TELEGRAMS REFERRING TO THE LOSS OF THE CAMBRIA.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 152, 5 January 1871, Page 7

TELEGRAMS REFERRING TO THE LOSS OF THE CAMBRIA.

London, October 21st. — The agents of the Anchor Line at Glasgow have received confirmation of the loss of their steamer, the Cambria, on Wednesday night. The sailor who was saved is now in Londonderry. His. name is Garland, and he is a native of Omagh, Ireland. No tidings of the missing boats.

G-reenock, October 22nd. — Captain Chenwith, of the steamer Ross, reports having passed through much wrecked matter off the northern coast of Ireland. Among the debris were portions of the Cambria and fragments of her small boats. J New York, October 22nd.— The total loss of the steamship Cambria, which was yesterday rumoured, is fully confirmed by later despatches. There is little hope that the passengers who had taken to the boats have escaped. The coast is a very dangerous one, and it is evident from the upsetting of one boat, from which a single survivor of the wreck was picked up, that the sea was very rough at the time of the disaster ; nevertheless, those who had friends on board need not be in haste to imagine the worst. The coast is admirably guarded by expert, adventurous men, aud it is not impossible that if the boats were driven ashore some of the passengers were saved. The following is a summary of McGartland's narrative, from Londonderry :—: — The voyage from New York was generally fortunate, notwithstanding unpleasant weather prevailed most of the time, until the night of Wednesday, October 19th, between 10 and 11 o'clock. The Cambria was then under sail, and steaming rapidly. Suddenly, when all was apparently going well, she struck on Mistraline Island, ten miles west of Donegal and thirty west of Tbo vessel instantly began to fill, through large holes stove in her bottom, and the fires were soon extinguished.

It became evident that the steamer was hopelessly lost. Efforts were directed to save the lives of the passengers who were massed upon the deck. Eour boats crowded with passengers were launched, and put off from the sinking steamer. McG-ar-land entered one of these, and ho r > no more of the ship or the other 1 •<%•-. v. He thinks there is no doubt . \i the boats were swamped, and that he is the only survivor. Almost instantly upon getting into the boat it capsized. He lost his consciousness, and upon recovery, found himself in the sea, but grasping the gunwale of the boat, which had righted ; he succeeded in getting in the boat a second time, and found the dead body of a lady, .dressed In black silk. McG-artland fwas tossed about for many hours, when he was picked up by the Enterprise. 1 Captain Grillespie cruised about the scene of the disaster for a long time in the hope of saving life or property. McG-artland says almost at the very time of the disaster, the passengers and crew were congratulating themselves on the temptestuous voyage being nearly finished, and rejoicing in the fact that in one short hour they would land at Moville. There were certainly one hundred and eighty souls on board, per, haps more. Londonderry, Oct. 22nd. — Acaieful examination of the coasts and waters for miles around the scene of the Cambria disaster by river steamers, fails to discover any traces of missing boats from the Cambria.

Vessels just returning from the scene of the Cambria disaster in North Channel report that they discovered only a lot of broken spars and a few barrels of flour, which formed a part of her cargo. Nothing is yet heard of the small boats which put off from the Cambria when she struck. Hopes for their safety have not been entirely abandoned, but McGartland reports that the wind was little short of a hurricane. They sailed at a time in which it would have been miraculous for such a craft to live.