hello List I have transcribed the following news report from the South Australian Chronicle 24 Dec 1870,
(please note- spelling errors are contained in this report) Terrible Shipwreck, Loss of a Steamer and 170 lives. We regret to have to record another terrible shipwreck and loss of life, this time on the Irish coast. The 'Cambria', belonging to the Anchor line of steamers, running between New York and the Clyde and commanded by Captain CARNIGAN, was wrecked off the coast of Donegal on the night of October 19. All the souls on board have, it is feared, perished, with the exception of one man, a steerage passenger, named John McGARTLAND. His account of the occurrence was at first discredited when he reached Derry very late the following night. His statement is substantially as follows; About 11 o'clock on the night of the 19th, the 'Cambria', which was under canvas and steam and proceeding at a rapid pace, struck on the Inistrabull rock, about seven miles S.S.E. of the Heads, at the entrance of Lough Foyle and the vessel immediately commenced to fill with water. It became at once evident that a large hole had been made in the ship. The engine fires were at once put out, the crew and passengers rushed on deck and orders were given to launch the small boats. Four boats were accordingly let down, into one of which McGARTLAND got, along with about 15 other passengers. The boats quickly drifted from the wreck and McGARTLAND cannot say what became of those who parted from him. The boat in which he secured a seat almost immediately capsized and after regaining consciousness he found himself grasping the gunwale of the boat, which by this time had righted. He succeeded in getting into the boat and then discovered the body of a lady dressed in lack silk, under the seat. He tried whether any consciousness remained in his fellow passenger, but he soon saw that life had fled. The lady had no doubt been drowned during the time the boat was upset. McGARTLAND spent the night from between 10 and 11 o'clock in this boat, tossed about by waves which every moment threatened to engulph him, until half-past 2 the next morning, when he was fortunately picked up by the steamer 'Enterprise'. Captain GILLESPIE put about his vessel and sailed round the scene of the disaster for some time and Mr. BRADLEY, his mate, at great personal risk, succeeded in rescuing the survivor of the boat. The 'Cambria' had left New York on October 8, and had made a good passage to the entrance of the Foyle. As nearly as can be known, there were 170 or 180 souls on board, among whom were several passengers belonging to the city of Derry, Glasgow, and Liverpool. Inistrabull, where the wreck took place, is a most dangerous rock off the coast and is carefully guarded by a lighthouse, which ought to have been seen and avoided if a good look-out had been kept on board the steamer. Captain GILLESPIE and the mate of the steamer 'Enterprise' say that at 5 o'clock, on the morning of the 19th October they left Liverpool for Derry. The weather was very heavy during the passage. At 2 o'clock, when off Portrush, or about eight miles from Inneshowen Head, they saw deck-planks floating. They turned back, and found panelled doors, cabin furniture, life-buoys, &c., and afterwards a boat containing McGARTLAND. Captain HATRICK of the barque 'Twilight', which has arrived in Derry from St. John's, N.B., says he passed Inistrahull about three hours before the wreck of the 'Cambria'; there was a fearful sea running at the time and the wind and rain were so great that he could not see more than half a ship's length ahead. Coastguards along the Derry and Antrim coast have been picking up bits of the wreck of the 'Cambria'. Amongst articles which have been washed in at Portstewart are two boxes; one of them evidently belonging to a seaman. They are marked, 'Wm. McKEA, Oban.' The stern of a boat, marked 'Glasgow,' has also been found; a looking-glass, with the name 'Henry G — n,' suposed to be GILLAN, on the back; a life-buoy, marked 'Cambria'; the legs of a cabin table and some pieces of furniture. At Blackrock, an empty boat has also come in. No other survivors have, as yet, turned up. Mr. McGARTLAND, the sole survivor, states that the 'Cambria' left New York on the 8th of October. Everything went on in a most satisfactory manner until the vessel approached the west coast of Ireland, when she was perfectly manageable, and the weather was fine, until a few days before; but on nearing the Irish coast she was caught in a furious gale and struck on Inistrahull rock, which stands about nine miles from the mainland. The lifeboats were immediately. lowered, and himself, with twelve other passengers, took refuge in one of them, which soon capsized and all were washed into the sea and he succeeded in again getting into the boat, after which, he lost all consciousness with the woman, who was then dead. McGARTLAND said he was nearly two days sailing about in the salt water and during that time he saw nothing of the other boats. Of the crew and passengers, amounting in all to nearly 200 persons, all told, he is the only survivor who has yet been discovered. The 'Cambria' was one of the finest vessels of Messrs. HANDYSIDE'S and HENDERSON'S Anchor line of steamers trading between Clyde and New York; in fact, she was their last new steamer, having only been launched in March, last year. She was an iron screw steamer, of 2,000 tons, and had engines of 400 horse power, but capable of working far above that. She was 342 feet in length, 35 feet beam, and 22 feet depth of hold and had six bulkheads. The classification at Lloyd's stood Al in red for 20 years. She was built at Port Glasgow in 1859, by Messrs. B. DUNCAN & Co. and at the time she was wrecked was commanded, we believe, by Captain CARNIGAN, an able and experienced officer. The 'Cambria' left New York for Glasgow on October 8, with about 170 people, all told, on board and was making a very rapid run home when the calamity occurred. If, as is reported, the vessel was wrecked about 10 o'clock on the night of October 19, she must have been caught in one of the terrific squalls which occurred about that time and driven bodily on Inistrahull Island or rock, almost parallel with Malin Head and opposite Malin Well, one of the extreme points on the Donegal coast. The 'Cambria' had weathered Tory Island and Malin Head, and must have been heading round for Moville or Greencastle when she struck and became a total wreck. The body of a young lady has been washed ashore at Blackrock, near the Giant's Causeway. She was dressed in a cloak, which was very much torn by the action of the waves; she had two gold rings on her fingers and was otherwise handsomely dressed. The man, McGARTLAND, the sole survivor, has made the following additional statement; "On Wednesday night, October 20, the weather was very bad. The wind blew furiously and a heavy rain fell; and, what with the wind and the rain and the waves which broke over the gunwale, I could see nothing outside the ship. I don't think any one could see objects at even a short distance. I remained on deck that night till about 11 o'clock. Then I went below. I had seated myself at my bunk, thinking over old times and my near approach to home, when suddenly there was a horrid crash and I was sent spinning forward on my face on the floor. I did not lose my senses, although I was a good deal frightened and getting to my feet I hurried up on deck. Here I found passengers running to and fro in great excitement, but I cannot say there was much crying or shouting. I was myself much put about. I heard the order given, "launch the boats," but I cannot say whose voice it was; and I also heard some one saying, "there's a mighty big hole in the boat." Our vessel, I now know, had struck the rock of Inistrahull, bow on; but at that time I really saw nothing beyond the boat itself, the night was so dark, and there was so much blinding rain and spray. I did not see the light on Inistrahull. Some time before the wreck I saw two lights, but I do not know the Irish coast and I cannot tell you where they were. As I have said, the order was given to lower the boats. There were seven small boats, I think, on board, four of which were lowered. One of them was in the fore part, the others in the off-part, or cabin end. I saw three boats in the cabin end in course of being lowered; but I did not see them in the water, and I know nothing whatever as to their fate. When the boat in the steerage end was lowered, I got into it with others. There were in all, to the best of my judgment, 10 or 11 of us, all steerage passengers, I think, besides two seamen. No provisions were taken on board; we were nearshore. Our boat, however, was scarcely launched when she capsized. When the boat lurched over I got hold of it, but I cannot say what part of it, and when it righted again I managed to scramble in. I never saw a living soul after that. I did not hear a single cry when the boat heeled over and I never afterwards saw any of my companions. I was very much put about. I must have grasped the boat quite mechanically and when I got into it again I don't know that I could have told where I was. I did not see the 'Cambria' go down. The waves carried my boat quickly away from her. When I recovered myself I noticed someone lying in the bottom of the boat. I stooped down and found that it was a young woman, lying face downwards. She was dead. I saw that nothing could be done for her, poor thing and, to tell you the truth, I did not feel able to do much for myself. The oars were tied with small ropes to the boat, and I was not equal to the exertion of recovering them. I just let the boat drift aimlessly along. The wind and the waves carried me along all morning with my melancholy burden, the poor thing at the bottom of the boat." "At half-past 2 o'clock that afternoon, after fourteen and a half hours drifting helplessly in the storm, I was picked up by the 'Enterprise' (Captain GILLESPIE) in Lough Foyle. I was almost insensible at the time. A rope was passed round my body, and I was drawn on deck. I was brought to Londonderry and have since been almost entirely confined to bed. I lost all my clothes and eleven guineas in money. Besides this, a brother of mine in America entrusted me with parcels of goods to friends at home and these have all been lost." The coastguard men have been along the shore near where the 'Cambria' was wrecked, but have found nothing. Men have been in the caves at the Giant's Causeway and found spars but no bodies. On October 21 there was a great quantity of wreckage, the sea being quite covered, all drifting for the Scotch coast. Scarcely any wreckage has been seen at Ballycastle. The end of a flour barrel was picked up, bearing the words, 'ship's stores.' The captain of the steamer 'Rose', which arrived at Portrush from Glasgow, reported the weather to have been very stormy during the night, but he saw no wreckage. The officer commanding the coastguard at Portrush has recovered a great quantity of wreck, spars, &c, which the natives attempted to conceal. Fragments of three lifeboats, supposed to have belonged to the ill-fated vessel, have been washed ashore between Blackrock and Dunluce castle and quantities of the internal fittings. The body of a respectable woman has also been found. cheers~ Teena -- www.cotyrone.com http://lists.cotyrone.com/mailman/listinfo/ulsterancestry https://www.facebook.com/groups/CoTyroneIrelandGenealogy/ _______________________________________________ [email protected] UlsterAncestry Mailing List Searchable Archives: https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ http://lists.cotyrone.com/mailman/listinfo/ulsterancestry Website: https://cotyrone.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CoTyroneIrelandGenealogy/
