TOTAL WRECK OF THE THE MONUMENTAL CITY STEAMER. — THIRTY-THREE LIVES LOST.

Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 134, 30 July 1853, Page 9

TOTAL WRECK OF THE THE MONUMENTAL CITY STEAMER. — THIRTY-THREE LIVES LOST.

It is our painful duty to narrate the total destruction of the above noble American steampacket, Captain W. H. Adams, commander, together with the loss of thirty-three of the lives of the passengers and crew, occasioned by her running on a rock in Malagoutta Bay, at about a quarter to 4 o'clock, a.m., on Sunday, May 15th, on her passage from Melbourne to Sydney. This vessel started from Melbourne on Fri day, the 13th, and having a fair wind, all on board were light-hearted at the prospect of having a speedy passage to Sydney. She was progressing at the rate of 12 knots an hour, up to the time of her arriving at the fatal spot, which will be long remembered by the friends of those who are now no more, as well as those who fortunately escaped with their lives. It appears that ou the Saturday night previous to the wreck, a gentleman who had been master of a vessel, and who was well acquainted with the coast, had cautioned those in command, that she was hugging the land too closely ; this advice, however, it seems, was unheeded, and at the above time the passengers were awoke by the vessel running on the rocks. A scene of consternation immediately ensued, by the passengers and others running about the deck. The sea was then calm, and all might have been saved, but the captain ordered the engineer to "back her," with the intention of getting her off, this proved ineffectual, the sails were furled to allay the incessant thumping on the rocks, the commander informing all that he hoped to get her off at daybreak, it being then quite dark. , At 6 o'clock the scene entirely changed, a violent gale springing up from the south-east. The pumps had been tried in the meantime, and no water appeared to be made. The heavy heaving of the vessel now increased, and the water began to gain rapidly on the pumps. In a very short time it had extinguished the engine fires —made its way into the steerage apartments, aud appearances be-

gan to threaten very serious results. At this juncture the foremast was cut away, which considerably eased the rolling of the vessel, until she seemed in a very short time to settle sideways on the rocks—her fore part being considerably higher than her stern. The female passengers and children that had been taken on the poop to the captain's office now went to the cook's galley. At about eight o'clock the first boat was lowered, and was as speedily dashed to pieces by the breakers—the second met with a similar fate, and the third was drifted away. The only chance of escape from destruction now left was by the life boat; this was drawn from the stern of the vessel to the bows, on which the majority of the passengers we're • clinging ; into it jumped Charles Plummer, a seaman, and in this manner with a rope attached it was allowed to drift to the rocks, but not before the connecting line had broken before the eyes of the anxious crowd who now stood on the bows—and then, all chance of escape appearing to be cut off as a last effort another line was attached to a spar, which after considerable delay, floated to within reach of the brave fellow who had landed himself on the rocks —to this rope was attached another, and finally the hawser, which he hauled in and fastened to a rock, the other end of it being secured to the bowsprit of the vessel, and all those who had courage enough to venture, had to disencumber themselves of superfluous clothing, and pass themselves in a sling along the hawser to the rocks, where they were drawn out of the surf by Charles Plummer, whose, heroic conduct saved fifty-four souls from a watery grave. So strong and feaTfnl, however, was the sea raging at the time, that many a poor fellow was washed off the hawser and perished in the sea. One, more daring than the rest, being a good swimmer, trusted to his own powers, but his fate showed how vain it was to combat with the remorseless billows The sea had by this time made fearful havoc with the vessel; the under part of the stern had been washed away, the engine-work, boilers, &c., having passed through the bottom. Now came the last scene of all—the billows were running mountains high, and breaking with tremendous force over her stern; bygone of these her quarter-deck was separated from the fore part, presently another sea split asunder the forecastle, and nothing now remained of the Monumental City save the floating timber with which the sea was covered. . At the time she separated about a dozen persons were standing on her bows, the doctor sitting on the bowsprit, waiting an opportunity to descend the hawser with a lady; not one of them, however, escaped—all perished in the foaming surge. The fifty-four who were fortunately saved had now to wade through a strong current from the rocks to a small island, where fires were lighted, and there they remained until Tuesday mid-day, when the life-boat, withnineteen of the passengers and crew, made for the main land, not, however, without considerable danger, for sometime before landing the boat was filled with water to her gunwales by the heavy surf. The next morning an attempt was made to get the remainder over from the island, but it was found to be impossible to get the boat through the surf; therefore, drenched with wet, and with only a pound of flour each for provisions, the nineteen started for Twofold Bay, where they arrived in a most destitute and miserable condition, on the evening of Friday, the 20tb, after encountering many hardships, such as being forced to subsist partly on shell fish, and to sleep on the wet ground in wet clothing. A portion of them, however, were met not far from the Bay by Mr.gAllen, to whom notice had been given by a portion of the party who had arrived at Twofold Bay a short time before. This gentleman, with great kindness brought them provisions, and led thera on to his own house, where he lodged them for the ni&ht in the most kind and hospitable manner, which act, we have no doubt, will cause his name and family to be remembered long by those who were the recipients of his generosity. rlhe rest of the party who remained on the island constructed a raft, by which they all got safe to the mainland, and reached Twofold Bay on Sunday, the 22nd.— Sydney Empire.

The Ericsson.—According to the following account, published by the London Herald from its Washington correspondent, the last trial trip of the caloric ship " Ericsson'* was very successful:—Under date, " Washington, Feb-

ruary 22, it is stated that the caloric ship V Ericsson" arrived at Alexandria yesterday afternoon from the mouth of the Potomac, where she had lain at anchor for twenty-seven hours, during the late snowstorm and thick weather. Captain Lowber weighed anchor at half-past 9 o'clock last Wednesday morning at Sandy Hook, and, iv pursuance of instructions, stood to the eastward, in the face of a strong gale and heavy sea. He kept his course for eighty miles, when the wind shifted to the north-west; he then stood in-shore again, iv the face of the gale. During these two gales the ship stood the test nobly; and, though she pitched her bowsprit under water, with her leeguard immersed, her engines performed with the utmost regularity, the wheels making 6)4 turns a minute with entire uniformity. Not the slightest motion was perceptible in the framework and bracing of the engines. After the ship and the engines were thus fully tested, Captain Lowber shaped his course for the Chesapeake, and in going up the bay against a gale from the N.N.E., encountered a heavy snowstorm, and the ship came to anchor at ten o'clock on Saturday morning. The engine had then been in operation for seventy-three hours without being stopped for a moment, or requiring the slightest adjustment, only one fireman having been on duty at a time during the whole trip. The consumption of fuel was under five tons in the twenty-four hours. Captain Sands, of the United States navy, who wa_ on board to witness the performance, is delighted with the result, and says that he would willingly go to Australia in her. Thus the great principle of the new motor is now a demonstrated reality."— Argus, May 31.