THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN REGISTER
TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1874
STRANDING OF THE CITY OF ADELAIDE

We are sorry at having to report that, driven by the severe westerly gale, which lasted during Sunday night, Messrs. Devitt & Moore’s register liner, the fine favourite ship City of Adelaide, 791 tons, has gone ashore on Kircaldy Beach, between Henley Beach and Semaphore [present day Grange]. The vessel was built with an iron frame, planked at Sunderland under special survey in 1864, for her present London owners, specially with a view to her regular employment in the Australian trade, and she has made excellent passages, well loaded with cargo, and she has invariably had a good complement of passengers. On the present voyage she left London n May 29, under the charge of Captain Bowen, with a large number of assisted immigrants, besides cabin passengers, whose names appear below:- Lieutenant and Mrs. MacKenzie, nurse, and child, Miss Inman, Mrs. Rogers, Mr. Millard, Miss Nash, Dr. Campbell, Mrs. Campbell, and two Misses Campbell, Mr. G. Wilcox and four children, Mr. Jas. Mitchell, and Mr. and Mrs. Dunk and infant, in the saloon.

The following is a list of the immigrants –

The following are the particulars of the cargo of the vessel:-

On Monday morning we dispatched a Special Reporter to the vessel, whose distance from Adelaide is about five miles, and part of the subjoined information appeared in Monday’s "Journal". The spot where she lies is on Kircaldy Beach, about a quarter of a mile on the Semaphore side of the opening of Leason’s Road. At first sight the vessel, which had all her sails furled, and appeared in perfect order, seemed to be quite motionless, but a closer view showed that she was gradually working herself into the sand. The male passengers thronged the deck, but the distance was just too far for speaking communication in such a high wind, being about 150 or 200 yards. The starboard anchor was in its place, but, from the absence off the anchor on the other side and the broken tackle hanging from her bows, it is supposed the vessel while riding at anchor broke her cable and was driven ashore by the violence of the gale. The first intimation of the disaster appears to have been noticed in Queenstown, where some residents saw rockets about 4 o’clock a.m. At daylight of course the stranded vessel was seen from the Semaphore, and her masts from all the surrounding locality. A number of persons hastened to the beach, and later the day there were several hundreds, including the friends of the passengers. John Thomas, a lumper, very pluckily swam off to the vessel, and would have boarded her but that he was forbidden, being informed that there was fever on board. No further particulars were given, and so Thomas, who had performed the feat with great bravery, returned to the shore.

Police constable Allchurch thereupon dispatched a trooper to Port Adelaide for Dr. Duncan, the Health Officer. In the meantime there was no means of communication between the people on shore and those in the vessel, except when the latter send missives, as they did, by means of bottles, and in the latter part of the day these came pretty fast. One of the first was as follows:-

"Ship City of Adelaide left London May 29, 1874; left Plymouth June 6, with immigrants to the number of about 300 souls. Has had a favourable passage. We leave the readers to judge our present position. Tonnage 791 tons."

Messages were also sent in the same way intimating that Patrick Fitzgerald and Chas. Pate were quite well. Another message intimated that Michael Mullins and his mother were quite well, and wished that information to be conveyed to Mr. John Mullins of Kensington.

In the afternoon several other documents were floated ashore. Amongst them were the following:-

From Thomas Holley to John Searle or James Trip (Moonta Mines), saying that he (Holley) with his wife and five children, in company with the wife’s brother and eldest sister’s son and wife were on board; also for John Phillips, from his wife and child; for R. Burton, Port Adelaide, from his wife, saying she was quite well; from Annie Dorin, to her mother and friends; from Pat Guning (County Meath) to Mr. Pulford, Port Railway Station, saying his niece was safe; also messages to William Harris, William Roe, and sealed letters addressed to J. Bryant, boot maker, Union Street; and Mr. Williamson (care of Mr. Campbell), Crompton Street, off Gouger Street. Mr. William Roe, or Thomas A. Peake, of Rundle Street, were informed that E. P. is quite well, and the steamers are coming tomorrow to tow us off." The last message opened ran thus – "My dear friends – We wish we could get to you, but we cannot. Our ship is in the sand six feet, and they cannot move it. We cast anchor last night, but the wind blew so that it broke the chain and we lost the anchor, and we were forced to go, but we hope we shall get safely to Adelaide now, so we bid you good night, and hope we shall see you to-morrow so as we can speak to you."

There were numbers of people on the beach during the whole day gathered from all quarters. The ship was almost broadside on, and the faces were discernable through a glass. One or two passengers and their friends on shore recognised each other; but as messages could only be transmitted from the ship to shore, but not vice versa, no satisfactory communication could be had, and those who were most interested were looking anxiously for the report of the Harbour-Master and Health Officer, who started in the Eleanor for Port Adelaide at about 3 o’clock. The ship’s crew were engaged during the afternoon in taking down sails and tackling. The main deck of the vessel was thronged with the assisted immigrants, who watched with interest the picking up of the various bottle missives. These were as far as possible, taken care of by the agent of Messrs. Harrold Brothers, who was down at the beach both morning and afternoon. The messages and letters may be seen at their office by those to whom they are of interest. The police troopers who were dispatched by Chief Inspector Searcy have made arrangements to stay on the beach during the night in case anything should require their services. Owing to the continuance of the high wind the tide recede very little on Monday, but it is said the if the weather were calm a person could walk out to the vessel. She is in about five feet or six feet of water at high tide and something like an equal depth of sand.

The following is from our Shipping Reporter –