GALLANT RESCUE AT A SHIPWRECK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 6273, 24 December 1881, Page 7

GALLANT RESCUE AT A SHIPWRECK.

Thf. fine Liverpool steamer Cyprian went ashore on the Carnarvonshire coast recently, two miles from the village of Plas Kevin, and not far distant from Pwllheli. Only eight lives were saved out of twenty-seven of a crew. The story of the disaster as told by one of them is appalling, and shows that the catastrophe was due solely and entirely to the severe weather which the steamer encountered after leaving the Mersey. It appears from the statement that the Cyprian left the Mersey with a general cargo for Genoa, &c. At the time of starting a full gale was blowing, which continued during the whole of the day, though gradually increasing in strength until a perfect hurricane was encountered. The vessel made fair way at first, but shipped seas regularly ; in fact, her deck was never free from water. The water shipped washed every movable thing off the deck. Indeed the only deck that was tenantable with any safety was the middle deck, where the bridge was situated. The steamer laboured heavily until three o'clock the next morning, when the first of the series of disasters which endeil in the ship's destruction took place. The seas had been dashing against and battering the steamer's sides for man)' hours, and at three o'clock the steering gear of the fore wheelhouse gave way, leaving the apparatus in the after wheel-house alone available, and which was at once utilised to the best advantage. Very shortly afterwards one of the boiler tubes burst, and the water pouring on to the fire put it out. Meanwhile the other boiler remained intact, and gave sufficient steam for the propulsion of the steamer. The third disaster happened a short time afterwards, and left the steamer at the mercy of the waves. This was the giving way of the apparatus in the after wheel-house, which cause ! the vessel to become unmanageable. Sails were set for the

purpose of steering her, but they were of little or 110 avail. The steamer remained battling with the elements for about eight or ten hours from the time the first accident happened. Not one of the crew had been to rest since the time the steamer sailed from the Mersey, and most of the men fully anticipated that the vessel would be unable to weather the terrible storm. The engineer's boy endeavoured to bring some water for the engineer, having for this purpose to go on deck. He had no sooner appeared on deck than he was caught by a wave which had just then come over the ship, and hurled nearly the whole length of the vessel. Curiously enough, the little fellow was scarcely injured at all. Fearing the worst, the steamer's boats were got ready and provisioned, whilst a compass was placed in one of them. To launch them in such a sea was impossible; but even had they been once put on the water, they would most assuredly have capsized. By this time most of the crew endeavoured to get on the bridge deck, fearing the vessel would founder while they were below. Shortly before five o'clock the tubes of both boilers had burst, and put out both fires, so that no steam could lie got to work the engines. Whatever hopes the crew had entertained of their vessel being able to withstand the storm were now dissipated, and the whole of the poor fellows endeavoured to prepare for the worst. The captain, who had been on the bridge the whole of the time, told the crew that they must prepare to save the r lives, and that it was each man for himself. All were now on deck, and could see the steamer rapidly and surely drifting towards the land. All the time the Cyprian hud been out she had only got a little way beyond Holyhead. The men, for the most part, seemed panicstricken, and tried to obtain whatever they could to enable them to keep themselves above the surface of the water. The steamer was driving nearer and nearer the land, and when about two miles ofl Kevin she struck on a rock with considerable force. When the perilous position of the vessel was realised by those oil board the distress signals were exhibited. There were a couple of hundred people 011 the beach, but the flag ■was blowing in the direction of the crowd, so that they could not see that the flag was intended as a distress signal. It was just about five o'clock when the ship struck. Most of the men jumped from the steamer into the sea, in many instances having lifebuoys round tlieir waists. It was thought that the whole of the crew, with the exception of two firemen, jumped from the steamer into the sea. These two, it appeared, became unnerved and went down with the vessel. It was stated that the captain had a lifebuoy, but seeing a boy who had stowed himself away on board the ship at Liverpool without one, ho told him to take his (the captain's), as he could swim the distance to the shore. The captain, chief officer, and boatswain were seen struggling in the water, the boatswain endeavouring to catch hold of the captain to sustain himself, but the whole three perished. It was impossible even for the best swimmer to battle successfully against such a surge, and those who were saved wore pitched 011 to the beach by the waves. In each case the survivors had lifebuoys. The engineer's boy reached the shore holding an oar, whilst a lifebuoy encircled his waist. At one time the men were in the trough of the sea, whilst at another they were on the crest of a large wave. In these latter moments they could see their comrades struggling desperately to sustain themselves. Tile water was bitterly cold. About ten minutes after the vessel struck, and while the survivors were still in the water, a peculiar noise was heard as it a piece of calico was being torn just by their ears. It was the steamer breaking in two. She broke apparently amidships, one half sinking on one side of the rock, and the other half on the other side. The cook, who perished, was in the galley just before the crew left the steamer. He was also accompanied by a boy. The seas which had come over had proved so disastrous to the galley that the doors could not be opened, so that both the cook and the boy had to be hauled through the roof. There were also many other narrow escapes before the ship struck. When the survivors reached the shore they were received by the people. Some of the poor fellows seemed to be suffering keenly from the immersion, which had only lasted about a quarter of an hour. Immediately they came near the shore they were caught by the people on the beach, and taken eventually to three farm-houses, where they were kindly treated. The stowaway boy was too ill to return to Liverpool with the others, and remained at the farm-house.