APPALLING DISASTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9581, 4 August 1894, Page 2 (Supplement)

APPALLING DISASTER.

SHIRTY PERSONS DROWNED THROUGH THE CAPSIZING OF A FISHING SMACK.

HEARTRENDING SCENES.

A. dreadful accident has just occurred on the Irish coast. A large " hooker" or ashing smack was sailing across from Achill Island to the mainland when she capsized. The occupants, who numbered about 100, were principally harvestmen who weie coming on shore for the purpose of catching the boat for Glasgow, which was to leave in the evening. A large umber of the passengers, including several women, were in the bold of the hooker at the time of the occurrence, and they went down with her. It i* estimated that over 30 lives were lost. The unfortunate people were all young, the oldest not being more than 25 years of age. They all belonged to the island of Acbill, the inhabitants of which live in a normal state of poverty, and depend largely for subsistence upon their earnings in England and Scotland, whither they emigrate every year and work as farm labourers. This year they are compelled to leave in much larger numbers than formerly. ..The hooker of John Healy left Achill shortly before the others for West port Quay, a distance of 20 miles. There were about 110 passengers on board. Shortly before the unfortunate occurrence, when in a part of Clew Bay, two miles distant from Westport Quay, Healy endeavoured to jibe or turn his boat without lowering sail, and in doing so the boat capsized, and his passengers were plunged into the water, the vessel herself sinking at once. The sails were all set at the time, and many of the unfortunate victims who might otherwise have escaped were kept down in the water by the pressure of the sails Several persons j were in the held when the accident happened, and they had no chance of escape. Messrs. Laird's steamship Elm was lying in the channel not far distant and a number of men were engaged upon her. The workmen at once proceeded to the spot in a small open boat, which was almost swamped by the large number of drowning men and women who grasped the gunwale. The crew of the steamship were, however, prompt in lowering four large boats, and in less than five minutes the boats were pulled to the scene of the disaster, and the work of rescue was rapidly proceeded with. Many were recovered in an unconscious state, and, by the aid of restoratives, soon recovered. In all some "5 lives were saved, and then the work of search for the dead commenced, large boat-hooks were - used and plunged Into the water beneath the sails and rigging and into the bold and forecastle. Eighteen bodies weie soon recovered, 16 being those of young women not more than 20 years of age. Seventeen of the deceased were identified. Never has there been witnessed in the district a more saddening sight than Westport town and quay presented on the afternoon of the disaster. As the bodies were recovered from the wreck they were conveyed to the quay, and here the hundreds of other Achill people who had come in separate boats awaited the arrival of the corpses. Relatives were recognised, and the scene was heartrending. One poor woman escaped only to find that her two sons and two daughters had perished. One young man who was taken into one of the rescuing boats, seeing his sister go down in the wreck, plunged into the water and seized her shawl with his teeth and sank with her. They were both, however, taken into another boat engaged in the work of rescue, bat in an unconscious condition. Restoratives were applied, and after some time they both recovered consciousness and were taken to Westport Hospital, where they were said to be favourably progressing'. The sea was fairly calm at the time, which . was a lucky circumstance, for the water was alive with a struggling mass of humanity. The screams of the poor people could be heard for a considerable distance, and altogether the scene was an unnerving one. But the sailors from the Elm worked with remarkable coolness and resource, and succeeded in saving some 75 lives. Some of the rescued people were so exhausted that they appeared to be in a dying condition when raken on board the Elm.