, 1859-10-31
[Ftem The Overland Non.bAy StanIa1r'. SEPT. 1U.1
Awful S&ttpWreck Mt Auatra1fu.

4 fine tcan,er. tile Admclla, Of abou: xix
hundred ions, una three hundred horsc-ro
rnunipg between Adeluide aud Melbourne, w4>
wrecked on the 9th August Saturday, by
the imaginary line separating Victoria frcm
South Australia coast. The sacrifice Of life,
although large, upwards Of fi!fy persons hav.
ing been lost, is not the most horrible part Of
the catastrophe. The su1erings Of the unior-
tunatc survivors exceeded ANYTHING described
N ths history Of suffering and disasters ut se:s
For sercn days they were on the wreck, during
five Of which they we're without food Of any d.
scription. The ship struck ut half.pas. four in
the morning, the weather being thick, with
much lightning, whilst steering, hs was thought
The usual course. III less than ten minutes af-
ter the. appalling shock the ship parted into
three pieces. About j" people continued cling
ing to the bow portion for two days, wien itcr
wcre nearly all wu:hcd off aud lost, with the ex.
ceptiou Of abuut fifteen, who we're brought to
the after. par. Of the vessel by means Of
d ronc. Some very narrowing scenes of eepa-
rution auons the families of the fore cabin pas
sengers occurred at this time. Al the proris-
,ons that were saved in the first instnnce vas
one filter full Of water. small bag o! almonds,
about twenty pounds OF cheese half u ham. Ter,
pounds Of beef, eight bottles OF porter, and oue
bottle Of whisky, but portion Of these vas
afterwards washed away. The serf dashed over
them night and day, yet all appeared composed
aud collected. Tic chief 1na.c, (James uu,cl-
inson.} III describing the scene, says each night
carTied of its vict;n1s--about twenty died Tues
day night from cold-it was a bitter night;
deaths we're 80 frequent as TO lose all tcrrors to
the survivors, who looked callously on Cap
tain Harrison, Of The Wateuata, did alt mau
could do. diving for provisions: he suffered 70
much from the exerlicn that he died from, e1-
hAustion on board. lie rrlaies instances If
heronsn and sr!f-denial, vi hich 10 u grea, ex-
tent reieEe the pain Of the melancholy narru-
tire.
The country near where the wreck took place
is v.ry th,nly populated, and it was not till Mon.
day morning thai the Two sailors who get
ashore on raft reported the calanlitous acci
dent to the lighthouse keepers at Cape North
cumberland. Information was immediately,
communicated to Melbourne aud adelaide. It
was at frs, supposed tllat there were no more
survivors, and the South Australian govern
ment contented themselves with scnd,us the
Coria. The Victorian government did nothing.
On Tuesday number Of people from Mount
Gambler .ssited the scene Of the wreck, and dis
covered that number ofpeople were still alive,
Int this fact was not known in Melborne till
Wednesday morning, when the Messrs. uon,y
immediately dispatched tile Lady Bird, then IT,
Ing at Belfast, to proceed at once to The wreck,
The Coria did moi reach the wreck until We'd
ncsday night. On the following morning size
launched her lifeboat, but the sea Was too hea1y
to permit her 10 reach the wreck.
The Lady Bird was unable to tpd the wreck,
aud had to return to Portland for information.
so TINT it was Fridny at midday before she
reached the spot. Equally unavaing were the
.dorts OF her crew, augumented By number
Of experienced whslcrs from Portland, to effect
communication with the wreck. The se.entl,
night closed upon the wretehed survivors, now
reduced to p, their hopes ofrelief almost utter
ly extineuished. -Four men died during the
night On Saturday morning the survivors
were safely brought to shore. ia all as. i great
deal Of FEELING hus been manifested against the
government for the apathy they evinced, mud
liberal subscription is being raised 10 remuuer-
ate the crew Of the Lady nird md the boatuen
employed in rcscuingt1e sufferers.