The Wreck of the Kapunda.

Evening Star, Issue 7179, 5 April 1887, Page 3

The Wreck of the Kapunda.

GRAPHIC NARRATIVE OF A ; SURVIVOR. Tho English papers just received contain the following narrative by a survivor as to the terrible scenes attending the wreck of the Kapunda:—"We were bound frqrrt Plymouth to Fremantle with general cargo, 279 passengers and emigrants, and a crewiof forty hands. About half-past three on the morning of January 20, when in latitude 13deg 4Smin south; and longitude! 27deg 20min weßt, I saw the Ada Melmore when she was quite, close upon us. The collision was then inevitable; and a, few minutes afterwards she ran intq us, striking the Kapunda just before, the, fore rigging, cutting her right down to her keel. The bowsprit and jibboom of the Ada Melmore came right across our decks. At the first alarm about fifty passengers rushed on deck. Many of these were killed by the falling spare, and others were injured. In a minute or two after she was struck the Kajpunda heeled over to starboard, and, amid a terrific din from the crashing spare and the bursting decks and hatches, I found myself in the water. I was sucked down to a great depth, but I struck out, and when I rose to

the surface I became entangled in some of the floating wreckage. Several people were clinging to the broken spars, and all around me I heard shrieks and appeals for help from the drowning people. I got clear of the rigging and clutched a floating cask by the bung-hole, but it rolled so violently in the waves that my fingers were nearly wrenched off. I therefore relinquished the cask and swam off to a stanchion which I Baw floating. In doing this I passed a boy named Whittle, one of a numerous family of emigrants on board, who was also swimming towards some floating spars. I said to him 'Cling to me, my boy'; but he replied, cheerily, ' I am all right, sir,' and continued striking out for himself. A moment afterwards I heard a sudden and loud shriek, and looking round saw the boy was gone. I believe from his sudden cry of terror that he was seized by a shark. Others, I fear, suffered a similar death. I went on swimming towards the Ada Melmore, still holding on to my stanchion; but the vessel drifted away, and I could not reach her. I found it more and more difficult to retain my hold on the stanchion, because my hands were benumbed. All at once I felt something flapping against my face, and to my intense joy found that it was a woollen comforter which I was wearing, and which up to that moment I had forgotten. With this I lashed myself to the stanchion. Afterwards I heard the voice of Mounter, an able seaman of the Kapnnda, shouting ' Pull, my lads, it sour first mate.' I just remember being hauled into a small boat, and then became unconscious. When I recovered I found myself in the cabin of the Ada Melmore. The Ada Melmore suffered severely in the collision, and to keep her afloat it was found necessary to jettison a portion of her cargo of manganese ore. Distress signals were hoisted, and in response the French barque Ulysse, from Marseilles for Mozambique, hove-to on January 25. The survivors were taken on board the French vessel, where they met with every attention, the captain being especially kind to the apprentice, William Norman, who had suffered terrible injuries, from which he very nearly died. He is, however, much better. The English chaplain at Bahia took us in, and lodged some at his own expense. We all feel very grateful to him, and we left a little memento with his wife when we came away." The following details have been received from Lisbon from the survivors:—" All went well up to the time of the collision. The boats were fully provided with lifebelts, masts, Bails, and oars, but the vessel sank too quickly to allow of anything being done. Immediately the collision occurred the chief officer shouted down the hatchway to arouse the passengers. He then discovered that the side of the ship was entirely orushed in, felt the vessel sinking, and before he could return aft he was in the water. He saw about forty persons near him, but he had ho means of saving them. The seven men resoued by the Ada Melmore's boats were all strong swimmers. The Ada Melmore struck the Kapunda with suoh force that the fore topmast and spars came down with the shock, killing many persons on deck. The bows of the Ada Melmore were entirely stove in, and she was only kept afloat by the oollision bulkhead, which prevented the water from reaching her hold, The collision occurred 600 miles from the Brazilian ooast. The Ada Melmore drifted near the spot for two days, when the Ulysse was sighted, and the survivors of the Kapunda were transferred to the French barque, which conveyed them to Bahia, where they were again transferred to the Patagonia, which arrived a few days later. Both the Kapunda and the Ada Melmore were under full sail at the time oi the polljsiqn, the sea being smooth with a fresh breeze. The survivors attribute tpe collisip,n to the Ada Melmore not carrying side lights, and further, to her wrongly porting her helm."