read on board the ship, and no work done. On the 26th a signal staff was erected, and a hose completed to bring the fresh water from the cliffs down to the camp, by which much labour was saved.

There were about 100 wild goats on the islands. Some few cabbages and potatoes were found, and quantities of mushrooms. There is a curious hot water spring, strongly impregnated with sulphur. The men used this water for washing clothes ; it lathered well with a clay found near it, which made excellent soap. The climate appears healthy ; up to the 26tli only six persons were on the sick list, some of them with bruizes and cuts. By the 29th everybody Avas under cover, and living on shore.

During the first week in July the weather tet in wet and cold; thermomcr below 40 degrees at night, and snow lying on the ground. A few cases of rheumatism, diarrhoea, and dysentery occurred, but owing to the care taken to keep the men dry, and the exertions of the medical officers, only eight cases of sickness were reported on the 10th of the month. On the 6th a large old building, of loose stones, was blown down ; but fortunately the persons inside were uninjured. After being three weeks on the island, the allowance of provisions was reduced to below one-half—with no flour. The men’s clothes were much worn by the rough work they had undergone. A great many bottles and a life-buoy were set adrift well out at sea, with accounts of the shipwreck.

Grasses, herbs, dandelions, &c., wero gathered and eaten as substitutes for vegetables to prevent scurvy ; the men having been along time on salt provisions. During bad weather little fish could be caught. It was not until the 16th July that a vessel came near enough to be within sigual, though others had been seen. This was the Dutch ship Aurora, from Amsterdam to Batavia, with a small general cargo Lieutenant Lewis Jones, who had been ordered to be in readiness, went out to her at once in the lifeboat, which returned in a few minutes, leaving him on board the the Dutchman. The master of the Aurora offered to take twenty men, and do anything in his power, but night coining on he was set to lecwaids, and went on his voyage, By this means the intelligence of the Magaera’s disasters was conveyed to England. The steamship Oberon, with Lieutenant Jones on board, reached St. Paul’s ou 27th August with supplies, b} f which time the short allowance of provisions was beginning to be much felt, and the water supply getting low. Too much praise cannot be given to Captain Veiser, who refused to receive any payment for conveying Lieutenant Jones, and appeared to regret very much that he had been unable to render more service.

Meanwhile, on sth August, a Dutch barque bound for Padang had been sighted. Navigating Sub-Lieutenants Roxby and Haslewood, and Mr. Cummins, Assistantpaymaster, who was sick, weic sent away in her. She aTso took two men belonging to the ‘Basilisk,’ and mails and despatches. The sea was running so high that only a little flour could be procured from her, and two boats’ crews narrowly escaped with tlioir lives ; the lifeboat was stove in, and half filled with water, and the cutter, towing astern, filled, and was drifted away to sen. The ' Mountain Laurel ’ also called off the island on the Bth Angus,, bound to Batavia, from Cardiff, with coals. H.M.S. ‘ Rinaldo ’ arrived at St. Paul’s, from Singapore, on 29th August, and next morning the P. and 0. Co.’s steamer ‘ Malacca,’ but it came on to blow so hard that they had both to stand out to sea ; the ‘ Rinaldo ’ having lost two anchors and the ‘ Malacca ’ one. The latter returned on the Ist September, and, the day being fine, embarked nearly 300 officers and men, with their baggage. The ‘ Malacca ’ lost another anchor on the 2nd, and put to sea ; the ‘ Rinaldo ’ hove in sight, but did not anchor. During the following night it blow a furious gale, breaking adrift boats, and sending heavy rollers into the crater. The ‘ Megfera ’ parted amidships with a very loud report, and broke up. The cracking up of timbers and rending of plates could be heard above the roaring of the wind and surf, large pices of wreck, and boulders weighing a ton, were washed twenty feet above high-water mark, houses and tents destroyed, boats washed away, all in the course of an hour ; and afterwards a large cliff of about 3,000 tons of rock fell down at the entrance of the crater. No more embarkation could be effected till the sth, when the remaining people were got on board, with great danger to their lives ; the captain of the ‘ Malacca’ remonstrating strongly against remaining longer on account of the danger to his vessel. During the heavy gale the ‘Malacca’ appears to have made bad weather of it, gieen seas washing over her. Several men were more or less injured, and much of the officers’ property destroyed. This storm, as it may be called, is said by people on board the ‘Rinaldo’ to have beeu the most severe they had ever encountered. Up to the last, the unfortunate ‘ Me-gau-a’s’ people appear to have been in jeo-

pardv. In hoisting up her cutter, theTiotts drew, aud the crow barely escaped drowning. The ‘ Rinaldo’ arrived at King George’s Sound on 6th September, and returns to China. The ‘ Malacca’ reached the sound on 14th September, and Captain Thrupp left for England in the homeward mail steamer, taking with him ten officers, and nine men, to attend a court-martial, which the Admiralty informed him would sit on his return. As the ‘ Malacca’ arrived in Melbourne on Thursday, she may be expected hero shortly. Wo hear she takes tlio return crows to Bombay, after transferring those brought out to the ‘Blanche’ and ‘Rosario.’