SHIPPING DISASTERS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4182, 6 January 1885, Page 3

SHIPPING DISASTERS.

T*HREE WRECKS : LIVES LOST. ]

Melbourne, this day. The brig Robin Hood, bound from Kaipara to Adelaide, has struck on a rock on Flinders Island, Bass's Strait, and be•Come a total wreck. Part of the cargo of timber was landed. Auckland, this day. The brig Robin Hood, owned by Laurie and Co. of Auckland has been wrecked in Bass's Strait. The crew and part of the cargo of timber were saved. The barque Annabel was insured for £2700 in the New Zealand Insurance Company, of which £2150 was re-insured. Later. The insurances on the brig Robin Hood, wrecked in Bass's Straits, are : — Hull : £1,200 in the New Zealand, of which £250 is re-insured in the South British and £200 in the Batavia. The cargo of timber, shipped and owned by the Union Sash and Door Company, is insured for £1,840 in the New Zealand, but part is re-insured.

A terrible tale of the sea has just reached Grirasby by the smack General Wolseley, of that port, which has^bronght the only two survivors (out of a crew of fifteen) of the Dutch herring higher Maartje, of Vlaardingen. On October 28, when 100 miles from Spurn, gnd during a tremendous gale, the lugger was struck by a sea which completely overturned her, imprisoning eleven men in the cabin, where seven of them were quickly drowned. The other four men, after about ten minutes, when the vesssel partly righted, got out of their prison, when they found that the captain and three men, who had been on deck, were gone. The mast was broken, and the teasel entirely under water, excepting the stemhead, to which the four men clunn ail night. In the morning one was washed away. All that day passed without any vessel being seen. In the evening one became delirious, and commenced to laugh and sing songs. One more dreary night passed without help ; but next day, when all were at the point of exhaustion, the General Wolseley cime tohersuccour. Although a very high sea still, ran, four of Capt. Baxter's hands volunteered to man a boat, and after great perils succeeded in getting two of the Dutch men aboard, but the third, the poor fellow who had been delirious from the previous evening, wanted to go and tell his seven drowned mates below. He was prevented, but refused to get into the boat. The mate of the Grimsby smack went upo \ the wreck and tied around the man's waist a rope with which it was tried to drag him into the -beat, but as he clung tenaciously to the wreck, the rope was let go for the purpose of trying other means. No sooner, however did the poor maniac find himself released than he laughed wildly, and letting go his hold sank beneath the waves. The two survivors praise highly the courage of their rescuers, and their kindness.