THE DISASTERS AT NEWCASTLE.

West Coast Times, Issue 262, 26 July 1866, Page 3

THE DISASTERS AT NEWCASTLE.

(feom: the sxbneY empibe.)

The arrival of tho Morpeth steamer, yesterday, put us in possession of full particulars of the melancholy disaster which took place there in connection with the late storm. The Newc istle papers an in mourning in consequence of tho fearful loss of life recorded in their columns. The " Standard " says :—

The fearful disas'xsrs that have befallen the shipping on this coast within the short space of twenty-four hours are the one eubject which absorbs the attention of every inhabitint of Newcastle — the one topin of cmversat"on among them all. Between the hours of two in the afieruoon of Thursday and the same hours on Friday no leas than five vessels were wrecked within sight of Newcastle, and more than a hundred souls suddenly called o their eternal account, besides many minor casualties which are now scarcely thought of, but at any other time would occupy a considerable share of public attention. The singularly beautiful weather wo have so long enjoyed changed ou Wednesday; and the sky tiat for weeks had been almost cloudless became overcast. Towards the afternoon slight showers of rain fell at intervals, and as night closed came down heavily. About nine o'clock at night it rained in torrents, and continued with scarcely an intermission the whole night. The wind in the meantime had changed from west to about east south east, and increased during the night to a gale', bringing up a tremendous sea, which broke with irresistible force upon the coast. The reef outside Nobby's was one sheet of foam ; and*a heavy surf rolled into the Oyster Bank, one of the most dangerous bights known to the navigator on any coast. About 8 o'clock in tbe morning of Tuesday, the ketch Prince Patrick worked into the harbor beautifully, but the gale had not attained to that terrific force it reached at noon and at a later hour of the day. Contrary to expectation, Capt. Adams, of the Coonambarra, resolved to leave for Sydney, and sailed about 11 o'clock. On reaching the breakers at the entrance of the harbor a sea struck the vessel on the starboard bow and seemed to spin her round like a top, but she righted immediately and recovered her course, leaving the harbor without further impediment to her progress, but with a frightful sea and a terrific south-easterly gale to encounter on her passage to Sydney. jNo telegram had reached Newcastle up to last night of her safe arrival in Sydney, but it is hoped that she put in for shelter to Broken Bay. Shortly before noon a brig was signalled from the light-house, which, upon nearing the harbor, was discovery to be the Victory. The rain was coming down in torrents at the time ; but the interest excited by the brig's approach to the port, and a fear that she might not enter it in safety, were " so great that , largo numbers of persons crowded to the wharf and on Jboard the shipping anxiously watching the result. Fov some time she appeared, as seen from the B hore, to be in most imminent danger, but ■waa evidently handled with consummate skill. Just as she had arrived at that point when the least thing might have caused her inevitable loss, a Bquall of rain came ou, which nol only totally obsc ured her from view, but rendered the vessels lying iv the harbor almost invisible. When it cleared off, the gallant craft was safe inside, and camo to anchor off the North Shore, near Scott's patent slip. Up to this time in the clay the two vessels that entered the harbor had triumphed over all dauger and found security ; but a catastrophe was impending which with the exception of the loss of the Dunbar, has not only cast a gloom over tho whole of tho city, but completely paralysed all branches of trade. Nothing is thought of or spoken of but tho event, which will henceforth, stamp the 12th of July, 1866, with such melancholy celebrity in the history of Newcastle. The Cawarra, almost a new boat, of 500 tons, belonging to tho A.S.N. Company, left Sydney at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, with a full cargo and a large number of passengers. She was signalled between 12 and Ip.m. on Thursday, well away to the eastward, and steering frr the port, when Mr Jesse ITannoll, superintendent of the lighthouse, spoko her ; showed a signal of " bar dangerous ;" and warnod her not to try and outer the harbor. She, however, inado the attempt, but instead of putting all steam on which she should havo done, her engines wero stopped, and when near Nobby's a heavy sea struck her on the port quarter and sent her nose towards Nobby's, leaving her right across the entrance of the harbor. Her stayforesail, which appeared to have been unshackled before, was set, and she then went astern some distance towards the Oyster Bank, close to tho mast of the Eleanor Lancaster, where she remained a full quarter of an hour, as if she were at anchor, the sea going completely over her all tho time. He foretrysail was then set, and she forged ahead, apparently coming out of all danger, when sho was suddenly struck by a heavy 6ea, and she settled down forward ; her head then turned to the eastward, the seas then went right over her, aud at length an immense wave struck her on the quarter, turned her head to the northward, and she began to settle down. It is thought that at tin's moment the fires in the engine-room were extinguished, as itmne- 1 dintely after tho last wave struck her a jet of steam was observed to rush from her steampipe. Immediately afterwards the sea struck her again, and carried away the funnel. At this time people could be distinctly seen grouped together on the poop, and tho rigging, particularly on the mainmast, was also crowded with people. Successive seaa continued to break over her, and the mainmast soon went by tho board, carrying with it those who were clinging to the yards and rigging, and others were washed off the poop. Tho ship had now become a total wreck; and sea after sea swept over her, each succeeding one carrying off eonae of the unfortunates, who, it appeared, still hold, on with deßporate tenacity, until entirely Exhausted. The only one at length visible was a man in the foretop, who signalled in vain for assistance to the crew of the lifeboat. Twico was tho mast swept by tho waves, and still ho held on ; but as ho was in the act of waving something ho had in his baud as a signal for tho third time, a monstrous wave e«gulphed him, and he waß eoen no more. Soon after this tho vessel appeared to part in the middle; the foremast went down with tho fore part, and within an hoar after she be-

came disabled not a vostigo of her was to bo seen. As soon as her position became known, the town almost emptied itself to see tho result, but without the smallest possibility of being able to render tho least assistance towards saving anyone on board. Although the sea was breaking heavily over tho breakwater, it was completely thronged with people in its whole length, exposed to the drenching rain, and tho waves, which threw their spray over them eve/y second, and the new embankment wharf, and the decks and rigging of tho vessels at the wharf, and moored in tho harbor, were crowded with citizens for seamen. When the position of the vessel became dangerous, a universal cry arose of " Where is the lifeboat ?" Bn 1 ; no lifeboat was visible, nor were any preparations made for launching her. The flag for the lifeboat to go out was hoisted nt the lighthouse as soon us the Cawarra got into difficulties, but no sign of any lift* boat was to be seen, nor was she launched until she wus not likely to be of any assistance. An intense feeling of indignation pervades the public mind that the means spociolly intended for t-aving human life in case of siiipwieck should not be available at a time of the most pressing necessity, when the lives of a hundred fellow creatures wero dependent entirely untiivly upon the services of the lifeboat, which never went near them until it was too litt.: to be of any use, and for all the good it did it might as well have been in a glass case. It is impossible to cdnceive that men would deliberately stand and sco their fellow creatures perish, bat that there has been the most culpable neglect somewhere in the management of the lifeboat, either individually or by the fault of the system by which it is mnniiged, cannot be doubted. In a matter of suth gravity it would be highly unbecoming now to express an opinion reflecting upon any, but we would suggest the imperative necessity of instituting a most strict and searching enquiry into all tho circumstances connected with the non-appearance of the lifeboat ab a sceuo where her services might have been instrumei ta) in saving the lives of so many human beings. The lifeboats of tho Chatsworth and , Maggie Von. Hugg, and from other vessels wore out long before there was any appearance of our public costly apparatus being put in 'motion, and they ventured aB near the wreck as it was possible for them. Great credit is duo to the crews of these boats for volunteering in so dangerous a service, and the greater shame lies at the door of those who had tho direction of the lifeboat. The honor of saving the life of the only survivor of the passengers and crew of the Cawarra is due to Mr Harry Hiumell, son of Mr Jesse Hannoll, Mr H. Johnson, first lighthouse keeper, and a fisherman, who went out in a dingy, and seeing Hedges floating near tho red buoy, Mr Hannell got him into the boat in a state of great •exhaustion. It is worthy of remark that Mr Johnson is the 6ole survivor of the Dunbar, and in some sort has done all in his power to save tho life of another planed in similar circumstances. He was conducted to the pilot station, where he was attended to with the greatest care ; and, after being rubbed with flannels, and hot bricks applied to his feet, and covered withblunkers, lie was at length brought round, and Mr H. Eouse and Mr Taylor very kindly sent some brandy for his use. Alter stopping at the pilot station until he was able to bear removal, ho was taken to the Great Northern Hotel, where he received every attention ; and Mr Gardner, beinsf made acquainted with his arrival, presented him with an outfit. He had all that he required supplied to him by Mr and Mrs Winch, and after a night's rest felt quite restored, with the exception of stillness of the joints and soreneßS from being so long exposed to the mercy of the waves. From bis lips we are enabled to supply the following narrative of what took place on board from the time the vessel left Sydney until he quitted her and took his leap for life :—

The Cawarra left Sydney at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, and cleared tho Heads at 6 p.m., with fresh breeze from the E., accompanied by heavy squalls and thunder and lightning ; made the land at 11 a.m. on Thursday, and 'Nobby's at 12 o'clock noon ; but it came on co thick after we sighted Nobby's wo could i not run down. The captain lay -to till tho squall was over, and kept away till half-past j 1. We tried to come into tho harbor, but as we were coming in our jib blew away ; as wo were rounding 'Nobby's a 6ea struck the ship on the quarter aud rounded her head towards the breakers, and several heavy 6eas then broke over her forward and filled thefore-cabin ; we drifted towards the Oyster Bank, and the ship cantered round aud her head fell off towards the sea, and the first sea that struck her swept her lore and aft, filled her decks, and knocked in the poop ; she then fell ofl, broadside on to the eea. • The captain gave orders to clear the boats and lower them, and the cutter succeeded in getting clear of the vessel. The chief engineer, I think, some of the firemen, and several of the passengers, wore in the cutter ; , I was then clearing the lifeboat for lowering, and some Chinamen and other passengers jumped into it, but were ordered out by the captain, who said the women must be allowed to go in first, and a lady (one of tho „ passengers) aud some of the men got in, when tho after-tackle was let go or carried away, and the people who wore in her were all thrown out, and fhe was lef. banging by her fore-davit ; I was one of the two hands ordered to clear lu*r ; I was at her bow tackles ; I never satv tiny of the peoplp who were in her afterwards ; I i limbed into the lee main rigging till tho funnel went overboard, and tho next sea that struck her I went overboard myeolf; 1 got hold of one piece after another of the ,wreok floating übout till 1 got hold of a big plank and swum clear of the wreck ; I wjib to tho northward of the red buoy, and was picked up by a dingy with thrco men in it aud taken to the pilot station ; I never saw the captain after the order was given to clear away the boat ; I think ho was carried away when tho poop was smashed in ; the second mate and a passenger were loosening the foresail, and the second mate must have been the man that signalled the lifeboat ; he stopped up there, as he could not get forward at that time, as the ship had eett ed and decks were full of water and swept by the sea ; the crew mustered thirty-eight all told, and there must have been about 100 people altogether on board — judging from those I saw about the decks. Tho Cawarra had a full cargo and her usual deck load ; we "never lot go the anchor ; | I only saw. one female saloon passenger and the stewardess, but there might havo been more ; the fires wore put out by the first sea that struck the ship after sho was put head to sea — it filled the stokehole ; sho would not pay off with tho fore topsail set ; sho took in a great quantity of water when sho was lying with her head towards Nobby's ; I know it was the captain's impression it was the ebb tide, because I heard him speak to the second mate about it ; as 6oon- as the fires were out she canted round broadside on jto tho Bea I and sunk.

Frederick W. Hedges, the hero of this melancholy narrative, is a man of intelligent and prepossessing appearance and unassuming manner, and, in point of education, is evidently superior to most of his class. Ho was bom in Bristol, and is thirly-one yoare of age. Ho was apprenticed to tho sea, and after serving his apprenticeship came out hero, Arriving in the colony in 1857. He has sometimes workc ' at the diggings, and sometimes followed hi.- "profession as a seaman — in tho latter capaciij generally in tho employ of the A.S.N. Company, and he declares tbat the Cawarra was tho finest seaboathe was ever in. She had twenty tons of iron on deck.