A letter dated Sidney, New South Wales, March 13, published in the San Francisco Alta of a late date, gives the following account or a terrible shipwreck, and loss of human life in the Pacific Ocean:
A terrible shipwreck has occurred in Torres Straits, attended with fearful loss of life. The Gothenburg, Cap’ain Pearce, sailed from Port Darwin on February 16, having on board eighty-five passengers and a crew of thirty-six. Fine weather was experienced until February 24, when it came on thick and hazy, blowing strong from the northwest, attended with violent squalls, with thunder and lightning. At 7 p. m., during a violent squall, the steamer struck suddenly on the rocks, which proved to be Flinders’ reef. She went steam on, and bored up with such force that when stationary there was only two feet under the forefoot, and five fathoms astern. Captain Pearce ordered all empty casks to be brought aft and filled with water, to bring the ship by the stern, and when this was done the engines were put stern full speed, but without the desired result of backing her off the reef. The tide was at full flood at 11 p. m., and again the engines were worked astern, but with no better result.
During this time the gale was increasing in violence, and the sea making, and the ship commenced to bump heavily, and at 1 a. m on the 28th, she commenced to make water, which soon put out the engine fires. The captain then ordered the boats to be got ready for lowering, and biscuit and water was placed in each; at 3 a. m. the two port boats were ordered by the captain to be lowered, as the weather was getting worse ; one contained the men who have arrived by the Leichardt,and in the second were five seamen who were keeping the boat off the steamer’s side, there being such a heavy sea on. At this juncture, H. Nelson, the steward, while fending his boat off, fell overboard, losing his oar, but was got into the boat again ; the chief officer, Mr. Davis, then ordered the boat to come around on the starboard side, but by some mischance she got adrift and could not regain the ship. The last the rescued men heard was the cry of Captain Pearce calling to them to get back to the ship ; but this could not be effected, as a second oar was carried away, and the boat was helpless in such a gale. Only one recourse was left to keep her before it, and this was done.
The weather was very thick, and raining all that day. At 4 p.m. made land and tried to get on shore, but without success, after trying for three hours. The next land made was Cape Gloucester, but the attempt to get ashore was attended with no better, result. At 9 p. m. again sighted the main, and finding a lee remained until day of the 28th of February, when, at about 7 in the morning, sighted the steamship Leichardt, and were soon safely on board and hospitably cared for. Captain McLean, of the Leichardt, being advised of the wreck, made for the supposed locality, but on reaching the spot the ill-fated Gothenburg was found to have slipped off the reef, the eyes of the main rigging being awash.
A search party from Bowen afterward discovered fourteen survivors on Holborn Island and brought them to Townsville. They had passed the night of the 24th in the rigging, after seeing their fellow-voyages swept off one by one, or go down with the ship. They state that about 3 in the morning on Thursday, efforts having been made to raise her forward, the vessel commenced moving, and got broadside on to the reef, laboring heavily. The two port boats were then lowered and manned, and sent astern, as it was feared that they would be stove in by the heavy sea if kept along side, but the painters broke and they got adrift. The vessel gradually heeled over, and about an hour after the starboard boats were lowered, and as the passengers rushed into them, the boats capsized as soon as they reached the water. The sea broke over the steamer, and fourteen men, who were left, took to the masts, where they remained till Friday morning, when they succeeded in bailing out one of the boats that was fast to the Gothenburg by a painter, and, leaving the wreck, managed to reach Holborn Island, where they found the port life-boat smashed, but the four men who left in her were safe. The starboard life-boat was seen by some of the survivors on the east side of the reef, with the stern out, and five or six persons on board.
The Milan Exchange, Milan, TN, May 13, 1875