Hanes and Ruskin Antiques - Paintings - Archives

WREeCK OF The LOCH SUNART.
Considerable excitement was manifested
among the mercantile portion of. the community on Wednesday morning by a rumor
which gained currency that the Loch Sunart
had been wrecked off the coast of Ireland on
the 12th inst. Later on in the day the report was found to be correct, a telegram
being received by the Underwriters' Association, dated the 12th January, which stated
that the Loch Sunart had gone ashore at Belfast, Ireland, the day previous, and had become a total wreck. The weather has been
very severe for some weeks, blowing hard on
a lee shore, all along the East coast of Ireland, and a number of other causalities are
reported, the particulars of which have not
yet come to hand. Up to a late hour no official
intelligence had been received as to whether
any lives had been last at the time, or.whether
she carried any passengers, so anxiety on
that score will have to rest unsatisfied until
some further news concerning the causality
is received. It will be remembered that
Mr. Thomas Pearce, the midshipman of the
Loch Ard, who became such a celebrity
here on account of his actions at the wreck
of that vessel, entered into a further engagement with the owners of tho Loch Sunart,
and sailed in that ship on her voyage from
Melbourne to London. As the return trip
of this vessel to this port was to complete
his engagement in the position he occupied,
it is just possible that he was still on board
the vessel, and, if so, it will be the third
time he has suffered shipwreck. He seems
to be particularly unfortunate in his career,
which has become such an eventful one at
so early a date, and it is sincerely' to :be
hoped that, if he were on hoard, nothing dis
astrous has happened to him, as anything
of the kind is to be sincerity deplored,' his
entry into a useful occupation being so replete
with sensational items. The Loch
Sunart is a vessel'of 123'2 tons, built of iron,and rigged, as a sailing vessel. She belongsto a large fleet of similarly constructed vessels, which are so well know at this port for various reasons. She loft this port on the 26th August, 1878, with Mr. Thomas
Peroo on board, the home trip being the
second voyage she made, Reaching London
in November} reporting all well, she did
change a portion of her cargo there, and
sailed for Glasgow., 'which port she reached
in safety, and sailed again on the out
ward voyage to Australia. Whilst in the
Irish Sea she the met with very severe
weather which had been raging there for some
time, and after trying to weather the storm,
must have made sufficient lee-way to carry
her into dangerous proximity to the coast,
where she was finally driven to shore, and
beecame a total wreck, The coast of Ireland
at this point is excedingly dangerous, being
composed of iron-bound cliffs and rocks run
running out to the sea, over which the breakers
dash with violence at all times; and when
the wind is on shore the sea is of such extent
as to make the safety of any vessel in the
immediate neighborhood a matter of conjecture. The Loch Sunart was a fine vessel,
and a promising one, she being the latest
addition to Messrs. Blyth and Co.'s fleet of
iron ships. The hull and cargo are reported
to be fully insured, but to what amount it is
st present impossible to state.