WESTRALIAN WRECKS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2368, 20 July 1899, Page 13

WESTRALIAN WRECKS.

NO - Tit ACE OF FURTHER

SURVIVORS.

A CAPTAIN'S MISTAKE.

• PERTH, July 14.

The wreck of the Carlisle Castle lies on Coventry Reef, four miles from the shore, at Fremantle.

One royal mast is visible above the water, but everything- points to the fact that the vessel had ggne down almost immediately after striking. From the condition of the wreck it is evident that she struck during the storm on Tuesday night. The two boats found on the beach had evidently not been used by the crew, as the masts" and oars were lashed. No bodies have yet been washed ashore. It is considered almost certain that the whole ship's company have been drowned. No complete list of the crew exists, but it probably consisted of 20 or 24 hands. From a letter* waiting at Fremantle the following is a partial list : — Captain Lindsay, master ; Houston, first mate ; A. Guyien, sailmaker ; Oscar Anderson, Welsley, Thomas M'Lean, Robert Wilson, Robert Jenkins, E. F. Stokes, Thomas M'Mahon, seamen ; and John Codd, apprentice.

It 13 rumoured there have been more wrecks — viz., the barque Arabella, from England, at Moore River; and the Mandurah, between Fremantle and Bunbury.

The City of York had a crew of 26, of whom the following are missing : — Walter Jones, master ; D. T. Baxter, second mate ; T. Pennington, steward ; J. Conway, J. Wallis, W. P. Lanten, H. Borner, J. Blackman, A.B.s; W. Stockwell, ordinary seaman ; and A. Purdy and C. Hancock, apprentices.

STORY OF THE SURVIVORS,

The survivors state that they had fine weather until off the Australian coast, when a succession of gales were experienced. Rottnest Island, 12 miles" from Fremantle, was sighted yesterday afternoon, and the ship was steered for "the lighthouse. The captain gave the order to down helm, owing to the heavy wind and sea. Rocket signals for a pilot were fired, but she struck about 200 yards from the shore. The captain mistook the Rottnesb lighthouse for a light at Fremantle, and steered his course direct for the light. The danger was not observed until the vessel was a quarter of a mile from the shore, and it was then impossible to bring her out of danger. Two boats were launched, but they both capsized. Some of the occupm&A however* coairiytil, *o. reacfe ike

j ship again, and seven more got ashore, buS j the remainder, including the captain, were ! drowned. The seven found on the ship* were taken ofi by steam tug Penguin, and the j other seven were also brought from Rott5 nest Island.

' Another survivor of the City of York gives the following narrative of the wreck, As soon as the ship struck the captain gave the order to clear away the lifeboats, and ordered all hands into the boats. ' The chief mate's boat, in which he (the narrator) was, contained seven men, and the captain's boat 19. The latter, in trying to make the ship again, was capsized, but they managed to pick up one man. Then a squall drove them on to a reef, but they pulled over the reef into deep water. The oars being washed away, they pulled up the bottom boards and made paddles of them. He was standing up to his middle in water. When they got clear of the reef they let the boat drift ashore, and then walked to the lighthouse. The mate and a sailor were both nearly exhausted, and tho boy, being nearly delirious with fatigue, had to be carried. They came across the lighthouse keeper, and reached the lighthouse at 2 in the morning. The first mate had his leg severely injured.'

RETURN OF SEARCH STEAMERS. The Carlisle Castle's cargo is valued at £25,800. The search . steamers returned .without finding any trace of survivors. ■ The man. who managed to regain -the City of York after the capsizing of the captain's boat had an anxious time, the ship being continuously struck by heavy seas. The captain took the valuable papers with him. .

July 17.

A number of fowls and a cat -were found alive in the City of York. The crew's ! effects and a quantity of stores have been , removed. Her bottom is badly damaged, j but there is some hope of towing her off when lightened. *• Wreckage from the Carlisle Castle continues to come ashore, but no bodies have been found. In the vicinity there are swarms of sharks. Papers found indicate that Captain Lindsay's wife was "on board the vessel.