DISASTROUS SHIPWRECK.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVII, Issue 2584, 9 August 1895, Page 2

DISASTROUS SHIPWRECK.

LOSS OF LIFE.

THE AUSTRALIAN STEAMER CATTEETHUN SUNK. • gis <3dds iteyr# , itf Fifteen MiNUTEs. •

By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. Received August S, 7.30 p.ih. Sydney, August 8. The steamer Catterthun struck on the Seal Rooks at 2.30 o’clock this morning, and sank in fifteen minutes. The captain, doctor, second mate and two other white men, and sixteen of the Chinese orew, hare landed from boats at Fotater. •

The Others are supposed to be lost. ReteiVed August S, 3 p.nt. SyDnblt, August s. The fcotiis which landed at Forster contained 30 Chinese (including- 16 of the crew) and the following white men : Doctor Coperaan, A. W. Langfear (second mate), Mr Crane and Captain Fawkes, the pilot. - The other boats, containing the captain Of the steadier and the other officers, are left Sydney last night fdr Chiiht; via why ports, in Charge of Captain Neil Shannon, and the following Officers:—W. Fi Finney, mate: Langfear, second mate; Harold Leffier, third mate J E. H, Anderson, surgeon; J. H-. Harper, ,F. Wilson, J. W. Adams. A.'Wolstenholme, chief, second, third and fourth engineers; R, Manning, chief steward; W. Jackson, quarter-master; three . Chinese quartet l masters; and a Chinese ctCw of -It. . She carried as passengers :—E., Fraser, T. C; Crane, Copeman, Dr Anderson;. Captain Fawkes; . Mesdames Mathias add Boring; Miss Boring; and 13 Chinese; TdgC have heed sedt from Newcastle to the scene of the wreck. . : LATER FAimCULAKS. THE SUPPOSED LOSS OP LIFE. ESTIMATED AT OVER. FIFTY. Sydney, August 8. An intense sensation has been caused in the city by the loss of the ■ Catterthun, ac centuated by uncertainty as to the fate of the missing people. ! The weather for the past day or so has been boisterous, and an angry sea was running "when the steamer left Sydney yesterday. Owing to the isolated part of the coast where the wreck took place very little intelligence is yet to hand. The survivors were very much exhausted when they reached land. No accounts baVe been received from them. Tho vessel must have been somewhat to the south of the lighthouse, as the keeper did not see her.

A tug just returned reports a high sea, and no sign of the vessel or the boats. : The Catterthun had 81 on board all told. ' ‘ :■

(Accounts are conflicting as to the number of the saved. It is variously stated as 22 and 25, but the latter is certainly the limit.' 1 -, ,

(' : Several coastal , steamers passed ; Seal Rocks during the day, and their arrival is anxiously awaited hero .td-night f in- the almost forlorn hope that they may have picked up the boat. ■ ; ; ‘ - The passengers saved are !—• - Dr Copeman, of London. (Captain Fawkes, pilot. Ml Crane, official of the Eastern Extension Company. The spot where the survivors landed is 20 miles from the Seal Rocks.; ‘

Amongst the missing are Mrs Mathias, wife of the captain of a steamer trading in Chinese waters,; who was formerly connected with' Money' Wigram’s Australian steamships. Dr Anderson, ship’s V surgeon, and a young . Victorian ; doctor named Smith, who Joined the ship at the last moment. "f..'' The hull of the Catterthun* was insured in London. . ■ ' The general cargo was insured for .between .£20,000 and: -830,000. . v *. Those chiefly interested are JDerwent,; Tamar, Canton and China traders. i There .was .£IO,BOO in specie on board. Rive thousand" was shipped" at Adelaide, and the rest belonged to .Chinese passengers. The gold was insured! • MAILS rEOM NEW ZEALAND iON DOAUD. ; There was one bag;of mails;from,.‘Wellington, . and two" from' .the Bluff on the steamer. ; v ;; - . . STATEMENTS BY SURVIVORS. Received August 9,1 u.m. Sydney, August 8. The following. statement has been obtained from Mr Crane. ■‘.C\Ve cleared the Heads at 5.30 last night, followed by a south-westerly gale, high broken sea and rain squalls. All wont well • till twenty-five past two, When the passengers' wore aroused by a severe shock, quickly followed by a second one. ; 1 “ The captain quietened the passengers, telling us wo were only struck by the sea. Shortly after wo were roused out* by the order of the captain, and told to go on dock. ■ “The ship had a strong list to starboard, and heavy seas wore ■ breaking over her fore and aft.

“The position was appalling, for the ship was evidently”settling "fast;'The officers and crew.had plready. succeeded, in getting out tholifebbatsi'faut the’efforcsitb lower them were greatly impeded -by the tremendous seas which- constantly i broke .aboard, carrying the boats in again. i The port lifeboat was swept off the davits. “Ainotioeable feature was the coolness and, discipline of all on board. 1 "The captain,.chief and second mate, and. Captain Fawkes, were, swept over, the bridge, and- the. same, sea smashed the cutter to,atoms. ; n.:■

“ The sea was then leyel, with the rails, and breaking clean: over the poop. , , ’“ The starboard lifeboat was successfully launched, and a moment after the steamer gave a sudden lurchi.to starboard and disappeared. ■: “ Tho crow of the starboard boat subsequently picked up. all: the survivors,” .. .. Captain Fawkes states that just. h o f°l® the ship disappeared he, with -the captain and-chief officer, was swept off the bridge. ■Ho saw. no more of his- companions, and was thirty minutes in the water before ho was rescued. ... , -

Received August 9,1.20 a.m. Sydney, August 8.

Mr ; Crane remained in the . cabin till within a minute or two of the foundering, then went on to the poop, and remained 20. minutes in the water before.he was picked; up; !■' ' ■■ - ' Dr Copeman was in the starboard cutter when it was washed away, and ho clung to a spar and then dropped into the wfjter till he was picked up by the lifeboat.. ... 'After examining the. wreckage, i the lifeboat proceeded to Charlotte Bay, where a trading,; cutter convoyed them ,to Cape Hawke. ■ , ■... ■ vLahgfear, who was, in charge of the bridge, refuses to make a statement. '■ After striking, the steamer continued her course for some distance. : • -i It is supposed she struck a sliding blow on the edge of the outer reef. rocks, and had her side ripped open, and that she then swung. ; off at a tangent and . went ahead till she filled with, water,, ! Off the outer rook there is a depth of 25 fathoms. ... ..... : , ■ . i Later. ; ■

Tho Maranoa, which has just (11.20 p.m.) arrived, saw . nothing even.to indicate that a disaster had occurred. . -

The Catterthuh, :a' well-known —trader between Australia, China -and Japan, belonged to the Eastern ' and Australian Steamship Company;'and-was-a-steamer of 2200 tons. £ She was', commanded, by Captain Neil Shannon. —- Seal Eock, : where the-disaster occurred, is on' the coast about 200; miles north of Sydney. There is .a, lighthouse near the spot,! at. Sugar-loaf i; Point, a .revolving, white light; ..fiashingsevery'.half.! minute, and visible j22:.miles.:-The-keeper ofthe lighthouse,, as.. the cablegramrshowi, -saw nothing of the.Catterthun, and he believes, the wreck occurred at .some point to;the southward.