LOSS OF THE P. AND O. STEAMER INDUS.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1213, 13 January 1886, Page 5

LOSS OF THE P. AND O. STEAMER INDUS.

Writing on Nov. 11, the Trincomalee correspondent of the "Ceylon Observer" furnished the following particulars regarding the loss of the P. and O. R.M.S. Indus :— " It is not known that the officer of the watch was astonished, at daylight on Nov. 8, to see the vessel was quite close to the land, when she was supposed at least to be 20 miles off. The captiin was called at a quarter past five, and altered the course one point and a half seaward, but it is said the lead was not hove, and the vessel proceeded at full speed (12 knots.) A passenger who rose at half -past five and looked oat of his port saw the land so close that he was under the impression the vessel was going into some port for some purpose unknown to him. About a quarter past six, or an hour after the captain had been called, on land beins: first sighted, the vessel grounded on Mullaittivu shoal, at a point about four miles from shore. The usual means wero resorted to to try and get the vessel off, and when this failed anchors and warps were laid out astern. At noon the second officer and another, with some quartermasters and Lascars, were despatched to seek aid at Trincomalee. All this time there had been a moderate beam sea, which kept the vessel bumping and strainiug, making the masts vibrate and shake like fishing-rods. This had a visible effect forward, as she settled down by the bows several feet, but at high tide (2 p.m.) the vessel floated, and answering the strain of one of the warps laid out astern, slipped suddenly off into deeper water; but, unfortunately, stopped just over one of her own anchors. Risi/ig and falling with the swell, the unfortunate vessel immediately came down on this anchor several times in succession, and knocked a hole in her bottom which let the water into her stern compartment, where it steadily rose all Sunday. In attempting to get out of shoal water the vessel again got on shore —as it turned out, fortunately, and resisted all further efforts to get her off. Sunday night waß passed under these circumstances, the vessel rising with the swell, and bumping heavily on the sand. The Captain throughout was opposed to the passengers going ishore, as he had every hope of getting the vessel off, and as he believed the surf on the coast would prevent landing. However, on Monday morning he allowed Colonel Atkinson and Mr O'Farrell a boat and crew to explore, who soon found landing was easy, and that there was a civil station on shore. On their return the passengers were disembarked. All Monday the water steadily gained, and finally the pressure burst in the bulk head or partition and flooded the engine compartment, when the vessel immediately sank 8 feet deeper into the sea, and had to be abandoned hurriedly at 10 on Monday night, the crew taking to the boats. The wind up was very sudden, and though no lives were lost, there was no time to save any baggage or effects of passengers or officers, or the amount of gold in the strong-room. By morning the vessel had settled quite down, and the sea washed over the rail of the upper deck. There have been very strong southerly currents on this coast of late, and the officers of the three war vessels recently here have spoken of them. Indeed, it ia reported that the Bacchante on this trip found her progress retarded to the extent of some 40 miles by an adverse current.