The Cospatrick Disaster.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 37, 25 March 1875, Page 7

The Cospatrick Disaster.

(' Glasgow Herald' January 2nd.) Our Wishaw correspondent writes : — The intelligence of the burning of the ship Cospatrick carries^ with dbuDJl force its taW of woi^ rto'iliho Wis-, haw :: district,, and more to the ■- village Of ;Ne wmain's, as no fewer than ten of the persons booked from Lanarkshire in the iil-fated vessel are from that hamlet. Their names are — ; John Anderson, lately employed as. an engineman with the Coltness Iron Company. He resided with his mother at Stirling Bridge, Newmains.--- Arthur Campbell with his wife and child, resided at Brown Street, Newmains. He was a coal-miner, and said to have saved a considerable sum of money previous to his leaving for New Zealand, where he was going to better his condition. His father and mother lived in Brown Street. — James M'Farland (24), belonging also to the village. He had saved some money as a working collier, and had sailed with the avowed intention of buying land and taking out his parents. His father is toll-keeper at Newmains. — Robert Livingstone (24-), John Livingstone (16), William Livingstone (14), were the only survivors of a native family. An aunt and other relatives liye in Glasgow. — John Torrance was employed at Drumbowie Junction as pointsman, on the Caledonian Railway. He was a native of Ratho, on the North British, Railway, where his parents still reside.— -Maggie M'Queen was a native of Newmains, and the betrothed of Torrance, who. was caking her to New Zealand. It was arranged that they should be married immediately on their arrival at Auckland. Quite a gloom is cast over the village, and at every corner may be seen little groups discussing the appalling calamity and condoling with friends and relatives of those who must have been deprived of life by the fearful catastrophe.

The Agent-General of New Zealand (Dr Tsaac EarlFeatherstone) forwarded a telegram to Madeira on Tuesday asking if any further intelligence were forthcoming either. of rescues or of the disaster itself. The .following reply reached Dr Featherstone's office . on Wednesday morning : — " From Funchal, to Agent-General for New Zealand. — Cospatrick destroyed by fire^ about sth November. Only two" boats with 64 persons left her. One boat containing 5 seamen, chief officer, and 25 passengers, has not been heard of. The second officer and two seamen, were the only survivors from, the other boat, have gone home per Nyanza. Their companions died of starvation." t* 29th December — Consul of Madeira, — The Soukar and Pleiades, both carrying emigrants to New. Zealand, and sent out by the Agent-General for the Colony, have arrived at canterbury and Wellington, New Zealand, all well. These ships are the property of Messrs Shaw, Saville & Co., 0f. 34 Leadenhall Street." Dr Featherstone has also sent the following for publication :— St Andrew's Waterside Church Mission, Gravesend, December 29, 1874. Sir,^»ln case the loss of the Cospatrick prove to be. true, I havesent you herewith notice of the chaplin's visit the la*t time he went on board here. It. may be of some little comfort to friends£as being about the last news of the ship, rlease, make, such u«e; of it as you may think riant.' I have alsoaent an extract, to Messrs Shaw, Saville & Co.— l remain, dear Sir, yours faithfully, John Scabth, Hon. Sec.

v Sep. 10.~Visited the emigrant ship Cospatrick. Again was warmly greeted by the officers, who showed me every courtesy. Visited the married folk's quarters. The mission chaplain commenced collecting the people to a service I visited each berth, giving' books in charge of the * right man,' as I hope. Found much sympathy to help. One man especially promised to do all in his power to forward the good w^ork among his companions and their families.. Supplied- him with schoolbooks. Visited the' single men— a remarkable steady,' -civil lot of young fellows.' I hifsfd ho bacf language} nor did I see any card-playing, and "fbuhji all eager for, books; One captain of a mess readily fen ip_with my suggestions,,about' influencing 1 his companions in • promoting Sprayers. I gave a copy ef.' Sacra: Privato; J '7for> hhnselfr I

'found a^numbe^rj of lads]; to. : whom': |E ''|av6'i', goW "gup'pry" of books, with prayer'andi hymn- hooks, .and exhorted .nojrta be afraipb to^prayv; L wais,, 'fjeseiged^bh deck v Jy cooks'^ carpenter^ Jrakers, andothers,, al} anxious for books.: Altogether, a very pleasant visit. '-K The Lprd^Mayor of London will at'^hfr^ rMattsicmo*<!3!U3%i&.a^.^ w whoTiaye>peri^ There is much uncertainj^^intithe %s ft "fey '-Ihje . longituse ? of thii^o^^i^- J^pSbib went down* whether 12" .east f or{i^%esp. > The^rst '>telegjraTn^ this has .been altered, Th 6 ' Gdfisalwest, and the AdmiraltyitareoiOfj thje fsamecopihion^i/i^teaSßte would jsbeshard; on the'Oap %^ l! &^^M^;^ :^Weat ? efes¥ & th€rlslM & pf f^tard*A6nnha ? Bejievin^this tjbiiate; been theyf ieinity wmmmmmmmw s^onspliC^fteral^p^fheij $du^jalty ito sefixfeoutCa ship; so that iftah^dSurMvors are^tib; the jf isl®sd^h«^,fiQiay be

rescued^ The answer to his -request was that, by singular good fortune, Her Majesty's ship Sappho was actually on her way thither, having left St Vincent on the 6th December, after arriving there on the 4th. It is the rule to send a ship of the Royal Navy to the small island of Tristan d'Acunha once in three years only, and the visit of the Sappho, supposing any survivors of the Coßpatrick have landed there, is therefor strangely opportune.