The s.s. Austral.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 94, 29 March 1883, Page 2

The s.s. Austral.

' O — 1 ■" The following, harrowing details of the wreck of /the Austral we take from a Melbourne paper. According to information which has-been obtained since the disaster, the' purser's death appears to have been a peculiarly sad one. The doctor, who occupied the adjoining cabin, was among the first to hear the alarm. Be immediately ran into the purser's cabin and dragged Him out of bed. They were on the starboard side, m which direction the ship was heeling over, and one glance over the side told the doctor that not a moment was to be lost. He warned his companion to hasten with him, but the latter — who was ijuh^^ff^t clothes— replied^tfiSFfi^Oald jasfe have-time . to snatch up some additional clothing. 1 As the purser rushed back into his cabin the doctor made his escape. The body of the purse^ when recovered next day, was found to be fully dressed, and sitting: on a chair m his cabin. What occurred after the doctor left him is a matter of conjecture. The generally accepted version is. that after he went back to the cabin and closed the door after him, while he hurriedly dressed himsslf, the water came over the ship's side, and dammed up the door, and that when he made an efford to come out again he found it impossible to move the door (which opened outwards) owing to the tremendous flood. The cabin was watertight up to the topofthe doorwhere there was a small iron grating for ventilation purposes. The apartment .would therefore be free from the flood until the ship sunk to the level of this iron grating, when the water would force itself gradually m. There,probably the unfortunate man, as he satin his cbair, hemmed m by the seething flood which was rapidly sinking the ship, saw the water stream m at the grating, and rise inch by inch m the cabin, until he was overwhelmed m a living tomb. The general supposition that the magnificent machinery of the vessel would be destroyed is fortunately not borne out by an actual examination. Much of the machinery may be some* what injured, but so far as it is possible to judge, it will only b j necessary to give it a thorough cleaning ( and overhauling, and take some portions of it to pieces . .-,:■;■-:'. :-. ,-. / ; :