WRECK OF THE SHIP BRITISH ADMIRAL.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 59, 13 June 1874, Page 7

WRECK OF THE SHIP BRITISH ADMIRAL.

2L?2?^f "hip, carrying the chief officer away, and he w» not seen afterwards. M'Bwan succeeded in getting well up in the fe»riggu>g, where several others, principally membeA of the crew, had taken refuge. The scene at this tune wss perfectly appalling. The gale »f pearedto increase in fary, and was axcVmpnnfed oyWevV Minand sleet. Theresas came tumbling over the ill-feted tessel, sweeping thedeck and carrying away numbers as. they emerged from their berths, the poor ciwturerf shrkks, » they, disappeared ror the nde, and their frantic efforts to lay hold of storthing within their Tsacb, being enough to unnerve the strongest. One poor fellow, somewhat adtanced in years, who daring the voyage hid been smTering severely from- rheumatism, contrived to reach the. forerigging, anS 2* ±J hed f< ? r hw « f %«»V rope. As the 'seas ,5m orer & n**r\ hh ° WeTei '; ** foßnd **• 'torogth began to fail, and he called to one of the men in the rigging above to help him, The sailor appealed to leaned down and seised the passenger by the SLET'u? J b ?' *", ?» Te "V* «*. «*"g «»re was no hope the passenger let go Lie hold, and was immediately washed out of sight. The brace of the. foreyard, which was attached to an iron chain, sawed **• Mggwg of the foremast up and down as the vessel heaved, clearing off many of the passengers and threatening the remainder every moment with a sinilar fate. Fortunately Daridson, one of the watch, t "£» }"*% Bl i. d IMM « e * t0 «* *&c rope by which the brace was held, and so far they were secure. Just then the mfeen-mast; on which ?!&? tter P op J lon ofthe P»»»engers had collected, gave way with a terrible crash, falling over the side and disappearing in the gulf, with the people still clinging to it. It is thought that the mlzen-msst earned with it the poo v , where Captain Taylor was seen, and as hs was not heard afterwards he was doubtless amongst those washed ? Wa J* i. B , fe , w 11 n " nut « afterwards the mainmast broke right off near the deck, and fell over the side, bringing down the fore-topglllantmast. SL°^ plllMt TV? ft> llowed » the lower portion of tbe foremast where M'Ewan and Davidson were holding on, being alone left standing. A dreadful sea then came full, tilt at the ship, which made her i™ 4 " 1 «J»7 trab er, and sent her bumping on to the rocks. Tbis 1""*'T 30 ? 1 ? 1""*'1 ""*' bxxt «» former providentially was ssiift i e ™ u s sL the , waTe btck *° hii former P Miti ° n - »» d «• succceeded, by Mr Mean's help, in securing his hold on the rigging »7hl ?Z°' T ? e , b S lwa S i had now «•**, and the aft as well as the fore part of the ship appeared to have been stove in. A seaman named Sow was washed out of the forerigging along with Davidson, IVhn w ". BMn no »ore. After remaining in this condition for about 3LK 'i eßßel went down • to >n*oremost, carrying those in the VEfhSd'Sh fVf ? M ' EWM {oUad the ~" "eKlchelet go his hold and floated to the surface. He observed a dark object Deiore him struggling in the water, and cried out, " Is that Davidson f "This*™ f WM i iT !" ' Z*?-\ A TOice WBB thea h^r.houlmg, Ibis way f w tbe timber." Davidson and M'Ewan swam m the dS e eSs lnd ? t ated ' If t Und *~S ° f thß -eA floSngTunnril the Si a M the l .. boatwa » n ' Scatter, who had hailed out about foSJTjT' and on reaching the raft to which he was clinging, M'Ewan •£ZV? ng Wl ?| in !' a man naln^ Wter - Thfl y la 7 «n the their reached tT 6 the breake ™- When^ theße ™* a bo«t •„ if* » 5 P ° in i three miles or 80 f *° m the shore, the boatswain was Esft "f 6 ra ?' V^ IW;hed Und ftboufc 8 o'clock in a ve£ ex. state, and after they had been in the water several Sours and y exhaui7 a r f C named *£?** l^ On the beach TO ben «™ b » d been thZ,, tl £?**■ ? B^ We *° Btir ' aad H Wfts no * * in he had ashore tZf 7 mb M d WUh brand ?» a"^ °* " hi <& had *»♦«»«» ashore, that he was able to move. They then rigged up a tent, and after considerable difficulty, succeeded in %h. ing afire. Vhe survivor J" ld ? ",? Tu Of Al « ander DaTidsoJ «gmeer, of Auckland!2i 1 * ™ d \ ofth c steerage passengers, stated that, being able to iTthe &} W** °v, the " id ? Of the 8hi P' ftnd Bwam »ome distance. n .the hope ot being able to se»e on a piece of floating timber. He oft^ U T im , m i? g ?r? r alrOufc 10 "wn^when he came across a piece of wood about 4ft. long and lin. in thickness. He placed his anne Then con and V°^ d *£» 7^" « Uit6 »" «"«»»«ted coidS! A hen-coop, which bore Mr iNicholson, came close to him on the top ofawwe, and Harrold left tha piece of wood and took hold ofthe opposite side of the hen-coop to Nicholson. The extra weight caused the coop to roll, and both men were submerged soon after by a ln£e sea. Haro d then let go hi. hold, and reached a large plan? not far distant, when Nicholson followed him. In the darkness of the night he did not observe, until he got on the plank, that a steerage passenger named Keys had already hold of the plank. He and Keys occupied each end of the plank, while Nicholson had hold of tfce centre. The last-named became so exhausted that he said, «• Oh Harold, lam going." Harold told him to keep up his courage, as he was Midland could not be far away. A wave came and swept Nicholeon off the plank, but he managed to get hold of Harold's leg, which he held for some time, when the latter implored him to release his grasp. Nicholson released his hold and regained the plank, after eiulmg twjee, but he was so weak that in a few minutes he dropped oft the plank and disappeared in the gloom from Harold's sight. Harold and Keys had now the plank to themselves, and at times each of them was etruck violently by floating pieces of the wreck. After buftottmgthe waves on this frail piece of timber for about fifteen minutes, Harold saw Keys ltave the plank and walk on shore. He followed his example, and got cafe on shore in a most exhausted condition.— Frank Wagardo, an able seaman, says that the ship was under easy sail just before she struck the first time, and that the man on the forecastle wing out « Breakers a head." The chief officer called the crew on deck, and ordered all hands to make more sail, as there was not sufficient way on the vessel to bring her round. The ship struck soon after, and the boats were got ready. Wagardo was on the mizen-topaail yard when the mast went overboard, precipitating him into the water. After toeing in the water for about half-an-hour, he succeeded in securing a piece of wood, to which he held on. A few minutes after, in the darkness, he saw the pig-house floating and he swam to it, and found thnt it had bep D taken possession of by Godfrey Fielding, a passenger, uu Uo ( ! -' - l! "i>'-' b-v »• Wl»*n tl>*y (Tt roar the slier •, Wa-»iircb

taw • spar ibiaid of them containing at least a down puNugm and sailors, but the sea ihortly after washed it over the reef, and when he next saw the spar there ra' not a soul on it. The pig»house oeared the. nnw spot, and the ■hock with which it came against the reef knocked Fielding and the two lads off into the sea. Wagardo •trained his eyes to see them, but they never rote to the surface, again. Shortly after he saw RiohobOn, who floated against the pighone^ and .turned •ad made a gracp, but, f««Ung, sunk out of ' sight . Tits pig-house floated Wagardo ashore, toon after this; without farther mishap. ■ The name* of the nrvivore area* follow :— L. O'Grady, cabin paM«nter t Charhw M'Bwan, third m«U. j John Harold, paaienger } Thomae Jonee, teaman i David K«y«, paMcngerj Joseph Oannincham, •eamaa j David Baker, ieaman j , Frank Wagardo, teaman » Alexander DaTidaon, ■eaman. , The following it a litt of the pertoni drowned t-> Captain Janoet Randolph , Charjet George, flrtt oftoer, OEarlet H. Baker, teoond offloer j — Parker, fourth officer. Pamiuera— Cabin-: WillUm Nieholton. Seoond cabins. Mr, and Mra Thomatj Umtn Oodfrej Fielding, — Altan, JEL Burkett, — • Lawton, Hni.t, Not*' worthy, Oautavowiteh, Andreten; ateward, Stewart. Steerage^ Mrs l>ale, Maggie Dale, Lizzie Dale, Lilly Dale, Meiers Connelly (2), Un Mills, Maggie Mill*, Mist Haves, Miss Mary Frahey, Mrs Blackburn., Connelly, Connelly, jun. i Murphy, Hayes, Hughes (2)^ Brooks, Hart, William Pieroe, James Neville, John Kice, — Hawkins, Bow Und. John MeOarey, WUliam Miller, Dahlberger, Vaburg, andAlleely, steward, Jamet Crow. Crew— Starboard watch sB. Scatter, boatawain; Frank Brjant, T. Rogers, Bezine, William- Tyer, Moloaey, Martin. Peterson, John McCarthj, Edward Carty (a ooloured man), — Murphy, Days, Fleming, McCanl, and Hodge. Port watch : Smith, Bow, Crawn,- Perry, Byan, Myers, Weslej, Roberts, Haveleck. Boys, Liddley Dalton, and Buckingham ; Woods, "carpenter, Marshall, engi* neer; cook, W. A. Pierct. The bodies of the following hare been washed ashore, identified and buried •.;— Matilda Dale, a yoang girl about U-years old ; Mrs Blaokburne, Mra Mills, Mrs Thomas, Helen Hays, Mary Oonley, and Wm. Dyer Pierce. On Friday the body of Mary Trahey was found jammed in the rocks, and from its position could not be extricated. She was coming out to her father and mother, who are said to be keeping a public-house in Ireland street, West Melbourne. The British Admiral was a new iron ship, of 1,760 tons register, and this is her first voyage. It is surmised that it /was the Waterwiteh reef on which the vessel struck, and that it only three or three and a-half miles off shore.