THE CATTERTHUN DISASTER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5334, 12 August 1895, Page 3

THE CATTERTHUN DISASTER.

EXAMPLES OF HEROISM. [Spkcial to Pbkss Association.]! SYDNEY, August .12. The quartermaster who was Bteeriag at the . time the vessel struck was a South Sea Islander and not a Chinaman, as at first stated. He was seen at the wheel up to the very last, and went down with the vessel, still holding on to the wheel. This man was on the steamer Quetta when she was wrecked, being rescued after having floated for many hoars on Borne wreckage. The man ' who was found dead in a boat died at Mb post, having struck by her while she was being launched. Others of the Chinese crew who had to attend to the launching of boats also perished at their poatß, Borne being dashed to death by floating wreckage. They stood unflinching throughout. Vessels arriving report that a strong current is setting north in the vicinity of the Seal Bocks. This is contrary to the general trend of the current. All the ! wreckage found was drifting north. Another boat, the captain's gig, was picked up at Cape flawke. Captain Fawkes states that the land could be seen occasionally. He could not understand how the wreck occurred, as it was only a piece of ordinary navigation, the rocks being well known, and vessels beiDg naturally on the look-out for them. The wind instead of blowing, the vessel on to the rocks was in the opposite direction. Coleman sticks to the statement that the captain wsb washed off the bridge. He cays :— -" The skipper -went on to the bridge and left me in the chart-room ; that was the last I saw of him. When climbing to the bridge he called out | to the third officer to look to the lady ! passengers. The next thing I noticed was that the port lifeboat, which I had made up my mind to jump into, was washed away. I then began to look to my lifebelt, but I could not fix the shoulderstraps properly, and consequently it Blipped off. By this time the Bhip had a heavy list to the starboard. Seeing that the starboard lifeboat was full of people, 1 sprang into her. Seeing that I was on my feet and that the boat was swaying about a good deal, I got hold of the spar between the davits, and kept a firm grip of it. The officer was standing up, apparently awaiting orders. I said to him, ' No, go on, lower away ; ' but hardly had the words escaped my lips when a great wave came clean over the abip, and the boat was carried away from under me, leaving me with one of the Chinese crew clinging to the spar; this was the sea that swept the Captain and his officers from the bridge, for the next time I looked at the bridge they had gone."