The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-04
Lost Their Lives by the Wrecdng Of the
British Ship zuleika,
Which Went Down Off the Coast of
New Zealand.

heavy Gale on Good Friday, and
Slowly Broke to Pieces-The Crew
Consisted of Twenty-One lien,
Only Nine of Whom Succeeded in
Reaching Shore.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 3.-The loss
of the British ship Zeileika, bound
from New York for wellington. New
Zealand, resulted in the death by
drowning of twelve men. The disaster
to the ship was reported by cable, but
at the time the message was forwarded
no details of loss of life had been re-
ceived. The steamer Mariposa, from
Sydney to-day brought full particulars
of the awful disaster. The story is one
that cannot fail to be of interest to
those who have to do with ships.
The Zeileika went ashore at midnight
ON Good Friday, in Palliser Bay, on a
rocky, forbidding shore The disaster
occurred during a gale and the first
news of it reached Sydney by carrier
pigeon released from a passing Gov
ment steamer which sighted the
render any assistance
The Zeileika had put into Dunedin.
She sailed again at o'clock and was
becalmed off the harbor for thirty-six
hours. From there she drifted or
sailed slowly to Banks Peninsula. on
the coast. A breeze sprang UP and in
creased to a. gale.
At midnight on Thursday CAPTAIN
PROV
ner, ordered the vessel put under a.
goose winged main lower topsail and
double-reefed spanker The lower
foretopsail and foretopmast staysail
were then set, and as the wind increas-
ed she was brought into the gale.
Shortly after IL o'clock land was sight
ed on the port bow and an order was
given to wear ship.
While in the act of wearing she
struck with a tearing sound and held
fast.
A tremendous sea was running and
1t swept with full fury over the ship,
clearing the decks of every movable
object and wrecking the deck houses
as If they were made of cardboard.
The crew attempted to man the life
boats, but failed. Lifebelts were Sc
~ n v-one human beings on board.
The seas broke so constantly over
the wreck that all hands were forced
to take to the mizzen rigging. The
smother of the seas reached the mizzen
top, drenching the poor Wretches
cl1nging to the ratlines. The bitter
cold chilled the men to the marrow.
and to avoid an awful death from
fr6AZjno- no
desperate chances to reach the shat
tered forecastle.
The move was successfully made
The water burst into the forecastIe and
the ship listed to starboard. CAPTAIN.
mates, apprentices and seamen then
clambered into the forerigging. The
mlzzen and mainmast went by the
board.
rearing that the foremost would go
next, the ships company managed tn
maui themselves out on the iibboon.
the end of which was within a. few
hundred yards of the beach. After
they had been there about twenty min
utes the jibboom and fore part of the
ship sank into the water, throwing all
hands into the turbulent sea. which
was covered with cases of kerosene
York cargo, also spars and pieces of
wreckage.
Some of the men were able to swim
and struck out for the shore. Some
chung to the pieces of wreckage. Sew
eral who swan successfully as far as
the line of surf were stunned by pieces
of wreckage hurled about with great
force by the gale and were battered
had
bodies came ashore they We're scarcely
recognizable
Second Mate William Lane a mere
boy, u years of age, was a canitaI
swimmer, but he was nearly rendered
senseless by a blow from a floating
case. He was about to give ND the
fight for life when, through a break in
the wave he saw the beach only q.
short distance from him. He gave q
lew strokes and was flung ashore more
dead than alive.
When Lane recovered his senses he
found himself on the wild. desoIate
beach alone and he thought that he
was the sole survivor. He dragged
himself along the sands and came
across Sailor Anderson The two start
ed on search for their comrades.
They could find none. They waited for
daylight and finally came across three
dead bodies-Seamen Jones, Dawson.
and Blake. Further along the beach
they were delighted to find Captain
Bremner, two apprentices, the carpen-
ter and three seamen alive under n.
shelter made from wreckage. A fire
was then lighted, matches and a small
quantity of food being luckily found i'm
a sheepherder's hut, but overlooked in
the night and the survivors enioved
warmth and a fair meal. On SUNDAY
morning a relief party rescued the
campers, nine in number, and drove
them in a wagon to Cape Palliser.
Twelve men were drowned. some of
whom shipped at New York The list
of dead is as follows: Herbert Gra-
ham, George Petite, George Wilson
William Swanson, Charles Lawrence.
Blake, Jones, Walter Summers. Me-
Kay. Gellon, Williams and David Ste
noch
R~x,c,, xxy;Is To.,~