The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-11-17 00:00:00

THE WRECK OF THE "CERES."

A correspondent of Saunders' Now:, writing from
Wexford on Sunday evening, gives the following
details of this melancholy occurrence:—
A deplorable shipping casualty, involving the loss of a fine
vessel and cargo and tome thirty lives, occurred on this
coast last night; but up to the preterit the full particulars
regarding the number of lives lost and name, of the sufferers
have not reached Wexford, the scene of the catastrophe
being eleven miles distant. The foil-wing account, how-
ever, obtained from one of the survivors, gives the leading
features of this awful calamity : 'The steamship Ceres, Cap-
tain Pucoe, plying between London and Dublin, and calling
at Portsmouth, bouthampton, Plymouth, and Falmouth,
called at the last-named port at eleven o'clock on Friday
night, on her passage from London, and, having cleared out,
passed the Lizard Light., all well. She had on board a
general cargo, and about thirty passengers. At about twelve
o'cLick on Saturday, a strong gale commenced to blow
from she south-weat, which continued dining the day,
accompanied as night closed with heavy rain The vessel
was steering a high course eastward, to sight the Threw
Light, but having missed this light she ran, at about seven
o'clock on Saturday evening, upon what Is known as the
•• Lane of Stones," at Carnsore, on the south-eastern
coast of this county. A few minutes after striking, her
boiler bunt, scalding the chief engineer and two stokers.
tier stern then gave way from the engine-room, *Missing
the sea to rush Into her every comportment unopposed,
end bringing inatant death to all below. An aff •rt was
then made to launch the boat, but the ship's lifeboat was
stove In before the had well touched the water, and the
other boats were smashed on the vessel'. deck Blue lights
were then burned, in the hope of attracting the attention of
the peasantry, hut without success, and so the unhappy
people had to cling to the ahlp'• gear on the forepart until
the tide receded, when another and happily • SUCCOSS.
tut effort was made to save the lieu of those who
remained. The captain knew not whether.the ',easel had
. . . .

strink on the mainland or merely on a shoal, and in order
to ascertain the nature of his position a sailor was lowered
down the vi told's side by meant of a rope, and he fortunately
succeeded in reaching the bench The others on board were
then I,,wered down in a similar manner, and conveyed
gaiety to shore. The captain, his wife, and child, the chief
officer, second officer, boatswain, and all hands attached to
the steamer have been saved, Including the ship'. steward
and cabin boy, numbering In all shout fifteen. A loot.,
his wife and child, and three soldier. Ist re also saved, the
doctor's wife being the only woman on hoard who escaped
The person. drowned are four women and three children,
who were In the after saloon, the captain and two seamen
of the screw steam yacht Lou ixt, who were returning to
Greenwich, by Dublin, from Portsmouth, where their
yacht was laid up ; the two fermate steward. and cook,
chief engineer, and two stokers, Rev. Dr. Hearn, and a
gentleman named Michael Campbell, one or two solders.,
and two or three young ladies, who were in the first-
class cabin The bodies of fifteen of the unhappy
victims If teted ashore to-day. The people of the locality
rendered every assistance when thy became Informed of
the circumstance. The consigneris from the nearest station
reached the scene of the wreck at ten o'clock last night, but
found it unnecessary to see the rocket apparatus, as
Part of the vessel eta at that time on nearly dry land
The vessel is broken into three parts, and molt of the
cargo is strewn on the beach. The survivors have been
attended to by air. Jaipur Walsh, 'Rent for Lloyd's, and Mr.
William Cooties, codecter of Customs, who have been at
the scene of the unhappy occurrenc, since an early hour
this moraine. We are happy to be able to state that Dr.
Heard and his wife, daughter of the respected chairmen of
the Great Southern and Western Ralway, are amongst those
Irluo were paved, and yesterday reached Eunlscorthy, en routs
for Dublin."