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| | 1873 |
Elgar and Frances Clayson (nee Marsh) decided to emigrate to Australia. The ship that was to take them on a 3½ month journey to Queensland via Tasmania was the migrant ship the Southern Belle, an 1128 ton ship that could hold nearly 500 crew and passengers. On board with Elgar and Frances were their children Ann, Sophia, Mary Elizabeth, Isaac Alfred, Amelia, Agnes, Elgar’s sister Ann, her husband John Pattison and their children John, Anne and Frederick. They were probably assisted migrants. Also travelling with them were Charles and Eliza Lawrence and their son William form Southfleet. William was later to marry Ann. The Claysons did have another daughter, Clara, but she had died aged 5 in 1866. The Pattisons had also suffered the loss of a child, Emily, who died at just 3 months in 1871. They set sail from the East India Docks, London on 16th November 1873 and all was going well, dropping off the Pattisons in NSW before proceeding to Rockhampton in Queensland. Then on the 25th February, just nine days from their destination, disaster struck. While300 miles east of Moreton Island, black clouds appeared to the south. The wind varied to all points of the compass with heavy squalls and calms alternating sometimes with great rapidity. At midnight of that day she lost her maintop-gallant mast. Two hours later (2 a.m., Thursday) the mainmast snapped off within a few feet of the deck, carrying with it the mizen-topmast. At 5 a.m. the foretop-gallant mast went overboard. The foresail and fore topsail blow away, but were soon replaced. Of seven boats on board, two washed away, two were smashed by falling spars and one of the remaining was only a dingy. The pumps were also broken below the decks and rendered temporarily useless. Captain Carpenter allowed her to drift northward, keeping outside reefs and shoals, until reaching a point within three miles of the bluff northward of Waterpark Creek, where he dropped anchor in six fathoms of water, paying out sixty fathoms of chain. By that evening the weather had moderated and the greater part of the wreckage had been cleared away. Sails were jury rigged the next day, Thursday, and the ship attempted to enter Curtis Channel, but owing to the crippled state of the ship, this had to be abandoned and she then ran for Capricorn Channel. On Saturday 28th, an attempt to enter Keppel Bay was also abandoned and the ship finally anchored off Waterpark Creek.
National Library of Australia
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| | 1874 |
The lifeboat left the ship at 7 a.m. on Monday, with the second mate, four seamen, and Messrs. Edgar Giles and Thomas Kirby, passengers. The sea was rather rough, and they made for the long beach to the southward. A house (probably Mr. Robert Ross's) was seen indistinctly, and the party, hoping to be able to reach it, attempted to beach the boat. This they were unable to do, however, as the sea was too rough, and they pulled, away along the coast northward for what appeared to them to lie a bay, but which eventually proved to be the mouth of Waterpark Creek. Here they found great difficulty in effecting a landing, but after cruising for some hours among the sandbanks at the entrance of the creek, they at length succeeded in reaching solid ground, and got ashore. At five p.m. they came upon a deserted humpy where they made a fire, and having brought a little bread with them, contrived to make a meal. After resting awhile, they proceeded in search of a habited dwelling, and tramped about thc country nearly all night without success. At last they came upon Mr. C. H. Barwell's head station at Woodlands, at half-past eight o'clock yesterday morning. Here they were hospitably entertained, and afterwards, with the exception of one of the seamen who was too ill to proceed further, were conveyed to Rockhampton by Mr. Barwell, in his sociable, reaching town at half- past five o'clock in the evening, very much exhausted and fatigued. Mr. Inman was very unwell, having been suffering from dysentery for some time past, and was therefore slightly confused about dates and other particulars, and unable to furnish so complete an account as we could have desired. It is satisfactory to learn that there was very little sickness during the passage, and no deaths beyond those of a few infants, and the immigrants were all well when he left the ship. It is much to be regretted that there has been no steamer in port since Sunday, excepting the Mary, which is too small and unseaworthy to be of much service outside the Bay. As the Mary was seen at half-past ten o'clock, yesterday morning returning from the Southern Belle, and within twenty miles of the Pilot Station, she must have arrived in the Bay before night. But no information of her arrival was telegraphed to Rockhampton, although a message was sent to the effect that a large steamer was coming into the Bay at 2.30 p.m. This was the time the Mary should have arrived there, but it is very improbable that the pilots could have been so deceived by the hazy weather as to take her for a large steamer. It could not have been the Florence Irving, as she only left Brisbane at one p.m. on Sunday, and could not have reached Keppel Bay in 26 or even in 30 hours. The Queensland is not due in the Bay until tomorrow. The Company's agent, Mr. Wood, thinks it might be the Leichhardt, s.s., from the North, but one would suppose that a steamer from that direction would have sighted the ship, and stood by to render her assistance. Last night was tolerably calm with a clear moonlight, and it might be supposed that a steamer arriving in the afternoon would have come up the river. There is still the possibility of a steamer having arrived, and hearing of the disaster, at once steamed out to the relief of the ship. Full information on this point will doubtless come to hand as soon as the wire is set to work this morning. Messrs. W. and M. C. Thomson are the agents for the Southern Belle, and will use all possible exertions to save the ship and passengers. Dr. Salmond, the Health-officer, will proceed to the vessel by the first opportunity. She rode here until Wednesday, 4th March, while the lifeboat was rowed 37 miles to the Keppel Bay pilot station to get help. The steam tug Mary under the command of Pilot Haynes was dispatched - even though the weather had again worsened. The Mary hove in sight about 11 am on Wednesday 4th March, and the passengers were reported "to become very excited at the prospect of relief". The guns were got out and several cartridges were fired. On coming alongside, the Mary was welcomed by hearty cheers and passengers dancing on deck. The Southern Belle was then towed to Sea Hill, arriving at 11.30 pm. The tow was then transferred to the Tim Wiffler and she was taken to Mud Island and anchored. It was then discovered that the cargo of railway iron had shifted and crushed much of the passengers' cargo, totally destroying most of their belongings. Amazingly there were no injuries on board although four children and one infant had succumbed during the long voyage. Unfortunately, the infant was John and Ann’s son Frederick born the previous January. There was an outbreak of whooping cough on board which could have contributed to the death. On the brighter side there were also four births.
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| | 1874 |
A Passenger’s account: All the way from London to the latitude of the southern point of Moreton Island the ship had experienced the most favourable weather. The oldest sailors on board, who had been thirty years out at sea, declared that it was the most extraordinary passage for fair weather they had ever made. A day or two of fine weather would have carried the ship to her anchorage in Keppel Bay; but it was fated to be otherwise, and if the 450 souls (passengers and crew) have been saved, it seems to have been by a merciful and special Providence. Within the short distance comprised between Brisbane and Rockhampton, she has experienced a gale which will leave it a question with her owners whether they will ever fit her up, or sell her off for what she will fetch. All, save the hull, which remains exceptionally sound, is a mere wreck of what she was when she weighed anchor from Graves end. On Monday, February 23, she experienced a dead calm. It was the same on Tuesday. On Wednesday there was just a little progress. The wind freshened towards evening, and dirty rainy weather came on towards midnight. On Thurs day morning it could be seen that we were in for a gale. Fearing, probably, to run on before the wind, the ship was hove-to, and her head, which had pointed nearly due north, was turned east. On Thursday evening the gale continued, increasing in fury every hour. Smaller spars and sails went one after another, and the main mast showed signs of weakening. It was then lashed fore and aft, and the side rigging was made taut. As the night advanced, and the seas told against the side of the ship, or were shipped in, a very bad time of it was anticipated. Most of the passengers, however, retired quickly to their berths, and only one or two showed exceptional signs of fear. At midnight the maintop-gallant- mast went, as well as the foretop-gallant-mast. The latter was cleared, but the former, owing to the imminent danger of the mainmast itself coming down, was left swinging. Just at 2 a.m. on Friday, the mainmast itself went with a terrific crash, which resounded through every part of the vessel. This had the result of carrying away also the mizzen-topmast, and smashing two boats on the port side. Shortly afterwards the spanker-boom also broke in two. The sailors, led by the officers, were indefatigable and persevering in their efforts to clear the wreck. Morning broke on the vessel, and found her a pitiful sight; and it was further reported that the pumps, of which there were only a pair, were broken clean off, and the iron tanks in the hold were rolling from side to side, with several of the stoutest stanchions given way. There was, however, no water in the hold, though at one time a contrary report was prevalent to the consternation of all on board. It was clear now that we were to run for life. Out of six boats only two were left intact. The wind had abated on Friday morning, and so using the parts left of the fore and mizen masts, and setting up a few tattered sails, a course was made towards the nearest land, and on sighting Sandy Island, the ship was turned north. Now west and now north, she kept on with light winds till on Sunday morning she had passed Keppel Bay, and running right into shore about forty miles from the Bay, anchored in ten fathoms of water. From this place a boat’s crew was sent off to get help from Rockhampton overland. On Wednesday a little steamer on the lookout found her, and took her in tow, and by night had brought her into Keppel Bay. The next day the Government authorities had boarded her, and all danger was past.
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