SHIPWRECKS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 3167, 30 December 1893, Page 3

SHIPWRECKS.

FOUNDERING OF A STEAMER,

SUPPOSED LOSS OF SrXTEEN LIVES.

INTERESTING STORY BY THE SOLE SURVIVOR.

[per prkss association.] Sydney, December 29 The yacht Irex capsized yesterday between Broken Bay and Sydney. Her two occupants were rescued after being nine hours in the water. Melbourne, December 29. The Alert, a steamer of 440 tons, running under the agency of Huddart, Farker and Co., was wrecked to-day off Jubilee Point on the back beach of borrento, a watering place of Port Philip Bay. She was returning from the Gippsland Lakes, in which trade she was engaged. As far as is known at present the cook is the only survivor, but as he has not yet regained consciousness no details of the disaster are available. It is believed the vessel had two passengers. All the officers and crew are supposed to be drowned. The names are Captain A. Mathieson, Chief Officer Hodge, Chief Engineer Thomson, Seamen and Firemen Kilpatrick, Thomas, Mclvor, Dodd Mullready, Malone, Thomson, Williamson and Matheson. A heavy gale was raging when the vessel struck. Later. Later particulars show that the Alert left Bairnsclale, in the Gippsland lakes district, on Wednesday evening. There were three passengers —James Newton, clerk in the Treasury Department, and two men whose names are unknown, one a friend of Captain Mathesnn's and the other a steerage passenger. Pointing, the sole survivor, was washed ashore amidst a quantity of debris. The wreck appears to have happened nearer Cape Schanck than Sorrento. Pointing has recovered consciousness and says he got ashore at daybreak and at once became insensible. The vessel foundered during the gale at four o'clock yesterday afternoon, and he drifted about on a raft all night. A terrible sea was^ running, which frequently washed him off his frail support, "but being a great swimmer he always succeeded in regaining his hold. He says the vessel foundered so suddenly that there waa no time to launch the boat. There we;e seventeen men on board, all told t (Received December 30, 11 a.m.) Melbodrnb, December 30. The first news of the wreck of the Alert caused great sensation, especially as there was only one survivor, and he was not in a condition to give details of the disaster. It took some time to restore Pointing in orde* to ascertain the name of the vessel. A large Newfoundland dog belonging to a visitor to Sorrento was made to nestle close to his body, and Pointing was restored by the warmth. Pointing's statement showed that the weather had been terribly bad throughout the whole voyage, and when the steamer was rounding Cape Schanck a southerly gale was blowing with hurricane force, accompanied by a terrific sea. The Alert shipped a good deal of water but the officers entertained hopes of weathering the storm until about a quarter garter past four, when an enormous green sea broke on board, and as the steamer rolled the aea tilled the decks flush with the rails, and everything movable on deck was carried overboard. Water passed down the hatches and skylight*, and the fires in the engine room were put out at once. A great volume of steam poured from below and apprised all on board of their danger. At this time the steamer lay helpless in the trough of the sea, and Captain Mathieson called all hands on deck with lifebelts, but the crew had scarcely mustered before one sea after another broke over the steamer, burying her to the gunwale. Then suddenly she went from under their feet, and crew and passengers were left struggling with the waves Pointing | managed to get hold of a hatch, but it kept turning over and putting him under water. At last he lost ft, and then started swimming. He saw the steward alongside him for several minutes, and was compelled to see him drown without being able to assist him. After he had been about an hour in the water, he passed Captain Mathieson,who *as swimming strongly, but did not answer when he hailed him. Pointing then got hold of a cabin door, and clung to it all through the night. Whenever he looked up he could see Cape Schanck light, and was able to steer by it for the shore. He felt himself growing colder and colder, but at last when day was breaking he touched the sandy bottom, staggered a, i few steps up the beach, am} then felj unconscious. He remembered nothing more till he saw rescuers around him. Four bodies have been gashed ashore dreadfully mutilated. Among them are the captain, engineer and a fire-