FATAL COLLISION AT SEA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 642, 5 March 1879, Page 2

FATAL COLLISION AT SEA.

A German sailor named Powl Forforka arrived at Liverpool on Saturday, and reported that his vessel, the San Juan, had been run into and sunk by a steamer, and that all the crew with the exception of himself had perished. From his statement it appeared that the San Juan, an English barque, had been on the Australian coast for nearly two years, and left Sydney on August J4 for Falmouth, for orders. She had on board a cargo of wool. Forforka joined the vessel at Melbourne some 18 months ago. The English coast was reached on November 29, and Captain Dawson, finding he was near The Lizard, put his ship about, when he was suddenly run into by a large outward-bound steamer. The collision was so serious that but a very fewminutes elapsed before the vessel foundered, taking down with her, as ForForka supposes, the whole of the crew. He himself managed to get a life buoy,' and with nothing on him but some underclothing, was saved from his perilous position by one of the steamer's boats, and placed on board m an unconscious state. He says the night was dark' and foggy. He saw none cf the crew after the collision, but heard Captain Dawson crying for help. The vessel had a crew of 16 hands, 15 of whom are supposed to bs drowned. He scarcely remembered anything, being so frightened and benumbed with cold. He received a quantity of clothing from those on the steamer, on board of which he remained for about an hour, when he was transferred to a fishing boat and landed at Falmouth, from which place he was forwarded to London, and thence to Liverpool. The vessel struck near the bow on the port side, being almost cut m two. The following is the statement of Forforka :— " About 12 o'clock on Friday night (the 29 ult.), I came out of the cabin, md we put the ship about. Captain Dawson ordered me to give all hands a glass of grog, because it was cold weather. After I gave the men a glass of grog, I looked after my lights, and they were all right, so I went below m my cabin and went to bed. Half an hour afterwards, I felt the vessel being struck, and I heard the mast of the vessel fall. I listened for about two minutes, and I got out of my bed to go on deck. When I opened my door I saw the water streaming down into the cabin. The water was rushing and washed over me, but I gained the deck, and as soon as I got on deck she went down. I saw that I could not get help, and I tried to swim. I got hold of a life buoy and swam for half an hour, until I was picked up by a boat from the steamer that struck us. I was taken on board the steamer. ShewasanEnglish steamer. J was about an hour on board, when they put me on a fishing vessel off The Lizard, and it took me to Falmouth She appeared to be a steamer of about 2000 tons. Forforka was steward of the vessel, which he states was a barque. There is no record m the Merchant Navy List of a barque named the San Juan ; but there is mentioned the bria San Juan, belonging to Mr T. Riley, of Sunderland. She is also commanded by Captain Dawson, and is a vessel of 285 tons, having been built at Sunderland m 1868, by Messrs. Richardson. Forforka, who is a native of Dantzic, speaks English tolerably well. He gives the names of the officers as Captain Dawson ; chief mate, Williams ; second mate, Bayers, and the cook Smith, the crew being only known to him by their Christian names. Three of the sailors were Australians, while most of the crew belonged to Ireland. Forfoka was received at the Liverpool Sailors' Home on Saturday. When the disaster occured one watch was below, and from the suddenness with which the vessel sank he considered that most of the crew perished while m bed, as the fore part of the vessel went down first.