The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-09-06 00:00:00

_
Wreck of the Cape Mail Steamer

Teuton.

A telegram, dated Cepetown, August Sir eels :-
The Union Company' Royal Mail steamer Tueton,
which arrived here on Moaday last from Englend and
sailed again for Algae Bay, has been wreaked near
Quoin Point. She bad on board 200 pesangers and
crew, of whom 26 were laved in the bcmtat 11•1'1 •
Corvette Dido proceeded immediately to the 50100 of
the disaster.
A telegram from Capetown, dad August 31-. "toe
that the Union SteinnaniP Uoultaeey'e Teuton struck
on • ruck, backed off, and foundered in deep water
tbre hours after wards. Three boats were lowered,
one foundered alongside skip, two others containing
T
27 persons arrived at Simon'. own. Feared about 200
person* lost.
Another telegram states that • boat with 14 psi'
sous has arrived at Simon's Town belonging to the
Teuton, welch struck on a rock at Quoin Pant,
August 30, at 7 p.m. 200 of the crew mid paellingera
drowned. Sec aid boat just arrived with 12 irtirStorld.
British men of-war Lido leaving, for mane of wreck.
The Secretary of the Union Steamship Company
Write, to the /May these am sollows :
I detely Teapot to iuturin you that telegrams have
been received ir on this company's agent in CONSCUWII
the loss of the s.s. Teuton on her voyage
from Capasown to Natal.
he brat 11105458 e 100SlY0d VMS dated Cspetown, Slat
A.ugult., 2.60 p.m., and stated that toe 'Teuton struck
netween Cape Point and Cape DA•ulbaa, and that
the boats were then entering Simon's Bay, and that 27
persons were known to be saved.
It was daylight when the Teuton ran ashore off
Quoin Point. It seem* from the testimony of sur-
vivor, Oa: no great alarm was fat for the safety of
' the ship by those on board, it being thought she had
not su,tained any serious damage to her bull, and that
her water-ught compartment.' would keep use afloat.
A migtake wnica has in similar Obliell proved disas-
trously fatal seems to have been repeated and after
lying three or four hours on toe rocks the 'ligation was
u acted off into deep NNW', Ia whacn sne &lam,l
instantly foundered. No trustw,rtuy statement has
yet mewl iec.ived to expatm toe occurreoce of tire
disaster. Toe most pr,usbie suggested is that thy
Teuton struck on • sunken reef not waked on the
coats. When the sane comtisny's SLIMED& Ka/iir
wai lost—no:, as has been errdneoudy stated, at tuts
identical spot, but • few miles west or Cape Peint--it
was discovered that she had struck a rest until then
unknown, and not marked on any admiralty chart.
In tile present instance, the lozality VMS perfectly
well known, end has been only too familiar to ship
captains as the scene of many disasters. It is
described by Lloyd's as •• a 'claire projection
of huramozky laud, situate between Table Bay
and Cape Agulhas, and fronted by sunken
rucks to the distance of one and a quarter mile from the
shore, over which • long heavy swell is constantly
I:heating, and the danger is believed to be unmarked
by any iignt. in 1875 the Union Company lost one
at their nue vowels on tuts eery spot. the steamer in
que.uon, the Celt, was on toe same voyage as the
unfortunate 'Teuton, but in her ease ail her pariengers
and crew were happily %ved." There id of course, no
room to doubt that the Teuton was siding too near
these dangerous reefs "unmarked by any right," but
what led to this fatal error is unexplained. Ut the two
Inuit likely cans,,, I,me excessive and unowerved
deviation of the c•uipasesi, or the furueuf an unexpected
current driving the stammer rapidly kasha—ties latter is
doomed the m "re pro sabie. of Me tO Laps..
is a deep r against whnh die mai skiltul seamanship c au
hardly even, and tie most prudent caution is generally
shown by keeping well out to ea. It ia • peril assu
mat likely to ho undiscovered at night. The effect ot
corral:4 is Ili vole to be equal insidious. In few sees
are greater dangers of this; kind to be met with than off
tad southern shore of the Cape Colony. Being the meet-
ing place of two means, powerful and changing currents
run round th. jutting headlands, often wittun • few miles
varyitg rapidly both in direction and strength, while
the coast is of such • nature that even the frequent use
of the had line would be of little avail. Considering
that three hours elapsed before the ship foundered
niter she struck, surprise has been felt that an time
steamer's boats were not made use of to save life. It
would seen., however, from the statements hitherto
received that the °dicier* were of opinion that the
damage was not of so serious a character as it ulti-
mately proved, and the captain appears to have hoped
that the ship war sound enough to keep afloat when
baked off from the ruck long enough to enable him to
run for the nearest pace. How lung the skip floated
atter hacking into the deep water is obscure; but it
mama that it wee at once discovered that the only hope
of safety lay in the boats. lJniortunately, the lower-
ing of the boats, as too often happens, was disastrous.
Only three gut safely away, one was swamped, witii 15
women and children on board, and there is as yet too
much reason to fear that the rat were carried down
with the ship.
At Soutuatripton we understand the loin of
the Teuton created profound sensation all the
crew belonging to the town and many being
married with families. Captain Manning, who Is
unmarried, entered the service of the Union Company
• long time since as junior odicer, and won his way to
the commandership some years ago. The Teuton was
no: his first vessel, and the cruise fur his destination ,
was one which he must have made each way snore, of
times before. AU the officers except Mr. Diver are
uomarried. Tue second oft.= had • cousin married
the morning the news was received. A nephew of Sir
fredesick Parkin., late member tor the la. h.
fourth officer, is brother of a Southampton solicitor.
r.
The chief steward is a eon of an ex-tawn-eouncilkir.
fie leaves a widow and four children, and was waling•
his first voyage as chief steward in the Union
Company's service on promotion from the West India
Mail Company. Two of his brothers were lost in that
company's steamer Rhone and Wye, wrecked in the
West India hurricane ut 1868.

The lose of ld, unio-rlun- iitely, is greater than was
originally supposed, *ouzo 25 cooties having jmned the
atemner at Capetown. en medic for Kant London. The
paseengers from England on board after the vessel
fended thciee for Capetown numbered 162, not 109, al
originally reported. The crew VMS 85 strong, and,
adding the 23 coolies, the total human freight for
places *aim of Capetiwn was 272. Of these 36 pa-
eans, including only 11 passenger., were saved. 'The
total loss of life, therefore, as far as can be ascer-
tained up to the present, is 236. The Teuton ma ie
the passage to the Cape in 23 days, three day, lees
than the time allowed under the ountract for carrying
the itoyal mails, even by Limber and more modern
steamers, such as the I'retoria and Durban, the
tonnage and horse-power of each being twice that of
the Teuton.
The secretary to the Union Steamship oompany
issues the following t— rhe Union Steamship Company
has received a further menage from Capetown, dated
Saturday, 3 Link, stating that the Delo returned on
Friday evening from the scene of the wreck, but
found nothing alter a careful search. Their agent
fears that the number already reported as saved—vie..
11 passengers and 23 crew, total 36—must be con-
sidered as final. The Teuton sank between Danger
Point and lianglip.
Captain Manning is the brother of Dr. Manning, of
Laverstock Lunatic Asylum, near dalisbary.
The Queen ha. telegraphed, through the Colonial-
office, to the Union Steamship Company, asking for
further information relative to the lore of the Teuton.

THE LATE LORD BEACONSFIELD.
On Sunday, a new stained-gloss window, erected In
Hiulnenden Church to the memory of the fate Earl of
Beacqnsfield by his executors, was dedicated. The
window La plaoed over toe altar, the inscription being
as follows :—" In affectionate remembrance of the
Right Hon. ILnjamin Disraeli, Earl of Beaconsfield,
this window was erected by his devoted friends, Lord
Rowton, Sir Nat-mole' Rothschild, Bart., and Sir
Philip Hose, Bert, 1681." Dedicatory services took
place both in morning and evening.

CROP PROSPECTS.
General reports throughout Raglan' show that
cereals have been greatly damaged by the recent
though it is hoped theta continuance of fine weather
may yet counteract the effect of the severe rain of
August. In any case, the general produce must fall
short of an average both in quantity and quality.
Roots on the whole have been bene6tted by the
moisture, but potatoes in most parte of England are
threatened with disease. From Ireland the reports are
encouraging, the crops being among the best since
1846.