WRECK ON THE IRISH COAST 386 LIVES LOST.

Otago Witness, Issue 400, 30 July 1859, Page 6

WRECK ON THE IRISH COAST 386 LIVES LOST.

Thp Irish papers contain an account of the wreck of the Pomona emigrant ship, from r.herpuol for America, on the morning of the 29th April, on Blorkuater Hank, near Wexford. Out of' 'Alo emigrants only four were •- aved. Of a crew of thirty, fifteen were lost — making a total of 386. The passengers were chiefly Irish. The Wexford Constitution, of April 30, sa\s :—: —

It is our painful and melancholy duty to chronicle the total destruction of a large emigrant ship, and the loss of upwards of 380 human lives, in o»r own immediate neighbourhood. The splendid clipper ship Pomona, ioOO tons burden, of New York, left Liverpool on Wednesday with a crew of 30 sailors in addition to the captain, Charles Mew-yew, and with passengers for New York, to the number of about 380. She left the Mersey with a fciir and full breeze, and everything seemed to be sjoing on well up to a late hour, when almost in a moment, the hopes of her liung freight were blighted, the ship struck, and nothing but death and desolation lay before them. Many of the passengers and a portion of the crew had retired to their respective berths at an early hour, but a large number, more cheerfully inclined, had congregated together in the saloons, and^ were singing and dancing up to a late hour, there being both a fiddler and piper on board. As the night advanced, however, the breezo freshened into a strong gale, before which the gallant ship flew as it were towards her destination, and most of the remaining passengers turned in. By some means, which at present we have been unable to ascertain with accuracy, the captain, when nearing Tuskar, seems to have lost his reckoning and mistaken his position, for a little past midnight the ship was driven on to a sandbank some seven miles off Ballyconigar, near to Blackwater, the sea making a clear breach over her and sweeping her decks. The passengers rushed in crowds to the deck, most of them but partially dressed, and many with only their night-clothes on. For a short time a wild scene of terror and confusion ensued, which, however, gradually subsided as the calm orders of the captain were obeyed by the crew, and something like order was re-established. The pumps were quickly manned, and it was found that the vessel was fast making water, but the captain was in hopes that if the weather moderated he should be able in the morning to land all his passengers by means of his boats. In this, however, he was doomed to be disappointed, as the gale continued with increased fury during the whole of the day. In the course of the morning an attempt was made to launch the life-boats, but they were stove in and their crews drowned. In this fearful slate of suspense they remained till towards evening, when the ship, which had till then remained firm on the bank, slipped off by the stern into deep water, and commenced rapidly to fill. The while boat was then launched, and a number of the crew and passengers rushed into her. The captain, in the hope of being again driven on to the bank, let go the best bower anchor, but all his exertions were fruitless, and though more than forty men were working at the pumps, the water gained upon them so fast that in less than an hour she sunk. The heartrending scenes that must have occurred during thnt hour are fearful to think of, but are known only to God, for beyond those in the boat not, a soul was saved. The captain and first and second mates remained on the sinking ship, the only officer in the boat being the third mate, Stephen Kelly, who succeeded in reaching the shore in company with eighteen others of the crew and three passengers, five being washed ■out in their passage from the vessel.

In the meantime the intelligence of the dangerous situation of the vessel had been brought to Wexford by some of the coastguards, and steps were immediately taken by Mr. "Cojrhlan, the Collector of Customs, to render assistance, if possible, in rescuing so large a number of his ft'lhuv-cieatures from the perilous po-ilion in which the) were placed. For this puspose he communicaicd with the owner i\f th<> gie.un tug Erin, who promptly and

generously placed her at the service of Mr. Coghlan, the captain being directed to take the Rosslare and another life-boat in tow at any moment it was possible to get out of the harbour. For this purpose steam .was kept up for many hours, but it was not till daylight next morning that the wind moderated sufficiently to admit of her leaving the river, and then it was too late — (he last sad scene was over, and the old and young had met an untimely fate and perished within sight of those shores to which they had but a few days before bidden adieu to find homes and friends in a distant land. Little of the wreck was to be seen when the steamer arrived at the spof, only the mizen mast being above water. From this was taken the colours which were flying when the vessel went down, the last sad memento of the departed.

On visiting the shore in the neighbourhood of the wreck at a later hour next day, nothing whatever \va9 to be seen of the vessel, very little of which was washed ashore. On the htach at Ball)conigar, however, were found the lifeless remains of several of the unfortunate passengers, which were removed to the boathouse near there to await an inquest One of the first bodies rescued from the waves was that of a Jady apparently about forty years of age, who in life must have been a handsome woman, and evidently moving in a respectable sphere of life. Here, however, we blush to record it, we must notice an act of barbarism so gross that it is hardly credible that any person in this age of civilisation could be found guilty of it. The body of this lady, when found by the coastguards, was stripped of all its clothes, with the exception of the body-linen, and it was ascertained that this diabolical act had been committed by one of the same sex, a woman residing in the village of Biackwater, who had thus desecrated the dead body and made off with the clothes. On the arrival of the constabulary, however, a body of whom left her early in the morning, this brute in human shape was made to give up her plunder, and it is to be hoped that she will meet with the just reward such inhuman conduct deserves. The chess of this unfortunate lady consisted of a black °ilk jacket, with small white spots, a black satin skirt, two fine flannel skirts, linen corset, white cotton stockings, and slippers. Two Urge and handsome gold ear-rings were also found with the body, to which was attached an india-rubbei life belt. Near to the spot where this body was discovered there was afterwards found that of a young man apparently about twenty- five years "of age, and, according to the statement of the third mate and some of the sailors, the son of the lady above-mentioned, who is reported to have been the widow of an Ameiican capfain, and to have had with her a daughter about sixteen or seventeen years old. The next body come to was that of a gentleman of middle age, dressed in black. Near to this body was also found that of a male infant of six months age, and that of a young woman of about twenty, partially clothed. On arriving at Ball}ne>k«r, some "two miles from Blackwater, we were informed that the body of a young lady had been found there and removed to a cottage near at hand. On proceeding there we beheld the remains of a very beautiful young girl, the calm expression of whose pallid countenance indicated the peaceful sleep of innocence rather than an untimely and violent doalh. The dress of this poor unfortunate was of an expensive description, and from the' similarity of features to those of the elderly lady and hor sou mentioned above, there can be little doubt thnt she was the daughter spoken of by the sailors being with that lady on board the Pomona before her loss. An india-rubber life huh— inadequate to save life, but sufficient to redone the body from its watery shroud — was ako found attached to these remains, a fact which still more strengthens the supposition tint these three persons were of ihe same family— united in death as they had been undivided in life.

Much is told of the barbarity of men and women on the coast, some of whom refused to rescue the remains, while others stripped them and made off with their clothes. No doubt these instances were very exceptional, and the coastguard and others appear to have dona their best in consigning the bodies to a decent grave. Whether the captain were intoxicated, or incompetent, or how he lost his reckoning in St. George's Channel, does not appear; he too was drowned, and the third mate is the chief officer among the survivors ; nor does his evidence offer any explanation of the disaster. There is no doubt that of late years our own emigrant ships have been respectably commanded, and we hope that this tragedy will lead the Government of the United States to take equal precautions with our own.