WRECK OF THE TANTALLON CASTLE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 147, 22 June 1901, Page 6

WRECK OF THE TANTALLON CASTLE.

A CAPE MAIL LINER RUNS ASHORE IN A FOG.

Another disaster off the Cape was the loss of the mail steamer Tantallon Castle, outward bound for Capetown. The Tuntallon Castle, with about 120 passengers on board, was making good headway for Capetown at three o'clock in the morning, when, at a distance of thirty-nine milea from port, she ran into a dense fog. so heavy that it was hardly possible to see the breadth of the ship ahead. Captain De la Cour Travers. one of the oldest and moat experienced skippers in the service of the company, was in charge. From full speed uhead the Tantallon was brought down to dead slow, and that pace, despite the protests of some of the passengers, she maintained until the unfortunate catastrophe happened. Twelve hours very slow steaming brought the Tantallon off Robben Island, the light from which was, of course, not visible. At twenty minutes past three the splendid vessel was aground. The north-west shore of Robben Island is a very dangerous coast, and shoals of sharp rock practically form a cordon round the coast-line. Beyond a gentle swell from the northwest the sea was as calm as a mill pond, and it is most fortunate that this was so, as, from the position in which she struck, she would have been exposed to the full force of the Atlantic breakere had there been the north-west wind usual at this time of the year. ;

Assistance was speedily sent off and the passengers were rescued. The vessel at latest advices was expected to become a total wreck.