The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-06-30 00:00:00

COLLISION IN THE ENGLISH

CHANNEL,

SERIOUS LOSS OF LIFE.

On Friday in last week, a collision occurred in the
English Channel, resulting in the loss of a fine ship
and twenty-five lives. The vessel which sank, the
Waitara, belongs to the New Zealand Shiraping Com-
pany. She left Gravesend for New Zealand on the
previoue Tuesday in 'tow under favourable circum-
stances, and the tug continued with her until after
passing Beachy Head Where she cast off and returned
to London, leaving the Waitara to proceed on her way
under sail. Another vessel belonging to the same
company, named the Hurunui, also left Gravesend for
New Zealand on the same day, and was towed down
Channel in the same way as the Wai4ara, the tug
leaving her after passing Beachy Head.
All went well until Friday night, when at about ben
p.m., the officer of the watch on board the Waitara
reported a large vessel on the starboard bow, but
before the Waitara's course could be altered the ship
was upon her striking her with full force amidships.
Instantly all was excitement on bolted. The dozen
passengers on the ship hurried up from below, and
then almost before they could realise what had cc-
inured the sfiinge ship came on again and with another
terrific stroke cut the Waitara to the water's edge, the
water rushing by tons into the vessel's hold. It was
apparent that only a few minutes could elapse before
the vessel sank, and great efforts were made by Lieu-
tenant H. J. Middleton, the chief officer, and some of
the crew to launch a boat. The efforts unhappily was
unsuccessful as the vessel heeled over and went under
while some of the men were still striving to get the boat
afloat. For just a moment after the second collision
the rigging of the two ships remained interlocked, and
in this way a few of the crew and passengers were
enabled to save their lives by climbing up the mizzen
rigging of the sinking ship and clambering along the
bowsprit to the deck of the vessel which had run Jet°
them, and which it was then ascertained was a vessel
of their own fleet. From the time the Waitara was
first struck to the time she sank could scarcely have
been four minutes, so rapidly did she fill after the
collision. Directly the position of affairs was realised
the Hurunui was brought to and a boat lowered with
a view to saving life. A few were picked up, but the
majority of these on board went down with the vessel.
The Hurtenui, on examination, was found to be
considerably damaged about the bows, and after re-
maining on the spot for some hours while the boats
searched in vain for further survivors she put about
• for London.

The Waitara was an iron ship o iBB3 tons gross, and
was built in Glasgow in 1863. She was constructed
with two bulkheads. The Efurunui is also an iron
ship, but is somewhat larger than the Waitara, being
of 1,054 tens gross. She was built at Newcastle in
1875.

The following official statement in respect to the
disaster has been furnished by the New Zealand
Shipping Company :
" The ship Waitara, K. Webster, master, left
Gravesend on Tuesday, the 19th lust, in charge of a
pilot, and in tow of the tug Victoria, bound for
Wellington New Zealand, with a full cargo of mei..
chandise, 16 passengers, and a crew of 25 hands
all told. The tug was let go off Beachy
Head, and the ship proceeded down Channel
under sail. At 10 p.m. on Friday, the 22nd
inst., a vessel was reported on the starboard
bow, and before the course of the Wattara was
altered, struck her amidships, rebounded, and
struck her again in front of the poop, cutting her
below the water's edge and causing her to fill and sink
immediately. For a moment the headgear of the
colliding vessel, the Hurunuti, became entangled in the
mizen rigging of the Waitara, and by this means some
of the crew and passengers saved their lives. An
attempt was made by the chief officer and some hands
to launoh a boat from the Waitara, but the ship sank
so rapidly that they failed to do so. The Hurunui
was brought•to immediately, and boats lowered to
pick up survivors.
The following were saved :—Mrs. Check, 'W. Noble,
L. B. Dale, and H. G. Recall, cabin passengers;
H. T. Middleton, chief officer; H. Self, carpenter;
Hyde, boatswain; Outten, steward; Worsley, ap•
prentice ; Arnold, Davis, Williams, Paterson,
Sunderland, A.B.'s ; and K. Webster, master.
The following were drowned :—Mr. Check, the
Misses B.aylor, two young lady passengers, and A.
Noble, cabin passengers, eight steerage passengers,
and thirteen of the crew, including Mr. Saunders,
second officer; the chief steward, Stock and Cattrell,
apprentices."

The following partdculars of the diaaster are ex-
tracted from an account given by a passenger on board
the Hurunui

We had frequently sighted the ill-fated Waitara.
She had left Gravesend at the same time as ourselves,
and was also bound for a New Zealand port—she for
Wellington and the Hurunui for Port Chalmers. On
Friday evening we were off Portland. Soon after we
had retired for the night, about 10.15, I was awakened
by a sudden shock. At the same time the captain
1)14.4,i41,Pa1itn Ortikl.raidrit'sre'"arts "show;
ing plainly in the darkness. It had just ceased
raining, but the moon was completely hidden in the
mist. On ascez t iining that the ship we were on was
safe for a few moments, I rushed below to wrap up in
ease we might have to take to the bOats. I was not
away two minutes, and when I returned the ship had
disappeared, and the lifeboat was already lowered, in
charge of the second mate, as well as another boat
officered by the third mate. Rockets were
at once sent up and blue lights and flare-ups
burned to call the attention of other vessels.
We had struck the ill-starred vessel on the star.
board side just above the saloon. One of the
passengers said afterwards it did not seem to
crash, but to cut its way through, the sides
giving way like so much paper. We were soon busily
occupied in attending to those who had succeeded in
getting aboard. These were two gentlemen from the
saloon and the under steward. The captain also had
been saved in a singular way, having been caught in
our rigging and literally dragged away from his sinking
ship; but he instantly returned to it in our lifeboat.
After a complete search our boat returned; it
brought back six more people. One poor fellow
seemed absolutely benumbed, but now lam glad to say,
is doing well, although I despaired of ever bringing
him round. One gallant young fellow handed his life-
buoy to the only lady rescued. She is saved and
doing well, and he also succeeded in reaching the
boat. We all thought these were all that were saved,
but were overjoyed to hear that five of the seamen
had succeeding in reaching the forecastle. While we
were attending to the wants of the sufferers the
damage to our s'nip was told us. The water-tight
bulkhead only had been stove in, and had it not been
for that the disaster might have been still more heart-
rendtbg. Our captain (Captain Hazelwood) was inde-
fatigable in his exertions, and no one can possibly
appreciate too highly the self-possessed manner in
which ha both looked after the safety of his own
ship and strained every nerve to rescue as many
as possible of the hands of the unfortunate Waiters-a.
Captain Webster, too, strove hard to prevent any
loss of life. After they had brought some to our vessel
they again rowed back to the spot where the dreadful
calamity had taken place, and traversed again and
again the same place, vainly endeavouring to augment
the number of the rescued. Again, it is impossible to
speak too highly of our officers and men; all seemed
strictly disciplined, and there was little confusion ;
in fact, one would not have dreamed the dreadful
danger we were in. One of our lady passengers has
been of immense service, waiting on the invalids.
She hs..l not been in her berth since the accident
took place, and the whole of Saturday night
was nursing one of the rescued ladies. We
were fortunate enough to rescue the first offi-
cer, Mr. Middleton; he was only just sensible
when picked up. The water must have been fearfully
cold, as his extremities were completely numbed. He
had been vainly endeavouring to launch a boat, but
the collision was almost too sudden to allow of that.
I suppose three minutes would have amply covered
the time from which we struck her to the time we
saw her founder. The second officer, whose watch it
was, Was unfortunately not picked up. I trust, how-
ever, some others may have been saved, but am afraid
the place was too tl. •roughly searched to allow any
such hope being cher—iied.

Miss Bird, one of the passengers by the Suranui,
has made a statement respecting the collision, in
which she says that after the crash the captain called
them all on deck. She then saw the Waitara, with all
her sails set, on the port side. She ran down to the
cabin to get some more clothing, and when she came
on deck again, an instant after i the Waitara had dis-
appeared. Mrs. Cheek, who was rescued, was taking
the two Misees Haylor to New Zealand, ihe three
women held. on to the lifebuoy,but the two younger were
wathed away and drowned. Mrs. Cheek was thoroughly
exhausted when picked up. The crew behaved through-
ovlt in the most praiseworthy manner. The life-buoy
:aeans of which Mrs. Cheek was saved was given to
her by a young sailor awned Arnold, who had secured
it as the ship went down. Arnold was able to swim
to the Hurunui, and was drawn on board in a very
exhau,,ted condition. The officers and saloon passengers
have forwarded the following letter to the Royal
Huivane _ Society : " The New Zealand Shipping
Company's ship Hurunui, Albert Dock, June 25th,
1883,—We, the undersigned, wish to call to your notice
a brave sailor, George Arnold, who gave a lady hie
life, buoy in the colli-ion between the Waitara and the
Hurunui on the 22nd inst. She was saved and he
also."

The Hurunui arrived on Monday morning at four
o'clock in the Albert Docks on the Thames, bring-
ir g with her the four rescued passengers from the
Waitara.

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IN WALES.

On Monday a deputation from various districts in
Wakes waited on Lord Carlingford and Mr. Mundella
to urge the claims of Aberystwith College in any
decision which roißlit he arrived at in reference to the
locstion of North Wales University College.

Lard Carlingford replied that the terms of reference
to himself and the other arbitrators excluded Aba7st-
with from the competition. The question remained
what was the.duty of the Government, which would
be prepared to consider any further representation
eithEr by interview or by document.

WHAT IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THE FRENCH MAT GET IN
TONQUIN.—Beans I—Judv.

IRISH LACE EXHIBITION IN LONDON.
In London, on Monday, the Irish Lace Exhibition
at the Egyptian Hall, Mansion House, was opened
by the Duke of Connaught, who was accompanied
by the Duchess, there being a large as-
semblage, consisting chiefly of ladies, who
were admitted an hour before the opening ceremony
commenced, and who spent most of the interval in
carefully examining some of the beautiful specimens
of lace by which they were surrounded. Their Royal
Highnesses arrived at about four o'clock, and were
conducted to a dsl, on which were two State chairs,
at the eastern end of the Egyptian Hall, and near
them were the Lord Mayor, the Lady Mayoress and
Miss Knight, Mr. Alderman and Sheriff de Keyser and
Mrs. de Keyser, Mr. Sheriff Savory, Itc., ace,

The ceremony commenced with the reading, by Mr.
0. Harry Biddle (honorary secretary), of a brief
address to the Duke, in wnich the committee, after
thanking his Royal Highness for coming there to open
the Exhibition, alluding in suitable terms to the presence
of the Duchies, and expressing "sincere appreciation
of the great interest shown in the Exhibition by Her
Most Gracious Majesty the Queen, and by all
the members of the Royal Family, and also of
the magnificent contributions of lace lent to the
Exhibition by the Queen and their Royal Highnesses
the Prince of Wales and the Princess Christian," said
that the Exhibition had been promoted with the view,
and in the hope that it might be the means of
reviving and extending what had been in past times
a considerable industry in Ireland, and that any
surplus profits would be devoted to the cultivation
and advancement of that indaary, the committee
adding that the Exhibition was "unique in his cha-
racter as containing many valuable specimens of recent
as well as of present production, the inspection and
comparison of which will afford considerable informa-
tion to all, and be a source of instruction to those
more particularly interested."

The Lord Mayor, addressing his Royal Highness,
after tendering on behalf of the Corporation grateful
acknowledgments for the Royal visit, and speaking of
the deep interest which, as the representative of the
greatest commercial City in the Empire, he could not
but feel in all matters concerning the industrial in-
tarests of the nation, said some months ago it became
his duty to consider an appeal made for relief in the
case of a portion of their fellow subjects in Ireland,
but he regretted to find that the circumstances did not
appear to be such as to enable him to approve of the
suggestion placed before him. 13-it he thought that
he might turn his attention to some c,mrse which
might result in affording means whereby, through
honest industry, increased earnings would accrue to
some portion of the working population of Ireland, and
thus it was that he became associated with the gentle-
men who formed the executive committee of the Lace
Exhibition which had been organized, and, Po far,
completed. The list of patrons, including the Queen
and all the Princesses of the Royal House besides
some 150 ladies belonging t various classes of society,
showed how willing and ready the people of Eng-
land were to respond to a proper invitation to
assist their fellow•eubjects in Ireland; and that the
Queen and the Royal Princesses supported the Exhi-
bition in a tangible manner would be found on inspec•
tion of the contents of some of the cases in that room.
For the past six months the pending Exhibition
had caused great activity amongst many hard-
workers in Ireland. The orders already received
were, he was informed, likely to afford considerable
employment for some time to come ; and should
they be fortunate enough to prove through that
Exhibition that design and quality in the manu-
facture of lace could be found in Ireland equal to
those seen in other manufactures, it might be the
means of reviving what was once a very important in-
dustry and lead to the earning of extra wages, which
would contribute very greatly to the comfort of many
a peasant family.

The Duke of Connaught, who was greetei very
cordially, replied as follows : '
- -

My Lord Mayor, I must thank you most sincerely,
on my own part, as well as in the name of her Royal
Highness the Duchez.s of Connaught, for your very
kind reception here to-day, and for the loyal address
you have just presented. I feel highly honoured by
being called upon to open this Exhibition of Irish Lace,
and sincerely do I trust that it may be productive of
the best possible results. Irish lace has already won
for itself a high reputation, and an Exhibition of this
kind will, in all probability, still further tend to raise
the quality and character of the work. Earnestly do
I hope that it may not only be the means of extend-
ing the usefulness of this industry, but may also render
it of a more permanent character than it has hitherto
held, and that by giving constant employment to a
large number of the working classes, it may be the
means of advancing Ireland's prosperity. (Cheers.)
At the request of the Lord Mayor I now declare this
Exhibition open.

The forma/ proceedings having thus ternainated,
their Royal Highnesses went round the hall to
examine the lace, being accompanied in their progress
by the Lord Mayor and the Lady Mayoress and
several members of the Executive Committee, and
having completed their survey, they left the Mansion
House amid the cheers of a numerous crowd assembled
outside,

The Daily Telegraph says :—Decidedly the most re-
markable and exquisite specimen of point lace in the
show, a truly magnificent piece of work, was produced
at Youghal. It is lent by Mrs. Alfred Mortison, who
gave an order for it to a London West-eed firm, and
it is a faithful copy of an ancient lace flounce in her
possession. The pine, conventionalised, figures in
the design, which is light and graceful as well as
rich and elaborate. Youghal appears to be the
first school of Irish point lace, though the con-
vent schools of Nt3W Ross, Kenmare, Killarney,
Kinsale, Clonakilty, and Waterfor 1 all hold a good
t3fg Vain tiltb kVA foT 'iiabietelrtgaiWPAatt ntl3B
life was devoted by solemn vows to doing good, raised
the reputation of the Youghal convent when the
famine was sore in the land ; and that little children
wanting bread were labouring at muslin embroidery
which brought them a penny for ten hours of toil,
when the good nun found a piece of the old convent
lace, which she set about copying. Thus arose
the study of lace-making at Youghal, which has
greater originality than is usual in Irish lace, pos-
sessing a large number of introduced and varied
stitches. Guipure and applique lace of high
merit comes from Carrickmacross ; rose-point from
Innishmacsaint ; several kinds from Limerick, where
the lace-manufacturer is unfortunately on the decline,
not one girl in the city now learning the art; crochet
from Cork; plain tatting from Ardee; and various
guipuree, as well as Jesuit lace and imitations of
Greek, Spanish, and Venetian work from Clones. Be-
sides the loan-specinsens contributed by the Princess of
Wales and the Princess Christian, and the notable work
from Youghal, lent by Mrs. Alfred Morrison, many
bile examples are spared by the Countess Spencer, the
Duchess of Abercorn, the Duchess of Marlborough,
the Duche.s of Wellington, the Dowager Duchess
of Roxburghe, the Marchioness of Bath, Christiana
Marchioness of Waterford, the Countess of Caledon,
the Countess of Cork and Orrery, the Countess of
Meath, Viscountess Clifden, Lady Athlumney, Lady
Bellew, Lady Brassey, Lady Carew, Lady Crichton,
Lady Lawrence, Lady Louth, Lady Adeliza Manners,
Lady O'Hagan, Mrs. Henry Roe, and other ladies—
notably Madame Lind-Goldsmidt, who has sent a
beautiful skirt of Irish lace, which was almost her first
purchase when, as the far-famed Jenny Lind, she
came to this country.