SHIPPING CASUALTY

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11368, 10 May 1900, Page 5

SHIPPING CASUALTY

WRECK OP A SHIP.

ONLY FIVE SURVIVORS.

THE LIFEBOAT CAPSIZES.

Br Telegraph.— Association. -Copjiigfct

Melbourne, May 9, The ship Sierra Nevada, bound from Liverpool to Melbourne, went ashore at one o'clock this morning near London Bridge Rock, back of Portsea,

She is a total wreck. Nothing is visible. Only five of those aboard have been saved so far.

The vessel was commanded by Captain Scott, and was 113 days out.

A seaman escaped from the wreck, and in an exhausted condition brought ihe first news of the wreck.

Parties were despatched to search the beach.

The ship belonged to the well-known Sierra line.

The Sierra Nevada carried a crew of 28, but had no passengers.

The names of the survivors are : McGuffie, Mackay, Griffith, Gilligan, and Jack Mackay. The latter is badly injured.

It is thought impossible that there can bo any more survivors.

The body of Captain Scott has been washed ashore.

The ship had a general cargo consigned to Messrs. James, Service, and Co.

The survivor, Griffiths, states that the vessel struck between half-past two and three o'clock.

Within two hours she was a total wreck. The weather was very rough, and the vessel was blown right on the rocks.

The captain gave orders to drop the anchor, but it would not hold.

The lifeboat was lowered, and 10 men got into it, hut it capsized immediately it touched the water.

No rockets were sent up, as they did not think there was any danger. The ship was burning lights for a pilot when she struck.

One man swam ashore, and the others got

ashore in a boat.

The following are believed to be drowned: Captain Scott, Mate Crawley, Second-mate Barron, apprentices Jones, Spedding, Wessala, Webbin, Rollason, and another whose name is unknown; seamen Blackburn, Smith, Williams, Hnrle, Brown, Tongue, Freeman, Prico, Burks, Russell; also the carpenter, sailmaker, and steward, whose names are unknown.

McGnffie states that the ship sighted land three days ago, and yesterday sail was shortened owing to a heavy south-west, gale, which increased in violence as darkness set in.

They could see the shore-light, hut the ship stood off the land.

The ship commenced to bump at two o'clock in the morning, and was swept by heavy green seas.

The survivors got ashore with great difficulty.

[The Sierra Nevada was an iron ship of the following dimensions : Length, 233 ft ; breadth, 37.6 ft ; depth, 23.5 ft ; tonnage, 1523. She was built at Southampton in 1877, and was owned by the Sierra Nevada Shipping Company of Liverpool.]

Later.

There is barely a vestige of the Sierra Nevada visible.