THE WRECK OF THE SORATA.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1291, 7 October 1880, Page 3

THE WRECK OF THE SORATA.

The following particulars of the disaster have been supplied to the Australanianby the Duke of Manchester, one of the passengers :—: — There is nothing to be said about the wreck until we passed Cape Jervis light. We turned round the light, and then proceeded nearly parallel to the coast towards a point called Land's End — tending rather towards that point. The land appeared like a hill, and I could see no margin to the water. No breakers being visible I fancied that we were a mile or two away from the land. I was at.the time on the bridge with the captain, and I believe he thought the land was tfiree miles away. Sir Herbert Sondford was with us, and I remarked to him that we seemed to be steering straight for the shore. It was a clear starlight night, but very dark, and there was not that solid appearance about the laud which it generally has at a short distance. Suddenly we appeared to have got much nearer the shore, and I said so to the captain. Vei*y soon afterwards, the captain ported his helm and turned , the ship's head to $he right, bringing her nearly parallel to the shore. Immediately after that she ran aground. The feeling was as if she first passed over sand, then some hard substance, and then over sand again. Her head was then in a direction as if we were going to clear, the point in shallow water. If we had been 200 yards further south we would have cleared it. Captain Fowler's object was 1 to clekr the "taijtala shoal by passing through the north channel. He had gone through the passage once before, but in the day time, when the vessel grounded there was, of courso, some excitement. The boats were lowered, but very slowly, and about five loads of passengers we'te landed. Subsequently the steam collier came up, and other passengers, were sent on board of her.' An agreement! Was theh made with the captain of that vessel by which he was to receive #500, jf hf succeeded in towing the Sorata off; or £200 if he tried and failed. Our steam launch was then despatched to her with a wire hawser, but when a certain length had been paid out she w>ts unable ' d>ra# { it p«y further. An ordinary hawser had therefore to be used, but the coilier djd not apparently understand the 1 min^gement of tho tugging operations, and was unable to move the Sorata. Arrangements were made to pull her off next afternoon at high tide, but the two tugs sont down from Adelaide for that purpose did not arrive early enough to lighten the vessel of her cargo, and indeed one of them did not arrive until after high water. Moreover, we could tell by an our which had been left on the rocks bv the morning tide that the afternoon oue did not rise so high. The tugs were unable to pull her off, but her stern was swayed round until her bow pointed directly towards the shore. I have no doubt she' was pivoted ou a rock between the main-mast and the funnel. Had she been allowed to lie in the first bed she had made for herself I think that ehe could have been got off easily by removing her cargo. At about 4 or 5 o'clock on Saturday afternoon Sir Herbert Sanford and I went in a small vessel named the Lady Diana tb meet the Victorian, and in the latter we returned •to the wreck. When we anchored,, -the second officer of the Sorata came ov*er to us in the steam launch, and the ' ladder which was let down for him, falling, broke the steam gauge, and the launch was disabled. During: the njght many passengers were tranascrred < to the Victorian, and in the mdrning we left for Melbourne. Owing 1 to the distant appearanoe of the land Ido not think that Cap. tain Fowler is Responsible for running the vessel aground." <