SHIPPING DISASTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13029, 21 November 1905, Page 5

SHIPPING DISASTER.

A PASSENGER STEAMER

WRECKED.

STRIKES ON FRENCH COAST 123 LIVES LOST. By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright. (Received November 20, 10.38 p.m.) London, November 20. The London and South-western Railway Company's steamer Hilda (Captain Gregory), with a crew on board of 28 men belonging to Southampton, about 20 ordinary passengers, and 60 Breton onion sellers, has been, wrecked on Cezambre Island. All on board were drowned except one sailor and four Bretons, who were rescued after clinging to the rigging for eight hours. The Hilda left Southampton on Friday night and was detained off Hurst Castle, near the Isle of Wight, by a fog. She encountered heavy seas and a snowstorm in the channel and a thick fog near St. Malo, on the coast of France. She struck the rocks on the island on Sunday. ' _ _' ■ The funnel and masts are visible at low water. A lifeboat has been found empty at St. Cast, near St. Malo. Thirteen bodies have been washed ashore. Four more bodies have been recovered at St. Malo. Most of the passengers were asleep when the vessel struck. Terrible scenes of grief have occurred, at Southampton, St. Malo, and St. Brieuc. Renter's correspondent at St. Servaa reports that altogether 123 lives were lost in the disaster. The Hilda was an iron screw steamer of Hie following dimensions: —Length, 2i5.6ii ; breadth, 29.1 ft; depth, 14.2 ft; tonnage. 849. She was built at Tort Glasgow in 1882 for the London and South-western Railway Company. Cezambre is a small island to the northwest, of St. Malo, on the north coast of Brittany, in France. The harbour of St. Malo is very difficult of approach. The presence of the onion-sellers on the steamer is explained by the fact that every year, in the* season, larsgo numbers of Bretons visit England and hawk their onions. Hundreds of Spanish onion-sellers also visit England for the same purpose.