The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957)(about) |
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Saturday 30 May 1903
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MARINE DISASTERS.
STEAMER OAKLAND FOUNDERS
ELEVEN LIVES LOST.
SURVIVORS' SUFFERINGS.
A FEARFUL EXPERIENCE.
SYDNEY, Friday.
The steamer Oakland, a well-known coastal trader, belonging to the North Coast Steam Navigation Company, foun- dered off Cabbage Tree Island, a little to the north of Port Stephens at half-past 4 on Wednesday morning and 11 members of her crew were drowned. The following are the names of those who perished:--
Captain W. SLATER, married, who residedI at
Forest-lodge, Sydney.
J. LINGREW, first mate, Pyrmont, married. A. FISHER, chief engineer, of Grafton.
ROBERT STEEL, second engineer, Sydney.
T. BROOKS, donkeyman, North Sydney, married. Two firemen known as "JOE" and "BOB." H. BRADBURY, cook, Sydney.
J. JOHNSON, A.B., Leichardt, married. ALBERT MATHIESON, A.B., Sydney.
A cabin boy known as "ALEC," whose father
was drowned in the wreck of the steamer Maitland, off Manly.
The names of those saved are:--
J HOW l"S second unite ISv\f HOI M A
I01IN OI bl V Ahle seamen nil of john wnnmn > sidmj C GUST v.\ ISONI
M J \(f)USON J
niovivsi Mil-S of Newcastle the onlj |as
st! ger on board
lhc Oal land left Iveiicaslie enilj on Wcdnesdtiv morning with a genet al eni_o foi Hie noithcrn uvas She lind a cien of 17 md one passeitta aboard ''oon after she got outside the ivind begin lo blow vcij lund fiom Hie south i using i heavy set Die Poit Stephens light wis aueam it a qim ter past 3 o clocl and the stcaniei appens to have been struck bv i sei which ciuscd ha lo tile i list lo poll windi giuliiillj nieiciscd It is ihouejit tint the ciptuin was miling an cfTort to retch l'on Stephens lot shekel Hie its c1 liovvevei bec inie unmin u.c iblc
ind the side of ihe steamei vv is neu]} buned in seething untéis A\ hen Un cien trii 1 to 1 lunch (lu st ii boaul hfebo it it vv is stoic in but Hie l8 peisons who note on bond it succeeded in clinging to it
Hu vessel foiindnod i minute 01 Ino iftti she suddcnli i lunged and dis ippeaied heul foremost m a temfying nitn net 1 lames fiom bel niginirooni belched lrom bet funnel and is liol stein leaied tot thi iinil plunt-c the scieu shriel ed and laced midh in midan
Oning to (he lmmbeis clin__ii.t_ to the bolt she upsircd Viel ti of the clew disippoucd, and otheis vicie viashed off the oveituined bon, bj the eis which swept clean ovci bel 1 hose who wcic mole foi lunate were sueco slid in lighting the boat but some went mid und o'hcis died sdentli fiom e hiiislion
Uki suilenng ciposine ioi eifeht hours in a cold pitiless run and being washed continuUlv hi ben} sen seven siiivnoiä noie iiscued bv the sleunei BclliiibCi
which brought (hem to \cwci_tle lins if lei noon J hese seven poor fêlions ind i shocking expeliente which is gi iplucalh lelated by the ceond mate
Hie Oakland was built at Dunbuton in 1800 bhe ñas i sleel sere i stennet, of "0 botse powei willi a gio s tonnage of 398 tons She was lolft long 24ft bioad and lOJft in depth Her latmg al Lloyds
was 100 \1
x pieiiou- mtsfoilune to the Oiklnnd occuricd in .iigust 1001, nilen in bad we diet she neill a hoie on tho brea! vv iter lumth of the ..lchmond Itivci leceivmg 'so ions da m ige A lai_,e hole w is 1 nocked
in hei bottom and six weel s elapsed before she could bo Honied V considei able sum had to be spent in lepms bcfoic the Otk land could ngun be pul in commission
STATEMENT BY THE SECOND
MATE* ' '
C VBIÎX BOY COLS AL.I
lolm Howes the second mate stud the cnpl un h id asi ed lum to |_o below mid "ot onie slo p Ile tinned in and was wal ene I bv a bat, falling ti his fite He found that the vessel had til en i tremen dons list Rushing up Hie eonipanien waj halt diessed he lie u 1 the i ipliiin i illiug nil blinds on dell I lie vi ilci was then Hush with the did Ile assisted to get the life boat out Oning to tin uu.li of the stctiniers neil nothing cull te ciom with the po t hfux ii _ tieincndnii_ sen vv c munni' and is thev launchid the btai a oil mug pm Hits stove iluou-h tho Lottim, anit the ro| cs I id lo be lit in oidei to flee
'ici I lie bi t nt once lilli I bul the 1! souls win wetc on loul the doomed steiuuei s tceeeded m clinging to the gun ville ot tin boil Join hontiei wen
quill li n isho 1 oil and just as the steimci '
saul hi thonjit that not nine than 14 wcicj liol ling on 11 liei 1 he O il 1 nul had such a '
1er iblt Int that is Hie boit w is shovtd oil Hit Iowa poition of Hit tiuiiitl w is sub mci geil V few moments lula the steamet took i i Illino beul loiinicst It was a leliifiinc, spot nie as the Haines burst ftom the funnel and the scitvv i ned vio lentlv in tin in just befou Hie hull sud denh dis ippt util
\sl ed is lo bon thev fated in the bott
Air Howes lephed tint it n is impossible lo desenlie the un fid suitciinQs whnh the
sun neus lui undergone After foin Indi
been w ished uwav tim succeeded in right ¡
mg the holt which wis 1 ept illoit bj its inter tight eompntnients Lvov sex went
ric,hl over ha and even non and lgun'
«oiiiione would die fiom txlntistion Hil could not explain how slron_, men could be I
ov(rcomc so sttddeulv It w is simple, ippil I
luv ' '".< setmed lo slip iw iv simplv lil o . wax liguies Hie lonlocks nae in the wnt=r und us hut ii portion of the boat was not ilwnts suhmeigod onlv four could snftlj get into her Hie rest had to cling to her side Bi niblin, the cool, ivis the hist to die tlnu lishei the chief engincci
who was sitting m the stnn diopptd his head on his lu cist and died Hie eiplain took Pishci s death veiv bulli mil wis the next to succumb He died nilli Ins head ljing across the tim ait Hie second engi
neer went mad, ind dehberntelj dived into tin sea After the opium s death Mi
Howes took ehaige of the holt and tried all he could to cheer the others up He siul to the cabin bov Well Vite how ate vou getting on'' Hit boj had lost his senses and lcpbcd Oh is this not lovel) and bulled his head in Hit siltwattr Johnson
waa tin last min to perish J hole were tw 11
ous ni the boat, hut it ins just is much as| tbcj could do to keep ha he id to I the soi Ilia wat ming all the time lo make Pott Stephens Tin wind nils cxtctdînais lultci, und the ram added to tin ni stn of all
1 ventiu-llv,' added Ali Howes tfttr eight horns tanbie siilfciing we sightid the stennet lkllinfcti coming fiom the diieelion of Poit Stephens U the nsl ot omi tin nmg the bout ne tied t bandi a chill to one of the oars and siitiiedoil in utlricting Hie mention ot those on the slcniiet Hit sei wis miming mountains high it the time, and ju=t is the Bcllingei cann up the boat cipsi/cd igun hut for tunnel}, all the stn viv eis wert lescued "
\s neal is Mi Honts could judge the Oal land munda til off Cnblii_t tree Island
about Ino indis ncith ot 1'iit _tcpliin« I Iii could no. mount loi Hie list <u the steamet, and ins milmed lo ilnnl it was
a gi-dual one He t ioti"ht the c ipi un, j
when he fmnd Hit vessel "mimili, heeling ovtt, had deteimmed lo mile foi Poit
Stephens but that the list became so bad that she was quite unmanageable
AN ABLE SEAMAN'S ACCOUNT.
John Olsen, an able seaman, said he was roused fiom his sleep h} inotliei seaman, and when he got on deck he found the steamet lying in the sea on hei poit side She continued to list ovct, ind the vvalet lame up to (he hatches Ile helped to launch the starboard bou( The taptnin then called to him to take the wheel and make foi the Poic Stephens light, but the vessel onlj staggeied, and would oo.unsviet
The captain then told lum to let the wheel go and save hunsclt as besl he could The captain und he spiang fiom the rail along side thesiibmciged bo it, which immediate]} capsiyed He was a poivciful swimmer, and mnnaged to bung two of the men who slipped off the boat back again When the foin men weie wished nv i} the boat be came moro buoiant The second engineer, who wns swimming while clinging on to the boat, got hold of ino oura, and he (Olsen) got anothei oai These weie handed to men in the ho it, who tried to keep bei head to the sea, but the waves dashing Completel} ovei her pi evented that 'Ihe captain who seemed to despair uttei the death of the chief engmcei, made n despeiate effoit to live but his mind began lo wandet, and he died quielly \\ lien the Bellinger picked up the boat the sea was even lugliti than when the Oakland foundoied Theie weie plenty of life belts on hoaid the steamet, ind the second engineei brought nn al mini out of the saloon J.vei. one on botud could have
had one
THE PASSENGER.
Mr '1 Gailes, nioniimcntnl mason of Newcastle, tlie onl} passenger on the Oak land, said he was loused from his sleep by the eaptitn shouting to i seiman to lake Hie wheel lins w is follow eil bv a noise on deck Hie ciptam then shouted to him to get diessed He vient on deck and found the Oikiand with a terrible list, battling against henvv «ens
Ah G utes added that when the sur vivois weie lescned the} weie Icriibly ex hausted, and could not baie held out much longei
CAPTAIN TANGLAN'S STORY.
The story of the rescue as told by Cap- tain Tangían, of the steamer Bellinger, is
as follows:
"1 left Camdonh.ivcn, bound for Sydney, and arrived off Port Stephens, but Hie sea was loo heavy to euler. I decided lo make for Long Island for shelter. 1 Ilion sighted ,i boat with seven men in lier. We lind pascd several pieces of wreckage, and kept a good look-out. t made towards the boat, ¡is near as I could go, as she was danger- ously near the not Iii end of llioughlon island, with n strong S.W. gale blowing and heavy sea. Three-quarters of an hour after sighlitig her 1 was up ti> the boat, which bad c.rne¡_-d. I rescued the men, who were all in an exhausted slate. Tiley had seen my steamer several times. They lind lowered the lifeboat and got into it, und al once swamped and capsized. The remainder of Hie crew were cither drowned or died from exposure. After the gale abated I made for Port Stephens. When the boat ivas sighted the Bellinger was about half a mile off. The sea was
too heavy lo allow her to he kept broad- side on lor any length of lillie. He sent a man aloft tp keep .m eye on the boat, bul so heavv were the seas that he lost sight of Hie boat, which was then drifting dan- gerously close to the rock's. He signalled lo the boat to como oui, but he then dis- covered lh.it the men were exhausted. He so inunretivred (he steamer that she got, quite cltwe lo Hie boat, ivhieh then cap- sized. All the men ching on to (he lines of llic bout, however, and the Bellinger's crew were able to lift them out of the water without launching u boat. A couple of Hiern were j'usl seized in time. Gustavison and Holm were exhausted, and did not come lo for two hours. After effecting the rescue the Bellinger steamed under the lee of Broughton Island, where she remained until 0 o'clock this morning."
GERMAN BARQUE EDITH.
WRECK1.D OFF NEW
CALEDONIA.
. CAPTAIN AND TEN OF'(HE , " *". =c_.ew;iïssing; '
. ,. COOKTOWN, Friday.
The ketch Pearl arrived last night, from Port Moresby and Yule Island. She brought Hie niate and seven of the crew of the Ger- man barque Edith, which whilst bound with a cargo' of 'limber from Pugefc Sound for Port Pirie struck n reef off the nórth e.ift coast of Xew Caledonia. In au boui- llie Edith broke in half. The captain and 10 men got nivuj' ¡n one boat, and the mate and seven men in another boat. The cap- tain had a compass and chart in his boat, and ordered Hie mate to keep in bis com- pany aiid make for the Solomon islands. The wreck occurred on .March 10, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, and the boats passed each other during Hie night, but nothing is known as j-ct of the captain's bo.u. The mute's boat sailed and drifted till she reached Xew Guinea, where she waa picked np, and tho crew landed at Yule Island. The men were 71 days in the
, boat. i
Jhe rdith n is i birque of 1,034 tons
\t A. ule Island «notlici Roi in in vessel,the L II A.iiljin, 1700 tons n is lyiiit, it an ehoi having been i night in i nelone list mp norn Much ! to Al nell 7 io the noith wild of Neil C llcdoni i She lost hei s. us boit» deek (,i ti md iiiddei and diiltcil to Ailie lae*tu I nline she inihoicd Jhe cien uc «tin ling lu hei I lils vessel mis bound liom \cn Voil t. Bitivn willi 1 ciosene A ile Isluid is 70 milos viestn nd i' I'or Moicsbi
I When tlie 1 dull s mite and the seien men refeiied to uiiiel it Cookton n to I du Di Kortiuu tin (< innn consul took
I einige of thom mil lodged tlicm in in
hotel Jin iistaiMvs hi I nothing I ut wini 1 thci s cod in ''oiii i ie coilless mil | uno li ule_.s Hi lx ii lum clothed the I men md is sending th in outli b} the I steamet Y.odonc.1 to ni_l t
1mm in interview with the chief oflicei md Hie cupiiitei of the 1 c11 til it appuis lint the vessel struck whit must be tin \eieits reef in line ncitliot lill m itc sides tint Hu ve se) stnul in uni li n ted lecf in nest longitude IflOtlcg lo lulika:
ind lilitudc SOdig sonlli Bv lefnenu to the olhn ii chut it inn he seen tint the Notais lecf lies in about the postlim men tioneil .Itlioiu.li the «minois woic drifl
mg about lol 71 diivs it non iippcus lliat the nhale tuile, was not spent m the open boat Ulei missing the captains boat on tlie night following the wietl, the mile lie iilcil foi the Solomon Group according to the older gncn bv the captain and on the ninth dav in longitude ljOdeg latitude \j\e¿ the. siebtcil the disable 1 thip C II Wiil/cn and bonded hei She drifted foi ne ult nine vi eel s befóle sighting the New Guinea coast Jin AIoiisc Shoal w is c caped bl a mu lele for the ship was peifccll) lulpless She dnfled neal to Anio Islind nlun the sloamei Aloiesb} same np and toned till disabled vessel inside the bat to \ ilk Island Hie Monsb} then took the survivors of the 1 ililli to Port Alotesbi
mil tmnsluppi i them lo Binns Philp ind to s ketch Ihe l'eail windi sniled (lie s une dm for Cool town Jhe names of the icscued min aie -
\1 hTIIjCI li (mate)
II I LOW If (larpent i)
I 1 MU I-1 ROU II C .ni SON M li Mt no I' W 1 !<¡1
1 CI1MS.I VNSOS C1 HUT
Ihe names of the missing men are -
ru tuin omi i.
Mr UM Hi (.coonil mate) I \NPH)hO\ (took) XDllDM (Milllll iker)
I liblM) (Wael sinilh) 1011 VXSIN I 1IA1M p (Hil Y
( \\ M TI ns li RIX
O IT.TUSÓN (ciptiuns liol)