The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-17 00:00:00

WORCESTER MUSICAL FESTIVAL.

WORCESTER, Saturday.
The " Festival of the Three Choirs" was brought
to a termination this morning. At about the
time when the market carts were bringing their
weekly freights into the city, the carriages of
the gay votaries of Terpsichore were bearing
them homewards. The ball last night was not at-
tended so largely as had been anticipated, the party
mustering about 150, although they did not repre-
sent by many the number of guinea tickets actually
disposed of. The ball was held at the Guildhall,
which was tastefully decorated for the occasion.
This building, which has the repute of having
been designed by the architect of St. Paul's, is much
and deservedly admired by visitors. It was stated
in the introductory notice of the festival that there
would be daily morning sers:ce in the choir of the
cathedral, at which the associated choirs would assist
in the performance of the musical portion of it. The
first of these services has already been noticed, and
we have only to add that on Wednesday, the
second morning, the service was Onsley in A, and
the anthem, Aldrich, " 0 g.,ve thanks." On Thurs-
day Dr. Wesley's fine service in E was given, with
Greene's anthem, " 0 clap your bands." On Fri-
day (yesterday) the service was Croft's in A, anthem,
Boyce, "0, where shall wisdom." These ser-
vices were all well attended, and as collections
were made after them at the cathedral doors, a con-
siderable sum was thus added to the charity fund.
With regard to the amount realised for the charity
by this festival, it appears that the figures supplied
daily to me by the officials were not quite correct.
The following arerepresented as the actual amounts
received :—Tuesday, £474 19s. ; Wednesday, £312
6s. 10d. ; Thursday, £203 ; Friday, £225 12s.
total £1,215 17s. 10d., as against £1,064 13s. sd.
in 1863.. There are also other donations expected,
which will be the largest collection ever madsefaeunridtihbnee,
charity, we believe, at any one of the 143 meetings
in-
crease eta
sh three o
less choirs.
than T2h,seso attendanceo ve
r 8
163
.i
shows
tho
observed that the whole of the collections are always
appropriated to the charity without any deduction
on account of the expenses of the festival, which,
until last year, generally exceeded the receipts, the
ex being ,
there madeh good
ave
been by
frequent
eusetnetwsaurdrps Latterly,surpluses.
A
far as can at present be ascertained, the liabilities
of the stewards will fall short of the receipts by
some £5OO, which will go to the funded property
of the charity. The receipts for the sale of tickets
have been over £4,500. The stewards may there-
fore be congratulated on the glorious results attained,
and it must be satisfactory to the new hon. see., Dr.

Williams, that his arduous labours have been
crowned with a success even exceeding that which
waited upon his immediate predecessor, the late Rev.
R. Sarjeant. We are glad to hear, moreover, that
Mr. T. Smith has already secured a capital list of
stewards for the Hereford Festival of next year.

Exmoon PONIES.--In our advertisement columns
will be found the notice of an annual sale, by Mr.
Tompkins, the well-known auctioneer of Reading, of 80
Exmoor ponies, the property of J. W. Knight, Esq., M.P.
They are to be sold on Saturday, the 22nd just., in a field
close to Reading Station.
IiEuLIN, Sept. 14.--It is announced on good
authority that negotiations have been opened with
the
eee
tiEeenlreeneistaoloref oe
asf s
iirelenesstesi
tfeuttahiloledni
rtailtigehlDuk of
tesasotfe)oavr
teiNraeiai,gsosnaftu f
sovereignty,
ilooinrr
personal property.

....a...R.-- ~..ft
_..
Shipwrecks on the New South Wales Coast.

(Front the Melbourne Age.)
For many years past so violent a hurricane has
not been experienced as that which lately raged for
several days on the New South Wales coast. The
number of shipwrecks and the loss of life have, so
far as information has reached us, been very great ;
hut the real extent of the disasters resulting from
the storm has not yet been ascertained. The gale
commenced about Wednesday, July 11. It was pre-
ceded by heavy rain, which flooded the lowlying
lands in the New South Wales colony, and played
havoc with the property of the settlers. The rain
was followed by a gale from the S.E., which gra-
dually increased to a hurricane, lashing the sea into
fury, and driving the shipping in harbour on
shore. The fears apprehended at the destruction
of shipping on the coast were unfortunately realised.
The Cawarra steamer, bound from Sydney to
Queensland, whilst running into the port of New-
castle for shelter, foundered in sight of the shore,
and of hundreds of people, who were powerless to
render assistance. She was heavily laden, and
there were five cabin and sixteen steerage
passengers on board, but only one of them
was saved. This was the prelude to other disas-

tors experienced in the effort to reach the har-
bour. The ship Lady Bowen, for London, was com-
pelled to put back, and on entering Sydney har-
bour, went on the rocks at Bradley's Head, but has
since been got, off with some damage. The Tiger,
schooner, was wrecked at Wollongong, in running
in for shelter, and all hands were lost. The barque
William Watson, in making for Newcastle, got
ashore, and became a total wreck, and only two of
the crew were saved. The schooner Rhoderick Dhu,
cedar laden, from Richmond for Sydney, was
wrecked at Moruya Point. The Bungaree, tug-
boat, in attempting to tow the Midas, barque, into
Newcastle, was driven ashore and became a total
wreck ; and it was not without some difficulty and
risk that the Midas was saved from destruction.
The rain that fell during the first day of the hurri-
cane is described by eye-witnesses as a wall of
water, which rendered it almost impossible to see
objects a few yards distant. At Sydney the sea is
represented to have broken right over the Heads
into Watson's Bay, a thing almost incredible, the
Sydney Heads being 500 feet in perpendicular
height ; and according to calculations made by com-
petent persons, the wind was estimated to have had
a velocity of 61 miles per hour, and exercised a force
or pressure equal to 191 b. per square foot. The loss
of the steamer Cawarra created a profound sensa-
tion, and the following particulars were obtained
from the sole survivor, named F. V. Hedges, who
was born in Bristol, England, and came to the colo-
nies in 1857, in the Granite City, and is now 31 years
of age. He states the Ca.warra, cleared Sydney Heads
about six o'clock on Wednesday evening, strong
south-east breeze blowing ; as they proceeded the
wind freshened, blowing heavy squalls; sea increas-
ing; heard the captain intended putting into Port
Stephen or Newcastle. The weather was very thick
at the time, and it was eleven o'clock before they
made out land. At two, they made out Nobby's ;
the captain at once made for the port, and rounded
Nobby's shortly after two o'clock ; in doing so the
heavy sea running struck the steamer several times
with tremendous force, and the rush of water on
deck, some of which went below, was frightful; the
vessel almost became unmanageable ; she was driven
over and passed the Eleanor Lancaster's mast. The
captain ordered the foresail to be set as the vessel
had turned round with her head towards Nobby's.
Hedges thinks it was the captain's intention to make
the harbour, but the sea came on board in such
volumes that the captain ordered the sail to be taken
in, and the steamer to go ahead full speed, evidently
with the intention of going out to sea; three or
four tremendous seas struck the steamer, and she
gradually went down by the head, and the fires
almost immediately went out. Captain Chatfield
ordered the boats to be cleared away. Some China-
men had previously taken possession of one boat,
but the captain ordered them out to make room
for the females on board, two or three of whom
got into the boat with five or six men, among
whom was Hedges. A sea swept all out, but
Hedges managed to lay hold of the davits, and
succeeded in getting on board again, and by this
time another boat, the cutter, was manned by seven
or eight men, and put off from the steamer, but she
almost immediately capsized, and only one of the
crew regained the ship. Hedges got into the main
rigging with three or four others, but had not been
there long when the funnel went over the side,
carrying him and the others with it ; he struck out
for some minutes, and succeeded in laying hold of a
plank, which drifed towards the harbour, near the
red buoy. As he was drifting along, he says he saw
two or three men in the water floating on pieces of
wreck, and who, he thought, would be picked up by
boats. He believes they all perished in the surf close
to the Oyster Bank. Hedges says he heard no
screaming. There was some slight confusion on
board, but all appeared calm and collected, and
perfectly resigned ; he says he has often seen more
confusion and fright in much less real danger. The
Chinamen willingly got out of the boat when ordered.
When the boat of the steamer was going down the
passengers and crew went aft for safety. When the
mainmast went, he (Hedges) was in the water. He
saw her foremast standing, and the next chance he
had of seeing around him all was gone. Just before
Hedges was swept off the wreck the second engi-
neer, who was by him clinging to the main rigging,
said, " I think it is a case with most of us, Fred."
About this time a report was spread through the
vessel that the lifeboat was coming ; the captain
said, " Coolly, lads, the lifeboat is coining." Up to
the time that Hedges was washed off the steamer,
the captain appeared perfectly self-possessed
and cool ; in fact, all stood at their posts to the
last. Hedges saw the chief engineer, who he
made sure would be saved, as he was near the har-
bour. Hedges did not see the lifeboat, and was not
aware that she was out at all, but he saw another
come out to their assistance. h 1 saw the schooner
Veno coming in ; he did not, however, see the boat
that picked hiin up until close to him. He saw the
red buoy two or three times before he was picked
up. Mr. Hannell's boat came alongside him when
he was in the water, and he was assisted in, and re-
moved immediately to Mr. llannell's residence, at
the lighthouse. The following is a list of the crew
and passengers : —henry Chatfield, commander;
Joseph P. ?FDowell, chief officer ; Thos. Burrows,
second officer ; William Ray, carpenter ; William
Freeman, boatswain ; Joseph Jenkins, Thos. Butler,
Francis Hubert, Augustus Coste, quartermasters ;
Wm. Bland, Gabriel Hanson, Frederick V. Hedges
(saved), William R. Philips, John Callen, Edward
Carey, seamen ; William Manton, lamp trimmer ;
John Fountain, chief engineer ; John Auchincloss,
second engineer ; Robert Barrett, Alexander Living-
stone, Peter Coley, Daniel Rodgers, James Taylor,
James Leonard, firemen ; David Auchinson, coal
trimmer ; Robt. M‘Murray, donkey driver; Edward
Jones, David Thoburn, trimmers ; William
Henry Morgan, second steward ; Stephen God-
dard, pantry-man ; John Darvell, fore cabin
steward ; J, Abrahams, officers' servant ;
John AiTiemid, chief cook ; James Fox, second
cook ; Hugh M'Donald third cook ; Catherine
Crozier, stewa.rdeas.
them
of the above have left
h
widows, and some of emlarge families, to mourn
their sudden and irreparable
bereavement. Other
losses and disasters have become known, which are
thus epitomised :—A ketch,
supposed to be the
Caroline, and the schooner Seagull,
went down in
Newcastle harbour. The Lismor, t. also went ashore
there, but all hands Were saved. The steamer
coonambra, which left Newcastle for Sydney,
luckily reached port in safety. The ship EBk, from
New Zealand, in entering the Sydney harbour, near
the North Head, grounded and became a wreck.
The crew were saved. She was insured for £2,000.
The schooner Cheetam, insured for £l,OOO, was also
wrecked. The Carnation, from Port Macquarie,
was wrecked at Seal Rock Bay on the 12th. Crew
and passengers saved. The steamer West Hartley
was wrecked at Lake Macquarie, and the crew saved.
The brig Freak was wrecked at Tuggerah Beach,
between Broken Bay and Newcastle ; she was in-
sured for £BOO. The steamer Corio is supposed
to have foundered at sea, as portions of her fittings
aye come ashore. The schooner Mary and