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New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume XII, Issue 1283, 18 November 1857, Page 3

Tnfe Eliezer, put into this port on Snndov. from Sydney, on her way Io Canterburv. Slubrings the intelligence of the disastrous R h>-> wreck of the Catherine ddoihson at the Bvrsnev Heads, attended with considerable loss of life. The following is the Captain’s statement from the Empire, Nov. 4 :—

Oct 23rd, 1857-*—Between 6 and 7 p.rn double reefed the topsails, then about 2.5 miles south of Sydney Heads, wind about W.S.W , strong breeze. Several dors previously, chains were bent, anchors got our, .*,)! the warps on the deck but the large haw-er. which was all cLjm* in the lower forecastle ; in fact, the ship Vjg||fadc all ready for docltrint? at sea for the or coming into harbour, not being certain of getting a pilot that nisrht. as I have not been in the habit of settint? a pilot so far off before ; after passing the light, foresail and mainsail were hauled up readv to receive the pilot, for whom I had been makine* signals with blue lights and a rocket ; stood under easy sail towards the Heads, say double, reefed topsails, jib, spaniter, and maintopniast staysail; during the day hnd singled main braces and sheets to worksmartlv up the harbour.

About 9 p. m. received Pilot Hawkes on board, who took charge of the vessel, and asked me if she would work tinder the canvas then set ; I said I thought she would, but that we could soon make what sail be required ; he ordered the foresail and mainsail to he sit, which Was at once done; stood towards the North Head, and when pretty close to it tacked to the southward ; the ship staved, but having been kept rather close to the wind, the yards did not come round well, owing to the main yard being rather too long in being hauled, and she was long in stays, and m ide stern wav. In conversing with the pilot, I explained to him that with my ship it would be necessarv. when he wished lo stay, to keep her clean full, and haul the mainyard round as soon as she was head to wind ; be gave me to understand that he bad had so manv of these ships new that he knew how to handle her well enough ; the wind being right cut of the harb. ur, I suggested to him whether it would not be better to take the ship outside for the night; I made this suggestion twice at least; lie said it we Went outside we might be at sea fora week, and having the flood tide, if we worked the ship smartly and made two or three good tacks, we would get in and to a good anchorage ; the ship was hove about on the south side, a good deal to the eastward of the South Reef, and she came round pretly well ; she thi n looked to make about Inner North Head ; when preltv close Was tacked to the south, again coming round moderately well ; stood across and fetched close to the eastward of the South Reef; ship was put about again, but was long in stays and made much stern wav, twins to having been kept too close to the wind, giving her too little way, and the mainyard not beinghauled soon enough; just after being put aln nt was struck by a heavy squall from S.V* .; tin

mainsail and foresail were hauled up bv th.' pilot’s orders, and stood towards North Harbour ; wind moderating a little, he found it necessary again to have more Wav on the rh: and ordered the foresail to be set. which was done, but shortly after the fore-sheet cairieti away t all this time the ship was kept veryclose to the wind by the pilot’s orders. As the ship was drawing over to the North side, I several times went to leeward to see how she was going, and fearing she would not clear the land; he as often said she would clear, and go into Spring Cove, where he intended to bring her up; he repeatedly calling to the man at the wheel to “ keep his luff.” It soon became evident that the ship would not clear, and two attempts were made to stay her without success, owing to her having too little way ; the pilot, about 11.30 p.rn., ordered both anchors to be let go, which was instantly done, with 60 fathoms chain on the small bower, and 45 on the best bower ; clewed up and furled all sails, which occupied about one hour and a quarter, and the ship seemed to lie safe, if the weather had remained moderate, ns she seemed to be more than her own length from the rocks, and lying nearly parallel with them.

The pilot and myself having agreed to sene for the Washington to tow the ship up, and his boat having left the ship some time before, we burnt blue lights and sent up rockets to bring her or another boat to send for the steamer ; I suggested sending one of the ship’s boats, but both of us thought it would be daylight before any of them would reach Sydney will, the wind there was.

The Williams steamer coming in from tin Hunter, came downnnd offered assistance; tin first time we were hailed from her we did n< i hear what was said, but the pilot hailed then to go to Sydney nnd send the Washington down, to which we could hear no reply ; sinmade another turn and came closer; the piio. again hailed to know what steamer it was ;

they said, the Williams, from the Hunter ; he again hailed to go to Sydney and send the Washington ; the answer was, 11 we can tow vou if you send lIS a warp;” the pilot hailed “evcriil times that they could not tow the ship : I suggested that it would be proper to keep the steamer and try it at any rate, although he repeatedly said she could not tow the ship; we hailed her to come as close as possible, and we would throwyi line fast to the warp, and I at once went forward and gave orders for the large warp to be got up, as I did not consider it prudent to trust to the ordinary towing lines, as we must have slipped our anchors when he got a strain on the warp. I should have stated, that after the sails were furled, ] had advised the pilot to heave in 20 to 30 fathoms on the small bower chain, to bring her further off; he agreed with me, and I gave orders to the irate to be rcadv to do so. and the jitrgers were put on b >th chains, and the necessary preparation made; the steamer coming alongside, however, occupied attention, and the chain was not hove in, all our efforts bein'? devoted to getting a line on board of her. When I went forward and ordered the warp to be got up, the doing which occupied about twenty minutes as near as I can judge, we made one or two attempts to heave a line to the steamer without success, and the ship’s gig was ordered to be put out to carry a line to the steamer.

While doing so, a pilot boat came alongside ar.d took the line to the steamer; while haul mg on it the line parted, and it was again sent, snd I I'elievrthe warn was got *>n board of the str-.mer. hut from rhe steamer laving bri.-.msriie to the wind, sti-rii on to the ship’s prrt side, ami by this time as’ern of the ship, she was in. b’e to sine head to wind with the w-irp, an.! v.-i-s obliged to slip it : there was upwards or SO Orth-,ms of warp out •-•.hen it was shpped ; at tins tnr.c I think it was about 3 a nt.

The warp w:>s all hauled mi board the ship *i“-ritn, my-elf and the pilot bein'? ’ogether on the foiei-astle-licad at the time. It is proper t<> timutior. lu re that from thetime tl-.e steamer t.-.-ik to come near us when each nttempi was - ace to throw the linn, on board, and also to .‘■aul in the warp when curried on board bv the i ilor boat, a good deal of delay was unavoidacause : .

While hauling in the last of the warp, the ship began to feel uneasy and roll alittle ; seeing that the sea was coming contrary to the wind I asked the pilot where that sea was con ing fiom. or what was the cause of it, hut he gave me no answer ; I did not observe any change in the wind ; as soon as the warp was all hauled in I ran aft to the poop as fast ns I cmtl'i, as I saw the ship was swinging stern on ’o tile rocks. I looked over the stern and saw shr was close to the rocks but had not struck ,- I then called out for all hands to lie aft, and get the boats out, when the officers and some of the men came aft and got the gig into the water, which only took a few minutes; but bv rhe time it was done, the ship had struck ait once or twice.

I saw the gig into the water and the chief e'licer superintending ; then went to the other side to superintend and assist in getting out '.he life-boat, which was done in about 15 minutes, but might have been done much quicker bad more hands come to assist, but manv of the crew seemed frightened and panic-struck, keeping on the forecastle head calling out to the steamer, apparently regardless of the boats as a means i f safety ; I had hold of the line In.-lding tl,e stern of the life-boat, and in shoving her off the poop to launch her forward, I was thrown into her on my buck and siightlv hurt ; I got out of her again, and she was on the rail, and before she was lowered into the water I ran into the cabin door and called out whether any one was there, but saw no one, and got no answer ; I then went to the waist of the ship, got on the rail, and saw the lifeboat lowered into the water; I called to some <-t the people to jump in and keep her clear of the side ; some did so, and the boat was hauled forward bv the men on the forecastle as far as the fore-chains without any orders from me; 1 followed her forward to the forecastle head, to ste her filled with people and away, having then no intention of going by that boat, ano having previously given orders to the secnti'i mate to get out the pinnace which would have held the rest of us.

All this time the ship was bumping beavilv; when I went forward to see the life-beat off, J called out to the chief mate to come back as quick as he could with the boats but with the iini.-e and coirusio I believe be could not hear me ; th-.- hte-bont lay alongside long enough to allow mote people to get into her if they chose ; she. was not cast off bv mv orders, but i.lt: r she was adrift from the ship, a thought struck me that I had better go and trv to get tite ste mcr to come closer to the ship, and Hu.ide me to get back to her in the life br.-at ; having the idea that I could do more fc.r that purpose than anyone else, and that if I did 1 would get on board the ship again, and besides saving all the lives might save my ship's papers ; all this time the sea had been rising rnptciy, and was very high ; 1 thought then the ihip would be lost, but not that any life would be. thinking there was time to save them, and that it would be more effectually and sateiv done were the steamer closer to the ship. I jumped from the fore-chains into the stern of the life-boat, when she was well clear of the ship : only one man, SiUis, got into the boat utter ni'*, and I hauled him out of the water, I called for an oar to steer with, and one was handed aft; four or five oats were manned, each by two or three men, and the 'mat pulled alongside the steamer in about fifteen minutes 1 think; the steamer was rolling heavily, and difficulty was experienced in getting out of the 1 'mt ; being anxious to get on board and communicate with the master as soon as possible, I got out of the boat as quickly as I could, being hauled over the steamer’s rail by some of her people, and ran on to the bridge’ where I .-aw the captain ; I at once urged him to get as close to the ship as he could with the life-boat, and he said he would do anything I wished, provided his vessel was not put in danger. We both looked over and saw the life-boat. He ordered her to be passed astern, and my second steward and one of the steamer's’ men got into her, made her fast, and she was passed (Stern, and the men got out other. It became iccessnry for the steamer to hack her engines i little ; the life-boat got foul, filled nnd went .drift. I asked the master of the steamer if IV bad a bout to give us. He said he hud one, mt she was a small life*boat, not fit to go into uch ti sea as that, and that his men had previously refused to go in her. All this time

the sea was rapidly getting worse, and I don’t believe myself that any boat the steamer had woujd have lived, and I could see that the ship s mizen-mast was gone, and the main top, gallant mast fell while the steamer was trying to get near; the sea making a clean breach over the ship. The steamer went as close as she could with safety, but without other boats we found we could render no assistance ; the master and I then agreed that it was best to proceed to Watson s Bay for life-boats or other means of trying to save the people left on board the ship. Ihe pilots Gibson and Jenkins came with their crews, but before the steamer returned to the ship she hud broken up and was in pieces. When I left the ship I had nothing on but shirt and trousers, without watch, monev, or ship’s papers, or any article belonging to the ship or myself. Gs-orob Stuart, Master ship Catherine Adamson.