SOME FAMOUS SHIPWRECKS.

NZ Truth, Issue 105, 22 June 1907, Page 8

SOME FAMOUS SHIPWRECKS.

fffflE DUNBAR'S DOOM,

Batters South Head m a Howling Gale*

BUT ONE SURVIVOR,

Tfie >Penalty of Reckless Navigation.

. Methought I saw, a thousand - 'fearful I wrecks ti 'A" thousand men, that fishes gnawed upon ;> . • | Wedges of gold,; great anchor's,- heaps \ of pearl, ! Inestimable stones, unvalued '(jewels, All scattered m the bottom ! 'of the sea .; Some lay m dead men's skulls, and m those holes Where eyes did -once inhabit; there were crept !(As 'twere m scorn of eyes) reflecting gems, '•That wood the slimy, bottom of- the deep; " " ~: fo@r mocff t - tire -d&agr^^nß^ay' 1 scattered by. — Shakespeare. ; I

On Friday, August 21, 1857, Sydney was thrown into a state of great anxiety and alarm- by the report that, during the previous night, a large ship, with a conside-raible number of passengers, had been pecked' outside South \ Reef at the Heads, j The first information was commu- 1 nicated/ by. Captain . Wiseman, ofthe steamship Graf ton. He stated th-at on rounding North Head, and j entering between the Heads', he was i surrounded by pieces of timber, bales of goods, bedding, a/ncl sundry things, which made it evident ' that some- j where near a ship had gone ashore,, or had been cast away. Pilot Hydes first discovered theij wreck about 7.30 a.m. He immediately called Pilot Robson, and together they searched along the coastto the southward until they saw the remains of a vessel, half-way between ilia G-ap and the Lighthouse-

They thought her totea ship of 1000 fens, very heavily timbered, masts and bowsprit hooped ; figure, a ■guilt scroll ; had the appearance of an American-built ship, with copper fastenings, and her internal fittings consisted of a large quantity of unpainted light wood, such as is used IN IMMIGRANT SHIPS. •

A large quantity of softgoods was \vash©d ashore, including felt hats and children's toys. A pianoforte and sofa were also observed floating near the' -wreck. Qn proceeding to the Gap m the afternoon the pilot found' the residents of that locality watching; with great horror the dead and mutilated bodies as they were thrown- upon the rocks, the succeeding waves washing ofi again the naked remains. These were men, women and children— from 20 to 50. But it was not difficult to ascertain the number./ as the bodies were thrown up on the lodge of the rocks, an-d again violently washe-d^off. Several hu'ndredjjer sots, proceeded to the ■ ; ""'' t 'HeMs^^uiS-iis''th©'""'"aft»r/nokMi m; om- _ ; njbuses, cabs, apd. other vehicles, •■■--^il^"iulnto^: r Walkeff"'tb". the scene'

c& ibis drea-dful disaster. --— T^o !P<srtma:stef T Uaptain: JPockley, reported 12 bodies ashore m Middle Haifbor', one (evidently an officer) with gilt buttons on Ms coat, and amail bbg, marked '"Per 'Dun-

bar, Plymouth." A" large portion of the wreck had floated into Middle Harbor. Mr Isaac Moore picked up, near ' the Spit, the bodies of two respectabiy-'dressed men, and also of a woman, with a ring on her finger.-. On G-eorge's Beach the body o f a lit-' tie boy, quite naked, about '4 years of age, was picked up ; also* a cow was seen floating; near the spfrt', surrounded by sharks, wiio-werec eagerly " devouring- the ; animal. Messrs Chapman and Hayes returned m the evening from ■George's Head, and stated thati- on the . sandy

Edwards Beach they discovered a-' bput '40 feet of the lceel and; flooring* timber of a vessel!,- copper 'fastened,with two sheets of copper attached. The car-go on- board "the Duribar was?

invoiced at atoout £-72,000.- ,TJie-cap-» tain of the Europa, whicK arrived-; on the 20th,- was m oompaaiy, .^itliil tne Dunfrar for five flays,, • anki the

master of the Nora Creina steamer reported a large ship STANDING I 'TO THE EAST, The weather during the whole of the 20th was particularly squally, the wind being m the N.E.- -quarter, with a heavy sea from the east-ward. Towards the evening it shifted to the W. an>d N.W., and by midnight blew a gale from the south, veering to S.E. towards day light,.. which continued '. all day, w-'ith a tremendous sea setting dead on the land.' On the 22nd, Saturday, the steamer Black Swan brought' to Sydney 19 bodies, besides a considerable /sXSinQiy of mu/tilated remains ; and on Sun'da^'tfte^body of a seaman, with "H. 8." over an anchor on the right arm. There were remains also taken from the Gap of two other todies, supposed to be seamen. Thousands of people, m vehicles and on horseback, and an immense number on foot, visited the Hea/ds. Four or five boats proceeded outside the Heads, and'we'nt along m front of the cliffs, bnt no living person was seen, and from the close proximity of the boats to, the cliff, it was net doutoted that; if any others had escaped from the wreck, they would have been observed. / The. rescue of Johnson, the sole survivor, is better given m Mayor George Thornton's letter to the v 'Syd. rioy Morning Herald." It was written on Saturday, . the 22nd :— . : Sir,— l have been all day down at the scene of the wreck of the Dunbar, and had a long interview with Johnson, thejman who was saved. If the statement' he made to me, and which I carefully noted, be of any service to you, as information of a correct character for the public, who . all feel a deep interest m this melancholy event, I shall be glad that I have taken this course to forward it. He stated that they were off Botany at half-past 8 p.m., Thursday. The captain, then stood off shore, on the starboard tack, ship with dou-ble-reefed fore and main topsails ; a very, dirty, dark, and rainy night, two men were placed at the wheel. Captain Green instructed them to keep their luX ; he had not been off the deck for two hours, since they first made the land, some days pre- ' yiously. At about half-past 11 p.m. the captain gave orders TO SQUARE, AWAY, which was done ; the ship then ran 'under close-reefed fore and main topsails, and foresail. As they neared the "light," the captain, ordered the foresail to be clewed up, se n t the second mate' to the forecastle to keep a lookout; then very dark ; told him to "keep ' a good lookout for- the North Head." The captain asked if he couM see the Head. ..The second mate replied no, it was solid darkness. The second mate suddenly called out '''Breakers ahead-/' The captain ordered the helm t 0 be put hardto starboard to bring the ship round, then blowing strong ; ship on a dead lee shore. Having such small sail upon her, the ship would not come round (this was about 12 o'clock)and the sea lifting her m, she almost immediately struck. The passengers, who had all' been m their blertbs, rushed up on deck m their night-dr esses ; their shrieks were dreadful. Johnson describes the scene at this/ time as the most terrible part of the whole. The ladies asked the captain.: and entreated the seamen, to tell them if there was any -hope. Almost immediately after, as if m angry answer to that expression, the' decks burst' up from the pressure of the water, the ship was rent into* « thousand pieces r and all on board were hurried into the 1 foaming'and; terrific sea. ; Johnson, with the old boatswain, and two Dutch seamen,- were aifoout-ttie last who were washed from the wreck", -the four holding on to & pieoe of plank, from which, the two -Dutchmen were

soon after washed. A /huge sea then threw Johnson and tho boatswain on shore among .some pieces of. timber, from which Johnson scrambled to a higher shelving rock, to avoid the next sea, which he did, but the poor old boatswain, less active, was carried away* and • perisli&d. Johnson then climbed 1 to a still higher position, and, being much exhausted, :

i LAY DOWN AND SDEPT, ' The next day he saw a steamer (the Graf ton) go into the Heads. He made signals to her, <but was not seen. During, the day he saw another steamer (the Washington ?X pass, and tried to attract their attention ;. as also that of a schooner running m. J^riday night was passed m this state! On 'Saturday morning, he endeavor^ : to get along the rocks ; be coutd. see/people on the cliffs a/bove, but could not make himself seen, until,. a brave lad (Aivtqnio Wollier, ah loelander), who had gone down Jacob's Ladder and along the rocks, noticed :" Johnson waving a handkerchief: Relief came, and he was soon afterwards hauled to the top of the cliffs, ...which are there aibouti 200 ft. high.. .. The noble fellow (Wollder) was then.. hauled up, and received tbe hearty, manifestations- of the thousands there' assembled. I opened a subscription, which; was suggested by Captain Loring, of H.M.S. Iris, and m a-few. minutes about £10 was collected and handed over to this courageous -boy, who, m answer to. my compliment- m hariding him the money, ,saM, iji- -broken English, "I did not go > down for "the money,- but for the feelings of my heart." Johnson says that a blue light was burnt when the ship struck, but it was very dim, and could hardly be seen. Oapt-ain Green mus-t have taken the 'bluff norU\-end o? the Gap for the North mead, for m ordering the helm to starboard he must have supposed that to be his position, and North Head a lee shore:- Had the helm bean put to port the ship would have cleared, and rUn for the. entrance to the Heads. Afterwards at the Gap, • another brave fellow, whose name I have not yet learned, volunteered- to go down to send, up some of the mangled corpses, now and then lodging upon the rocks beneath us— now a trunk of a female from the waist upwards— then the legs of a male, the body, of an infant', the right arm, shoulder, and head of a female, the hleacfeid arm and. extend&d hand with- the wash of the .. receding ■water, •almost as 'twere m life,

BECKONING FOR HELP, Then a leg, a .thigh, a human head would be hurled along, the sea dashisi!gi most furi;ousfly,. as if. iiu angry derision of our efforts to rescue its prey. One figure, a female, tightly clasping an infant to the brbast, both locked m firm embrace m death, was for a moment seen ; then the legs of some trunkless body would leap from the foaming .cataract caused by . the recoiling sea, leapins;! wildly, wtt'll *e©t seen plainly upward m the air, -to the abyss below, 'to be again and again tossed up to tliegaze of tbe sorrowing throng above. We procured ,' a rope, lowered the man, with some brave, stout hearts holding on to the rope above, and m this manner several portions of the mutilated remains were haul-ad to the top of the cliff, until a huge sea suddenly came, ami nearly smothered those on the- cliff, wetting them to tbe skin. I caused the man to be hauled up, th inking it too dangerous to continue. It was a heartrending scene, and I was glad to leave it, which I dad soon after, and returned to Sydney about dark' Wonderful to say, Johnson has not so much as a scratch about him, and is otherwise quite well. He states that there, were a great many bodies near the place from where he was rescued, and his great fear was that he would be starved. The Dunt/ar was 81 days out."

On Saturday morning, . August 22, the foeach from Middle Head up to the head of the navigation was found strewn with wreck, and six of the Water Police, tinder Inspector Cowell, searched along the rocks for bodies that might have been- washed ashore. They had already secured 10, several of which were recognised afterwards. The Black Swan and Pelican steamers came m about 11 a.m., with a large number of gentlemen, some of them 'being relatives of the lost. The Black Swan carried a number of coffins, and, skirting the shores of the bay, received on board the bodies from the several places they had been -washed up. She afterwards went to"

THE QUARANTINE GROUND, / and received three bodies picked up by H.M. Herald: at Watson's Bay

she took on board the mutilated remains of other bodies, and returned to Sydney,,. The principal portion of the wreck lay on George's Beach, where a large quantity, of her frame was washed up. . .

• t At the inquest, opened at 10 o'cloc* on Sunday morning, the following bodies were identified at' the jßead House, Circular Quay : Mrs YFaller,. Mr Myers, 32 ' years of age, /and a boy ; atooirti 12. toy Mr Jacobs/ Mr- J, •Simmons, 21 years, by, ok© of ■family ; : and Mr Dowp^y, by his father, y The ■ principal part' of the wreck and cargo seems to have (been washed up at Middle- Harbor, where the shore was literally white with candles, and the rocks were covered a foot or more deep with articles of every kind —boots, panama hats, and 'bonnets, were there m abundance. Drums of figs, hams, pork, raisins, drapery, boots and pieces of timber were piled m heaps, and li'iwng- the shore for a ■•considerable distance, gave a vivid "idea' of the ha voc created. ■

The Waller family seems to have been wiped out, .judging by an. advertisement published the Tuesday follo-»v-i : nej the .disaster. It • - ran : — Deaths— On the night of Thursday,;, the 20th, .through the melancholy wreck of tho ship Dunfoar, Mr Kilner Waller, aged 41 years, son of the late Captain Edward Waller, of 87th Regiment, Royal Irish Fusiliers, and brother of Mr J. G., Waller, of. Wyn^ yard-SQU^re, .. Sydney. Also ■■ Hannah Mar ia'r' 'iris' wifo... and daughter of the: Rev.\v|f^nry Dowltng, of Launceston>' Tasmania; also their six r cliiliiireri:^ Mary Dowling, -aged 13 ; Edward'Kilner, 9:. Kate Elizabeth, 8 ; ; -Maria Theresa, 0 ; Arthur Henry, 4: John Leonard, 3 ; and the servant accompanying them.

The 'bodies ami* remains were buried on the Monday, the ' procession moving from the deadhouse a little before 5 o'clock. There were seven hearses, preceded' by two police officers of the Mounted Pol-ice. Each hearse was attended on both sides by mounted policemen, under the command of, Cautam McLerie. v

THE LAST HEARSE ; ' contained the remains of Captain Steano, a retired naval officer, and the coffin was wrapped m the Union ! Jack and followed by a company, of sailors and two officers of I-T.M.. Ships Herald and Iris. There were four morning coaches and a long string of carriages, of 'which that of the Hon. Stuart A. Donaldson took the lead. The band of the Artillery Companies formed a ' part of 'the procession 1 , and plavcd the "Dead March m Saul" with fine effect. .A! company of artillery with two officers, between whom rode the Governor's aide-de-camp, followed* ' The footpaths throughout ftie . streets m which tho procession passed on its way to the Camperdown Cemetery, were literally walled with people, and the' shops were, with only owe or two exceptions, closed along the line of . route. For days after the funeral, bodies ofthe victims were picked up m ones and twos, , and Pilot Hydes found three bodies, one' of a woman, at Watson's Bay. Mr J. E. Graham, Acting-Agent for Lloyd's, made an official excursion on tiie Monday afternoon down, the harbor, for the purpose' of ascertaining what portion of the cargo of the D miter had ten saved. . . He said :— "I chartered the steamer Premier, and with the assistance of Mr Collier, of the Customs, who,.'at the request of polonel Gi.btbes, accompanied'me. with a 'boat's crew— I was enabled to explore all the western side of the harbor. We were accompanied by Mr John Cuttobert ; Mr Miller-, auctioneer ;■ Dr. : Evans, Balmain ; and a few other friends. We lauded at several places where portions of the wreck could be seen, the , largest portion of which is strewn upon the two small hays on either side of Middle Head. Here you may observe- immense pieces of this noble shHp lying high! and dry amongst the rocks ; her strong and wellmade timbjers torn to atoms, scattered all over .the shore. It was a melancholy sight. In Middle Harbbr, to the left, we found a portion of her keel with, the garbioard st-r&'ak attached, r&nt and torn to atoms ;; at the spit of Middle . Harbor we found that portion of the cargo which the Water Police had picked up— "but what a miserable salvage out of so much — «, few casks of tear and wine, and sundry trunks of boots and' sundries was all. ■'...■.

THE WHOLE BEACH ♦ to the right was strewn with small pieces of wreck", as also the broken

bales of goods, emipty casks, etc.liut nothing worth saving. We found the bod'/ of a female, about 25 ; ( she had a -wedding ring and guard uponi her finger, but the skull and forehead being destroyetl,) it will not ibe easy ; to identify . her.; Mr Shortland, of Cleiveland-place, received information by the ship iAetos, that his father, mother,' and niece had sailed for, Sydney m the Diinfoar.

The Dunbar, on her .fatal voyage, carried a cfew. of 59—more-thandou-ble the number that a ship of her size would carry at tho present day. —and 30 • caton passengers and 33 m the. steerage.

Two anchors of the ill-fated' ship, after lying on-the rocky 'bottom for half a century, were discovered on the 14<h ult. by the lifeboat crew, at South Head. They were discovered lying oibbut 100 yards southward. Of Jacob's Ladder, 1* miles from the Gap, the spot whioh many people have erroneously associated with the wreck. 'A correspondent had sug-gested that the anchors, instead of 'being the Dun-bar's, belonged to the bliip Daniel Webster, which, bound from New 'Zeal and to Sydney m 1853, dropped her anchors

CLOSE TO THE CLIFFS, / and held till morning, when she mado an offiwg. Frederick Betts, of Bowna* recently wrote : "In swinging round on her anchor chain, the Daniel Webster was so close to the cliffs that a biscuit could have 'been * thrown ashore. The night was .extremely dark antf heavy rain continued/ Bishop Selwyn and passengers-— remaming ' on deck praying and singing ''until daybreak, ' 'by which' time the storm had passed away." However, as t*he resting place of the .anchors is hut 50ft. from. the cliKs, it .'should easily knock the 'bottom out of Betts's theory, as no vessel could swing an that limited space and be safe. And his story of miraculous preservation, though 1 good reading, won't fit m.. Whatever vessel dropped her anchors there was lost, and as no other vessel battered the rocks m that' vicinity, the anchors must have been the Dunfcar's. '

The news current at the ' present time, and which finds credence among so many, is erroneous:—

"What really happened will never be known, but the theory which is generally accepted is" that the commander, Captain Green, '

MISTOOK THE. GAP for the -opening between, Sydney Heads, and, steering a course for that fatal /Point, his vessel took 'the ground just below the present Signal Station. Even the hour and date of the disaster are not exactly known." James Johnson, the sole survivor, was 23 years of age at the time, and had been 11 years at sea, and knew more of the matter .than present-day writers, whose information can only be second-hand. His narrative— given at the i'Mjires-t;— and other interesting particulars will 'be -given next week.