PERILS OF THE SEA.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 763, 28 December 1908, Page 3

PERILS OF THE SEA.

lEa tug lost with seven C&L HANDS. I/31 THE MATE ESCAPES. 84%S THAT PASSED IN THE iBT t.I»KCTiyC TBLKOK\Pf -JOI'YRICBT.J J.PER PBKSB ASBOOtATIORj Sydney, December 26. A sensational collision occurred off Newcastle late last 4 night. The tug Advance wont 'out to take the ship Ivernaj 'fro^n Melbourne, in tow, when she was struck by the vessel. The captajn of the Iverna states: " We were seven miles to the eouthi cast of the Nobbye when the tug came up on. our* lee bow, and crossed over on to the weather bow. The tug then turntfi, t and came towards us. It was all over in a flash. The Advance crossed the bows of the Iverna, and struck the vessel with her quarter. We only felt a slight j impact. The next thing the tug was over on her side, and as she came abreast of our mizenmast she | went right over, and her boiler exploded . The captain, who was on ! the bridge when the tug went over, walked alongside the capsized vessel, and we saw him standing on the bottom with his pipe still in* his mouth. As the tug sank, the captain grabbed a grating. The Iverna was doing lli knots, with a southerly gale behind her. A lifebelt -"wSs thrown, and a boat launched, and a search was made for two hours, but we found none of the crew." Eight perished, namely, Captain I McKenzie, the mate, Wells, Chief Engineer^ Herbert, Second Engineer Wilson, Seamen O'Brien and Scott, and two others whose names are not known. , The Iverna reached Newcastle at 2 ' o'clock this morning, w3th her forepart full of water. i Sydney, December 27. Wills, mate of the Advance, was washed up alive near Newcastle this morning. He clung to a piece of wreckage. He states he only saw McKenzie and Scott in the water after the disaster, -which occurred about sundown yesterday, and thinks the rest went down with the tug. (Received December 28, 9.15 a.m.) Sydney, December 28. Wills was washed ashore on a grating, after suffering terrible experiences whilst drifting throughout the night. Several times he was washed off the grating, and had great difficulty in regaining his hold. Two steamers passed cTooe to him in the ) darkness, but his cries failed to reach them. When nearing the beach, the grating turned over, and he was nearly drowned. Wills landed in a terribly exhausted condition, the only clothing left being his shirt and boots.