The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-11 00:00:00

THE WRECK OF THE ANNIE JANE.

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

The following additional particulars in reference
to this unfortunate casualty are supplied by a correspon-
dent:—The crew numbered 46 men, inclusive of captain
and officers. Of the seamen, about 12 were natives of this
country—the remainder and larger number being French
Canadians. Of the passengers we are informed that fully
one hundred belonged to Olugow and the West of Scot-
land; being carpenters and other artisans who were pro-
ceeding under engagement to work at some public under-
taking in Canada. A number were from the Isle of Skye,
and a considerable proportion from Ireland. There were
above a dosea cabin passengers, including Captain Mason
and his wife. The majority, however, were French Cana-
dian gentlemen and ladies.

Alter stating the circumstances attending the disabling
of the ship, which have already appeared in the
Express, the writer proceeds;—On the 24th the
crew succeeded in getting up a spare enliven'; but as
the ship was now partly uaenanageable from the great
damage she had sustained, and, as there were ao span
on board properly to replace those which had been lost,
it was now deemed absolutely necessary to turn the ship's
head a third time, and bear up for the nearest port in
England or Ireland. The ship run three days before the
wind; all seemed to be going on as well as circumstances
would admit of, and the passengers and crew recovered their
elasticity of spirit in the prospect that they would soon be
in a haven of safety. About two o'clock as the afternoon
of Wednesday, they sighted land on the lee bow, which
was ascertained to be Barrehead, on the island of Barn,
the southmost of the Hebrides. At this time the gale
again came on furiously, and the ship was laid close to the
wind, in the hope of weathering the heed on which stood
the Barra light house, which, by the way, rises to the height
of 680 feet above the sea, being the highest in Britain. 1$
dint of great efforts she was got clear of a reef of rocks which
jutted seaward, and upon which the waves were breaking
furiously. Haying rouaded the reef, the ship got opposite,
or into Vateraish Bay, a large indentation, with a sandy
beach, and according to the account of one ase of the sur-
vivors, she was there run ashore to escape the reef of rocks
which formed the opposite entrance to the bay, and aecord•
ing to the opinion of others, she was forced in by the fury
of the gale. Certain it is that within 20 minutes after
clearing the reef, and between 12 and 1 o'clock on the
morning of the 29th ult., the ship took the ground with a
fearful concussion. All the officers and crew were, of 1
course, on deck at this fearful conjuncture; but there were
also on deck a large number of male passengers, who held
on by tops, and rigging, and with feelings of despair con-
templated their fate as indicated by the dull outline of the
land and the !venni of the surf on the beach. Meanwhile
the gnat majority of the paasengers, including all the wo-
men and children, were below is their berths; but the
striking of the ship gave them a fearful wakening. Many
rushed on deck in a elate of nakedness ; wives clung to
their husbands, and children clung to both, *emanate from
terror, and others uttering appalling screams, sad eagerly
shrieking, Is there no hope I" In feet, the vane de-
aribedby the survivors as the teat which it could
enter into the heart of man 4*
Wile the passengers woredeaseed round the boas, and
within a ray few minutes after the skip had grounded, she
was struck by a sea of frightful potency, which instantly
carried away the dense DWI of beau* belays into the
watery waste, and boats and bulwarks went along with
them. It is the 'minim of our infonaut' that at lent Me
hundred of oar fellow-creatures perished by this fell sweep.
The same sea carried away everything asovesWe fire mod
aft, but still a great many of the crew and pienaose
remained, who had secured themselves by repose by seem
temporary fixtures. While this fearful mese walls
on upon deck, the great majority of the WOONU sod e
es well as some of the male passengers, remained beta
either paralysed by terror or afraid that they wield
be washed away In the event of their meaty
upon deck. But their time also had come. The
fthttel thumping of the great ship, taken in easnesion
with her caw of railway iron, must have immediately beat
the bottom out of her • and while her ban was in this
weakened and disrupted state, mother dreadful sea broke
on bard and literally crushed that part of the deck
situated between the mainmast sad the atisenntast, down
upon the berths below, which were occupied by terror-
strike& WENS sod sleiping children. They were killed
rather than drowned ; as was fully evideneed by the naked,
matilated, and gashed bodies which were afterwards east
oat shore. The main and mesa own west at the same
moment. This second breach of the catastrophe took
place withia • very few minutes after the pssesagers sad
part of the crew had been swept away from the deck
along with the boats. The meet of the remaining SW
Mal and pamsagers sew leek refer es the poop,
whisk is a very high one, sad as assault of
the ea carried away its victim et vielime, la within
sae bear ant the Arnie Jane Walk the remaiaine
et her mans neat by the Wadi and she bake into
these do additional nada, at this dis-
ruption ; and all the survivors on the ppeoeepp,, with
the email* stoma nes, who hadleiland on
the lamina ihneastle. The peep_ hamoelsly Gents& well,
sad, as ft was about high weer, the week was what in-
wards by the wind and ISA hemw ef theosa, when it
finally grounded about kw Visa sm. The
with the 7 men, same were meet sheet the ism time.
When meowed the gardens mini head le amsber •
total of 102, of *lam one was a dill. 12 wen weals, and
28 belonged to the erew, mimic, et the sepia. who
was also saved. Soma after earidesi rr share, the ear-
',iron repaired to • tern stadia& or dean, of beams,
whisk was net for
from the boa* and seenieed their ex-
humes& easeile Ist. he and 411611111eliopied
the lessee, eels Se remawsT midmama male ammo pa en
lay down in bora, byre, mad Male. These was se ameehy
of provisions, for some lama el best sod perk
le had
been washed eskers. and the Dena aLloPehrelt= imam Thin mine the Marin of theaer
sepulture was deemed latriaarseble, kr the elnweityard
was tea idles gleame we there were neither defroster
to make colas, ass sew timber to foals. them hem, for
the manes beam which lay above she ground. Capa-
cious pits were deg close te the lonely shore, sad the poor
sufferers were deposited therein, exactly is the state in
which they were east from the wreck-a great many, as we
have said, befog naked sad mutilated. To this style of
burial there were only two exceptions, via,, in the case of
Mr. Bell, the first cute, sad a French Canadian clergyman
or priest, for whose retains rough oolaa were made by the
surviving carpenter from pleas of the wreck. In this way
260 bodies had been interred up till Monday Lit, when our
informant left the island; but • great many still remain
unburied, sad indeed every tide threw them up.