Wreck of the Sierra Nevada. Melbourne, May 9.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 144, 12 May 1900, Page 3

Wreck of the Sierra Nevada. Melbourne, May 9.

The ship Sierra Nevada, bound from Liverpool to Melbourne, went ashore afc 1 o'clock Ihig inprning near Londdn Bridge, <a roo-Jf at L tbe back oi'Pocfcseo,. She jX i a J total wreck, there being 'nothing 1 visible, H and only 'fitfe aro sav6d so fat., *^ tThe vessel l was commanded" by Cafptain Scott, 'being 113 days outi A seatnan -wkb'had escaped from" the wreck in an exhausted condition, brbaght the 'first news. Parties we're despatched to search the*beach; Stis belb&gett 'to -'the 'wte'll -known Sierra line. She carried "a i> crew of 28, but no passengers. 'It is thoiight t %n,p'd&!3ible' that tfeere > caa be any more survivors. The body of Cap {-am Scott has been washed ashore* - ' : Oca 'suWlvd'r 'states ''that, "the vfessel struck between -half- past two ahd three o'clock, and 'within ' two .bouts she was a. total wreck. The we&thet -was rough, and the vessel was blown right on to the rfccks. The captain gave orders to drop •tho"aa4ohbf, 'but- it -would ''not [■ hold. The lifeboat was lowered, j and ten -men ,got into it, * but it [ capsized'iinhiediately it-touuh^d fiho water. No rockets were sent t up, as they' 'did not think there was dariger. They were burning lights ' fora pilbt^wben the ship struck. bne man "swam 'aahore, and the other got -askof 6 i Q " & ■•boat. . - " A'hoiher survivor states that they sighted land -three days ago, and that yesterday 1 sail "'was shortened 'owing to a heavy southj-west gale, which ' increased An Violence as -darktae'ss set'tfa* jee shore^iights 'but stood off the - land. The -ship 'commenced 'to bump at two in the morning, and was •'swept by heavy green seas, The-survivors gob ashore wifih great difficulty. There Is barely a vestige of fobs-ship- visible.

May 10. MeGtrimi, "a '-gurvivor of "the Nevada wreck,' states that 1 - when the boat was got ready for lowering setts swept into fecr. The- falls -were cut away and she settled down, nine men-being 7/ashed out'of hey. JFour, men fnanage'd to 'keep : to the boat and she drifted a3hore with them. Before she'stMßk the tfesseMiad been wore round several times and it s'eenied v as %i • the -'wterd ' had changed while the; vessel was trying to 'get clear of 'the lanti, £hus ' Baaking' it more difficult 'Still to get clear of the shore. MojGfa&n "ed'n- ' siders the omission to serve' out lifebelts 1 fatal to the 'majority of the 3rew. He states that just before the J alarm was raised which brought all hands on deck he was conversing with one of Che apprentices on the forecastle. T?he appretotiee^M' " By< GeoYge, somethMg is wrong, f ihe green light h£s changed to red. We are 'getting kstto'dariger.'*' tJjocht after all fcands -were called aft. Seeing two or three seas sweep the deckhe %ent Go the 'boat, as' the - captain had/come on deckand ordered the bdats to be got out. Several othet searfnen -wen tf'"to -clear the 1 port Wfe-j boat, which was sodn swutag ready for : lowering. -The " ship 4n ''tbej mealtime s'irack afvhpaving up on the't'ock*. She tossed -a'bout like a cork atad "-quickly 'filled* The seas rushed 'over the ship.and poured into the 'boat. • Speddfftg was-'com-■pellfl^iteVsut^vAy the -falls.*- 'The; boat, however, pitched tierselfcclear ' and settled t'down, "bat nine men were -washed -outof her, and young^. Griffiths and seaman wete, the 'only ones who sarvived'out of those^ thrown mto ' the ' sea: "!T r he Boat,' after leaving the ship, .was 'driven' inshore^ passmg "between fche' rocis, •after 'wMch /the "Water became smtfoi&er -atid the fotel: me-n N leit> in ! the b(}a't Reached 1 thdfepa^h. It was the pott'a^c'h^r that let go, bu£ aflier tihe^essel she Kept dragging towards ■breakers, and in a 1 fe"w minutes^th,e crash on ' the reef earned Chief "oiß&'cer Orawley 'said "Get the'iick Aiali'o'ut'tf the forecastle and put him into a boat."; That wa3" doce-at once. The siclr man was MoGoy v wh6s^fer \ was ! 6ue' to injuries.received" through falling on an anchor. ', - , ' McCoy festifies'io the ' great "care taken b£ him in getting ashore. ; •, Griffiths '"that"'^^ 'was throw^t'but pf ' the" l lifeboat' when the' falls - w\iie etit ' awayj 'alid -had to "s^rai''for^(3ie~shbfe^ ' iWfcon^ he.' lost; sight of tne-shipj^hp l we?e prwparitfgHX)/ launch 'the^'starbdSrd \ iifebdaft ' ' ' fie' beiieyes Vent td.pieces under'them I .^ ,; ; ' , (