The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-25 00:00:00

DIREADEVL SHIPTRECKS.

TOTAL LOSS OF THE EARL OF CARRICK,
STEAMER—ALL HANDS EXCEPT TWO LOST
—STATEMENT OF THE SURVIVORS.
In this journal of Wednesday appeared a brief
notice of a screw steamer having gone ashore on
the Isle of Man, bound from Ayr to Liverpool, and
it was supposed that all on board except two had
perished. We regret to confirm that statement.
The ill-fated vessel proved to be the Earl of Carrick,
' iron screw steamer, commanded by Capt. Albany,
300 tons, builders' measurement, belonging to the
Mews. T. and W. Paton and Co., Liverpool. She
left Ayr on Saturday with a cargo of pig iron,
wheat, potatoes, rye-grass, (Itc. Fortunately she
had only one passenger—Capt. R. Paton, who
formerly commanded a small vessel trading between
Liverpool and Ayr.
The annexed statements of the two 'Survivors,
taken on oath by the Receiver of Wreck at Douglas,
will be found to contain the details of the catas-
trophe.
John Lyon, seaman, on board the Earl of Car-
rick, deposes—We left Ayr at 12 o'clock at noon on
the 9th Dec., with a south-westerly wind, steering
S.W. by W.; continued in that course about five
hours, when we sighted Port Patrick, and altered
the course to S.W. by S., which we continued about
an hour, after which I steered S.S. W. until we
made the Mull of Galloway, when I changed to S.
by E., on which we saw the Point of Ayr light on
our starboard bow, and, I then steered S. S.E., the
proper course for Liverpool. When I left the wheel,
David Bailey took my place, and sailed S.W. by
S., about two hours. William Lawson succeeded
him, and steered S.S.W. till about half-past two
o'clock, a.m., keeping the vessel up in consequence
of the strong current carrying her northwards, and
having lost sight of the Point of Ayr light in the
darkness caused by thick rain. James Watt then
took the helm, still steering S. S. W., until about
five o'clock, a.m., when wo opened the lights of
the Calf of Man, which appeared (from the heavy
sea roiling the vessel) to be sometimes on our
starboard bow, and sometimes right ahead.
When we thus discovered our dangerous prereimity
to the shore, we at once brailed up. the foresail and
mainsail (which had been set at about half-past 8
p.m.) The helm was put hard sport to bring the
vessel's head to the westward, clear of the breakers.
At this time the engines were stopped, and I went
to the engineer and told him to reverse the engines
full speed ; that we were then close on the rocks.
The captain called out to know who ordered the
engines to be stopped, and I told him that I had
ordered them to be reversed to keep clear of the
land. But the heavy sea was too strong for the
vessel, and she was driven on to the rocks at Dalby
Point, about six miles from Peel, in the Isle of Man,
at about five o'clock on the morning of the 20th
inst. The vessel was supplied with a life-boat and
a jolly-boat, and two life-buoys ; but as soon as
she struck the vessel broke into two parts athwart
ships, the bows falling away sideways into compa-
ratively deep wryer, and carrying the life-boat and
captain and two men along with it. Oa the after-
part, which remained stuck on the rocks, 10 of the
crew, with the stewardess and one passenger (the
only one on board), collected, and we tried to get
off the jolly-boat, but the bow tackle would not
run, and she was at once stove in ; so that our only
hope was to reach the shore by swimming and using
the two life-buoys. These were taken by James
Watt (who has been saved) and the chief engine( r,
who, however, could not reach the shore. We
had three compasses on board. One was placed
about 24 feet from the wheel, and another about 20
feet further forward, and the other in the cabin.
They were not at all in good order, and not cor-
rect, as we had found on a previous voyage from
Liverpool to Ayr. The lead was not hove at all
during the voyage. The vessel was inspected in
October last, at Troon, by a Government inspec-
tor. She was well found in rigging and tackle. I
saved myself by swimming until I reached the
rook, when a rope was thrown to me by persons on
the shore, who exerted themselves to the utmost to
save the lives of the crew, and I was drawn to the
land. I have been seaman on board the Earl of Car-
rick 17 months; the captain joined about a month be-
fore I did. The captain wason deck all the last watch,
when the vessel struck ; both ho and all on board
were perfectly sober. Ido not think that anything
more could have been done to rescue the crew, as
no boat could have lived in the breakers at the
tinge.

James Watt, seaman, says—l took the helm soon
after 12 o'clock at midnight. I steerred the vessel
S.S.W., making allowance of two points for the
variation of the compasses, which I knew to be in-
correct. About 5 o'clock on the morning of the
20th the second mate ran aft to me to ask " Could
I say what light that was ahead ? " and on looking
out I discovered they were the Calf of Man lights,
and that we were close on a leesnore. The lights
were only visible fora moment, because of the spray
washing over the vessel. (Re then confirms Lyons'
'statement as to what was then done, and the ship
striking.) She broke into two parts almost at once.
The bow- fell away. sideways, 'and several of the
criew, with our only passenger, the stewardess and
myself, were left on the stern of the vessel, which
stuck on the. rock. 1 put myself into one of the'
two life-buoys, and the chief engineer, standing by
my side, took the other, when a heavy sea washed
over us and carried several off the wreck. After
struggling about an hour and a quarter I was thrown

on a rock, and crawled up ou t ofreach of the sea.
An ttempt was made to launch the jolly-boat, but
as the bow tackle fouled and would not rtin, we
had no means of saving our lives except by the life-
buoy, as the life-boat was stove in when the vessel
broke. The lead was not hove during the passage.
The body of the stewardess (who was a'fine young
woman, 24' years of age), in her night-dress, has
been washed ashore, as also two of the seamen. The
wreck was witnessed by a large number of liersons
on the shore, who were unable to render the leant
aid to the unhappy crow in consequence 'of the
heavy sea which kept rolling in. The sufferers were
observed td be washed off by two and three: Most
of the crew were married, and have left families.
The ship and cargo are insured.

TOTAL LOSS OF THE SHIP WALLACE, OF
LEITH.

HORRIBLE SUFFERINGS, AND DEATH OF THREE OF

THE CREW.

By the arrival in the Mersey, on Wednesday
night, of the barque Colina, of and from St. John's,
N. 8., Captain Robyns, we have the particulars of
the total loss of the ship Wallace, of Leith, Capt.
Cormea, and the dreadful sufferings of the crew,
who remained on the wreck during a period of 11
days without food or drink, except the body of a
dog, and what water they could secure during short
intervals of rain.

The details are horrible in the extreme, and we
relate them as they were received from the lips of
six of the 'crew of the ill-fated vessel, who were on
Wednesdaynight brought on shore from the Colina,
and conveyed to the Sailors' Home, at Liverpool.
It appears that the Wallace was a full-rigged
ship, and sailed from the Clyde on the 10th Aug.,
coal laden, for Quebec, having a crew of 21, all
told. During the passage out little else but gales of
wind was experienced—she carried away her masts,
and ultimately reached Quebec under jury-rig.
On the 14th Nov. the Wallace sailed from Que-
bec, timber laden, for Greenock-. Shortly atter
putting to sea a gale of wind came on and conti-
nued with little intermission until the 7th inst.,
when the ship was about 800 miles distant from
Cape Clear. Soon after 12 o'clock on that day,
while the hands were at work at the pumps, a tre-
mendous sea struck the ship, and capsized her, the
crew having to crawl up the lanyards to escape being
drowned. After groat oxol tiong they cut away the
lanyards, when the main and mizen masts fell. The
ship shortly afterwards righted, when another sea
struck the bowsprit and carried it away, and also
the foremast, and at the same time sweeping the
deck of all that was left, and washing overboard
Mr. Lindsay, the chief officer, and the steward (be-
longing to Devonport, but whose name the crew
could not recollect), and they were unfortunately
drowned. The remainder of the crew held on by the
wreck all that afternoon, night, and a part ef next
day, when the gale abated. On the Bth they were
enabled to ascertain that the hatches and deck had
been forced up, the poop cabin cleared of its contents,
and that not a morsel of provisions was to be obtained
The weather having further moderated, the crew
cut away the wreck from the ship's side, and made
further search for food. Ultimately a couple of casks
of water were discovered in the fore hold, and half
a bucket of biscuit.; but on the 9th a sea stove the
water casks, and thus was lost what the men were
now craving. On the 10th the poor fellows had be-
come greatly exhausted from hunger, thirst, cold,
and wet—indeed their sufferings can be more easily
imagined than described. No vessel had hove in
sight, and their hunger now became of that cha-
racter that they could eat anything, when it was
determined to kill and divide the dog, which was
done—a small portion being consumed by each, un-
cooked, for they had no fire. On the 11th and suc-
ceeding days shower of rain fell, and the poor fel-
lows managed to catch a small quantity, but not suf-
ficient to allay their parching thirst, whilst small
bits of their once favourite dog were the only food
they had from the '7th to the 17tti Dec., on which
day the joyful cry,of " a sail" was given, and ulti-
mately the Coliva, Capt. Robyus, bore down, took
the crew off the wreck, got them on board, behavedl
in the most kind and humane manner to them; but
care was then necessary for their treatment, for
although well nigh exhausted, their appetites were
ravenous. An apprentice, who was insensible when
taken off the wreck, died soon afterwards.
The captain (Cormea) and all the crew, except
the three above named and the six now at tbo Li-
verpool Sailors' Home, remain onboard the Colinda,
being too ill, from swollen feet, dm, to be imme-
diately removed.

The ship Frank Pierce, which arrived at Liver-
pool on Tuesday last, fell in with, on Dec. 13, in
lat. 48 N., lon. 33 W., the Norwegian ship Espin-
dola, off Porsgrund, Funnemark, master, water-
logged and abandoned, with decks swept, and sails
blown away.
The following particulars of the Espindola have
been ascertained:—The Espindela sailtd from Que-
bec the 14th Nov., and encountered strong north-
erly winds until Monday, the 30th Nov., when the
wind increa-ed to making a violent gale, the ship
labouring heavily, and making much water ; the
crew constantly at the pumps, and the water gain-
ing on them. At midnight lost the bulwarks of
the starboard side. On Tuesday, the Ist Dec.,.
gale increasing, at Bp. m. shipped a sea that cox-
ried away the skylight and filled the cabin with
water. On Monday, the 7th, the crew constantly
at the pumps, but could not reduce the water. At
8 a. m. saw a ship to the S. W. ; made sail and
stood towards h r ; at 10 a.m. hoisted a signal of
dist, ess ; at 3p. m. the stranger, observing our sig-
nal, hove down upon us ; it proved to be the Ame-
ricas, Captain Potts, of and:from St. Johns, N. 8.,
bound to Liverpool. Capt. Funnemark went on
board, when Captain Potts immediately offered to
lie and take us all off. The captain then returned
on board, and sent one boat to the ship, with a
quantity of clothing and four hands. After discharg-
ing the boat the crew attempted to return to the Es-
piudola, but, from the increasing wind, found it im-
possible to make her, and returned to the Ameri-
cana. The second boat then came alongside, with
seven hands, and also full of clothing ; butt from
the increasing wind and sea, almost immediately
filled, the crew barely escaping with their lives.
Captain Potts being informed by the crew that the
captain did not intend to leave the ship until the
return of the other boats which he had seat to the
Americana,-and they both being stove and lost,
and the night pitch-dark, with a heavy sea running,
found it impossible to render any further assistance,
kept the ship by the wind until 8 a.m., with hands
aloft to lOok out for the Espindola. At that time,
nothing being in sight, the Americana resumed her
course. Too much praise cannot be given to Cap-
tain Potts for having come-to theirrescae- so soon ;
nor could the kindness and attention of both Cap-
tain and Mrs. Potts be exceeded, which will be
ever remembered by those saved.