A Narrative of the Melancholy Wreck of the "Dunbar," Merchant Ship, on the South Head of Port Jackson, August 20th, 1875Anonymous
History
A Narrative of the Melancholy Wreck of the "Dunbar," Merchant Ship, on the South Head of Port Jackson, August 20th, 1875
Anonymous
Dunbar (Ship); Shipwrecks -- Australia -- New South Wales
Here also was picked up an interesting relic--a child's straw hat with a
feather in it which when shown to Johnson (the survivor) was by him
identified as worn by one of the children in the Tropics. We have heard
that a piece of crochet-work with the needle stuck in it, and a reel of
cotton attached, was picked up at North Harbour. This relic of the
calamity seems as if it were only just laid aside by the fair fingers
that but a few moments after must have been lifeless. The steamer after
calling at Manly Beach and sending a boat up North Harbour (which
however discovered nothing) stretched straight across for Watson's Bay
and received on board the bodies of three men, evidently seamen by the
marks on the arms--one, with the exception of the top of the scull, and
the loss of part of the left arm, was entirely whole, and seemed to have
been a fine man. The other two were only trunks, the mutilated remains
of unfortunate sailors.
Mr. P. Cohen of the Manly Beach Hotel reported that he saw two bodies
floating and tried to recover them, but in consequence of the number of
sharks, and the ferocity with which they fought for their prey, he was
unable to do so. The steamer having thus closely searched every nook and
corner, returned to Campbell's Wharf in the evening; leaving the bodies
brought up to Sydney at the Dead-house for identification. Thousands of
people in vehicles and on horseback, and an immense number on foot
visited the heads during the day.
The appearance of the Gap is described as having undergone a
considerable change. Fragments of the wreck were fast disappearing, and
the sea having greatly abated, several boats had approached close to the
base of the fatal spot. An intrepid fellow named Mulhall, in his skiff
ran down the coast to a considerable distance past the Semaphore, but
without seeing indications of any survivors from the wreck. Nearly
abreast of the Signal Staff several spars are to be seen, and as the sea
recedes portions of sail became visible shewing that some part of the
hull remains here. Part of a woman's apparel, marked J. Logan, was
picked up near the body of some poor unfortunate in a sadly disfigured
state.
MONDAY, 24th. The principal item of news this morning connected herewith
was a communication addressed by the Right Worshipful the Mayor, to the
Editor of the _Sydney Morning Herald_, comprising the statement of
Johnson, the sole survivor. This letter was to the following effect.
[LETTER FROM THE MAYOR OF SYDNEY TO THE "SYDNEY MORNING HERALD."]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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