FULLER PARTICULARS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 189, 9 August 1895, Page 3

FULLER PARTICULARS.

AN AWFUL MOMENT.

THE CAPTAIN WASHED OVER

BOARD,

FEARFUL STRUGGLE FOR LIFE,

Sybney, this day.

Crane says toe captain, the first, and i second officers, and Captain Fawkes, suri veyed the scene from the bridge, over which the sea stormed from time to time, and from there directed operations with the boats, while men, under direction of the third-officer, worked to get the starboard boat out in order bo have the women safely off the vessel, which threatened to go down any minute. It was then seen thab the steamer must go down before many seconds elapaed, as she was settling by the stern. A moment later a sea which appeared to tower as high as the top of bho magts struck the doomed vessel, and swept her from stem to stern. When it had passed Captain Shannon had disappeared from the bridge, having been washed away by the sea, and with him had gone the first and second officers and Captain Fawkes. Of the bridge itself but a remnant was left). The furious sea found OTHER VICTIMS in those who were clustering round while efforts were made to launch the starboard cutter. The cutter was smashed to atoms, and every hope was fast being abandoned by the few whom the fury of the waves left in tho sinking vessel. One last desperate effort was made by those of the crew who were left, ALL THK OFFICERS HAVING GONE, and a determined, collected attempt saw the starboard life-boat safely launched. A second or two later the Catterthun ROLLED OVER AND SANK. Tho boat launched contained some of the Chinese crew, and they picked up several other Chinese men who were floating in the wreckage in cha vicinity of the steamer. _ Crano himself was drawn down by the sinking chip, bub soon came to the Burface, and then swam to the boat. CAPTAIN FAWKES' STATEMENT. Captain Fawkes states : — The outlook was dirty, the weather squally, and the gale howling and shrieking through the rigging with fury, which accounted for the tremendous sea running and breaking over the reef and the steamer. BOAT AFTER BOAT CARRIED AWAY and the poop and the after part of tho vesßel were going steadily down, when a mountainous pea Bwepb the vessel from end to end and carried everything before ib. The bridge on which we were standing was Bmaahed up. Captain Shannon, two officers, and myself were THROWN INTO THE BOILING SEA. All this happened in a few seconds, aa ib seemed to me, and I did not learn till after what a terrible effect the sea had. Ib swept away the starboard cutter, which was at that moment on the point of being launched. I think this sea CARRIED AWAY MOST OF THE PASSENGERS AND CREW. The men made desperate efforts to pass passengers into the boats which were lowered into the water, but bho rush of water constantly carried the boats inboard. About this time the port lifeboat was smashed and carried away by the sea, one or two of the crew going with ib. Neither they nor the boat were seen after. The sea seemed to rage more furiously as the officers and crew made HEROIC ENDEAVOURS TO LAUNCH THE BOATS, and, even had they succeeded in this, ib is doubtful if any of the smaller boats would have lived. Yeb ib was a very noticeable feature of this terrible scene that CALMNESS AND GOOD DISCIPLINE PREVAILED amongst nearly all on board. DR. COPEMAN'S STATEMENT. Dr. Copeman says When work was transferred to the starboard cutter, I went forward and got into it with some others. Several attempts were made to get this cutter into tho water, bub pitiless seas breaking over the vessel hampered the work terrible. Ultimately a great wave broke on board and SMASHED THK CUTTER TO PIECF/s. Those who were in it were thrown into the water, excepting myself. I managed to cling to a spar of the davibt, and hung there in a desperate condition for come time. I judged the time by hours, bub it could only huve been a very few minutes. Breakers were rolling over the reef with a terrific roar, and the sea was a seething chasm beneath me. How I clung to the spar I do nob know, bub at last I heard a boat splashed into tho water, and heard a hail beneath me. I then let) go my hold and dropped into the watsr with the good fortune that I sank righb in front of the life bout. A moment later the Cafcterthun disappeared entirely. We made ft careful search of the wreck before we left, and stood by until daylight. Fraser was an Englishman proceeding to Port Darwin. The Lorings were English tourists, Captain Shannon was a marriud man, wifch two children. The officers were married men, with the exception of Mr Adams, who was bo have been married in six months. The engineers were single. CAUSE OF THE WRECK. Surprise ib expressed thab the vessel was so close in. Ib is difficult to understand what would cauee the vessel to be so close to the shore. Seal Rocks are co much further eastward of Port Stephens, so there could not be any mistake aa to lights. Captain Craig, an old officer in the China trades, thinks the course inusb have been altered too soon. Had the steamer gone on another quarter of an hour she would have cleared Seal Rock. The vessel was a staunch ship. She had no double bottom, with modern water ballasb tanks, but had a water ballast tank, though nob of the latesb pattern. This would probably cause her to aiuk more rapidly than otherwise,