The steamer Black Swan, belonging to the Tasmanian Steam Navigation Company, left the Queen’s’ Wharf, Melbourne, at 10 o’clock on Tuesday, morning, 16th July, for Launceston, and had at 11 o’clock got nearly abreast of the breakwater running off from Williamstown, when the steamer Luna, coming from Geelong, reached the same spot. The two vessels then came into collision, the Luna striking the starboard bow of the Black Swan stem on, cutting into her to a considerable distance. So great was the force of the shock that it was with difficulty the Luna could, by backing astern, extricate herself, and the Black Swan‘s head was forced from the course she was going right round.
The vessels having got clear, the Black Swan began to settle down rapidly by the head ; and in about ten, minutes the water had reached the funnel on deck ; it soon afterwards commenced to run down the after hatchway, and in twenty-five minutes her stern also began to settle down, and five minutes after that she was entirely submerged,. the water being within a couple of feet of the top of the funnel. In an incredible short space of time after the collision the Customs, Harbor Department, Water Police, and several ships’ boats were at the spot, and helped to get the passengers and crew out of the sinking vessel. Through the exertions made, mail bags were recovered, as also about sixty sheep alive ; the remainder, numbering about two hundred and forty, were drowned. The steam-tugs Hercules, Sophia, Black Eagle, and the Kangaroo, were also quickly at, the scene of disaster, but could not render much assistance. The Black Swan had somewhere about ten or twelve cabin passengers, and a very few in the steerage. Fortunately there were no lives lost.
Illustrated Australian News for Home Readers, Melbourne, VIC, AUS, August 27, 1867