South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900), Saturday 15 January 1881, page 7


WRECK OF THE HEREFORD.

[From the Argus of January 12

. Yesterday morning the following telegram was received from Queenscliff by the Commis sioner of Customs :— '"The Albatross, steamtug reports that the Hereford, ship, from London,

has been wrecked on a reef near Split Point, between Barwon Heads and Cape Patten. All hands landed safely on the beach. The captain is alongside with boats saving effects. The vessel is upright, has both anchors down, and is bumping on a reef. The captain refuses assistance." Telegrams were received in Melbourne later in the day to the effect that the Albatross went to the vessel early yesterday morning, and found it on the rocks at Split Point. The Albatross was enabled to reach the Hereford so early through the barque Don Guillermo, from London, having reported at Queenscliff that the Hereford had missed stays about twenty-five miles from the Heads, and had let go her anchors to save her from going ashore. The tug Albatross returned from the scene of the wreck to Williamstown last night, and the captain reports that Captain McCarthy declined his offers of assistance. The captain of the Hereford stated there was eight feet of water in his ship, and all the passengers and crew had been landed by the ship's boats. The vessel's head lies to the south, and the reef she is on consists of sand- stone, with plenty of water on each side, and is situated a mile from the shore. The captain and mate were on board saving all valuables available and dispatching them to shore in two of their own boats. The vessel may be considered a total wreck. She was bumping heavily when the Albatross left, and it is believed there is no probability of her being got off. Some of the passengers reached Geelong yesterday morning, and our Geelong correspon-dent yesterday evening forwarded by telegram the following information, which he had re- -ceived from them :— ' Geelong, 7 45 p.m. — The ship Hereford, 1,500 tons, Captain James McCarthy, from London to Melbourne, with twelve cabin and thirty-seven steerage passen gers, got too near Swampy Creek, about twenty five miles from Geelong, on Monday afternoon. As there was a calm at the time, the captain cast anchor, but on a breeze springing up the anchors were weighed, and sail set at about 4 o'clock. The vessel, however, which is stated to have answered her helm badly, missed stays, and went stern foremost on a reef under water, about two miles and a half from the shore. She remained in the same position all night, bump-ing heavily, and it was surmised that her hull would be seriously injured by the bumping. The passengers were all landed by 7 o'clock in the evening, and were sheltered by Mr. G. Noble and Mrs. Murray. Seven of the passengers came up to Geelong during the night in a buggy placed at their disposal by some gentleman. They re-ported the occurrence to Superintendent Chomley, who at once obtained a four-horse coach from Cobb & Co. to proceed to Swampy Creek for the passengers, the firm also sending a light wagon and messenger on horseback. The surf is breaking heavily at the scene of the wreck. The Albatross steamer offered to take passengers to Melbourne for £20, which was not accepted. The captain telegraphed to the agents for in-structions, pending which he refused to give orders about the movements of passengers. They have no money. The ship is on the surf, broad-side on. No property has been landed. The captain is ill, and is at Mr. George Noble's. Captain McCarthy is stated to have been sixteen years in command of the Hereford. Six of the passengers proceeded to Melbourne by the early train from Geelong on Tuesday morning, viz. : — Dr. Courtenay and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Stewart and child and servant. Mr. Boden, one of the saloon passengers, who left Hobson's Bay about a year ago in the Hydaspes, which came into collision with another vessel in the English Channel, is in Geelong still." The Hereford is an iron ship of 1,440 tons net, or 1,510 tons gross, and was built by Elder, of Glasgow, in 1869. She is owned by the Merchant Shipping Company of London, and is classed A within A1 at Lloyd's. Her dimensions are as follow:— Length, 241 ft. 1 in ; beam, 37 ft 2 in. ; and depth of hold, 23 ft. 2 in. The Here-ford is a very fine specimen of iron ship building, and was formerly commanded by Captain Gardner, now of the Peterborough. On her last voyage here Captain McCarthy, who is now in her, had command, and before that he was chief officer, so that he had an intimate knowledge of the ship. She left London on the 1st October, and Plymouth on the 4th of the same month, and was consequently 102 days out from London at the time of going on the reef. The long passage is attributed to the baffling winds. There were in all fifty passengers by the ship. The value of the cargo was estimated at £32,700.' The litest intelligence received from Jan Jac at midnight is that the captain of the Hereford is ill at Noble's. Fourteen of the crew are left on board, and the remainder are camped in the neighbourhood. The passengers have found their way to homesteads about Jan Juc, eight miles from the scene of the wreck. The ship is broadside on the reef, and the water is dash-ing over her, but there are no signs of her break ing up.

A committee meeting of the Gawler Jockey Club was held at Heseltine's Gawler Arms Hotel, Gawler, on Friday evening, January 14, at which it was decided that in consequence of the ill-health of Mr. Walter Duffield, J.P., ft would not be advisable to carry oat the pro gramme for the present year.