NOTABLE WRECKS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 97, 24 April 1912, Page 3

NOTABLE WRECKS

In The Post of Friday acorrespondent referred ±o the loss of the s.s. London and the s.s. Quetita. A valued contributor .supplies us with the following interesting details of the wrecks mentioned :—: — Quetta (British-India mail steamer). 2047 tons— Was lost on the night of 20th February, 1890. Out of a total of 282 on board only 137 were saved, the vessel sinking in three minutes in about thirteen fathoms of water. The Quetta struck an uncharted rock nearly two miles N. by E. from the Mid Reck, off Cape York, Torres Strait. The divers reported finding the wreck lying in a position south SOdeg. wett from Cambridge Point, a distance of six cables, and the same distance N.W. by N. from the rock on which she struck, in between thirteen' and fourteen fathoms of water at low tide and fifteen fathoms at high tide. The vessel's side was cut right open, which accounted for her going down so quickly. London— Was lost on 11th January, 1866. Mr. G. V. Brooke, referred to by our correspondent, gave the following message to one of the stewards of the steamer: "If you succeed in saving yourself give my farewell to the people of Melbourne." In the London Times of 20th, March, 1866, appeared the fol-io-wing letter from .Mrs. Brouke (Avonia): " Sir,— On Friday night I received the last written words of my dear husband. They were found in a bottle on the Brighton Beach and" forwarded to me by I Mr. C. A. Elliott, of Trinity College. Cambridge. They are written in pencil on & torn envelope, and read as follow: ' '11th January, on board the' London. Wt> ar© just going down. No ehanc* of safety. Please give thk to Avonia Jones. Surrey Theatre. — Gustavus Yaughan Brooke.' - Will you bo kind enough to insert , this fact in your valuable journal, for, cad a 9 the message is, he has many friends who will be glad once more to hear from him, even though his words have / come from his vary grave.— With ' respect, etc., Avonia 'Brooke. "56, Albemarle-street, Piccadily." There was one boat, containing nineteen survivors, saved from the London. After drifting about for. twenty hours, this boat was picked up by the Italian barque Marianople. on board which they received a. hearty welcome from the captain and his men. ' They were, eventually landed safely at Fakuo.uti, " *