The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-10-23 00:00:00

TERRIBLE WRECK IN CARMARTHEN
BAY

A disaster, accompanied by a serious loss of life,
occurred during Friday's gale on Cefn Sidan Sands,
in Carmarthen Bay. The steel-built vessel Teviotdale,
of Glasgow, 1673 tons register, owned by Dles,rs. J.
and A. Roxburgh, James Smith master, left Csruiff
on Thursday evening with a crew of 29 hands and a
ors go of coal for Bombay. A gale, which had been
blowing all the week, freshened considerably on
Thursday, and after the tugs parted company with the
Teviotdale about 10.30 on Thursday night, the wind
increased, An d blew so fiercely that the vessel lost
most of her canvas. About 630 on Friday morn-
ing, making a heavy roll, she shipped a quantity
of water, and shifted her cargo. The sea was run-
ning to a height seldom seen on the Welsh coast,
and the Teviotdale continued shipping water until 10
o'clock, this, with the loss of her sails, rendering her
almost helpless. An attempt was made to run for
Penarth Roads, but he master probably lost his
reckoning, for instead of making Penarth Roads or
anywhere near them the crew speedily found them-
selves on the much-drea3ed Corn Sidan Sands. The
land was sighted, but a fog arose and obscured it, so
that soundings had to be taken, the line indicating
only ten fathoms of water. Tke captain appears to
have had an idea that the vessel was near the shore,
for he is reported to have said, "Be handy, lads, or
we shall be ashore in a few minutes." Half an hour
later, and an hour after sighting the land, the vessel
took the ground at Ishmael. Three boats had been
stove in, but the lifeboat, though somewhat damaged,
was successfully launched. The captain, with the
second and third officers, 13 men, and three boys,
crowded into her, and she pushed off, leaving ten men
on the ship. The lifeboat, however, was not able to
witiistand the heavy breakers round the bank, and,
as it was subsequently shown, it would have been
far better had its occupants remained on board
the Teviotdale. Those who remained behind
tried to dissuade the master from facing such seas
in the boat, and Captain Smith is reported to
have said to one of the men, "No, I don't think I will
go." Unfortunately, however, ha changed his mind,
and the lifeboat left the vessel about midday on Fri-
day. In a short time she gorbroadiide on to the surf,
and was not again seen by those on board the Teviot-
dale. The boat drifted on shore between Kidwell),
and Pembrey, and two of her nineteen occupants
managed to scramble up the beach, but the remainder
were all drowned. Meanwhile the mate, who re-
mained on board the Teviotdate, endeavoured to get
the vessel farther over the bank, but as her last shred
of canvas was soon blown away, the attempt failed.
The crew next sought to attract attention by firing
rockets and showing lights, and an Italian made a
raft, but it was immediately swamped, and he nar-
rowly escaped drowning. The Pembrey lifeboat
failed to get out to the distressed vessel,
but about midnight on Friday the Ferryside
lifeboat, one of the best and largest crafts
belonging to the Royal Lifeboat Institution, was
got out under the charge of William Thomas,
the coxswain. She riialed the Teviotdale about three
o'clock in the morning, and, after much difficulty, the
ten survivors were brought ashore. They were: A.
Mackellon, mate, Glasgow; W. E. Cranston, steward,
Manchester; R. Lahman, Hamburg ; Jas. Nash,
Bristol; P. Petersen, Sweden; Geo. Hansen, Moss;
Antonia Phillip, Greece; A. Fischer, Memel; all able
seamen; and a boy belonging to Limerick.
At Pembrey, on Saturday night, an inquest was
held on William J. Russell, 23, of Glasgow, third
officer, and B. Hansen, of Copenhagen, able-bodied
seaman, the only two of the 17 drowned which had
come ashore The evidence went to show that the
four men who clung to the ship's lifeboat, and were
washed ashore, underwent terrible suffering. Two of
them died almost immediately after landing.