The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-04 00:00:00

WRECK OF THE
DUKE OF SUTHERLAND.

UPWARDS OF TWENTY LIVES LOST.
ABERDEEN, FRIDAY EVENIIM.

This afternoon the city 'OrAberdeen was thrown. into
a state of great excitement by the wreck of the steamer
Duke of Sutherland, Captain Howland, just arrived from
London, at the very mouth of the harbour, and the Joss
of lives before the eyes of thousands of their fellow-citi-
zens, who, though almost within speaking distance, and
recognising in them their own personal acquaintances,
felt themselves powerless to save them.
The harbour of Aberdeen has long been known as an
unsafe one; and

steamersl7---fia-ve-"Before this beeii lost in attempti3Tra
enter it. Lying immediately behind, and to the north
of the promontory of Girdlenesii, the last link of the
great Grampian chain, the chaniiel does not run straight
out to sea, but takes a slight northerly direction. Hence
it is easy of access for ships comi g from the north ; bid
i
when vessels arrive from the south they cannot run in
directly after rounding the pro ontory, but must still
hold a north-westerly course tali they have cleared_ the
rocks to the south of the harbouni ; after which they must
come sharp round, or they will go ashore on the pier-
head. The danger of this catastrophe is much increased
when the wind is blowing fresh from the southward, and
still more, when, in addition to this, the river is in flood,
as the current then sets strong against the pier on the
north side of the harbour.
All these incidents combined in the destruction of
the unfortunate Duke of Sutherland this afternoon.
The Dee has been flooded for several days past in
consequence of the melting of the snows among
the hills in its upper course, and the wind, -which
had been fresh and blustering all day from the south,
had raised a considerable sea, which broke in great
sheets of surf upon the sandy beach to the north and
south of the harbour. In the main channel of the
stream, however, there was nothing to alarm, nothing
to prevent any ship from taking the harbour. The sea
was rolling high, indeed, but it rolled in what sailors
call whole water, and hence when the Duke of Suther-
land was seen rounding the Girdleness-point, about half-
past five o'clock in the afternoon—that is about the usual
time that she was expected to make her voyage--no fears
were expressed by any one of her safe entrance. It was
a grand sight to see the magnificent vessel battling with
and mastering, the swelling waves as she rounded the
headland. That feeling lasted but a minute, however ;
she had scarcely cleared the rocks to the south when the
experienced eyes of some old fishermen saw that she was
too far to the northward, and comprehending the impos-
sibility of her beating off against the united force of wind
and tide, the exclamation was raised that she was " a
gone ship." The prediction was but too fatally verified.
In less time almost than it takes to tell it, she struck
with tremendous force against the rocks lying seaward
at the head of the pier, and then, turning broadside on
to the waves, Lay a helpless log on the waters. The
alarm was soon spread, and in a few minutes the pier
was crowded with thousands of spectators, the more ad-
venturous of whom rushed to the extreme point of the.
pier, within a very few yards of where the ill-fated ves-
sel was stranded, though the sea - occasionally broke
right over them, as it was already doing over the ship's
decks. The full peril of those on board was instantly com-
prehended. She was an iron vessel, and it was feared would
not hold long together, especially as it was seen that she
had grounded amidships. The event too, speedily rea-
lised their worst fears. Within less than ten minutes
from the time she struck, the bow of the vessel was
torn sheer from the waist and was drifted up the har-
bour, while the main part remained hard and fast
upon the rocks. So rapidly had the sea broken her
up and found an enterance into her, that within a very
few minutes from the first shtick the waves could be
seen from the pier dashing up- from the interior of her
hold black and discoloured with the coals of the steamer-
No lives, we believe, were lost when the forepart of the
vessel was torn away, for the ' sailors had, when the
vessel first struck, ran aft to lower the life-boat that lay
on the the starboard paddle box, being that nearest to
hand. Some parties said they could hear the captain,
who was on the paddle-box at the time of the accident,
give orders for their doing so ; at any rate it could
hardly be his orders that the ship's crew should save
themselves in her. Such, however, was the case. The
life-boat on the starboard or shore side was got out, and
was immediately filled with persons from the wreck; but
with the single exception of a little boy about ten years
of age, there was not a single, passenger among them.
They were the seamen and firemen of the ship, headed
by the chief mate. It may be that after landing the
greater part of their number, the rest intended to return
and bring off the passengers ; but however that might be
their intentions were not put to the test • for after
pulling a short way through the surf at the back or north
side of the pier, a tremendous sea struck the boat and
upset her, throwing some ten or fifteen persons into the
boiling ocean. In all probability most of them would
have perished but for the gallantry of the spectators on
shore ; some of the stoutest of whom dashed into the
sea, and being held by the linked hands of others nearer
the shore, succeeded in bringing every one, the boy
among the rest, safely eshore. It is to be regretted
that in the eagerness to save these unfortunate persons,
all thought of securing the capsized life-boat was for-
gotten, so that she drifted away to the northward, and
all chance of rendering her useful in saving other per-
sons, by manning her with a fresh crew from the land,
was frustrated.
While these things were taking place on board, other
and highly praiseworthy exertions for their safety were
made ashore. A life-boat, which was left lying in the
harbour, ready to be launched either to the north or the
south side, was very early resorted to by the spectators;
and as soon as hands enough could be got together she
was launched into the surf behind the pier, and manned

by a crew of twelve hardy seamen. With incredible
labour and elertion the boat was impelled through the
waves, and reached the steamer in safety. Here a
scene of great confusion and excitement occurred. It
was impossible to allow the boat to come close alongside
the steamer, or she would infallibly have been dashed to
pieces against the ship's quarter, which was swaying
fearfully from side to side, giving warning of the fate
which soon afterwards befell it ; the only resource for the
passengers, therefore, was to spring from the ship's side
into the boat. In doing so many seemed to be severely
hurt, many fell short and dropped into the sea, ; and
though several of them were rescued by the boat's
crew, yet it was inevitable that many perished. They
succeeded in filling the boat, however, with rather more
peoplegratifying than
awdads
that contshi set e n t
boat, wivtih p t h
herrudn
e preciousce but it ;
freight, i
s
was speedily and safely got ashore. The voyage to land
was accomplished much more easily than that to the
ship, as the sea was now nearly at high flood, and the
current was setting in strong upon the land. The same
cause that brought the life-boat so speedily ashore of
course impeded her return, which the brave fellows on
board showed great alacrity in attempting. It was
fruitless, however. For a long time they put forth the
most strenuous exertions in contending against the wind
and the sea ; bit, scarcely had they gained a few yards,
in a comparative lull, than a tremendous sea rushing in
upon the land would overpower all their exertions, and
drive them farther in than they were before. After
continuing for a considerable length of time at this fruit-
less task, it was at length suggested that the boat might
be towed out beyond the extreme violence of the surf by
the people on the pier, and the boat was brought ac-
cordingly close below the pier ; and a rope being handed
up, she was dragged a short way through the surf. But
it was soon found that this course was equally futile with
the other. The boat was dragged along, indeed, but she
was dragged through the billows instead of rising to
them; and in a short time it was found that she was fast
filling with water. The attempt was, therefore, given
up, and we are not aware that a fresh crew was thought
of. At all events the life-boat made only one voyage to
the ill-fated ship.
A still more disastrous event' befell another attempt
that was made from the shore. One of the boats used
for the purpose of salmon fishing in the districts, and
whose flat bottoms and other peculiarities cause them to
be considered good sea boats at least, as they can be
kept head on to the sea, was lying on the beach at the
time. The brother of Captain Howland, his brother-in-
law, and four other persons, resolved to make an attempt
to reach the vessel with this boat, and endeavour to
rescue some of the persons on board. For a time all
went on well. So long as they kept under the lee of the
pier they made way, and actually succeeded in reaching
the ship. But there their success ended. When they
reached the steamer, and thus became exposed to the
full fury of the wind and current, the frail craft was
whirled away in an instant, nor could all the exertions
of the crew keep her more than a minute near the
vessel. During that brief period two individuals leaped
from the ship and attempted to get on board. Both
fell into the sea—one perished, the other was caught
by the boat's crew and got on board, thus pro-
longing his life, alas ! but a few minutes ; for, in
attempting to bring the boat's head round, so that
they might pull for land, a heavy wave completely
swamped her. She sank immediately, amidst the shrieks
of the crowd, who thus saw the horrors of the
scene inconceivably increased by the destruction of the
brave fellows who had gone to the rescue of the others.
Of the seven men thus thrown into the sea, only one
managed, by laying hold of an oar, to reach the land in
safety, though sorely exhausted ; all the others were
swallowed up in the foaming surf.
While these things were going on, the waves were
doing their work of destruction on the devoted steamer.
We have already mentioned that in an inconceivably
short space of time she parted in front. We have now
to add that in about half an hour afterwards the stern
and the quarter deck were equally swept away. The
masts had gone some time before ; the last that was seen
being the mizenmast, which swayed fearfully to and fro
in the water for some time before it finally disappeared.
Nothing remained but the middle part of the ship,
with the starboard paddle-box, on which the sur-
vivors of the crew, now reduced to some dozen per-
sons or so, were congregated, and whose cries could
be heard above the howling of the tempest, as.
their persons were distinctly seen from the shore.
It is probable that even this part of the vessel would have
followed the others, but that the weight of the ma-
chinery had caused this part to take a firmer hold of the
rocks, and to present a more solid resistance to the waves
than the forecastle of the poop. The disappearance of
these latter portions of the ship was so rapid as must
have appalled the stoutest heart that was on board.
Hence the impatience of many on board to trust to their
own exertions for escape, and not to wait for the exer-
tions—torturingly lingering as they must have appeared
to them—made from the shore. At an early period of
the catastrophe many persons were observed rushing to
the life-buoys and other apparatus for saving life that
were to be found on board. One person excited consi-
derable interest. He was observed three different times
to put a life-buoy round his waist, and go to the ship side
as if with the intention of leaping over, and as often to
di vest himself of the apparatus as if at the critical mo-
ment his resolution failed him. On the last occasion he
cv; .

saLnie Inuiviouai who was seen Homo time afterwards appa-
mntly clinging to the stakes of a net that was fixed in the
sm., thoroughly exhausted and incapable of making
further exertion. His situation excited general sympa-
thy ; but a seaman belonging to her Majesty's ship Archer
(now lying in the harbour), who was standing on the
pier, with extraordinary bravery leaped right off into the
surf, and made his way to the man. His gallantry was
fruitless, beyond the universal admiration its brilliancy
excited ; the man was found to be dead, and not clinging
to but entangled by the net. It is gratifying, however,
to add that the seaman, whose name, we understand, is
Robb, succeeded in reaching the shore in safety.
We have reserved to the last another attempt to com-
municate with the ship, though, in point of fact, it was
attempted before some of those efforts we have been nar-
rating. Captain Manby's apparatus for firing a ball from
a mortar, having a line attached to it, over the ship, was
brought down to the pier end, and was early brought
into action. It happened, however, that there was no
one—not even the person in charge of it—who under-
stood its management, and several attempts were made
to discharge it, which just as frequently failed. The im-
patience and excitement of the bystanders rose to a
great height, and in the same proportion the flurry and
nervousness increased of the persons who were attempt-
ing to discharge it ; and it is probable the apparatus
would have been wholly useless had it not been for a
party of the officers of the Archer, already mentioned,
who made their way to the place, and succeeded in dis-
charging a rocket right over the heads of the survivors,
now huddled on the paddlebox, amid the joyous exulta-
tions of the crowd. Even then, however, the apparatus
was incomplete. The cradle or basket in which to place
the persons that were to be handed along the lines was
wanting, and the only mode of securing them was the
necessarily imperfect one of fastening them by small
lines. The consequence was that more than one or two
individuals dropped into the sea ; and among them, we
regret to say, was the captain himself. He was among
the earliest that attempted to come ashore in this way ;
but before he had passed half across the yawning gulf
hie strength failed him, he lost his hold, and fell into the
sea. The majority, however, were more successful, and
before daylight had utterly gone all the survivors were
got on shore in this way.

It will have been seen that there was no great amount
of heroism displayed by the crew on board. We have
already mentioned that the mate and part of the crew
were the first to leave the wreck in the ship's life-boat ;
the men generally displayed great anxiety in escaping
by the life apparatus, taking precedence of the women
for that purpose ; and lastly, the captain himself, whose
untimely fate, however, may well disarm all severe cri-
ticism on his conduct, was among the first that at-
tempted to prove the efficiency of the life apparatus.
From this list, however, must be excepted the head
steward of the steamer, Duncan Christie, who remained
by the vessel till he had seen every one else out of her,
giving directions, and assisting with praiseworthy
energy in securing the lines round the females and
others that were to be passed over the gulf between the
wreck and the pier, and then, it is gratifying to be able
to add, himself succeded in getting safely to land.
The following is the list of passengers on board the
steamer :

First Cabin—Master Stewart, Miss Bremner, Miss
Lawrence, Miss Leask.
Second Cabin—Miss Milne, Mr. Barnett, Mrs. Met-
calfe, Mr. Finnie five female and two male servants of
Mr. S. C. Jervoise.

Deck—Mr. Mackabe, eight seamen from the crew of
the City of Aberdeen.
The crew of the steamer herself consisted of captain,
mate, second mate, boatswain, carpenter, eight seamen,
eleven engineers and firemen, three stewards, and one
stewardess.

In all, 52 souls on board.
We have had great difficulty—owing to our extremely-
limited time, and the confusion that prevailed—in arriv-
ing at anything like certainty as to the number and
names of the individuals lost. Miss La*rence, one of
the fore-cabin passengers, was drowned. Miss Leask,
her niece, was saved ; and it was reported late last night,
but we can hardly say on good authority, that Miss
Bremner, the other female cabin passenger, had also
been saved. The body of Miss Lawrence has been cast
ashore. Miss Milne and Mrs. Metcalfe, in the second
cabin, are saved, and the four following of the female
servants of Mr. Jervoise :—Ann M'Donald, Ann Gre-
gory, Ann M`Gregor, and Susan Jones. Of the male
passengers, the boy, Master Stewart, most of the seamen
for the City of Aberdeen, and one or more of the pas-
sengers escaped. A number of the firemen and seamen
as soon as they came on shore, were taken home by their
wives ; and as it is not known exactly how many got
ashore in the steamer's life-boat, or were picked up, and
by the first and only trip of the harbour life-boat, we
cannot yet say accurately the result of the casualty, but
we think we are pretty near the truth in stating that, of
the 50 on board, 20 or 22, found a watery grave, which,
with the five lost from the coble, would make a total of
nearly 30.

Something connected with the melancholy business
seems to have come intuitively to a portion of the popu-