LOSS OF THE SHIP GENERAL GRANT AT THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1306, 23 January 1868, Page 4

LOSS OF THE SHIP GENERAL GRANT AT THE AUCKLAND ISLANDS.

HER. MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE EXPLAINED.— 70 LIVES LOST—IO RESCUED. The whaling brig Amherst nrrived at Bluff Harbour on'tne instant, with ten survivors of the ill-fated ship General Grant, which, was lost at Auckland Islands ou the 11th May, 1566. We extract the following from the "Wellington Evening News, forwarded to that paper by their Duuedin telegraphic correspondent:—c Dunedin, Jan. 13. Tho American ship General <-rant, of Boston, 1200 tons, Cnpliiin Lough'un, siiiod from Melbourne on tho 4thMiy, 180-j, fur London, with a cargo o wool nnd six bT)xes of sold. .Si»htcd tho Auckland Isl&uJ ,: . !'. ".ii'ii .'wtather thick. K'o -....ui found ship c!o..«i to tho iand ; a ctrs:-.;; c-ironu scllin:,her towards tha shore ot 1.30 -••!'.<. Oa :!'-•• 1 -U-, shi|> ttruok against perpetn ! .i:-.liUr hr-h-ir t!;:ui tho 9hip's mast, on the v;c;>i of tl.<: 'Maud. At f.verj roll of tho sea largo pieces finis's foil or. the do-.-.k. The yards and masts fell wiiii uci -■"-:.. Tl.o c'.. , .;. v.-'.tn njw firmiv embocidt-'d bctweon Iμ o h':;h overhanging: headlands, a-.uf 'hoy wore compelled to launch the boats over the atom. Tho wimland sea at daylightincr?ased fearfuUj. The boats were Rot out, and filled with passengers :md crew, and disappeared in the boiliug surf, ii.vti'on out i>l eighty-three souls succeeded in landing o:v t:\e i>liiml, iifti-r three dny« nnd nights in open hoat.i. On 22nd January, 1867, tho chief officer and throo of tho crew.* left in a bout and endeavoured to roach JN'ew Zealand. One man died on tho isknd. Nine men nnd the sten-arck'ss wore taken off by the whaling brijr Aniliurst on the 21st NoYi-mbor, ISG7, and in.tided at the Bluff tiarlour last night. Aα official enquiry in now being held by the SubCollector of Customs, 'he Kcsiilent Magistrate, und Captnin Waldron,into the eauso of wreck.

special M.'ei.i G;tAM. —The names of tho pas=en!rcra Eavcd are—JamtH I'eer, Patrick Coughey, Nicholas .rillim, and David Ashworth. 'ihose of the crew alive are —Mury Ann Jewel (stewardess), Cornelius Drew, William Ferguson, Aaron Haipnan, A. M. Sagguilly, and Joseph Jewel.

ADDITIONAL PAKlTCUr. \\\*. Dunedin, Jan. 15. Additional particulare of tho loss of tho ship General Grant have been received. On 13th May tho land wns sighted, and thought to bo Disappointment Island. The course etecrel whs IC. by W., wind N.W. At 11 o'clock tho Auatluud Islands wore sighted right ah'iad, and tho ship was hauled on tho port tack. Tbe wind Doing light, and there being a nasty short Boa, the ehip had hardly steerage way, and continued tj set bodily towards land. Tho ship soon struck ugainat some great perpendicular cliffs, and carried away the jib-boom. 'I hen dropped astern for about half a mile on a projecting point. Curried away tho spanker boom and rudder. After this the ship canted head toward land, but finally set into a cave 250 feet deep. The fore-top-mast coming in contact with tho top of tho care the forenmit Was carried away close to tho deck, and tho inain-top-gallant-mast laliing, the howsprit and cathead were smashed off. Some groat piecea of rock were brought down by the mast, and stove in the forecastle. The ship lay in n. helpless position till daylight, striding heavily the wholo time forward, and having 25 fathoms of wati r under the etorn. At duylight some of the men got clear away by tho bows, and then tho reat git over tho etern with the necessary tackle for launching the boat?. The pinnace was first launched, and three men sent in her with lines ami kedgo to be laid for haulinp , out tho other boats, Some time was occupied before the second boat (gig) could be got orer tho Htern, and she went out of the cave safely with the chief officer, three seamen, and James Seer, o. passenger. Up to this period the tide seemed falling, but now the main-topmast camo down and tho ship forged furthor into tho cave. T he mammas! got adrift through striking the roof of the cave. The heel of the mast eturted the ship's bottom, and she settled down very fast. The tide was now making rapidly and the wind and sea was rising. Tho work of getting into tho boats was at onco hurried on, Mrs. Jewell, tho stewardess was eecured by a whip, and fell into the sea. Her husband however jumped after her, caught her and succeeded in getting her into the boat. Two passengers followed, and Jewell by jumping got into the boat safely. The sea now swept the poop, and tho long boat was seen floating.off tho rock. The gig we.s taken outside clear of the breakers, and five men got into the pinnace. The chi»f officer made an effort to return to the ship. At this, time the long boat was ueen floating from, the poop with forty persons in her. The sl;ip was eitiking fast. The longboat proceeded fifty yards but did not cloar tho breakers by the backwash rocks, and was soon filled and Bank, leaving heriheavy human freight midst great dashing waves. Three men —Ashworth, Hayman, find Pengellv— BWiini through the breakers, and were picked up by the boats. The captain was eeen in the mizzentop waving his handkerchief, one man by his side; they.had scarcely been observed when the ship rapidly sunk and altogether disappeared. The b')ate outside tho cave lay-to for eomo lime, but it soon becamu e> ident that all who -were not in tho boats had biion drowned. Ihey then endeavourol to make Diaappoititmoat Island, distant ton miles ; In the evening the boats roached the rocks nridwny between Disappointment Island," and took shelter for tho night. Koit morning, after pulling some distance, a landing was effected near Sarah's jiosom,! and a fire lighted, lor all suffered much from the cold and wet, most of thoso in the boats being up to their middle in water. There was but oae Jucifor match in the possession of tho party. Some of ihe party spent several days in looking for food supposod to be left by H.M. steamer Victoria, and the Southland, steamer. There wae great Buffering from dysenlerv, for duriug 15 months the eu.-vivora lired principally on seals and niu«eele. Musg r avo's hut was found, but no provisions or clothiug. There were also found pigs and goats, which, when caught, tho flesh proved a great luxury, piles of wood were regularly burned as a hignal fire but without a sign of succour. One men (a passenger) died, and his death greatly djs r heartened the survivors., By this time tho• party were constantly employed in hunting for food, keeping a look.out, making clothing,'bedding, hats, caps, coats, trousers, and shoes. Jlocaesins aud under clothing, including some for the fctewardess, being :made exclusively frem. the ekina ot seals. At lest, 21et November, the Amheret was Sighted; rr.odo for the island, aDd took the suffurers on board! .";Worda," says one man, "cannot express our- feelr ings of joy.for euch a, doliverancofrom hardship and privation during a period of 18 months." It is believed that, a good det.l of tho cargo might ba recovered; . . v.Tha official inquiry into the cause of the wreck is' closed. The finding of tb« court is not i-nov.-n, but it is supposed that it will bo declared that the vessol was accidentally lost.

We extract the following from) tho Melbourne Argus, of the 4th May, 186G : —" |he chip; General Grant cleared out for London yesterday with a largo cargo of wool and general produce Tho following j is a list of passengers:— Saloon, M). and Mrs. iiay, Mrs. Oar and family, Rev. B'athe; Sarda, Messrs.. Fdel, Deans, Johnston, Woodnow, Tebbits, and 33 in the second and 3rd class cabin." The report.of the ship's clearances run ae follows :-t< General Grant, ship, 1005 tons, W. H. Lough|in, for London. J. H. White and Co., agents. Cpgo—2os7 bales wool, 2fj bales ekinc,, 238 pkge. ljather,;l36 r-use-peH, 1281 pkps. barliß, 87 balen and 50 tons rues, 9 tons snoiler, 10,446 horns anl a jiiantity of b mns »nd ho" fs, 1 bundle hides, 783 calf ekir.*, 18 billOJ woollens, 170 pkgs. and 2 boxes containing 2570 02i. 6 dwte. gold. i.