The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-12-12 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE "LA PLATA" IN

THE BAY OF BISCAY.

Detailed accounts have been received of et loos of
the La Plata. The news of the shipwreck was brought
to London on Wednesday in last week, by the Antenor,
one of the Ocean Steamship Company's sceew steamers,
which had called at Gibraltar on her homeward voyage
from China. The Anterior left Gibraltar early on the
25th ult. and encountered a fearful storm in the bay
of Biscay. About eleven o'clock on Monday morning
she sighteila large emigrant vesorl—the Oare Loch of
Glasgow—flying signals of diotreso. This vessel hailed
her and communicated the news that the La Plata, a
large steamer, had been loot ou the previous day in
the Bay of Biocay. Fourteen of the survivors who
were on board the Care Loch were then transferred to
the Anterior, and were brought by her to London.
They underwent dreadful sufferings in an open boat
before they were rescued, but it appears that most of
them have recovered from the effects of their exposure.
I he following account of the dreadful calamity is
thus narrated by Mr. Walker, late chief steward of
the La Plata :

" The La Plata, Captain Dudden, left Graveeend on the
morning-of Thursday. November 26, in charge of Mr Martin,
pilot, bound to Rio Grande do Sul. We arrived off the Isle
of Wight on Friday pluming, when the pilot left. The ship
then proceeded down Channel, and towards evening the
wind began to freshen, the ship steaming about four knots.
The wind still kept increasing, till on Saturday at midnight
it was blowing a gale. We shipped a heavy sea, which
carried away the port Jollyboat and davits, one man being at
Cite same time washed overboard. A short time after-
wards the staboard waisthoat was carried away, the gale
still increasing. On Sunday morning between eight and
nine the engineer reported the ship making a great
quantity of water. It wan then agreed to lighten
her, and we commenzed paying cut the cable over
the boom. We payed out a quantity, and then let it
go. By ten o'clock the fires were all out in the stoke-
hole. We then prepared the remaining boats and rafts
to leave the ship, which was gradually sinking by the
stern. At half-past twelve she foundered, stern first,
with sixty persons on board. The only persons who got
off were twelve in the port-quarter boat, and three others
were picked up, making fifteen in all. Before leaving we
saw one boat on the port side stove in. Of the remain-
ing two boats, one was capsized when the ship went
down, and the three persons picked up were out of her.
The captain and the doctor reinaiLed on the bridge, having
, failed to get clear the patent life-rafts, and both are sup-
! posed to have sunk, with the remainder of the crew, when
. the decks blew up. We were in the boat two hours before
clearing away from the wreck, being unable to render any
assistance through fear of staving and swamping the boat.
We were in the boat for 23 hours, provisioned with only a
anion pi, coot cheese and one battle of gin. We kept two
hands baling with buckets the whole time, as our boat made
much water At daylight on Monday morning we saw a
ship distant about five miles off, wh'ch proved to be the
Gore Loch of Glasgow, Captain Greenwood, by whom we
were picked up about 11.30. We were treated most hu-
manely by the captain, his lady, the surgeon, officers, and
passengers, all of us being supplied with stimulants and
dry, worm clothing After an hour on board we were tran-
shipped to the steamer diatom., for London, and landed at
Gravesend. The survivors beg publicly to return their most
sincere thanks to the commander and all on board the Gore
Loch."

The following is the account of the disaster given by
Cuthbert Hogg, the third engineer :

'We left Gravesend on Thursday, the 26th of November,
In La Plata, belonging to Mr Henley, of London, as fine a
vessel as you could with to see. She was chartered by Mr.
Siemens, the cable contractor, and had on board 300 miles of
wire, to he laid down between the Rio Grande and Choke.
We were 75. all told, and had for our commander captain
Dudden, a kind gentleman.and a capital sailor The weather
was One all the way down the Chanuel, and we were in hopes
of having a pleasant voyage, but on Friday night it blew a
gale, and on Saturday morning and afternoon it blew great
guns. We were then making for the bay of Biscay with all
steam. and the nearer we got the harder the wind blew. On
Saturday night it was fearful. The ship was knocked about
like a cork, an I towards midnight the sea began to
break over her. I was dawn in the engine-room in the
morning when the water made its appearance. It rose so
rapidly that in a little while I was up to my waist, and the
fires were extinguished. Then I went on deck, and the
scene there was fearful. It was clear that the ship could
hot be saved. but Captain Bolden ordered all of us to
keep to our duty, and to work the pumps to the last. We
did, hilt it was no use the water got so high that the ship
began to settle down, and then there was a rush to the boats.
it was dreadful to Bee the crew then. We had five boats to
begin with, but two had been carried away during the
night, and one had been stove in Eleven others and
myself jumped bite one boat, l'here was Mr. Dicks,
the clue( engineer, standing by, and I begged of him
In the name of God, to conic with as. He said, ' lib, never
mind me, old chap ; it will be all right by-and-by.' He
would not come, though I begged and prayed of him to do
so. At last I had to part sub him, and I mid, 'lf you
are saved and lain drowned you'll carry a niessage to my
wife, won't you ?' lie smiled and said, 'lf lam drowned
and you are saved you'll do the sme by me ?' He was
'drowned, poor fellow, and so I have to take his niesaage.
I ine of the firemen who was on my watch had his
law with him. When he Saw that the ship was settling
down, he said to his son-in-law, • Gewge, my lad, here's a
pretty thing. There'll be our two willows in one house at
home before morning.' This was terrible hard to hear: so
I mid to the old man, 'Don't give up. Trust to God, and
our lives may be saved yet' It wan awfully impressive to
see how the poor chaps that could not get into the boats
behaved, but the captain was as brave and cool nail nothing
was the flatter. He hail said he would not desert his ship,
and he did not, Ile went down with her. Most of the officers
did the same In our boat we got on very well We pulled
away from the ship until we were at scale distance, and then
we rowed round and round her. I saw her go down That was
at twenty-five minutes to one. She had been settlingd..wn some
niinutes, imdthen all at once she went down right stern first.
It wane fearful sight. She had burst her decks before foun-
dering, and was In a terrible atate. The captain was still
at his post, looking quiet and calm, and I think he
waved us a good-bye as the ship went down. There was
a fearful screech from the men on board, such a cry as
I hope to God I may never hear again. We picked op
two boys anti a man, but conld not save any more The
other boat capsized before she was long in the water, and
those who were in her were drowned. When we genie to
look at how we were flio ri, we found that we had is our
boat fifteen persons in all, and that we had nothing to eat
except a Dutch cheese of about 6111, a few biscuits, and a
bottle contablng a pint and quarter of gin. One of the
. sailors, Thomas Clarkson, was appointed commander, and
to him we owe our lives. tie saved us from death by
, his skilful management. We could not tell where we
were going, but allowed ourselves to drift on between
the high waves that rose around us. It was a fearful
night. I was on my knees all the while baling
water out of the boat, and I heartily wished I might
be drowned, my sufferings were en terrible. Same of the
others were even worse with fever and thirst I used to
hear them cry out, • Oh, nay God, what would I not
give for a drink of water?' There was plenty of sea
water, but they only drank that alien they became reck-
less, and it made them mad. All through the night we
were dashed about, and were saved God knows how. We
saw a large steamer before us and shouted with all the
strength we could, hut she could not hear us, and bore
awsv. We had no lights, but she had, and that was the
reason we could see her and she not see us ; FO we had to go
onus hest we could till morning, and theu, God be thanked !
there came relief Just before eight o'clock we sighted a
•,.mel, right before Os, and shunted like mad. We hoisted
an oar with a handkerchief tied to it, and at last the ship
discovered us. It was well she did, for most of an were at
the last pinch, mid were lying helpless at the bottom of the
boat. The vessel was the Gare Loch, full of emigrants, and
commanded by Captain Greenwood, one of the kindest and
most Clirrbtlen gentlemen I ever knew. He took us on hoard
and first gave as a little water Then we had some brandy
and water, then brandy, and after that some biscuit anti
soup. The emigrants though they were very poor them-
Ives, made a collection for us. Ins few haunt we met the
A ',tenor, homsward.bound, and we were put on board and
came ia that way to London "

•
on Thursday, the 26th tilt., SA an extra packet for
tht, Cape of Good Hope, with 313 troops, arrived at
Mrdeira to Fridavmorning, at ten o'clock. Vile trio-
gram states that the steamer experienced tempestuous
weather the entire pas.age, several deek-fittiugs hav-
ing been washed away; but the troops, officers, and
crew, all well, were to INN .cee I the woe evening from
Madeira direct for the Cape. The Ei itabeth Martin
kit the Tharnes the same day OA the ill-tated steamer
La Plata, and her account, confirm the description of
the heavy gale the La Plata experienced in the Bay of
Bismy.
The Times of Wednesday published the following :
•'

-
Sir,—Now that the first shock of this sad cslamfty is
over, our throb:Ma naturally turn to those who are the
greatest anfferers. The widows and orphans are uniortu.
nately very numerous; and although both Messrs. Siemens
brothers and myself will do our best to help them, a large
sum will necessarily be required to be of any real assistance
to so many. The details of this catastrophe are already
known to your readers, and aid Lave excited t eir fullest
a,rnpathies. As there will be many who wilt be pled t con-
tribute tenanta the mita of the &afferent will yea kindly
announce that the Lord Mayor has consented to receive
subscriptions, and also that any amounts fors anted to me
will be most gratefully acknowledged am, Sir, your
obedient servant, W. T. HENLEY.
110, Fenchttrehatreet, Dec. 7.

The following anbacriptions have already been promised or
al; en : Mr. W. T. Henley, £500; Messrs Siemens Brothers,
£203 ; Messrs. Grant Brothers, £500; Messrs. Frost Bro.
titers, £100; Messrs. Deacon and Ca, £5O; Messrs. G. Reid
and Co. £26 55 ; Messrs. E. 1.. Ayes and Co., £2l; Messrs.
G. B. Meiklereid and Co., £10: Mr. George Rios brother
of one of those lost, £5; Mr. G. S Hodgkinson, £5; Ship
Stores Company, £lO 10a. ; Messrs. Shaw, Sava], and
Co., £5 ; Messrs. Gellatly, Monkey, Sewall, and Co.,
£2 2s. ; Messrs. Vs ightman and Co £5 2.5.; Messes. W.
Richards and Sons. £3 35. Messrs. John Holman and Sons,
£2 23. ; Messrs John Clark and Co, £2 2s. ; Messrs. C. 11.
Stewart and Co., £2 25 ; Mr. John Bennett, jun., £1 ls. ;
Mr. A. T Poplar, ill Is. ; Messrs. Berryman and Turnbull,
£2 Is,; Mr. F. C. Webb, £lll ; Maws. Morton and Co., £25.