THE 'QUEENSLAND' IN A HURRICANE TWO LIVES LOST.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XX, Issue 2046, 16 November 1872, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE 'QUEENSLAND' IN A HURRICANE TWO LIVES LOST.

We mentioned in oar report of tho ' Excelsior's' passage from Newcastle that the s.s. ' Queensland' hove to near her and sustained severe damage during the violent storm that raged. It *^ill be seen from the following account, which we take from the Sydney Morning Herald, that one man was killed, and another washed overboard- and drowned :—": — " On Tuesdayevening, when the head wind freshened into a stiff breeze, the s.s. ' Queensland' pitched aud rolled violently, and most of the passengers were 'in the agonies of sea sickness. At midnight on the 24th September, the wind was so strong and the sea beating bo fiercely*that the Becond officer left his cabin for fear it should be torn away. Pour tons oysters in bags on the deck forward made the vessel rise heavily to the strong bead seas, and the second officer roused the first officer, Mr. E. Bryant, to get hia leave to heave them overboard. They were consequently restored to their native elometit, and large quantities of fruit were at the same time thrown into the sea. The gale rose higher and higher, till at 7 a.m. on tho 25th, a furious sea burse in part of the port bulwark, tearing away the second officer's cabin, with part of the sponson on the port side, and sweeping away the cook's house and fearfully maiming the cook, who was cutting meat for breakfast. The poor fellow was carried, groaning, to a sofa, and still lies ill. The gale deepened, and all felt that a crisis was near. At about nine o'clock, as the first officer stood on the grating over the engineroom, giving orders for bating out the water that had rushed in, a sea of terrific force struck the ship on the starboard bow, smashing away, the bulwark and staunchions, aud, lashing right over the funnel, carried the first officer out to sea through the gap on the opposite side. The same sea struck the captain, standing on the bridge, aud bore him right in under the lifeboat, which just saved him from sharing the inevitable fate of the first officer. That fine, energetic young fellow rose to the surface, and a life buoy was thrown, which he caught. A glaam of hope lit up his countenance as he saw tho men rush to lower the boat, but the next moment a towering Bea bore down and sank him, to rise no more. It was well it did, for no boat could have lived or succoured him in each a sea, and other lives would have been uselessly sacrificed. This threw a gloom over all hearts, for every man saw the same doom might next be hia own. „ Now the water came pouring throngh chink and gap, and boll holes iuto the middle compartment, coal bunkers, and engine-room, as well as iuto the steerage passengers' cabins. The coals were roll* ing in water from side to side; and all hands that could be spared from working the ship as she lay to in the furious seas, were summoned to bale out the water. The only available little j>urop broke at the first stroke of the piston, and for eighteen honrs the water was little diminished. Captain Johnson, an old skipper and ship owner, was on board, and stood by our captain ready to lend his skilful aid or advice. The great value of Captain Johnson's constant presence and help was thankfully acknowledged by Captain Maoleau. There were aa passengers- to Sydney six men of the ' Yarra Yarra's' crew, with their boatswain. They entered heartily into the work to save their own lives and ours, and, without their tiid, humanly speaking, we could not possibly have been saved. Their boatswain was made second officer after poor Bryant's death. Ultimately, when there were eight feet of water in the stoke-hold, Captaiu Johnson discovered the principal inlets of water to be by the holes out of which had been wrenched the bolts of the sponson beams. These by great and perilous exertion were plugged from without and within. Had the sponson stays given way, the water would have rushed into the middle of the ship, where it conld not possibly have been stopped, Jvnd we must have gone down in the wild deep thirty miles from land. By the 26th, about 3 o'clock, the wind had moderated,' though the head seas were still violent. Shortly before that hour a fire was lighted, aud some food dressed for the passengers, who had nothing except a biscuit or sandwich for nearly two days. About half-past three the furnace fires were lighted, and we received the glad news that we were soon to move under steam and canvas. The difficulty of turning was safely effected, and we made against wind and sea for Sydney. Bat the poor torn and crippled s.s. ' Queensland' pitched and rolled, and took in so much water, that the engineer affirmed iv another half hour the fires would be oat. In the utterly auseaworthy state of the warped and mutilated craft, the captain did the best possible thing. He turned towards Brisbane, and under fair-weather canvas and the best steam he could get np, made moderate way with winds and waves favouring."

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