COLLISION OFF DOVER.—OCEAN STEAM SUNK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5358, 18 January 1879, Page 7

COLLISION OFF DOVER.—OCEAN STEAM SUNK.

OVER. VIFTY LIVES LOST. Dover, November 26.—Shoitly after mid - ni"ht on November 25 a fatal collision occurred ofl' the Rrelaud, between the iJamburt: and Atneiictn Steam Packet Company's Hteamship Pomerania, and the Welsh barque Moel Kilian, of Carnarvon. The Poim-ram», commanded by Captain Schwcnsen H3S2 tmw agister, left New York, bound for Hamburg, on the 14th inst., having on boaid a gtucral cargo, 220 passengers and crew—name<y, 111 crew and 109 parser ut-rs. The weather at the outset is reported to have been fair, but subsequently heavy seas with rain were encountered. " Early on Monday morning the ship arrived at Plymouth. There she disembarked 20 aud look on board S passengers. At Cherbourg 40 passengers, ot which 14 were tirst-class, were lauded, and the Pomerania started again on her voyage under favourable circumstances, and it was fully expected she would arrive about midday today. The evening closed in with a slight fog, but all on board are described as bi-iug in the highest spirits, and but a short time before the collision, daueing and music were indulged ia in the saloon. The slumbers of those who had retired to r- st aud the mirth of those who had not retired were, however, cut short by a rude shock, which told its own tile with unmistakable emphasis. Those "f the crew who were on duty on deck state that the crash was tremendous. In the thick haze, part.y composed of fog and partly of drizzling rain, they saw a large barque bear down on them, and cut into them amidships abreast the engine-room. The rapidity with which the ill-fat d steamer was going dragged the colliding vessel through the water, and as she parsed astern the rent was wideued, the iron plates of the Pomerania emitting a sound dreadful to hear. Through the wide chasm thus made the water p >ured in with ominous rapidity, putting out the engiue tires, aud plainly shewing that the Pomerania was doomed, aud that speedily. The colliding barque, which turned out to be the Moel Kilian, of Carnarvon, was quickly lost in the sinister gluow, and, as she suon afterwards seut up siguals of distress, those on board the Pomerania knew that uo succour could possibly come from that quarter. The ship carried S life-boats, capable of carrying 240 souls. These were swinging in davits, and, as is unfortunately too ofteu the case, there was some difficulty in lowering them, aud the davits had to be cut away. Five were successful!}' launched, two were stove in, and one sunk through overcrowding. The majority of those who were lost must have beeu drowned in consequence of the boat sinking : but very few appear to have gone down in the ship, which floated for a considerable time after she was struck. It is variously reported that she floated from a quarter to halt an-hour, The last boat which stayed by the ship had 40 scula on board, all told, and in her crowded condition it was not thought prudent to pull about in an attempt to save more life. When the morning dawned, all that remained visible of the Pomerania was her topmasts and fore and main yards. She lies about 12 miles south-west of the J*outh Poreland ; and thus mournfully terminated a voyage begun with hope, continued with promise, and nearing a happy realisa- j tion. By the courtesy ot the German Con- ; sul, Captain Sehjott, 1 am enabled to furnish ; the following particulars respecting the Moel j Eilian, Captain David Pritchard, 10S0 registered tonnage, barque-rigged, and bound to Cardiff in baJJast :—About eight minutes before the time of the collision, the ship heading '•V.S.W., the •• re light of a steamer was reported. Capta. tciiard states that he was steering on a starboard tack, and going through the water at the rate of about five or six knots an hour. When about eight ship's lengths off he shouted, and no one replied* bnt he believes that the course of the Pomerania was slightly altered in consequence. When the Bhip3 separated, he found his own ves3el so much damaged about the bows that Bhe must have inevitably sunk had it not been for her watertight compartments. The Moel Eiiian's lights were Hp, and burning brightly. She carried 18 hands, all told, and no one sustained any injury through the catastrophe. She was towed into Dover harbour about one o'clock this afternoon. Such is the prose narrative of one of the chief actors in an ocean tragedy. The lifeboats which got away in safety from the Pomerania had on board 172 passengers. After drifting about for about half-an-hcur, they were picked up by the English steamer Glengarry, which hove to until daylight, when, fiudinythat no persons were floating about on wreckageor clinging to the visible spars of the Pomerania, she transferred the shipwrecked passengers and crew to the harbour-tug Granville, which brought them to Dover about nine o'clock this morning.

Roderick R. Schneider, a native of Saxony, also a passenger, said : I was on board the Pomerania on Monday night. We were run into by a barque. I got into a boat, and by that means was saved. I and those who were with me were picked up by the Englibh steamer Glengarry. The barque ttruek the Pomerania amidships, when we were about three miles off Dungeness. After the collision a cannon on board the Pomerania was tired, and the Glengarry came to our assistance. I was given to understand at the time that both of the colliding fchips eank together, the barque was not afterwards seeD. At the time of the collision I was in the cabin reading, but when I heard the crush I rushed on deck. The captain, I saw, was in conversation with the chief mate, and he did what he could to allay the fears of the passengers. He said that the vessel had run aground. The first boat which waa launched was swamped with people in her. There were ei"ht boats on board, two of which were disabled by colliding with the other vessel. The others got otf in safety. The captain told the iirst mate, who was in command of the boat, to wait for him, and, in consequence, that boat lay by the ship. After a little while, the mate told the captain that he had waited long enough, and shoved off the boat, and began to pull. About two minutes afterwards the ship went down, the mate telling them at the same time to pull for their lives. When I first came on deck I saw a little girl about 13 years old, in her excitement, deliberately jumping overboard, and I have not seen her B ince. About an hour aft-r I had been on board the Glengarry a body was seen floating alongside, and the fourth mate of the Pomerania took it into his boat. The body was that of a man. ITe was taken on board the Glengarry, and efforts were successfully made to restore animation. The conduct of the second boatswain deserves all praise for the way in which he tried to save the lives of the JaJies first. He would not allow anyone to get into the boats before he had safely seated all the women he could gather together. Several vessels came up in Answer to the "flareup," but all the persona landed at Dover were picked up by the Glengarry. I noticed wkilflt I was in the hoat that several bodies were floating with life-preservers on. There were three, I think. Those who wore them apparently did not know how to put them on, for they were too low, and caused their heads to sink, whilst the lower parts of their bodies floated on the surface of the water. They were accordingly not taken on board. The' Glengarry stood by the sunken vessel all night until daylight, to see if there were any more persons in the rigging. The upper yards of the Pomerania were out o£ the water. The captain, doctor, first engineer, and steward went down. Everything was as order]}* on board the sunken vessel as could be expected. The captain of the Pomerania, when I saw the ship going down, was standing on the bridge of the vessel. He threw up his arms and exclaimed, "Ob, God 1 :> The iirst officer went on board twice to ask the captain to go on board the boat. The captain said, " If you won't lie by, go aft a bit and lie there." The captain and crew of the Clencarry were most attentive to the survivors.

Maassluis, Nov. 26.—Steamer City of Amsterdam arrived here thi3 afternoon, and has on board the captain of the steamer Poiuerania, sunk last night off Dover. There was another steamer near the scene of the wreck, which the eaptain thinks has saved many others of crew and passengers.