DREADFUL BOAT' ACCIDENT AT SYDNEY HEADS,

West Coast Times, Issue 591, 16 August 1867, Page 5

DREADFUL BOAT' ACCIDENT AT SYDNEY HEADS,

Loss of Eight Lives. (PKOSI Titt SjyDJfE* irfORXIICG HEB&LD, JTJL* 29.)

On Sunday last, about nine a.m., a "heavy shower of rain fell over the city, and as the' day advanced the wind veered round from the ritfrth to tho south, and at about four p.m. it was evident tliat the night would be a wild one. At that hour the winfd began to blow stiffly from the southward, and heavy rain fell, which only abated at distant intervals. The night was very stormy, and heavy gusts of wind, almost reaching the force of a hurricane, swept over the city. At daylight yesterday morning the gale continued from the south, and, as may be siippdsed, a very heavy sea was rolling in at the Heads, the" rain and mist obscuring the horizon. The ship' Strathdon, from London, hove in sight about eight a.m., and it was iv endeavoring to board this vessel that the pilots were lost. The men who lost their lives were in the performance of a perilous and not overpaid duty — braving the waters to reach the vessel, the pilot-boat in command of Mr Robinson was capsized. Another boat, in charge of Mr Eobert Green, brother of the champion sculler of this colony, was near, and picked v up the men who had been thrown out of the piiot-boat. In a short time the sitccourers met with a similar disaster. One of the boats that had put off to the rescue of the crews when the accident was noticed from the shore shared the fate of the other two ; and thus eight lives have been lost — valuable lives, for men that follow the occupation df the brave fellows that have perished are not ordinary people ; by day and night, in calm and storm, they have no choice but to go where duty calls them ; and while we mourn their untimely fate, we cannot but feel a glow of pride that no prospect of danger, or even of death, aa shown by the upsetting of the first two boats, prevented others from starting to the rescue, and, ns it afterwards proved, even sacrificing their lives in the terrible adventure. Tho scene at Watson's Bay, duriDg the time that elapsed between the occurrence of the first accident and the return of the boat in charge of Pilot Jenkins, was of a distressing character. The wives, children, and friends of those known to have been in the capsized boats were collected on the pier and tho beach, the intense anxiety to learn who had been saved and who lo.t might be traced on every countenance, and when the fatal- truth was disclosed it was indeed pitiful to witness the result. Some idea of tho extent of grief this calamity has caused, may be formed by the fact that three of those drowned leave thirteen orphan? and three widows to weep and mourn. The details of the catastrophe may be told in a few lines. Tho Strathdon was signalled off the Heads at eight a.m. yesterday, and it being Pilot Eobinson's turn, ho went off to meet her. Mr Eobert Green, with the brothers M'Cleer, proceeded in their own boat in company with the pilot-boat. At this time it was blowing a strong gale from S.W., with a high sea. Between the south reef and a point of land known a3 the Old Man's Hat a sea broke on board Pilot Eobinson's boat, and immediately capsized her ; Green, being close alongside, managed to get Mr Eobinson and Ins crew of four men into his boat, but immediately after he was capsized. The accident being obserred from the look -out station at the South Head, the alarm was given, and Pilot Jenkins in one boat, and Pilots Shanks and Keeder in a second, put off to the assistance of tho drowning men ; but ju4 before reaching the scene of the accident Pilot Shanks' boat was capsized. With this accumulation of misfortunes, Pilot Jenkins could only act as he has done, viz. — to take on board all his boat would carry ; and he managed to save Pilot Shanks, the brothers M'Cleer, and three of Pilot Robinson's erew — Pilot Ree !er having at this time gone down. Pilot Jenkins seeing that his boat would be overpowered if any more weight was placed in her, pulled direct for Manly Beach, aud after landing the rescued men, returned to the spot where the accident happened, but all vestige of boats or crew had disappeared. Shortly after tho pilots leaving, the lifeboat, manned by fishermen and residents of Watson's Bay, pulled out to render every help, and after cruising about for some time, in the hope of falling in with some of the men, had to run for Manly Bo.ich. Captain Hixson, immediately on hearing of the accident, engaged . the steamer Vesta, and proceeded to the Heads, crossing and recrossing in the vicinity of the accident several timeß, but beyond tlio broken portions of the boats nothing could be discovered. Inspector Ferris, with a boat's crow from the Water Police Office, also proceeded to ' Watson's Bay, ond ivill make diligent search for 'the missing bodies when the weather moderates. Three of- the men rescued are so badly hurt that they could not be removed from Manly Beach. It is stated that Mr Green desired his boatmen to take their chance in Pilot Jenkins' boat, determined to remain by his own swamped craft until further aid arrived. The following are the names of those drowned : — Pilot Thomas Robinson, Pilot Reeder, Mr Eobert Green, W. Park, E. Curtis, J. Welch, Domingo, and J. Santos. Mr Robinson leaves a widow and seven children, Mr Reeder leaves a widow and two children, and Mr Green a widow and four children.

Amongst the importations by the 6teamer Gothenburg, from Melbourne, we noticed several carcases of beef that certainly looked in splendid condition after the pea voyage, and must, we should imagine, prove delicious eutiug after a seven days' exposure to the cold, pure sea air. The greatest part of the beef was purchased by Mr Moffatt, butcher, of llevoll street.