CARELESS NAVIGATION.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 326, 13 October 1908, Page 7

CARELESS NAVIGATION.

THE LOCH PINLAS. (or ULSGBirH—PEESS ASSOCIATION—COFYBIa UT.) Launoeston, October 12. The : finding of the Court of Inquiry regarding the loss of the ship Loch Finlas, which struck off the north-cast coast of Tasmania, has been forwarded to tho Treasury. It states that the loss of tho vessel was due to the gross carelessness of those responsible for her navigation. The vessel was steered too close to the land) and it is doubtful if a reliable lookout was kept. EXPERIENCE Olf THE SURVIVORS. CARLSON'S PLUCK.. A nautical inquiry opened at Launceston on October 6, regarding • the loss of the Loch Finlas, of whose crew (24) only four survive. Two seamen stated that Captain Lonnen (who stuck to the ship and was drowned}, was not sober at the time of tho disaster, nor had he been for several days. The mate, who was in charge, was, they said, a sober man. Our Australian correspondent writes under date Sydney, September 30:--Another thrilling story of the sea comes with the news of the wreck of the ship Loch Finlas off the Tasmanian coast on Saturday morning last. The vessel, which was bound from Port Pirie to Callao, South America, struck a reef at Foster Island, near Capo Portland in Bass Straits, and went down. Only four persons were saved, and twenty others aro missing. According to tho statement of an eye-witness, Alfred Davis, . senior assistant at the' Swan Island lighthouse, he was on the flagstaff hill, near the lighthouse, at 8.30 o'clock on Saturday, and saw with the telescope a strange vessel on Foster Island. She remained there for abont three-quarters of an hour, and at high water drifted off, struck the outer rock, rolled over on her side, and disappeared. Seas were breaking ovor the ship, and he could not see anyone on board. She wont down at ten o'clock. The Loch Finlas, owned by the Loch Finlas Shipping Company, came from Hamburg to Melbourne, and about the beginning of September went on to Port Pirie, where 30,000 bags of wheat for Callao, South America, wero loaded to the order of a South American buyer. Tho ship, which was commanded by Captain A. J. Lonnen, left Port Pirie on September 16. On tho next day a strong westerly gale came up. The bad weather continued for several days, the vessel boing hove to twice. On Tuesday last tho yards were squared for Bass Straits. There was more bad weather in the straits. On the Saturday morning of the wreck, the wind was strong-west with moderate running.'seas.,m i; r, vij />«; io One of the survivors, Gustav " Carlson, a Swede, states that the first- he knew of the disaster was when he felt the vessel bumping hoavilv. Captain Lonnen, he says, went down with his ship. The four survivors who succeeded in reaching Swan Inland had a terrible experience, being for 15 hours on the bottom of an upturned boat. Carlson's thrilling narrative is as follows, as published in a telegram in the "Sydney Morning Herald":— "I was at the wheel _ from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., and then went below.' The first intimation that I had that anything was wrong was at about 9 a.m. There was a sudden heaving and bumping of the vessel. The oaptain was below, and also the second mate, the first mate being in charge. An order was given by the mate to get tne lifeboat out, and the carpenter reported a lot of water in the hold. The weather, was about the same as it was earlier in tho morning. We naturally were a bit excited,' but the mate and second mate told us not to hurry, but take things-quietly. Those two officers wero helping us to get the boats off. Two of these got smashed in the breakers, and several of us were thrown into the sea. One of the starboard boats got clear of the vessel, and there were nine of us, inoluding the second mate, in it. The captain, who. looked out of the companion way after we struck, went below again. The boatswain went down and asked_ him to come away with the boat, and he said: 'No; I am going to stop here.' That was the last we saw of him. , "The mate was engaged at the launching of the lifeboat, but I think he was hurt. We saw him in the rigging. He must have gone under with the ship, as also 'did the cook, who was in the inainbrace, and the steward, who was in the mainyard. We in the starboard boat got clear of the wreck, and the vosscl disappeared. within about half an hour after the time of striking. Our boat, which had no oars, capsized, but the nine of us clung to it, and drifted away. As we were leaving we saw one man, Oscar Svensen in the ship's gig, and another, whom wo could not recognise, floating on a plank following us. They, however, passed with the current towards Swan Island. "We drifted along the coast. Several times we wore washed off the boat, and some did not come back, although I got some of them back at times. The second mate became delirious, and just at nightfall slipped out of tho lifobuoy he had round him, and 6ank. I had rescued him twice before that. He wa9 the fifth to go. Wo could seo a light behind us, which we know was Swan Island light, but only darkness ahead. Some hours later— I should think it was midnight—wo got into breakers, and after some trouble effected a landing, during which wo got severely bruised. We lay huddled together until daybreak, when we looked round, and followed the beach until wo came to Mussel River. When wo reached the houso of Fisherman Burr, at 9 o'clock, he treated us well, giving us food and boots. "At 12.30, after dinner, he directed us to Mr. Groves's ' place, which we reached at 4.30 p.m. Wo received every attention, for which we are very thankful. We cannot account for the vessel being so close to the Tasmanian coast. Wo were drifting after wo left the wreck for about 15 hours, and could hot have lasted much 'longer. It was a trying time, and the first time any of us had boon shipwrecked. Wo'all had lifebelts on. We left the lifeboat in the breakers, being too weak to pull it ashore. The names of the three others who were saved with me were:—John Braga, 17J years, apprentice; E. Reeder, a ship's carpenter; and Carl Oalgren, a Russian Finn, aged about 53 years." Braga, Reeder, and Oalgren speak -in high terms of Carlson, who, thev'say, is possessed of wonderful nerve, and kept the spirits of the men up. Captain Lonnen had intended to retire from the sea, and this was to have been his last voyage. Ho told a friend in Melbourne that ho had had enough of tho sea, and intended to scttlo down with his wife, who was in illhealth, upon his return to England. With the. exception of a year or so of soldioring, during which poriod ho took part in tho American, civil war, he had been knocking about the ocean for 51 years, having begun seafaring life when 12 years of age. He joinod tho Loch Finlas only a few days prior to her departure from Hamburg for Melbourne with a general cargo last Decembor.

Captain Lonnen was an uncle of the lata "Teddy" Lonnen, a well-known comedian, who was a familiar figure on the Australian stngo some years ago. Shortly prior- .."to his departure from Melbourne for Porf Pirie Captain Lonnen. celebrated his GGth birthday, when he was repeatedly heard to remark that the approaching 1 voyage home would bo the last that 'he would make. It is stated tliaf when the Loch Finlas was being navigated up tlio Yarra by Pilot M'Forrar, Captain Lonnen expressed his intention of handing the ship over to the chiof officer and returning to England by steamer. His love for the sea, however, overcame his desire to spend the rest of his life ashore, and when the ship left Hobson's Bay Jie was still in command,