WRECK OF THE POMERANIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 1418, 25 January 1879, Page 9

WRECK OF THE POMERANIA.

FORTY-EIGHT LIVES LOST. . (PROM OUB BAIT 'FRANCISCO CORRESPONDENT.) Auckland, January 17tb. The wreck of the Pomerania, a steamship of the America and Hamburg line, by collision off 1 Folkestone on the night of December 25th, caused great excitement. The Pomerania, Captain Schwensten, left New York for Hamburg on December 14th, and arrived. at Plymouth at midnight on the'24th. She landed the English passengers, and from Plymouth proceeded to Cherbourg, where she landed other passengers, and proceeded on her voyage up the Channel. At midnight on the 25th, in a dense fog, she neared Dungeness, and' when about three miles off shore she came into collision with the W^elsh barque Mary Eileen,, of Carnarvon, from Rotterdam to Cardiff. * The Pomerania sank 20 "minutes after the collision. The barque an? chdred off ' Folkestone Her pow was stove in' and her forward compartments were ; full of water/ ; The Pomerania was struck' on" the starboard side amidships. Distress-signals were given and ' responded to by the steamer Glengarry, which made all speed to the scene of the disaster, and rescued 172 passengers. There were "nine boats on the Pomerania, four of which were crushed by the collision, five were cut bff^ one being overcrowded with passengers. All boats pulled away from the doomed ship, leaving the Captain, who refused to quit. The last boat to leave was under the chief officer, who did all in his power to persuade the Captain to leave; After pulling for half-an-hour, the survivors were picked up by the Glengarry. One gentleman was taken from the water in an unconscious state and restored. The Glengarry stayed near the scene till daybreak, when the Pomerania was seen with her mast above water. The Glengarry then proceeded to Dover with those saved, and landed them at 9 o'clock, when they were taken to the Sailors' Home and treated with' every kindness, and breakfasted. The greatest possible order, under the circumstances, wa3 maintained by the officers and crew.