MYSTERIOUS SHIPWRECK.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 524, 25 May 1880, Page 3

MYSTERIOUS SHIPWRECK.

Th« wreck of tfie Ba'tnßay India Steam Navigation Company’s s.s. Vingoria, briefly reported in cable news, appears to have been one of the most mysterious on record. It resulted in the drowning of the commander (Captain Stuart), Mr J. Bryce, chief engineer, Mr. T. B. Wilden, second engineer, Mr C. Knight, third engineer, Mr G. Mewbray,, clerk, and 59 native passengers. Among those on board, but who fortunately escaped, was Mr H.Cloete, civil engineer, husband of a lady living at the Hutt. The vessel, built in 1875, started from Bombay for Kurrachee, 29th February, with eight first-class, eight second-class, and 95 deck passengers on board. The weather was exceptionally fine, and all went well until about halfpast 10 o’clock, when the officer on watch noticed that she did not obey her rudder. It was then discovered, on opening the main hatch, that water was within five feet of the main deck. There had been no shock and no collision, and how this happened will probably always remain a mystery. Boats were lowered as soon a» possible. The ladies and seine male passengers were placed in the mail boat. Although the captain’s wife was among the lady passengers, with her child, the brave officer never left Ids post, biit bidding her a hurried farewell placed her in charge of a junior officer. One of the other boats was “ rushed” by a number of native , passengers, as it hung in the davit, and broke in two, all the passengers except one dropping into the sea. A number of other natives, helpless with terror, lay on the deck and could not be-persuaded to move. Captain Stuart ordered a quantity of loose timber to be Arown overboard so as to give them a %janc« of safety, and then seeing the peril in which the ship was placed, and determined not to quit her so long as there was a soul on board, shouted to the, boat in which his wife and child were to stand off, tbt ethers being already free of the vessel. They last saw him on the gangway burning a blue light. “The last thing I saw,” says Mrs. Stuart, in her affecting nkrrativo of the occurrence, “ was his hand holding out a rocket. I only saw the hand and could not see the face. I don’t think the vessel was one minute going down. The bow dipped, with her screw out of water; there was a loud hissing sound, and it seemed that in less than a minute she was gone, and I saw nothing more.” Other spectators say that in addition there was a “ low moan” from the native passengers as the vessel plunged head first into the water. Chinese Labor and . Contracts. — A stormy meeting of the Exhibition Commissioners took place relative to the terms of the contract for the manafacture of 600 chains prohibiting the employment of Chinese. A protracted discussion was followed by a division, which resulted in forty three vetoing the restriction and forty two favourable to the terms of the contract