WRECK OF THE STAR, OF GREECE.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7125, 23 July 1888, Page 5

WRECK OF THE STAR, OF GREECE.

NINETEEN" LIVES LOST. DETAILS OF THE DISASTER. [fbom ode correspondent.] (Bt Telegraph from the Bluff.] ADELAIDE, July 17. A dreadful shipwreck occurred at Port Willung* oB Thursday night last, when the Star of Greece went ashore, and in less than fifteen, tours -was spjit up in pieces, while nineteen out -of a total cxevr thirty-two were drowned. The Star of Greece, which arrived from London on Jane IQth, in charge of Captain Harrower. completed her loading of a cargo of wheat for the United Kingdom on. Tuesday Oα that day she was towed to the Semaphore, and on Wednesday was ready to start on her voyage. Owing, however, to the threatening appearauce of the weather Caj t Ha'-rowes deemed it advisable to delay sailing, and it was not till sunset on Thursday that the vessel got a fair start down the gulf. Although the wind was favorable for a few hours the signs of the weather indicated the imminence of the storm, and a very cold night was predicted for he ship by those who saw it depart. Later on in the evening heavy squalls accompanied l>y hail and rain swept the gulf at intervals, the wind now and again rising ioto a furious gale. The direction of the «ale being from the K.£., it is hardly •* matter of surprise that the Star of Greece should have been driven towards the eastern shore of the gulf, but it reniaius yet to be ascertained whether the gale alone is accountable for the fact of her having been sent orer twenty miles out of her couxse. Hxv proper course lay through Investigator Straits, and it is a mystery how she got twenty-fiv-e miles out of her way. From the moment the ship struck the great white reef facing Port Willunga not only -era* it certain that she would never be floated again, but there was little hope for the safety of the crew unless immediate assistance arrived. The sea was so rough that no steamer could live in the vicinity of the reef, and any communication from the shore, which was only 200 yds distant, was rendered almost impracticable except by means of rocket apparatus. Owing, however, to untoward circumstances appliances of this nature could not be got to the ground until too late to be of service. The news of the wreck created a profound sensation in the city and at Port Adelaide, bet owing to the defective telegraph arrangements between Aldinga auq Willunga the first announcement of it was not made before nine o'clock on Friday morning, when "Wr T. U. Stephens, Secretary of the Marine Board, received word from the Willunga Harbormaster that the Star of Greece was driven upon the reef, and that the sea was breaking orer her. Mr Stephens at once set about to devise means for rendering assistance to the vessel, but little could be done that moment except to wire the Harbormaster at Normanville, where thu nearest set of rocket apparatus is, to despatch it at once to Port Willunga. For some reason or other, however, probably on account of the inability of the Harbormaster to obtain a good vehicle and horses, or because of the bad road, the apparatus did not reach its destination till about five o'clock. It was at nine o'clock on Friday morning that the ship broke in two, and the iniwcenmast went by the board, and the first losses of life occurred; four hands, including the steward, the steward's mate, and two sailors, were washed overboard, and at once drowned. At 10 o'clock the second mate and the captain jumped into the water at the same time, and were seen no niore, six lives being lost within a very short time. The scene on the beach will not readily be forgotten by those who witnessed it. There are few quieter coasts in ovdin»"v times than that ef Aldi gi > ay. b.n on] ridoy afternoon there an oniinau.--!. orqwu. watching the sea all along the sandy cliffs, and went down cjose to the angry breakers.

One of the sailors who is rescued declared that when the ship struok he groped hig way aft, and found the mate and second mate perfectly sober, hut the skipper in a state of intoxication. This is denied, however> by the first mate in hi°. statement, -which is a.s follows:—" I am the first mate of the UJ.-fa.ted vessel Star of Greece. I am an Englishman, 2i years of age. We left the Semaphore at a quarter to 7 o'clock on Thursday night. We got under weigh in the usual manner and we ran with our foretopsail and niaintopsails set for about two hours, a t the rate of six knots per hour. We then hove to. This must have been nine o dock. We braced the jnaintopsail aback and then we lay there till about 2.30 on Friday morning. The second mate, W. Augh, and myself then called Captain Harrower, crying " Land on the lee bow, sir. * The Captain at once came on deck and gave orders to brace up the main yards ;n order to try to keep pff the lee shore. We hardly knew where the land was at the time, but w-e knew we yrere close on it. When we found we could not effect our purpose we olewed up everything and at once let go our port anchor with 60 fathoms of chain. This didn't answer, as she at once dragged her anchor, and we could not stop her with the compressor. The wind was blowing wildly, the night was dark and dirty, so you can imagine our position. Well, in a moment the vessel bumped on Bhore, .bringing her fore and main topgallant mast by the board. This, as near as I can make out, was at a quarterpast four in the morning. Some of us at once took to the rigging, whilst others went into the cabin. VVe burnt innumerable blue lights, and tried to fire our rockets, but we found that we could not light them as they appeared to have got damp. at 5.15 we were washed out of the cabin by a tremendous wave which swept over the vessel, washing away the skylight and the booby hatches, and the cabin filled with water. At the time the captain and myself were standing in the cabin, but the wave struck her with auoh force that we were both carried off our feet. I picked myself up on the port side of the forecastle. When I got in the forecastle I found it was the dryest place in the ship, and I found that all the sailors had assembled At nine o'clock this morning the ship broke in halves just abaft, and the miezenmast went by the board. Now the first loss of life occurred; four hands were washed overboard and they disappeared from sight at once, being drowned. At ten o'clock the Captain and the second mate attempted to swim ashore, and both perished. The sea was runing mountains high and the wind blowing terribly, but they could see the shore, and determined to jump into the water. Another moment and they were drowned. We could afterwards just distinguish their bodies being tossed backwards and forwards. By this time the vessel was a complete wreok, great seas beak in sj aver her, and we were standing up to our wftiata in water. We determined to swim ashore. I took the lead, and called on the men to follow mc. Four or five of the hands did so. We ran to the bow of the vessel, and without any hesitation, for you know it was life or death, I called out, ' Come on, my boys, now or neve.r/ and in we went, and got safely ashore, thank God.' " Now,' said the reporter, " let mc put a question. How did you manage to get so far off your course as to get into Aldinga Bay ?** The mate replied—" That question I cannot answer.. I can only answer such a question when it is put at the Marine Board enquiry." " Let mc ask another," said the reporter. "Was Capt. Harrower sober, at the time the disasteroccurred?" "The Captain was perfectly sober when the vessel went ashore,-** was the answer. " He was twenty-seven years of age and unmarried." The survivors, excepting the chief officer, arrived at the port by coach thi3 morning, and s they passed through the streets on their way to t.*te Sailor'a Home they were loudly cheered by the crowd who assembled, expecting their arrival. The body of the captain has been found, having been washed ashore. The clothing, except the coat, •β-ew on the body, which was identified by

the name on the shirt. The face was slightly bruised. [By a cable messag in another column, it will be seen tua,s tno Marine Board found that the evidence showed manifest •want of skill on navigation on the part of the master.]