SHIPPING CASUALTY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 77, 3 April 1899, Page 5

SHIPPING CASUALTY.

AN EXCURSION STEAMER

FOUNDERS,

APPALLING LOSS OF LIFE

LONDON, April 1

News reached London to-day of a terrible shipping atawt- r j« the English Channel, involving, it is ieareci, annalling loss of life. *3S appears that a special excursion had been arranged to the Channel Islands from Southampton, and the London and South Western Railway Company's fine steel twin - screw ££? Stella, in charge, of Captain Reeks, left that port on Thursday Avith 210 passengers and crew. The weather at. the time was calm, but a heavy mist prevailed, and this increased in density during the afternoon but so little apprehension Avas felt that the captain of the steamer, believing it to be merely a fog bank, did not even consider it necessary to reduce the speed of the vessel, which was kept going at .her full rate through the thickening gloom. The fog, however, showed no signs of dispersing, but became denser aud denser, until eventually the bearings of the vessel were lost, and she crashed on to the dreaded Casquets, a dangerous group of rocks seven miles Avest of Alderney. . The force of the impact ripped a gaping gash in the side of the vessel, through Avhich the sea poured and the. steamer at once began to settle doAvn. In spite, hoAvever. of the suddenness and gravity of the disaster, magnificent order was maintained by all on board, and the captain and crew exhibited splendid bravery. The moment the vessel struck, orders Avere giA'en to lower the ship's boats and to serve out life-belts, the first to be placed in the boats being the Avomen and children, of AA'hom there was a large number, most of them being saved. . Four other boats, heavily laden with other passengers, also left the steamer, but as they did so the inrushing water had reached the stoke-hole, causing the boilers to explode, and the steamer almost immediately foundered in deep Avater within 15 minutes (pf striking. There were then still over 50 peOple on board. .Unfortunately the last boat to leave the steamer before she foundered capsized, and six of the occupants were drowned. The remainder clung to the keel until they succeeded in righting her, and after 16 hours' exposure were rescued and conveyed to Cherbourg by a French tug.

All the other boats drifted about in the fog, their occupants spending a terrible night, biit in the morning an English steamer effected their rescue.

Many pathetic and touching scenes Were Avitnessed, but on all hands astonishing calmness and heroism were displayed.

The first mate, named Wade, had His wife on board. He tied a life-belt found her, and after taking an affectionate farewell of her, declaring that he must stick to his ship, dropped her into the sea, and she was picked, up t>y one of the boats and saved. Wade, however., went down Avith the steamer. .In ninny instances the men on board gave tip their life-belts to the women, and fastened them around their bodies.

Eighty persons are reported missing, among them being the Rev. E. W. Clutterbuck, a returned Wesleyan missionary from India.