The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-11 00:00:00

FA7AL SHIPWRECK.

One of the severest storms that have occurred here
for some time commenced on the evening of Friday
last week, and continued with little abatement
until Tuesday. Though little damage has been
done in town, or even in the country districts, yet
our islands have more than their usual average of
casualties by sea to record. The wind blew strong
from E. to S.E., and the sea around was lashed up
to tremendous fury. No steamer or boat of course
ventured out, so that up till Wednesday morning
we were cut off from our usual supply of intelli-
gence furnished by the post and packets. During
the course of Monday, however, painful news
dropped in of a vessel having been seen to the
south-west of Copinshay, apparently in a state of
great distress. On the morning of that day it ap-
pears the inhabitants of the peninsula of Deerness
descried a sail, which, as it gradually became more
visible, appeared evidently to be making for the
land. At this time the wisest course for the vessel
would have been, whenever it came in sight of the
shore to leeward, to run for Holm Sound, or to go
round the reef of Copinshay, and so to make for one
of the natural harbours lying to the north. Neither
of these courses, however, did she adopt, but, on the
contrary, stood straight towards the shore, and, as
the sea was rolling in in heavy masses from the
German Ocean, in a short time she was borne so
far inward as to be quite embayed. Her fate now
became inevitable. By no way whatever was there
the smallest opening of escape for the unfortunate
vessel, and but little hope could remain in the
breasts of the spectators of saving the crew,
though numbers of people had by this time
reached the shore, anxious, if possible, to
render every assistance in their power. Nearer
and nearer the vessel came, and signals were
made by those on shore for the ship to
steer for the sand of Dennisgoe—the only
place where they had the smallest expectation
of doing anything for the unhappy crew. No
notice, however, was taken of the signals, and it is
probable from the great quantity of spray that was
flying about that they were not seen or not pro-
perly understood. Instead of making to the spot
signaled out the ship still continued her course to
the southward, and a little after one o'clock in the
day approached very near to the rocks to the west
of Stembister, and, notwithstanding everything
that was now done by the crew to bear off, was in
a short time within the boiling surge, and help-
lessly tossed 'about by the raging tempest. Here
she struggled for a while, until one huge wave
seized, and, as with giant's grasp, bore her right
upon one of the outlying rocks in which the coast
abounds.' Having been frightfully shattered by the
shock she was yet again driven back, and, as if ithe
work of destruction was not yet complete, was borne
by a second wave once more upon the same rock,
and the next instant the sea appeared strewn with
the broken fragments. All this took placenot more
than the ship's own length from the face of the
cliff, which would be here about 90 or 100 feet in
height ; and so terrible was the force with which
she came on that staves of casks were actually
thrown right up to the top of the precipice. By the
men above the crew were distinctly seen on board,
but not the smallest assistance could be rendered,
the only duty the people on shore could render
being that of appearing as mournful spectators of
the melancholy catastrophe. The ship's name is
not yet known, but the cargo seems to have con-
sisted IA linseed, which, from part of the wreck that
has come en shore, appears to have been shipped at
Riga by Thomas Renny and Co. Of this cargo not
a particle has been saved, and of the whole wreck
itself scarcely so much has yet been gathered as
will realise a few pounds in value. Several ar-
ticles have been picked up, and among them a
bungee, bearing upon it the words N. and Daniel,"
and from this probably the name may be discovered.
A private signal has also been found marked " R
87," and bearing the Russian merchantman's co-

lours in the corner. Nothing further has as yet
been found to afford a clue to the name of the
ill-fated ship, but from all that has been ga-
thered it is believed she is a foreigner. Mr. Baikie,
agent for Lloyd's, and a Custom-house officer were
on the spot soon after the vessel struck, and have
taken possession of the part of the wreck that was
found, On Wednesday afternoon , about four o'clock,
the bodies of two of the crew were picked up on
the beach below Stembister, in the parish of St.
Andrew, about half a mile from the spot where the
vessel struck, and the same evening Constable
M'Kay found the bodies of four more, the whole
number found being thus, up to the present time,
six. They all appear to have been stout men,
apparently between 30 and 40 years of age, with
the exception of one, which appears to be the body
of a youth of about 17. The features of all are so
much disfigured that it would be vain to look for
anything in them which could in any way lead to
the identification of the bodies. Certain ornaments,
however, found on their persons may yet assist in
this result, On the third finger of the right hand
of one of the men (a tall dark-haired man) there
was found a ring, on the inside of which are en-
graved, as with a needle, the letters " H. 8., 1860,"
but there was no other mark on his person or cloth-
ing which can possibly lead to his identification.
On the third finger of the left hand of another was
found a plain gold ring, without, however, any
special mark either on the clothes or person which
could serve to mark him out to his friends. From
the appearance of these two it is believed that one
was the captain, and the other the mate of the
t
ill-
fated vessel. On the left fore-arm of a third of the
bodies bodies were the letters "L. P. H. M." roughly
pricked out in blue ink ; and on the
left-for© arm of
a fourth a cross resting on a heart, on which are
pricked the letters "T.
j""
in
German text,
the figure of a
i
and directly below the heart is
woman dressed. Over the cross s also pricked the
form of an anchor. None of the others contained
any special marks which
could lead to their identi-
fication. All the bodies were interred in the
churchyard of Holm yesterday afternoon.
takenwahf
toem thereeon.
s friendssessTipossession
of by the The
rings before-mentionedProcurator-Fihscaavle,
of the deceased will receive them, on it being dis-
covered who they are. Of themselves they are of
little value, but they may, nevertheless, be highly
valued by the friends and relations of the deceased.
—Oreadian, Dec. 8.

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