FATAL STEAMBOAT COLLISION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XX, Issue 1114, 15 July 1863, Page 4

FATAL STEAMBOAT COLLISION.

FEARFUL LOSS OF LIKE. [FROM THE ' OTAGO DAILY TIMES,' Jtj.Y f,.] Between five and six o'clock on Saturday evenin" the 4th instant, the steamer Pride of the Yarra—'' small iron screw-boat — took on board, at I'on Chalmers, from forty to fifty passengers for |> utK> din, some joining her at the jetty, others alom'sid," the steamer William Miskin, which had just arrived from Invercargill, and one family, consisting of nine souls, from on board the snip Matoaka, which had only the previous day arrived in the port from London. At the hour of starting it was dark anil the evening being peculiarly dull, there was difficulty in exactly estimating the number on board, or in recognising the persons of whom thrliving freight was composed, but such is the number generally believed to have started. The major!'were on deck, but the ladies, including Mrs r arn bell, wife of the Rev. Mr. Campbell, Principal of thf High School, Dunedin, who was one of the Matoa ka's passengers, sought what proved to be the fatal shelter of the cabin, along with hpr hushes) ' ar)(1 her five young and interesting chUf.'---"'^^^ by two maid servants, Fanny J-"incii uii./ -' r l an - Roberts, In the same place m seated a Air* Henderson, an engaging young person who had arrived in the colony by the Chili on the occasion of her last passage, and who had only been lately married. Its other occupants were several gentle, men, all of whom have been saved, with the exception of one, who has been recognised as \[ r " Somerville, a station holder at Wanganui. hut'hU identity is not sufficiently established. The ni"ht being an unpleasant one, some of the passengers of the William Miskin and others—five altogether— squatted themselves in the partially occupied hold the hatches being left off, and it is supposed th.it there were some who betook themselves to a verv minute department in the fore part of the vessel representing the usual steerage or fore-cabin.' Iri the cabin there was a light, and the party hi thhold had also been furnished with a candle; tho.,t in the fore-cabin, if any, were in darkness. Tim, freighted, the Pride steamed on, going at her usual speed, and she had the reputation of being about the fastest boat in the port. Captain Spenee was personally in charge, and at the wheel was an experienced and steady steersman, and it so happened that one of the Port Otago pilots was a passenger though of course not interfering with the guidance of the vessel's course. As she steamed on, parallel to Sawyer's Bay, the lights of the Favorite steamer were recognised, as that vessel was on her way down from town, and, as the two vessels approached, the Favorite seemed to be steering right down upon the Pride, and occasionally keeping so much of a starboard course that her port lights were concealed. This course being apparently preserved, the Pride's helm was ported, and she was kept well over to the starboard side of the channel, which, at that particular place, is defined by a bluff rocky headland, but there appeared still more necessity for porting the helm, and "Port," "Hard a-port," are alleged to have been the orders. A collision being now almost imminent, there was a cry of "For God's sake reverse the engines," and simultaneously with this they were reversed, but all too late. Both vessels going still at a considerable rate of speed, the Favorite ran stem on to the Pride, catching her at a point about a third of her length from the bow, or nearly on a line with her mast, listing her over to port, and cutting right through her port side. This was the collision as said to have been seen from the deck of the Pride of the Yarra. The Favorite which is a paddle-boat principally employed in towing, was, as has been described, oil her way from Dunedin Bay, where, late in the evening, she had towed up a barque. She was in charge of Captaiu Adams, steered by C. Murray, both of whom were on the bridge, where the is stationed-aiul it is a coincidence that on board of her alsotMßrwas one of the pilot-staff, who was witness eijgme accident. According to the description lights of a steamer ahead were seen from the Ixridge, and it was a subject of remark among those on board that the Pride of the Yarra did not seem to have passed, when, suddenly, from amidst the darkness, her lights gleamed forth—a mast-head light, and what was apparently the light of her furnace or small cabin windows. She was at the same moment recognised by the puffing of her high pressure engine, and so close was she that, as had already been perceived from her own decks, a collision was seen to be inevitable, and before the orders to stop the engines of the Favorite had effected any material change in her speed, the collision was an accomplished fact. Such, at least, is the account given. THE SCENE AFTER THE COLLISION. The scene which succeeded the momentary but fatal shock of the vessels it is not easy to realise, those even who were participators in it having but hazy and mystified conceptions of anything beyond their own individual experiences. On the part of a few on board the Pride of the Yarra, there was some slight anticipation of the result, and of preparation for some contingency; but it was still hard to imagine i that these gay bright lights which were only visible. ' were the signal of the approach of a terrible engine of destruction; and the mental shock at the sudden realization of their position was not less than the physical one, by the mere contact of the two vessels. On the other vessel there is described as being equal astonishment at the sudden appearance of what was more like an evil spirit breaking through the cloud of darkness which overhung the face of the waters, than any mere human contrivance. But the instinct of self-preservation dispersed all the fancies in which a mere observer might have indulged. As the water was heard to rush into the vessel's hold, and as the deck was felt to subside below the fickle surface, the crowd on deck advanced with all the rapidity which love of life could inspire, to the point of attachment of the two vessels. Here, also, the hands on board the Favorite approached, to rescue the many who were claimants for assistance, and who were struggling hard to get upon the safe side of her bulwarks. There was hurry and confusion not a little, of course, but all the haste that could be used was needed, for down and down still was the motion of the vessel, and with the exception of the first few who caught the Favorite's bulwarks, all were partially immersed, and, becoming more deeply immersed as the Pride was sucked head foremost into the dark yawning gulf. And, naturally, as the crowd pressed forward to the only place of hope, their aggregate weight depressed the boat still more at the very point of danger, aggravating the critical character of thei r position, until at last all were floundering in tl water, and were only saved by seizing hold of each other as one by one, like a chain of living links, they were drawn in over the side. While this was y on the boat had gradually turned, so as almost tv. . abreast of the fore-part of the Favorite, and some of those nearer the stern were able to save themselves as the majority had done in the scramble at the bows. Of those who were in the little fore-cabin, it' there were any, the fate must have been sudden and terrible, They must have been stifled in an instant, if not bruised to death by the concussion, and their bodies have probably floated out, as the deck became detached and rose to the surface of the water, leaving the hull to sink. Of those in the hold it is hoped that all have been saved, though their escape must have been narrow. One of the number, a young man from Port Chalmers, who had all his effects and some amount of money with him, was one of the first out, and yet he was up to the neck in water, and was only, like many more, providentially saved. Of those who were aft, Mr. J. Gleadow was one, and as he made for the bows he had the misfortune to fall into the open hatchway, by that time concealed by the water, and to sustain a fracture of some of his ribs, in consequence of which he is now lying at the Port Chalmers Hotel. The worst situated, and, as it proved, the worst fated were those in the cabin. Captain Wilson, of the Wm. Miskin, and Mr. Thomas Kingston, who were here seated, just succeeded in making their escape as the water was running in 'breast-high. A lame gentleman, Captain of the cutter Alpha, who was near the door, was also pulled out by Captain Spence. But the family of Mr. Campbell, happy in the knowledge of arrival at their new home, and so unhappy in their fate at the very threshold—they must have been pressed down au(l suffocated by the rush of cold, chilling, choking

water, under circumstances of agony from the contemplation of which the mind must withdraw overcome with utter horror. Cribbed, cabbined, and confined, they had not even the drowning mau's hope. So thorough was the surprise, and so sudden the sealing of their fate, that it is said no cry or scream of despair was heard to rise from the lips of the fated family. Another moment, the Pride of the Yarra and all within her, dead or dying, went down, only a few dark objects—some say swags, some think men—floating over the scene of the disaster. One man. at least, is said to have got separated from the general rush, and to have floated oif, crying weirdly for "Help! oh help!" and courage was given him by those on board with promises of help; —lines were thrown to him and over him, but there was no capacity to seize them—he gave one more, but a weaker cry; and when the Favorite was so shifted as to approach the position from which the sound had come, the people peered down upon the blank face of the black water. After half-an-hour's delay at the spot, all who were rescued were brought to Port Chalmers, and towards midnight, they were re-shipped for Dunedin, by the Golden Age. Most fortunate it was that the two boats clung together even for the short time they did —though that was not more than three or four minutes. Had they driven apart after the first concussion, who can say how few there might have been left to tell the tale. RECOVERY OP THE BODIES. Eleven bodies of the unfortunate sufferers by this accident have been recovered by the aid of a professional diver, whose services were as expeditiously as possible obtained by the Harbor Department and the Police. The melancholy work of dragging all the channel in the vicinity of the wreck was interrupted only by the police finding some luggage, one box bearing the name of the " Rev. T. Campbell," and the harbor boats hooked a boot at the bottom which had apparently come freshly off the leg of some male body. The time of terrible interest to the group assembled on the deck of the steamer, and in the crowd of boats surrounding her, was when the rapidly ebbing tide slacked, and Watson, the diver, prepared to go below to bring up any bodies which might be found in or about the wreck. He was assisted by his brother diver Wheeler, and at one o'clock, when the tide slacked, went over the /Steamer's side, his disappearance below the surface '/'; occasioning intense interest among the friends of the supposed drowned, and in the sad hearts of many more. He was not many minutes down, when by the motion of the surface water, bubbling hither and thither as he moved round the wreck, it was distinguished that he had reached the cabin, the scene in which few eyes indeed, would daie to witness. A minute or two later there was a nervous twitching of the signal rope, and a spare line having been attached and hauled down by the diver, the first body of eleven rose to the surface. It was Mrs. Campbell: the features placid, and little changed, the hands as if crossed upon the bosom. The same arrangement of ropes repeated, and there rose the body of Mrs. Henderson, even j'et more life-like. Next came the broader figure of an aged and bearded man, and, as it rose, the attention of the spectators was momentarily directed to a young man. who, with the words "My father! " fainted away, and fell upon the steamer's bridge. The body of Fanny Finch, who was in the service of Mr. Campbell, and who was one of a large family who were passengers by the same vessel, came next; and she was followed by the dead forms of two of her youthful charge—an infant and a little boy— both so fair, so young, and absolutely so life-like that it was difficult to believe they were not in full life. Poor Mr. Campbell, whose family with himself had thus perished at one fell swoop, seemed by his attitude to have most appreciated what had come upon them, —stretching out his arms as if alarmed and stunned by an impending danger. The old maidservant of the family, Mary Roberts, a second boy, and another child, completed the sad catalogue; and glad were the on-lookers that the sickening scene was over. One by one the dead had been placed in boats alongside, and covered from the intrusive gaze, until the diver completed his examination of the wreck, which he soon did, moving round her as far as her bows; but there was none loth to hear that he could discover no more. By the deck being off, the interior of her hull was perfectly exposed to view, and there was no one there. The melancholy work over, the steamer lifted anchor, and, with the boats containing the dead, returned to Port Chalmers.