The Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1834-184?, 1846-04-02
WRECK OF AN EMIGRANT SHIP. !

/ NOuul Vi inc Wreck OF tue OdtdTdqul, OdptdlH
| Finlay, 500 tons sburthen, an etnigrant ship,I
bour for Van Diemau's Land, and the loss
of more than 400 lives. Nine only escaped
one of whom was the'chef mate, Mr.. Guthrie
who furnishes the melancholy PARTICULARS
The vessel sailed from Liverpool on The 46lhI
of April ard struck early on the morning of
/ Augusta, on a reef situated on the West
coast OF Kings Island, at the entrance oil
| Bass Straits There were about 800 emf
grants, and crew, including two surgeons,
| of 46. 100 of the passengers were married
and there were 73 children. The male
As soon as the ship struck, she was sound
| ed, and four feet water was in the hold. IheI
sceLe OF confusion and misery that ensueo
at this awful period it is impossible to de-
scribe. All the passengers attempted 10 rush
on deck, and many succeeded in doing so.
until the ladders were Knocked away by the |
workings of the vessel. The crew were in
stantly employed in handing up the passen-
| gers. Up 10 the lime the vessel began break
ing up, il is supposed that between 800 and
400 were got on deck by the extraordinary
exertions OF the crew. At this time the sea
was breaking over the ship on The larboaEd
side, sweeping the decks-every- sea
taking away more or less of the passengers.
About 5 A, NJ. the ship careened over on
her larboard side, washing away bats, bal
warks, spars, part Of the cnIdy, and literal
| ly swept the decks. AT this critical period
the master gave orders to GETAWAY the masls
hoping the vessel might right. The masls
were forthwith cut away, and every thing
done thai could be, under the circumstances,
TO get the vessel upright, but 10 no purpose.
I AT this time the passengers below were all
drowned, the ship being full OF water, and
the master called out TO those on, deck to-
cling1o that part of the wreck which was
/ then'above water till daylight, hoping that the
Ispars would be of some, service in. making
break water under her lee, aud thus enable
the survivors, to get en- shore in the morning
i Asathe day broke we found the stern of the
vessel washed IN, and numerous dead bodies
/ floating around the ship-some hanging upon
the rocks. Several of the passengers and
!crow (about 200 altogether) were still hold
4 ing on 10 the vessel-the sea beaking over
; and every wave washing them away. About
: in the afternoon she parted amidships, at
) the fore part ofthe mainsriging, when imme-
/ dately some 20 or a I00weFe Iaunchedinto
{ tie waves. The survivors on the. deck still
] continued TO exert themselves to recover. all
7 they could but many OF them were dead, al
} though but momentarily immersed. Ridge
5 lines also were stretched along the side oflhe
D wreck, TO enable them TO hold on.
The survivors now began to collect bits of
rope, so as TO construct buoy, with the view
: Officiating ii on shore, and thus enable one
n of the crew TO land, This measure would
have enabled them to save the lives of at
least hundred; but Notwithstanding every
effort, the buoy would not be got nearer than
20 yards from the shore, owing to its getting
: eHtangled with the sea-weed on the rock,
and there was no one on shore to catchi tand
secure it On Tie sand. The fury of The waves
continued undated; about 3 O'Clock the
wreck paned blythe fOreHgging, and somaRy
souls were submerged into the wide waters,
that only 20 survivors were left crowded. Oh
the iorecastle. The buoy rope was then
hauled on bard to rig life lines and lash the
survivors who were ctiDgng 10 the wreck.
s Numbers died and fell overheard, or sunk
: and were drowned at the place where they
1 were lashed; and at daybreak only thirty sur
, viyed. The previous evening the quarter
! boat, tie only remaining one was attempted
B to be launched, into which the boalman and
I and doctor (Chas. Carpenter) with four of the
+ crew, got, but she immediately capslzed and
' all were drowned. As the morning rose
! the sea was making a clear breach into the
: forecastle, the deck of which was rapidly
: breaking up. About this time, while num-
a bers were helplessly clinging to the bows,
: and continually dropping eff without the pos
2 sblity of succor, the master attempted TO
f reach the shore, but was unable, and with as
sistance regained the wreck.
The lashing of the survivors were now IN
: done, in order TO give them the last chance
: of life. Mr. Thos. Guthrie, the chief mate,
0 now on the spitsail yard, was washed out 10
the bowsprit; he saw the master and second
mate and steward elinging TO the bows with
about Is o! 90 only left alive amid host oil
y dead bodies on the fragments of the wreck
: MIR. Guthrie was driven TO a detached part
Iofthe wreck, but soon finding it impossible
:, to live with such sea breaking over, seized
: pece ofplank under his arm, and leapin IN
: 10 the water was carried over the reef, anC
: thus got on shore. He5lound passenger
! who had got ashore during the night, and one
:, of the crew who got ashore in the morning
= John Robers,a seaman, plunged in when he
" saw the mate ashore, and partly swimming
!, and partly driven reached the land. Five
i other seamen followed, and got ashore dread
:, fully exhausted Almost Immediately after
wards, the vessel totally disappeared. Th'
8 who reached the shore had neither fooC
e nor drink from the time ofthe ship striking
d TO the Tuesday afternoon, when they foun'
& one small tin of preserved fowl after eatina