New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-09
DROWNED IN THE SOUTH SEAS
FTF'TY-FOUR PERSONS GO DOWN WITH
THE CATTERTHUN.
TREASURE TO THE AMOUNT OF 1000 sovER
EIGNs IOsT-ONLY FOUR EUROPEANS RES
CUED-MANY OF THE CHINEsE-LAscAR
CREW AND sTEERAGE PASSENGERS
STILL UNHEARD FRoM-DIvERs
SENT TO LOOK FOR


SENT TO LOOK FOR
THE SPECIE.
London. Aug. s-Dispatches from sydney n
S. w. and from Melbourne state that the
British steamer Catterthun. bound from sydney
to Hong Kong ran on the Seal Rocks, near Bits
bane this morning and became a total wreck
The steamship was officered by Europeans, but
manned by Lascars and Chinese sailors. and
there several white passengers. Tne totai
number of persons drowned is said to be fifty
four. The names Of the Europeans VINO are
known to have been lost are:
NEIL SHANNON. the Mr. WoLSTEMHOLME' VOLS EN-
Ma fspPpN PNNEY the first MR Re- 'GdrS MANSISG the
MR fs'er iEFFLER the Sh'ss ssSsP PH1Ps the
MR is'ra aSRfER SiffE the chief yRs issss%ShA %AEH1As
Mr.: ADAMS. the second MRS MRS $ SMITH SHRTHf
Mr.. WILSON. the third ROBERT FRASER
engineer
Part Of the crew consisting Of thirty China
men and eighteen Lascars. together with NJ
teen Chinese steerage passengers. are also re-
ported to be missing
The Catterthun struck at 2:45 a. m. and sank
twenty minutes later. A wild rush was maze
for the boats. many of which. owing TO the dls-
cipline of the crew. were successfully launched'
One of the boats reached Forster this morning,
but the others have not been heard from, and II
is feared that they have been lost.
At the time the vessel struck heavy south
west gale prevailing. The shock could be
felt in every portion of the vessel. The passen-
gers were greatly alarmed and there was much
confusion The captain reassured them, stating
that there no danger. He thought the
steamer had only been struck by heavy sea-
.l,t, al hary
moments had elapsed it was found that she was
making water rapidly She began to settle down
and listed to starboard. The fires under ner
boilers were soon extinguished and the vessel
WAS then helpless She broached to and the seas
swept over her fore and aft. Every effort made
to lower the boats was baffled by the seas. which
swept them inboard after they mad been swung
out on the davts. The port lifeboat was swept
from the davits and lost. Notwithstanding the
position of the doomed steamer excellent dlsd-
pine was maintained. During an attempt 10
lower the starboard cutter tremendous sea
broke aboard the steamer and carried away 'hal
boat too II also swept from the bridge the cap
tain and chief and second officers and Captain
Fawkes The last named, having been unable TO
reach his cabin to obtain life-pelt mad Dor
rowed the captains knife and was In the act OF
cutting the lashings Of small table on Che
few minutes later, after very great effort, the
starboard lifeboat was lowered and 1t picked UP
Captain Fawkes who clinging to some noat-
ing wreckage Only three other Europeans were
rescued These were Second Mate Tanfear. Dr
Copeman and passenger named Crane, belohg-
ing in Melbourne.
Later dispatches say that the Seal ROCKS are
10 miles north of Sydney The Catterthun, IN
addition to her general cargo. had on board ll,ooo
sovereigns. - ~,
Mrs Matthias. wife Of the captain or tne
steamer Cam trading between London ana Japd-
nese norts had been at Sydney visiting friends.
When the Catterthun cast off her lines at tne
wharf Yesterday Mrs Matniass niece was on the
wharf CRYING bitterly. She said to her aunt:
ooh auntie you'll be drowned i Will never see
you again. ,os .h,s a,,o,
a dispa tch from Melbourne, received thls even
ING saws that divers have left there lot tile
scene of the wreck for the purpose OF attempting
70 recover the 1000 sovereigns in specie on
hoard the steamer The dispatch further says
II is now known that the total NUMBER or hves
Loot in the disaster is ffty-four many OF the
Chinese passengers and crew being saved Oh
the Europeans on board, only the four previously
mentioned survive. r,.., ,d
THE Catterthun belonged to the eastern ana
Australian Steamship Company. or London. She
was built at Sunderland In 1871 by W. DoNloIu
O. Cons Her length 302 feet 3 inches, peaiH
az feet : inches and depth of hold - rect
;ohes She was acknowledged of 2179 gross
and 4O6 net tons burthen. Her engines were oi
The compound type Of 25O horsepower