Argus (, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 3 June 1878, page 5

THE LOST.

ONLY TWO LIVES SAVED.

News was received in Melbourne yesterday the loss of the of a terrible marine disaster - ship Loch Ard, from London to Melbourne, when within one day's sail of her destination. The intelligence was contained in the follow- ing brief telegram to the chief harbourmaster, Captain Payne, from Mr. M. Gibson, a resi- dent at Glenample, Curdie's Inlet, sent via

Camperdown, a.m. The Camperdown :- " 9 ship Loch Ard was wrecked off this coast last night. All hands and passengers are supposed to be lost, except Miss Eveline Carmichael and Tom Pearson (midshipman), who swam ashore. The place of the wreck is about one mile east from the Sherbrooke. I hope protection will be given from wreckers." On receiving the intelligence Captain Payne lost no time in communicating with the Com- missioner of Trade and Customs, and had an intention of proceeding at once in the Government steamer Pharos to the scene of if the wreck to see any help or useful ser- vice could be rendered. The coast was known, however, to be so forbidding where lost, the ship had been that it was felt it would be almost impossible to offer any aid from seaward, and consequently it was de- cided not to send the Pharos. Captain Payne also communicated with Captain Standish to secure police protection, and pre- vent wreckers from appropriating cargo which might be thrown up on the beach. Captain Standish thereupon issued instructions for the despatch of three constables from Gee- long, one from Camperdown, and another from . Mr. J. Chatfield Tyler, assistant-commissioner of Customs, also directed that a Customs' officer should pro- ceed to the spot in the interest of revenue protection, and to take whatever steps might be considered necessary with regard to bodies which might be washed ashore. Information of the was

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5934740 Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 3 June 1878, page 5 (2)

of the catastrophe was also given by Captain Payne to Messrs. John Blyth and Co., the agents for the ship, and also to Mr. Cleveland, with a view to the in- terests of underwriters being looked after. The message from Mr. Gibson must have been despatched early in the morn- ing, and as his residence could not be less than 10 or 15 miles from the spot where the wreck occurred, the disaster must have occurred either during the night- time or on Saturday. The coast is very lonely, and the settlements few, so that

any were shown - signals of distress - if could have produced little help. It must be about 23 years since the ship was wrecked within a few miles of the same place.

left London on The Loch Ard the 1st of March last, with 17 passengers, a crew of from 25 to 30 men, and 3,275 tons of cargo. We append the names of the passengers :- First Class.-Dr. Eury Carmichael, Mrs. Rebecca Carmichael, Miss Raby Carmichael, Miss Eva Carmichael, Miss Meta Carmichael, Miss Annie Carmichael, Mr. John Stuckey, Mrs. John Stuckey, Mr. Reginald Jones, Mr. Thomas Pitt, Mr. George Yates, Mr. Gerard Rolleston, Mr. W. R. Godby, and Mr. J. Col- lingwood. Second Class. - Mr. Eury Car- michael, Mr. Thomas Carmichael, and Mr. Arthur Mitchell. The Loch Ard belonged to the General Ship- ping Company, of Glasgow. She was one of four iron launched from the same yard (Messrs. Connell and Co., Glasgow), all disastrous end. The of which have come to a Asia left for San Francisco, and was never afterwards heard of, and a similar fate befel the Africa and America. The before America, starting on her last voyage to Melbourne, had her name altered to Loch Loggan. From the very first the Loch Ard has been an unfortunate ship. She was twice dismasted on her maiden voyage from Glasgow to Melbourne, in 1873-4. She met with the first gale a few days out from port in December, 1873, and was able to put refit. fresh back and A start was made on

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5934740 Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 3 June 1878, page 5 (3)

was on the 26th January, and on April 2, in the Southern Ocean, she fell in with a tre- mendous gale, which resulted in the loss of all three masts. It was not until the fourth day that the wind abated, and enabled the captain to set up jury-masts and bale out the water which had found its way into the hold through the openings left by the masts. The distance of 4,500 miles was safely run in 49 days, and the ship reached Melbourne on the 24th May. Two other vessels, similarly dismasted, came into port shortly before the Loch Ard, viz., the John Kerr, which had sailed from Glasgow on the same day, and the Cambridgeshire, which was subsequently lost on Night Island. On the present voyage the Loch Ard was from London. She left Gravesend on March 2, passed Deal on the following day, and was off Start Point on March 7, the pilot leaving her on that date. The next that was heard of her was on Friday evening last, when Cap- tain W. Scobie, of the John Kerr, which had just then arrived from London, reported having been in company, and passed her on April 9 in lat. 12deg. 40min. S., and lon. 30deg. 26min. W. It was very naturally surmised that the Loch Ard would appear in the bay soon afterwards, and her arrival was confidently looked for yesterday. first On her voyage here she was com- manded by Captain Wm. Robertson, who died last December in Calcutta, while in command of the Loch Vennachar. On the next voyage of the Loch Ard to Mel- bourne she was commanded by Captain Mackay, and on the present by Captain Gibb, a stranger to the port, and previously employed in the American west coast trade. It may be mentioned that he was married only one week before he joined the Loch Ard. He was brother of the Captain Gibb who was out here some time ago in command of the Thomasina McLellan. The chief officer of the Loch Ard, Mr. McLachlan, was a married had been in other ships man with a family. He

come out here of the Loch fleet, and was to have

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5934740 Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 3 June 1878, page 5 (4)

in the Loch Shiel with Captain Erskine, who was intimately acquainted with both Captain Gibb and Mr. McLachlan, and who gives them a high character for careful and ex- perienced seamanship. The Loch Ard was 1,623 tons register. Amongst the cargo brought out there was a quantity of iron for the Railway department. For the last few days bad weather has pre- vailed on the coast. The wind has been from the south-east, an unfavourable direc- tion for vessels bound hither from England, and the masters of steamers which came in on Saturday and yesterday brought with them reports of thick and squally weather. We know that in Melbourne the squalls set in on Friday night, and lasted all Satur- day, and it is safe to conclude that a much worse state of affairs obtained at sea. To account for the position reached by the Loch Ard is, in the absence of details, not at all easy. Ships inward bound generally try to make the land between Cape Northum- berland and Cape Nelson, west of Portland, but a reference to the map will show that the Loch Ard has gone ashore in the bight between Moonlight Head and Port Camp- bell, and only 27 miles from Cape Otway. No roads run to this portion of the coast, and and a weekly mail from Camperdown to Curdie's Inlet is the only means by which the settlers there keep up communication with the popu- lous townships in the Western district. It is probable that the police would reach the Sherbrooke yesterday evening, and arrange- ments have been made by the agents of the vessel to send down a party to the wreck by the 6.30 train to-day. The coach from Colac to Camperdown does not get to the latter journey will place until 3 p.m.; thence the have to be made on horseback, and the coast will hardly be reached before sun-

    down.         As a mark of respect to the memory of Captain Gibb and those who perished in the Loch Ard, the flags of the Loch Shiel and Loch Ryan, and other vessels in port, were lowered to half-mast yesterday.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH]

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5934740 Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 3 June 1878, page 5 (5)

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.

CAMPERDOWN, SUNDAY NIGHT. Intelligence was brought into Camperdown this morning by George Ford, one of the

employee on Messrs. McArthur and Gibson's Glenample station, about 50 miles to the southward of this, of the loss of the Loch Ard, one of the Glasgow General Shipping Com- pany's liners, on the beach in that neigh- all bourhood, with 70 souls on board, of whom girl.) Ford, perished except two (a boy and a arrived Camperdown who in at 8 o'clock, con- veyed this intelligence to Mr. John Walls, o'clock with Mounted J.P., and then left at 10 trooper Graham, to render what further assistance they could, and to take charge of   such portions of the wreck as might be washed on shore. The site of the wreck is about one mile and a half to the east of

miles from the the Sherbrook, and about 50 mouth of the Gellibrand, where the cliffs are of great height and nearly perpendicular.

wreck occurred at about 5 o'clock on   The   Saturday morning, but was not known there until about noon. Ford was then mustering sheep, when he observed a boy walk- someing near the edge of the cliff, and in riding up to him, and seeing that he was much scarred asked him what was the matter. The boy reported that the Loch Ard was lost, with all on board, passengers, captain, and crew, except himself and a girl whom he had assisted to   rescue. He was one of the ship's company, and his name was Thomas Pearson. The Car- young lady's name was Evelyn age, the michael, and she was 19 years of daughter of a doctor from Ireland, who was coming out to settle in Victoria. The beach, the boy indicated to Ford, from the spot where the vessel went down, but he did not see anything of her at the time, owing height to the of the cliffs. The boy, Thomas

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5934740 Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 3 June 1878, page 5 (6)

Pearson then went back to the beach, where he had left the young lady, and Ford rode back to McArthur and Gib- son's station to procure help. On his return with Mr. Gibson and some of his beach by cliff men they descended the to the means of a rope, and found that the young lady had strayed from the place where the boy Thomas had left her. They made search for her, but did not dis- cover her until long after dark, when they found her in some scrub or bushes in a half-nude state and nearly comatose. This was on Saturday evening, and she was then in such a weak state that they could not think of removing her, as she cliff would have to be got up the by means of a rope. They procured some blankets, however, wrapped her warm, gave first her a little brandy and some nourishment afterwards, made a fire on the beach to

warm her, and had the buggy standing ready to convey her to the station when she was fit to be removed. They did not, how- till daylight, ever, intend to remove her and Ford left early in the night to bring the news to Camperdown, leaving them all behind on the beach. Ford reports that the young lady's father, mother, brother, and two sisters were all on board when the vessel went down, and have consequently perished. After they had long been search- " ing for her they heard a voice crying, Oh, first I'm dying," and on approaching her the Where is Thomas words she uttered were - " Pearson ?" With regard to the way in which the wreck occurred, the boy Thomas Pearson reports that when they found that they were drifting towards the shore, the captain ordered both anchors to be thrown out, but there was a stiff breeze, and dragged. a heavy swell on, and the vessel The captain then ordered the hawsers to be cut, with the view of wearing the vessel round. In doing so she struck on a rock amidships, and went down in 10 from the time she struck.

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5934740 Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 3 June 1878, page 5 (7)

minutes from the time she struck. Whilst they were preparing to launch the boats, the captain and some of the sailors life- were in the longboat, disentangling the

when boat, she went down, and none   of them were afterwards seen. Ford saw the beach strewed with wreckage, con- sisting of boxes, packing-cases, casks of spirits, and other things before he left, which was at 11 o'clock on Saturday evening, and which was a sign of the vessel having broken up. There was no ap- pearance of the ship being among the rocks when she went down, nor had any bodies knew, before he been washed ashore, so far as he left. The boy's escape was almost miraculous, and is thus described by himself. When the vessel went down, he got on a swamped boat, and was driven in for a time in the direction of the shore, but a returning wave was driving the boat out to sea when he cast him- self adrift from her, and struck out and swam to the shore, which he found very difficult to reach, owing to the greatness of the swell. The young lady's escape was also almost equally miraculous. After the boy Thomas had been some time on the beach, gazing towards the scene of the wreck, he heard the screams of the young lady, and at length observed her at a consider- able distance, clinging to a broken spar. He at once divested himself of his un- necessary clothing, plunged in the sea, swam out to her and brought her safely to the beach ; this he did by means of a floating table, which was found more manageable than the floating spar. The heroic con- duct of the boy Thomas is deserving of the warmest commendation. When he gained the beach he had to climb the cliffs in search of assistance, which was a task of some difficulty. He made several ineffectual attempts to reach the sum- mit of the cliffs, and failed ; but fortu- nately his last attempt was successful, and that was when he was found by Ford. After- searching young lady, who wards, when for the

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5934740 Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 3 June 1878, page 5 (8)

had wandered from the place where he had left her, he was so completely exhausted that he had to lie down and rest himself, but he would not give up until she was found. Pre- sumably both the survivors of the wreck are now housed with Mr. Gibson at the Glen- ample station, where they are sure to receive from Mrs. Gibson all the kindness and attention that their for- lorn and necessitous condition requires. Mr. Gibson and his men were with them when Ford left, and intend to remain all night with them, and have them conveyed to the station soon after daylight. There nothing that is wanting to minister to them will be spared. Had not the boy Thomas succeeded in reaching the summit of the cliff there would have been no one to tell the tale of this sad and distressing disaster. The young lady could not have done so had she reached the shore alone. Mr. Gibson and his men could not attempt it without ropes. It may be as well to mention, in conclusion, that the nearest way by land to the scene of the wreck is through Camperdown, then through Cobden to Princetown, and on to Glenample station, a distance of 50 miles from this.

THE MANIFEST.

The following is a copy of the ship's mani- fest: 17 packages, Caldwell and Co.; 100 casks, Phipps Turnbull and Co.; 3 cases, W. and A. Bennetts; 1 case, George White ; 2 bales, Henry Box and Son ; 20 cases, Rocke, Tompsitt, and Co.; 38 bundles steel, 4 cases, 33 plates 53 bolts copper, 1 case, 4 casks, 1,448 rails, Government of Victoria ; 25 packages, Henry P. Welch and Co.; 604 cases glass, Greig and rolls barrels sugar, 20 mats Murray ; 3 cases, 37 lead, 100 dates, George Martin and Co.; 6 cases, 21 casks, 102 kegs, 9 bundles, Edward Duckett ; 6 packages, Stanford and Co.; 11 cases, 1 drum, D. Farquharson ; 1 case, 2 casks, Richard Hodgson ; 4 cases, A. Dempster ; 200 cases, Connell, Hogarth, and Co ; 58 cases, 135 drums, 4 kegs, 250 boxes, T. H. Mate and Co ; 77 bags, 7 casks, 6 cases, Michaelis, Hallenstein, and Co.; 30 cases, Paterson, Laing, and Co.; 15 packages, 52 Wade; ; W.R.   cases, Kronheimer and Co. 6 cases, Rev.   6 cases, 1 crate, 5 bales, 3 casks, Jones, Scott, and Co.; 4 cases, William Watson and Co.; 3 cases. James Gull ; bottle, J. ; 6 cases, 5 casks, 2 drums, 1 A. Pritchard 5 cases, 1 cask, Jacob Caro ; 3 cases, Allan and Co.; 17

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5934740 Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 3 June 1878, page 5 (9)

5 cases, 1 cask, Jacob Caro ; 3 cases, 17 cases, P. O. Fysh and Co.; 97 packages, Sander Lazarus and Co ; 35 cases, 15 bales, George Robert- ; son; 2 bales, 20 cases, Martin, Butler, and Nicol 22 cases, T. S. Harrison and Co ; 114 slabs slate, Wol longa Slate and Marble Company ; 3 cases, 25 drums, 25 casks. Felton, Grinwade, and Co.; 2 cases, 4 drums, J. G. King ; 14 crates, 1 hhd., 3 tierces, 1 casks,   case, Spence Brothers and Co.; 36 anvils, 50 20 hhds kegs, 415 cases, 1 tierce, 6 puncheons, 1 crate, 4 , 115 barrels oil, 11 tanks, McLean Brothers, and Rigg ; 298 bars ¡ron, 4 barrels, 10 rundlets, 150 drums, 5 quarter-casks, 36 anchors, 115 cases, 86 casks, 114 McEwan quarter- bundles, 8 bales, James and Co.; 29   casks, Kirkby and Co.; 844 deals, Wilshin and Hurley; 26 cases, Steinfield, Levinson, and Co.; 27 cases, 2 casks, Bright Bros, and Co.; 4 cases, Selby Ward ; 105 cases, F. T. Wimble and Co.; 4 cases, Moss, White, and 34 77 Co.; cases, Hugo Wertheim; packages, R. 2 Harper and Co.; 1 tank, W. Anderson; 3,000 cases,

tanks, Alfred Wilkins; 3 cases, George Ramsden ; 10 hhds., 60 quarter casks, 190 cases, Connell, Hogarth, and Co ; 3 cases, Charles Hudson, casks, axles, 24 cases, 4 W. Ford and Co , 4 wheels, 2 1 pole, 1 timber carriage, 3 cases, James Nation and Co.; cases, casks, hhd   Edward , 14 19 1 , Keep and Co tierces, 1 Edward 1 hhd , 12 cases, l8 casks, 2 keg, Baines ; 11 cases, Robison Brothers ; 9 cases, 1 cask, McIlwraith Wm Radford; 904 kegs lead, John, ; 12 cases, Davy and Co.; 1 drum, 3 Henty Hazleton cask, W.S.   casks, 1 case, and Co; 1 12 cases, 11 bales, Robertson and Moffatt, 2 Warne 35 cases,   Reid Brothers   cases, and ; Levy and     barrels, cases, Farrar

Co.;   60 H. W. and Co.; 28 20   casks, I8 bales, 87 cases, 3,919 packages. Briscoe and Co.; cases, casks, drums 23 100 2 naphtha, Brooks,   Robinson, and Co ; 41 packages, Beath, Scheiss, and   cases,     Co.; and hhds., Harcourt, 10   2 Williams, Co.; Fannlng, Nankivell

and Co., 50 quarter casks, 100(?) cases bale, Mackinnon; 1 hhd., bundles. and   1 10 Wilson   4 castings, 1 tank seeds, 176 bundles tubes, 402 tubes, 676 bars iron, 132 bundles iron, 101 cases galvanised ¡ron, 352 cases wine, 200 cases geneva, 1,000 casks cement, 500 cases bottled beer, 100 barrels sulphur, 55 drums naphtha, 10 drums oil, 21 anvils, 4 dozen camp owns and covers, 616 bars, 726 bundles, 7 sacks, rolls, tierces, crate, bags, 70 barrels, 1 723 183 7 cases, 10 tanks, 101 bales, 1,384 kegs, 73 hhds., 4,446   1,024 casks, 832 drums, &10 packages, 21 anvils, 27 plates iron. George boxes-order. Geelong cargo - 43 W.Hill   Cuningham ; 6 bundles shovels, and Son, 550 bars Iron, 130 bundles iron, 60 bundles steel, 4 cases, 1 cask-order.

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5934740