WRECK OF THE BEGA.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 11251, 16 April 1908, Page 5

WRECK OF THE BEGA.

THE ENQUIRY'". (Press Assn- — By Telegraph. — Copyright.) (Received April 15, 9.3 a.m.) SYDNEY, April 16. At the enquiry into the loss of the Bega, passxmgers gave evidence that the steamer had a, list when she left Tathra. One of the boats was veiy leaky. The only bailer was a boot, and there was great difficulty in keping her afloat-. One passenger deposed to being 1 handed a knife by a sailor. and asked to cut the painter of tlie woman's boat. Other evidence was that the steamer was cany ing less cargo than usual, and that it was well stowed.

SYDNEY, April 8. As the stories of the passengers by the ill-fated Bega come to hand it is more abundantly clear that if a storm luad' been raging on the night the steamer sank, or even if a heavy gale had been blowing, there would have been a terrible loss of life. It is asserted that when, one of the boats was loaded, and had) put off from' tlie sinking ship, it was discdvered' that tho plug had not been put in at the bottom of the bbat t and that the water was pouring in fast. So great was tlie daricness, and so crowded was tlie boat, that it was impossible to remedy the error— the spot where the water . was coming iii could not be found. Accordingly the •passengers had- to set to work fii earnest baling. Soke of the women took off their skirts and blouses and used them as mops to soak up the water, whilst others took off their shoes and employed them as dippers. Thus all .through the night they kept on bravely baling out as best they, could, for if the work had been allowed to relax the water would have gained, and nothing could then liaive isavedi the boat. One of the passengers, Miss Piitchard, had 1 a cork helmet, which made an invaluable dipper. There were oars on board, but no rowlocks, and so the heavily-laden craft drifted aimlessly until taken in tow by the other boat, where there were oars and rowlocks also, .though none to spare. At one time, indeed, it seemed' that it would be impossible to keep tlie water under, and after the towline liad . been made fast the passengers in the second boat called out that they were sinking. Then, it is said, a quarrel arose in the first boat and the story certainly does not make 'pleasant reading. It is tliat two or three men demanded that the towline should.be cut, so that the disabled boat, in which the women and children were, • should" be sent adrift. This dastardly suggestion drove th© majority of those in the first boat' into furious indignation. One passenger declared that lie would knock the" first. man down- who attempted such a cowardly, act. Another 'passenger, Sir A. Sharpe, who was on his way to Sydney by the Bega to be married, had a knif e passed to him as he was sitting in the stern of the boat, and the man who handed it to him: ordered) him tp sever the nope. ,Sharpe's reply was to fling the knife into the sea. Four seamen, from the ..steamer Bega behaved splendidly. Thy took the oars j rowing the whole 12 biours they were' afloat. -Tlie adverse currents encountered, which the boats were traversing in tho darkness, disheartened them, and made some of the men sullen. Hour after hour of strenuous work by the sea- 1 men, with .the boat heavily weighted, and with the other boat helpless behind, unnerved and irritated some. No progress was being made, by appearances. The dliin line of land, could be just discerned towards the dawning in the dai'kness, from the boats, and towards that lirie they never iseemed to get wearer. The journey of five or six miles had occupied from 10 the previous night. At daylight they were still nearly two •miles distant. . The progress Avas almost imperceptible, and it was neb till 10.30, a:m. that they landed on tho beach at Cuttagee. A parcel of gold, containing 561 oz, arid valued ' it. more than £2000, went down witli the Befiia. - *. THE 'CAPTAIN'S 'STORY; Captain Bishop stated that the Bega cleared Tathra. ori the return journey to Sydney from Eden about 7 p.m. on Sunday night. . Shortly J after the voyage started the ship took an unaccountable list to starboard, and as the. voyage pro- 1 gressed the list became accentuated. Efforts to trim the cargo so as to right the vessel were unavailing. 1 Finally the vessel was turned round on her course, | back to Tathra, in the hope that the wind blowing at the time would hold her up somewhat, so that perhaps her position could be eased. On being brought round with the wind she primmed again, but canted again in the same manner, and the water poured into 'tbffront part through the portholes. The excessive inclination of the ship's decks , made the greatest difficulty iri. getting passengers iiito the boats and on to the two rafts, which had been lashed together. Finally the listing became so great that it was impossible to stand on deck. The women and children behaved with magnificent J courage. There was an absence of the . scenes, so familiar at such appalling times". The calm and col: leeted manner in which the captain and officers proceeded about their preparations for abandoning the foundering vessel reassured the women and children.' Lifebelts Avere served out, arid fastened securely to each person, the officers being the last to don them. As time was an obtect, the rails enclosing the forward dC^Vhad been broken- away, and the cattle pushed overboard, to relieve the weight from the forepart , of the vessel. The lifeboats were cut away and secured, and the passengers lowered into the boats. JOURNEY FULL OF PERIL. It was a perilous journey. In every detail the launching of all but one boat had gone smoothly. From the time the boats were cut away from the davits of the doomed vessel until they shovedawiiy not a quarter of an hour elapsed. At 10 p.m. the two boats— officered by Chief Officer Davis and Mr 1 Woodruff (a valuator for a Sydney fire insurance company)—and freighted with the women, pulled away for the coast-lirie, and landed their freight at Cuttagee Beach, six miles south of Bermagui. The party of six passerigers and 17 of the crew drifted for nearly 12 hours. The journeying of this party on the raft was made more painful by the presence of the body of Mr D. C. Clarke, of Clarkson's Crossing, Candelo— a passenger, ' who died froin collapse on the deck of the sinking vessel. The raft pai .y conveyed the body of the unfortunate man to their frail refuge, and- tied it there with ropes, and the living and the dead drifted thus through the long hours of Sunday night. Captain Bishop, true to tradition, was the last to leave his ship. As the boats pulled away and. the raft began its drift, three hearty cheers rang out. One sailor, Dawes,/ sustained a fearful gash on. the lip, ,but, despite his wound, took an oar manfully, and never ceased pulling till, the boat landed at Cuttagee. INEXPLICABLE. OCCURRENCE. It is officially stated that the cause of the wreck is unknown. One of the crew asserts that the plates came apart below the Water-line. Others say tbe vessel was overloaded, which is denied, as the captain declares that it is untrue, and much larger cargoes have been carried. Rockets and blue lights* were burned in the hope of attracting attention from a vessel which was passing out at sea, but apparently these signals Wore not observed. All the passengers arid crew lost all their possessions;