FATAL COLLISION IN SYDNEY HARBOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 306, 24 December 1894, Page 5

FATAL COLLISION IN SYDNEY HARBOUR.

DISTRESSING SCENES. >«*

THE STEAMER PRINCESS SUNK:

BY THE TUG AWHINA,

FULL DETAILS OF THE CASUALTY,

(Frpm the " Sydney Morning Herald," December 19,) ~

LyiKg little better than a wreck on.her starboard bilge, full of water, her bow looking towards the beautiful white beach in Chowder Bay; is the steamer Princess, the paiiitul 'evidence of hu extraordinary collision that occurred in the harbour yesterday ,afternoon". Distressing incidents are involved in the,affair,, including the almost undoubted less of two lives and great suffering amongst the survivors.

HOW THE.:ACCIDENT HAPPENED

Mr W..A. Holman, of. Leichhardt, who was' returning from business by tbe-PHn-cess, upon being aaen by a representative of the •" Herald" lash evening, made the following statement:—-" Wo left Chowder Bay at about 5.30, and when about 400 or | 500 yards from the shore the Awhina ran into'us, striking our vessel on the, port) I side a Httlo ; aft of amidships, 'She force of,,fche collision drove.the starboard side of the Princess right under water, and ib was feared that she would capsize and sink. Prior to the collision I was standing on the starboard side' watching the approaching tugboat, which seemed to be dangerously near, We thought that ishe Awhina would alter her course and prevent a mishap; but suddenly, whilst going at a good spaed, one struck our vessel, and I, with other?, immediately caught hold of the.stanchions supporting the upper deck. This proved of no avail, for I was instantly carried , off my feet by the rush of water and immeraed in the harbour. My fear was then that the vessel would turn over on top of us. After the collision, however, the Princeaa partially righted, and I managed with considerable difficulty to scramble up the dock, then almost perpendicular, and caught hold of the bulwarks on the other side. An artilleryman arid myself then helped two Indies to cutch hold of the stanchions. The Princess gradually righted, and several of us started to launch a boat with a view to rescuing those still struggling in the water. I mighb say that the ■' ~ '...;; '■ ■,■'.".

FORCE OF THE COLLISION

was so great bhab the captain was thrown from the bridge into the water, and the ptoker and two ladies went overboard from the violence of the shock. ' The capbain managed to scramble back again to the upper deck, and distributed lifebelts to all the women on board. At this time ib was thought thab the 'veseel .might sink at1 any moment. The stroker assisted two of tho ladies to regain the Bhip, and the captain then turned the vessel's head to Chowder Bay, with a view to beaching her. The fires bad, of course, been extinguished by the water, bub fortunately there was a sufficient pressure of steam to carry tho version to the bead). The Princess safely reached the sand aad slowly settled. While the vessel was making for the beach hnlf a dozen of us launched the only boat on board with a' view to putting off,.and pickins up aboub 15 persons who were

STRUGGLING IN THE WATER,

Ab this time there) appeared to be no im' mediate danger bn'bb&rd, and ib wati hoped wifct tho aid Of.bb^'p'tily Jd'aW to , jpi'evenfc loss 6f life, but unfortunately this was impossible, two children having, wo believe, been .drowned. The launching of the small boafa was attended with considerable difficulty, and only two of us—nn artillery-, man named Botham and'mysulf—succeeded in boarding her. We pulled for the scene of 'the accident as rapidly as possible ; but the sea was exceedingly rough,- and the paddles were of tho moat primitive description: Our progress consequently wag. slow, and in tho inoaufcime several boats had been launched by people on the ehoro.' When wo reached tho eceiie of tho collision, wo found that thoso struggling in the water, bad been rescued, and being unable to see any ftfchcrn requiring assistance we made for tho shore. We followod the Princess, which wns at this stage neariug Chu bench, and used our boat to carry the pasaenjj'srfl from the beached vessel to the wharf.' The women who remained on the Princess affcor, the collision were almost distracted. The decks presented a cad epectaole as the women were wringing their hands and crying for help. After the landing of the first boatload those on the injured vessel recognised thut the position was not ho serious as at first imagined, and quietened down. Thoeo passengers who had been picked up were carried to Thotup. son's Hotel and to the caretaker's quarters, where everything possible was done for them. They' were accommodated for the night, brandy was administered, and steps were taken for restoring the apparently drowned. One woman, who was picked up in an unconscious condition, was resuscitated in the small boat. Had ib not been for this timely action she would in all probability haye been dead before the ehoro waa reached. Upon the news of the collision reaching the shore the whole ol the Submarine Miners rendered efficient service. Two'members of the Permanent Artillery, Messrs Kennedy and Donaldson, who were stationed at) the barracks at George's Head, were among the first to arrive, and wero particularly prompt in getting the boats launched: Before this, however, I learnt that the caretaker, Mr Procter, who lives close to the water's edge, assisted by a workman, had loft tho shore to render aid. In addition to the two ehildron drowned, two sufanb children of Mrs Bridges were, when I loffc, in n very critical condition, bub ib was thought that they were likely to recover."

A TERRIBLY DISTRESSING OCCURRENCE.

A little child-was seen right under the 'sponson, andia Miss Javiej who waa struggling in, the water, seeing the little white upturned lace of the child, 'grabbed boldl of: the little one, and> actually succeeded in raising it up above her head at arms' length.; '.The. .nasty jobble of the $,|J.:B'ea at this moment overwhelmed both girl and child, and the latter was seen no moro. A soldier sprang in and rescued the girl. Which of the two missing children it was is nob certain. At a little distance off was seen aleo a lady passenger throwing her arms wildly about, clutching air, as each succeeding; wave brought her within visw., Volunteer Borland, a Submarine Miner, and the holder of the Royal Albert medal for bravery at the submarine explosion accident which happened some time ago off Middle Head during an Easter encampment, dashed after the unfortunate lady, and swam with her until both were picked up. The lady was identified as Mrs T. Buckland's nurse, and at latent accounts last night was in a very unsatisfactory state and quite unconscious. A littlo boy and girl were picked up by two tnon who came upon the F.cene from a dredge at. work off the bay. The boy was said to be Major Bridge's sod. Many of the accounts conflict in detail as to what really -took place in the moment) of greatest peril> when the vessel lay completely on her beam ends, the heartrending screams of the terrified people causing a panic. What is held oub most strenuously by all who landed in the bay is that the steam tug Awhina onghb to have immediately ran alongside the Princess, instead of keeping off as she did.' Later, the Awhina came in to the jetty and landed two or three at the semi-drowned people, and it is stated that one of her crew

sprang in* and rescued one or more' of the sinking people; Looking at the injuries dove to the Princess, it is certain thab had the 'collision occurred further out in deep water few live* could have been saved. From. tho time she was struck to tho time she reached the sandy beach could not have exceeded five minutes, and it is the faeb of getting her into the shallow that the passengers owe their lives.