WRECK OF THE S.S. CATTERTHUN. GREAT LOSS OF LIFE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXIX, Issue 187, 9 August 1895, Page 2

WRECK OF THE S.S. CATTERTHUN. GREAT LOSS OF LIFE

[United Press Association.] Sycsby, August 8. t The steamer Catterthun struck on tho Seal rocks at 2*30 tins morning, aud sunk in fifteen minutes. The hoats which landed at Foster contained thirty Chinese, iucluding sixteen of the crew, and the followiug white men ; —Doctor Copeman, A W Langpear (second mate), Mr Crane, and Captain Fraser (the pilot). The other boats, containing the ciptain bf the steamei" and the other olli.ers, are missing. The Catterthun left Sydney last night for China via way ports, in charg-a of Captain Neil Shannon, and the following oilicers :— W P Pinney, mate • Laugpear, second mate ; Harold Lcllier, third mate ; II Anderson, surgeon • J H Harper, V Wil-on, J W Adams, A Wolsterholme, chief, second, third and fourth engineers j It Manning, chief steward ; W Jackson, quartermaster | three Chinese quartermasters, and a Chinese crew of forty-four, She oan iwl as passengers— lt Fraser, 1' C Crane, Copeman, Dr Andersjn, Captain L'awkcs, "Mesdames Mathias and goring, and 15 Chinese. Tugs have been sent from Newcastle to the scene of the wreck. The following statement has been obtained from Mr Crane :— " We cleared the Heads at 3 30 last night, followed by a southwest gale, high broken seas, and rain squalls. All went well till 25 minutes post two, when the passengers were aroused by a severe shock, quickly followed by a second. The captain quieted the passengers, telling us we were pnly struck by a sea. Shortly after we were roused out hy order of the captain, and told to go on deck. The ship had a ptionr; list to starboard, and heavy seas were breaking over Ijer fore and aft. The position was appalling, for the ship w,*s evidently settling fast. Tho oilicers and crew hail abeady succeeded in getting out the lifeboats, bijt tl*o}r efforts to lower them were greatly impeded by the tremendous seas which continually broke aboard and carried tlie boats in again. The port lifeboat was swept ofi tlie davits. A noticoable feature was the coolness ami discipline of all on board. The captain, chief and second mates, and Captain Fawkes were swept over the bridge, and the same sea smashed Ihe cutter to atoms. The sea was then level with the rails, and bre iking clean over the poop. Tlio starboard lifeboat was succe-sfully launched, and a moment after tlio steamer gave a sudden luruh to starboard and disappeared. The crew of the starboard boat subsequently picked up all the survivors." Captain Fawkes states that just before the vessel disappeared, he, with the captain and chief ollicer, were swept off the brjdgo He saw no more of his companions, and was 30 minutes inthe water before he was rescued. Crane remained in his cabin to within a minute or two of the ship foundering, and ho then wenton to the poop, and remained for 20 minutes in the water before he was pickeil up. Dr Copeman was in the starboard cutter when he was washed away. He clung to a spar when he dropped into the water and till he was picked up by tho lifeboat. After examining the wreckage, the lifeboat proceeded to Charlotte Day, where a trading vessid conveyed them to Cape Hawke. Langpear, who was in charge of the bridge, declines to make a statement. After striking, the steamer contimied her course for some distance, and it is supposed she struck a sliding blow on the edge of the outer reef, that the rocks ripped open her side, and tbat she swui g oft at a tangent, and went ahead till she lilled with water. Off tho outer rock there is a depth of 25 fathoms. The Mararoa, which has jnst (11*20 p.m.) arrived, saw nothing even to indicate that a disaster had ocenred. The intense sensation caused in the oity by the loss of the Catterthun was aocenuited by the uncertainty aa to the fate of the missing people. The weather for the past day or so has been boisterous, and an angry sea was running when the steamer left Sydney yesterday. Owing to the isolated part of the coast

vors wore very much exhausted when they reached land, and no accounts have been received from them. The vessel must have been somewhat to the south of the Lighthouse, as the keeper did not see her. A tug lias just returned, and reports that a high sea is runuing, and there is no sign of the vessel or the boats. She had eighty-one on board, all told. Accounts are conflicting as to the number saved, which is variously stated at 22 and 25, but tlie latter is certainly the limit. Several coastal steamers have passed the Seal Rocks during the day. and their anivalis anxiously waiied here to-night in thealamost forlorn hope that they may have picked up a boat The passengers saved are Dr Copeman of London, Captain Fawkes, pilot and Mr Crane, official of the Eastern Extension Company. Amongst the missing are Mrs Mathias, wife of the captain of a steamer trading in Chinese waters, who was formerly connected witli the Money Wicrams Australian steamships, Dr Anderson, ship surgeon, a young Victorian sailor named Smith, who joined the ship at the last moment. The hull was insured in London, and the general cargo is insured for between twenty and thirty thousand pounds. Those chiefly interested are the Derwent, Tamar, Canton, and Chinese traders. There was £10.800 in specie on board. Five thousand was shipped at Adelaide and the rest belonged to Chinese passengers. The gold was insured. There was one bag of mailß from Wellington and two from the Bluff.