The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-01-06 00:00:00

DISASTER AT SEA.

The ',crew steamer Chiapas, 996 tons revistered ton-
nage, Captain Poison, from Glasgow to Trinidad and
Demerara, foundered on Saturday morning about
seven miles south-east of Roche's Point, Queenstown,
in thirty fathoms of water.
The disaster was observed from the watch-tower at
Roche's Point. Its suddenness and startling character
gave rise to a report that several lives had been lost;
but all souls on board were saved, with the exeeption
of one man, a fireman, named Barney O'Farrell.
They were picked up from the lifeboats of the Chiapas
by pilot cutters, and were landed at Queenstown in
the course of the day.

The Chiapas was a new steamer, having been only
launched in October. This was her first trip. Her
cargo consisted of general West Indian merchandise.
The crew were 36 all told, and she had, in additicn,
four passengen,

The Chiapas sailed from Greenock on Thursday
morning in last week, at eight o'clock. At three a. m.
on Saturday, while about 40 miles S.S.E., of
.11,10che's
Point, a leak was reported in her fore comparfment.
Both steam and hand pumps were set to work, but
all efforts failed to counteract the flow of the
water into the fore-compartment. At five a.m. the
captain decided upon bearing up for Cork Harbour,
and shaped his course accordingly. The weather was
bad, freqaent squalls and a nasty cross sea being en-
countered. No effort was spared to relieve the vessel
and to bring her into Queenstown, but the unfavour-
able weather and tbe gradual settling of the ship's
head rendered her position one of increasing peril.
The captain acted with great coolness throughout
and showed a fine example of courage and self-
control. From the bridge he continued to give his orders
until the ship went down under him. The firemen
came on deck, but the carpenter and another of the
crew went below and fed the fires until all hope was
gone. Land being observed at daylight flags of dis-
treas were put up, but it was nearly ten o'clock before
assistance came to hand. The pilot boat Werrelt, of
Cork Harbour, bore down upon the Chiapas off Poor
Head, and kept her company. Three of the lifeboats
of the steamer had been launched and put in readiness
for receiving the crew and passengers, who were then
taken off,

In the meantime the Chiapas had become uumanage-
able. She lay with her starboard rails under, and her
stern completely out of the water. The machinery
continued in motion, having been kept going till the
last moment in the hopes of beaching the steamer.
At this time there were only on board the captain,
the chief engineer, the mate, and two other
officers, and a fireman named O'Farrell, who was
believed to have lost his reason at the last moment,
for he refused to leave the vessel. The captain, who
still remained on the bridge, directed the officers
to save themselves. They jumped into the water
and were picked up by the lifeboat. In another
moment the steamer gave a plunge forward and went
down headforemost. As she disappeared the pro-
peller was still revolving, and a great body of steam
and smoke came up the funnel, the captain and the
unfortunate fireman were taken under water; the
former rose and, clutching a plank, was rescued
by the lifeboat. Nothing was seen of the fireman, and
:dr. Simian, a passenger, states that from the pilot
cutter he saw the poor man kneeling on the deck,
apparently engaged in prayer. The captain and those
in the second lifeboat were taken on board another
pilot cutter the Plover, which had been attracted to
the spot by the condition of the steamer. All the sur-
vivors were landed at Queenstown. None saved
their effects. Miss Shiels, one of the passengers, was
going to the West Indies for the purpose of marriage
with a gentleman residing there, She had her wed-
ding clothes with her, and all went down with the
vessel. The cause of the leak is not accounted for in
any way.