The Latest.

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

The Latest.

Sydney, This Dav. Mr Crane says tliat the captain, "and first and second oilicers, and Captain Fawkes surveyed the scene from the bridge, over wh'ch tho seas stormed from time to time, aid from there directed the entire operations with the boats, while the men, under the direction of the third officer, worked to get the starboard boat out in order to have the women safely off the vessel, which was threatening to go down any minute. It was then seen that the steamer must go down before ruaoy seconds elapsed, as she was settling by the stern. A moment after, a_ sea which appeared to tower as high as the top of the mast, struck the doomed vessel and swept her from stem to Btern. When it had passed away Captain Shannon had disappeared from the bridge washed away by the sea and with him" had gone the first and second officers and Captain Fawk s. Of tho bridge itself but a remnant was left. The furious sea found other victims in those who were clustering round in their efforts to launch the starboard cutter which was smashed to atoms and every hope was fast being abandoned by tbe few whom the fury of the waves had left in the sinking vessel. One last desperate effort was made by those of the crew who were left, all the officers having gone, and after a determined attempt the starboard lifeboat waslaunched. A second or two later the Catterthun rolled over and sank. The boat contained some of the Chinese crew and they pioked up several other Ohinese seamen who were floating in the wreckage. Mr Crane himself was drawn down by the sinking ship, but soon came to the surface again and then swam to the boat. Captain Fawkes states • "The outlook was dirty weather and squally, and a galo howling and shrieking thiough tlie rigging with fury which accounted for the tremendous sea running and breaking over the reef and the steamer. Boat after boat was carried away, and the poop and after part of the vesael were going steadily down, when a mountainous sea swept tlie vessel front end to end and carried everything hofore it. The bridge on which we were standing was smashed up, and Captain Shannon, the two oilicers, and myself were thrown into tlie boiling sea. All this happened in a few seconds, as it seemed to nic, and I did not learn till afterwards what a terrible effect the sea had. It swept away the starboard cutter, wliich was at that moment on tbe point of being launched. 1 think this sea carried away most of tlie passengers and crew. The men made great efforts to pass the passengers into tho boats which were lowered into the water, but the rush of water constantly carried the boats on board. About this time the port lifeboat was smashed and carried away by the sea, one , or two of the crew going with it. Neither , they nor the boat wero seen again. The ! sea seemed to rage more furiously as the [ officers and crow made heroic endeavours to , launch the boats, and even had they succeeded in this it is doubtful whether any of the smaller boats would have lived. It was very noticeable during this terrible scene that calmness and good discipline prevailed amongst nearly all on board," Mr Copema'n says that when work was transferred to the starboard cutter he went forward and got in with some others, Several attenipts were made to get this cutter into the water, but the pitiless seas breaking over the vessel hampered the work tenibly Ultimately a giant wave broke on board and smashed the cutter t® pieoes. Those who wore in it were thrown into the water excepting myself. I managed to cling to a spar of the davit, and hung there in a desperate condition for some time, judged by me to be hours, but it could only have been a very few minutes. The breakers were rolling over the reef with a terrible roar, and the sm was a seething chasm beneath. How I clung to the spar I do not know, but at last I heard a boat splash into the water aiid heard a hail beneath me. I then let go my hold and dropped into the water. With good for tune I sank right in front of the lifeboat, A moment later the Catterthun disappeared entiroly. We made carefijl search of the wreckage before we left, and stood by till daylight." Mr Fraser was an engineer proceeding to Port Dar-yin. Mr Loring was an English tourist. (Japtaiu Shannon was a married mail with two children. The oilicers were married men witli the exception of Mr Adanjs, who was to have been married jn six njonths. The engineers were single men. A local shipmaster says that he is astonished to hear that the vessel was so close in. lie could not understand what would cause the vessel to be so close to the shove. The Seal Rocks are so far to the eastward that there could not be any mistako ns to the lights. Captain Craig, an old officer in the China tra*!o, thinks that the course must have been altered too soon. Had tlie steamer gone on for another quarter ot a hour she would have cleared the Seal Rock.. The vessel was a staunch ship. She had no double bottom witli modern water ballast tanks, but had a water ballast tank though not of the latost pattern. This would probably cause her to sink more rapidly than otherwise. Dunkdin, This Day. There were no New Zealand passengers on the Catterthun'. She was the lirst of the Company's liners for some time that had no returning pliinaiiien.