The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-01-09 00:00:00

THE BURNING OF THE " 00SPATRICK."

The three survivors of ale Cospatrick wrr lAnded at
Plymouth on Thursday-night (31st ult.)- at- h'alf-past
ton from the Cape mail-boat Ayanxa. Their names
are, as already stated, Henry MacDonald, second
mate • Thomas Lewis, adld Edward Cotter. In the
special train in which they were despatched to Loidan
some further informatiou.of the disaster was obtained
from them. The narrative appended was furnished by
Sir. MacDonald, the second mate, between Plymouth
and London :

The ship was in lat. H east, andnot westanseyoulighhat weather,veready
fine,
stated. On the 17th of November, with z
It was my watch on deck irons 8 to 12 was relieved
by the chief mate at twelve o'clock.P.'llll was just falling
asleep when I heard the alarm of re Jumping out of my
bed I met the captain at the caddy door, and he told me to
go forward to see what eas ties matter. I ran forward and
saw the chief mate gett t ffig the men o work the foice pumps.
All the pas''eugers were rustling on deck, and smoke was
coming out of the fore scutre. I ran aft to report this to
the captain and
,to put my. clothes on, as I had nothing on
1% at that time. When I went forwaid again they were play-
ing the hose down the fore scuttle. I asked the captain to try
to keep the ship before the wind, and he replied that he was
endeavouring to do so. Ile told me to get a few volunteers
to go down the fore hatch and see where the fire came from,
but this I found was impossible, as the flames were then
coming up the fore hatch, and the passengers were doing
their best to keep the fire down. When the flames were be-
tween the fore and main hatchways I asked the captain if we
should get the boats out, as I saw it was a case with us,
but he said no and that we should do all we could to
get the fire out. The ship would not go before the wind, but
went head to wind, and this drove the flames aft. The two
forward boats caught tire' then there was a rush to the
Poop, and when I got there I saw the starboard boat lowered
away. She capsized as she touched the water, and there
was only one who got out of her, all the rest were drowned.
Although we flung hencoops and other floating things over-
board to them, we could render them no other assistance.
The chief mate, myself, and the third mate tried to launch
the starboard pinnace, which was lying bettom up on the
skids, but we could get no assistance, and had to abandon
the attempt. -I then SAW that people were flocking to the
port quarter boat, which was a lifeboat, and which was
nanging in the davits, and I told two sailors to stand by
and not to lower away until they got orders from the cap-
tain. By this time the flames broke out in the quarter-
hatch; the passengers gave an awful shout, and the captain
said something to the effect that each must look out for him-
self,. Then this boat was lowered away, and just as she was
touching the water I jumped into her. As I did so the men
already in the boat were cutting her away. Just before I
got in, the foremast went over the side. I tried to get a
compass, but could not. When we got into the boat we
Shoved off from the ship's aide, and then the chief mate and
an Irishwoman jumped overboard and swam to us, and
others were coming over the falls to do the same. At that
time we were not 6 in. out of the water. Just as we got
Clear of the ship's side the mainmast went over the side, and
immediately afterwards the stern blew out. This was
Possibly caused by the spirits in the lower hold. There was
none in the store-room. There was no gunpowder on board
then; I had thrown that overboard at the first onset. The
screams of the women were awful; they hung about me,
begging roe to save them, but a man could not de everything.
Shortly afterwards the mizenmast went over the side. From
the time the fire first broke out until the mizeaunast went
over was not more than hour and a half. We kept off from
the ship, and we heard cries on spars floating away from the
shin We made towards them, and found the starboard boat
avhich some of the men had got in an upright position. They
baU no oars, and they asked
the that an officer might go with
I willingly agreed to go with them. Thomas Lewis
went in first, I went second, Cotter third, and Mr. Bentley,
.a Pasaenger, next. They divided the passengers, leaving
tcn.,irtY in my boat and thirty-two in the chief mate's boat.
We were deep loaded then.. A man who was floating on a
small spar near was also taken in, , Ile was a Scotchrnan
nanied Robert Barron. We kept by the ship all that day
aWhen lad all that night, until four o'clock the next afternoon,
she went down. During that time we saw people
ging to her, but we were so full that we could not render
them Was the sli
no eaaaghtest assistance. After the ship went down it
swlaPing any longer. She was burned down to
Copper,of and the fire being of course out we were deprived
that which was before a signal to any vessels that might be
tioP
tassing. We then agreed tshape fer the Cape of Good
osehbut we had nothing to eat or drink, and no compass
weather aPe
our course. On Sunday, the 22nd, the
wag dull.
the boat. Tba Bentley was drowned while steering
lag lt wate-6e men died that day in consequence of drink-
bodiessr. They went nearly mad. We threw their
a overboard. On the next day it blew hard, and a high
Veeae w-al running, and it kept us continually baling water out.
ituF,_ngged a sea anchor and hove to, 'but it was very weak,
, only tied with strands of a boat's painter, and we lost
were u -your more men died the same way as the others, and we
utikat hungrY and thirsty that we drunk the blood and
e livers of two of them. That day we lost our only
oar. On the next day it blew a gale, and we rigged another
sea anchor, There' tying it with our braces ind anything we could
her,f_ were six more deaths that day. When that sea
fer3broke, the boat shipped water that very nearly filled
hot. the 25th there was a light breeze' it was awfullyced were we were redu that day to eight, and of these three
fifty
yard tof their minds. On the 26th a barque passed about
opiaion s off, and we hailed, but received no answer. Our
one nicrwaa that she saw us. This made us give up all lope._
those " e di!al that day, and we kept sucking the blood of
light
alijuat died. On the 27th it was squally all round with
trierverg' but we never caught a drop of water although
overb to do so. Two more died that day. We threw one
0„1, lard, but WO were too weak to throw over the other.
se—airnawre were then left—two able seamen, one ordinary
rand n'
TuTself, and a passenger. The latter was out of his
all do'rjarild seve l'tina tried to drown himself. We were
ra es
biting t'n,d I was awoke by feeling the mad passenger
She ,D,-„,Aieet. We then saw aship bearing down upon us.
be the British Sceptre. We received every
board:;l°n board the British Sceptre. I was very ill on
Most down to death's door. While in the boat I
alink any salt water, excepting a mouthful now and

f., The following letter from the captain of the British
zceptre to the owners of the (Jo3patriCk
gives some
interesting particulars of the state of the survivors
'When rescued :
BialP' British Sceptre, Thursday, 3rd December, 1874, Lat.
20 deg. 18 rain. S., long. 1 deg. 10 min. W.
Messrs. Shaw, &will, and Co.
Gentlemen,—lt is a painful duty to me to_have to inform
you of the total loss of the Cospatrick. She caught afire in
deg. be feared S., 12 deg. E., and was totally destroyed, and it is to
that the only survivors of all on board are three
I' 12
ruen picked np b me on 27th of Nov. when in lat. 28 deg. 50
14'in• h.. deg.
passing 44 ruin, E. Haying had a severe gale
one south after
which I ran dead before it. Ipe of Good Hope, during
was to the northward of
the Ca
the usual track of tonaeward•bound vessels. We had just got
MO S.E. trades ;
towards it,
ganiething afloa Nvind fresh and squally At 1.30 p.m. we saw
t at a distance on our lee bow. Having passed
a deal of driftwood in the morning, 1 at first imagined it
vbl
Vg another piece of the same sort', but another look con-
ship eed me that it was something of a wreck. I kept the
squal came on and when near hove the ship aback,
boatwhen
a l , and we drifted past, not without, how-
oyer, seeing that it was a with human beings in it,
arnilhat-they had no oars to Propel the boat with. A piece
of beard iyas erected as a mast, with a cross-piece nailed
on, o n which was extended a rag as a sail. I motioned to
theta
to run the boat before it to our lee-quarter, which
Having shortened a deal of Canvas, I threw the
!MP flat aback, mad backed right up to the boat, which suc-
eeeded well, for we soon had her alongside. The sight was
something horrible. There were five men in her alive, and
nne dead body. One man was stripped naked up to his
n_waist4, his feet swollen full of sores, himself raving
'6l a4l- The coloured 'man barely alive, but still
a Jr. Macdonald, late second mate of the
i.,
Di BenaeX.
an°,l,Patrick. in charge. They were soon passed on deck,
Nv- everY kindness and attention was shown. them.
To r
With water d
baths, weak brandy an water, nourishing
the t medicines adapted to their symptoms, has been
4 reatrnent adopted. Here I would remark that in the
art.... nnok, as authorised by the Board of Trade, no
_ .v_cee haa been given to captains how to act in such a case,
sw+lit h should be brought before their notice. Notwith-
n_ndhafe all our care the poor passenger who never t re-
ued his senses
T died last Sunday, was buried on Monday
Ouried tliling'ds he coloured man died yesterday, and was
u morning. Mr. Macdonald has been very ill, but
10,1ear15' irnprovi n ng. The other two me are improving,'
1/4T that na to they might have a relapse, I shall call at St. •
teedbag
-nete get doctor's advice as to landing them or pro-'
i with them. I enclose a narrative of the loss of.
___!' Cospatriek and the sufferings of the people in the boat
nutil saved by us, as told 'me by Mn r. Macdonald, and will
4 P.ostscript from St. Helena. The passenger's name
iira 4,,lllllinown, but I give you here a description by which
talndivirlladirs might recognise him. Height sft. 10iin., strong
the b- nl°
.. e eard ; coraPlexion, blue eyes, light brown hair, slight
mitache, light whrs
ieke, inclined to red towards
",se aPParently about 22; supposed to belong to
Leetunty of Cork—to be a farmer's son, from what I could •
surviving seamen.—l have the honour to be,
gentaeruen, yours respectfully. ' -
''43.s4arn
(Signed) W. . JAIINKE, s Master, ship II British Sceptre, British Shipowners'
Company, LiverpooL
I add that 11. Macdonald, Thomas Lewis ar , Edw St. Helena, 7th December,
d
cave to otter have been landed here • are sent to the hospital under
narge of Board of Trade. 'Although still very ill, I have
''erY hope of their ultimate recovery.—Yours respectfully,
0'094.- W. it. JAIINKX,
' ' 4 " , Master of the British Sceptre.
tiittis..... S P'° '
(Prom Monday's Times.)
by "The three survivors of the Cospatrick were on Saturday
"4410 by the Receiver of Wreck at the Customhouse.
A.ccording to the practice in these cases, the only persons
allowed to be present were the Receiver of Wreck, Mr. J. C.
htockton ; the Deputy-Receiver of Wreck, Mr. J. 31. Neve-
illart ; and the Nautical Assessor, Staff-Commander Forster,
known as the principal emigration °Meer of the
Trade. The examination occupied the whole
°I the . a
~a3'. and the three men's depositions were
tAL" aeParately. Considerable anxiety was shown at
° cluitorahouse to see the men. When they walked
on the
Cotter, wiquaY Lewis waa at once recognised ; but
th his fair and good-humoured face, escaped
n altogether. Lewis has evidently suffered
aitY mote than,etther of his companiosis. Ile
readied: the keit stage of starvation—thet
hen the' men were pitied up by the tOritiah
was only Macdonald and Cotter who could
lines tbit were thrown to them. Before that
, Lewis had taken' the chief. part in managing
experience in that kind of navigation being
Portion 3 was also the person who distributed into nine
1.:
ley were
ood which the shipwrecked risen ultimately ate,
reduced by death to nine persons, from :0, before
tueY adopted the last resort, and things were still at that
Methodically managed They had previously, however,
‘rtnklt from the veins of those who were dead.
~,:,‘ (.Iwau•d Cotter is a Chichester boy. lie left the training
with a certificate four years ago, and has served for 18
tneatlei in /Taw Zealand, gettiog,good wages in the coasting
tee,ts mad on shore. Although lie is a gardener's son from
seu
;-, shigtoo, he has a brother on the sea as well as himself—
ja!nles Cotter, of Her Majesty's shit) Vulture. He was
his way back to New Zealand to recommence his
414-Vig lit° 1 and two others—C. Smith, able seaman (who
able atie°t be confounded with the sail-maker). and Nicol.*
rea,iv 4blau, Were also working their way out. Ile was to
trail e 4 strlan gratuity at the end of the voyage. We have
ledbed fr fe.. Lis 0 ona this young man's lips a narrative, usually
p,iut4
tri WOr da, which contains fuller details on m soe
~ , I
_4ll those given by Mr. Macdonald :
Wheel i"d, in raY bunk betw half-asleep and half-awake,
aroused by the crelells of "are." I went out. The
r,„: anernewls. underneath us, and directly I got up I
e snie
WI.? issUides t ex burning. They opened the fore scuttle, andoultAteet:b: it: They used to haul the eoal up though
, el, —.tittle. Ti
his ' Viatugi,„ b.,,_ en used to go into the.forecastle,
Y Lll, door. I heard Mr. Romaine (chief
heard.---,q• ' VE°l.,l4Pir his nien to man the pumps.
AA ,caY came to- call Us but the row that we
foresail' .at, ur R It was
-a, • °Maine sang out tor them to haul up the
'force-purnp t_' hauled
tank, and ~,-at the uP the foresail; and there was a spare
t a.%., Y used to bring the water up from the
pa!isthe buckets wsteta that besides the t force-pumps. Then
rngengers gottir,,ltsed over for drawing water, and the
IJthat would h,i,',!ooden buckets of their own and every-
along. We forei4ater—tubs and dishes. They passed
_ °11:,) 0:: decic caught n wateer and a line along, each side, and when the
ur Po it on thteneY formed another hue to Pass
. Ira aell wood, and thong (tl the house on deck. But it
, •!_ n the forecastle hetur
4'o".7:lll):VhaS right against the bowr
ard. wood, it burnt. Lewise
the other pump. 1
. tastl e fore scuttle
od of the fo,re
and owsPrit. That water was
_sent. Ana e• The thin wo ' —*vas passing into the fore
----' hared u
thby tonna P, and the forecastle 1. When
t,,,_ . that of no good 'as a mass of flame.
scuttle
_burnt directly
7.).,2 ilatsh. I was at th they passea
to the 1 e extra pump. The head pump wa
ore
tin We `f„' "'" manned bva, ' the water down the
castle bUt not on it; it was a
us' areti up Lute a torch. That
-eusengers. The flames caught

4bbgerv;atioL
Y the eaaa •
WL
re:tg tre, and it
cria:ak the '
th 17",‘1101tever
e boat, hie
great ; ard he
the f,

:•
.