SHIPPING DISASTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14375, 21 May 1910, Page 2 (Supplement)

SHIPPING DISASTER.

";; ♦_ , ,- — P,'.' CUT DOWN BY UNKNOWN STEAMER • ONE SURVIVOR. A serious shipping disaster occurred off Land's End early a few week* ago. The four-masted Liverpool barque Kate Thomas, a vessel of 1748 tons, owned by Messrs. Thomas and Co., was run into by an unknown steamer, and within a few minutes sank. All on board were drowned, with the exception of a young apprentice named Nelson. Amongst those who went down with the ship were the wives of the master and mate. At the time the Kate Thomas was being towed from Antwerp to Port Talbot in ballast by the Belgian tug John Bull, which brought the news of the disaster to Falmouth. Tho collision occurred at four o'clock in the morning, and the colliding vessel was not afterwards seen. Jack Nelson, the only survivor, is 20 years of ago, and a native of Birkenhead. The ill-fated barque was commanded by Captain Williams, and her crew numbered 18, besides the two ladies, Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Roberts. This only represented half tho full complement of the vessel, it being intended to ship the remainder of the men on arrival at Port Talbot. Antwerp was left on the Friday morning, and all went well until about four o'clock a few mornings later. When about 20 miles south-west of Pendeen the captain of the tug observed a steamer overtaking him, and, to his great astonishment, making direct for his vessel. Suddenly she altered her course, and crashed into the Kate Thomas, whose hull stood well out of the water, the vessel being light. The captain suggested that the steamer might have been attempting to pass between the tug and the barque, but he could not tell. What subsequently happened will, to a great extent, remain a mystery. From the account of tho only survivorthe lad Jack Nelson, son of Mr. John Nelson, of Birkenhead— was sleeping in his bunk, when, to use his own expression, " something banged into the Kate Thomas." Ho immediately rushed on deck, and saw a steamer backing out of the hole she had made in the ship. After going back to get some clothes, ho rushed along to the poop, and found the captain and his wife, ' the chief officer and his wife, and the third officer assembled there. It was seen at once that the Kate Thomas was in a serious plight, for she began to heel over. THE FINAL PLUNGE. "The captain's wife," continued Roberts, " became very alarmed, and shouted to the tug for help, but Mrs, Roberts, the chief officer's wife, was more calm and collected. Gradually the list became worse, and all had to cling to ropes to prevent them falling over. Suddenly the Kate Thomas gave a final plunge." Seeing what was happening, young Nelson jumped overboard with a lifebuoy in his hand. He managed to get clear of the circling waters which threatened to draw him down, and after being almost overwhelmed by two or three heavy seas, he looked around and found that the ship had disappeared ; all that could be seen was a mass of foam. For about twenty minutes the apprentice battled with the waves. Once he saw- the third officer, who had only just joined the Kate Thomas, after being wrecked on the Norwegian coast, swimming with a lifebuoy. Nelson asked him whether he required any assistance, and he replied in the negative. The lad, however, tried to get the officer's sea boots off, but he did not succeed, and subsequently the mate disappeared. After a while Nelson reached the John Bull, and was hauled on board in a semiconscious condition. He was given warm food and clothing, and eventually recovered. The John Bull cruised round the scene for two hours, but was unable to find any more survivors, or to recover any bodies. When she reached Falmouth, Nelson was taken to the Sailors' Home. Both he and the skipper of the tug declare that the vessel which sank the Kate Thomas steamed away without endeavouring to render any assistance. Nelson added that it was a quarter of an hour before the barque sank,, but whether any efforts were made to launch tho boats he did not know. Later it was reported that a coasting steamer named the India had put into Penzance with her bows stove in, and had reported having been in collision with a vessel off the Longships. • \ Mrs. Williams, the wife of the captain of the Kate Thomas, made the last round voyage in the vessel, and had since visited her homo at Marionglass, Anglesoa, for a holiday. Fho crossed to Antwerp to join the Kate Thomas there, and took with her Mrs. Roberts, the chief officer's wife, who lived at Pwllheli.