July, 7: Once again the Auckland Islands are brought into prominence in connection with castaways, and memories of the hardships undergone by the survivors from the Invercauld, Grafton, General Grant, and Derry Castle will be revived by the rescue of the latest castaways.
Yesterday afternoon Inspector Hickson received the following telegram from the Bluff:Janet Ramsay, sealing schooner, returned from Auckland Islands with crew of barque Compadre, consisting of 15 hands. One supposed to be dead on island. The barque caught fire and was beached to save life. The accident happened about 16th March last, and beached on 19th.
Bluff (July 6): By the arrival of the Janet Ramsay today we have the following particulars re the wreck on the Auckland Islands of the iron barque Compadre, 800 tons register, bound from Calcutta to Talchuano, Chili, with a cargo of bags.
The mate, Mr F. Bates made this statement: We left Calcutta on the 22nd January. All went well till the 16th March when a fire was discovered by the captain in the after hold. He instantly called all hands and proceeded to master the fire.
Holes were cut in the cabin deck and water poured in incessantly from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Finding it impossible to extinguish the fire we battened all down and shaped a course for the Bluff, that being the nearest port.
We made fair way till the night of the 18th March, when it blew a heavy westerly gale, accompanied with terrific squalls.
At 7 a.m. on March 19 land was discovered on the starboard bow, distant about 12 miles. It being very hazy at the time, we brought the wind abeam, but owing to the fearful sea the vessel laboured heavily.
One tremendous sea swept the foresail and foretopmast staysail out of the boltropes, also bursting the forecastle ports, smashing the scuttle fore-hatches, sweeping the decks of everything movable, besides bursting the cabin - this giving air to the fire, which could not be prevented from breaking out though immense quantities of water were flooded in.
The carpenter sounded the well and found 8ft of water in the hold. By this time the ship was windward of the north cape of the Auckland Islands. Giving up all hope of saving the vessel which was rapidly sinking under foot, and being unable to lower the boats in such a sea, we squared the main yard and steered towards the rocks in the hopes of saving life. Previous to striking we poured oil on the water over the stern, which greatly reduced the violence of the sea.
All hands got on the jib boom. The vessel struck with a great crash, everyone making a jump for the rocks, some being bruised. In 10 minutes from the time we landed nothing but loose wreckage was to be seen.
The crew suffered severely from want of food, clothing, and rest until the depot was discovered and the sealer Janet Ramsay picked up the crew. The castaways were 103 days on the island.
The crew consists of: Captain D. Jones; F. Bates, mate; F. Cox, second mate; E. A. Roberts, J. R. Clarkson, apprentices; H. Roberts; E. Steward; H. English, carpenter; F. Woods; J. Harding; D. Black; F. F. Wright; F. Englem; A. Bleebler; John Mannock; H. Brownett, A.B.'s.
Peter Nelson, A.B., was lost in the bush, and no trace could be found. This is the only one of the crew missing.
The survivors were taken off the Aucklands by the sealing schooner Janet Ramsay on Monday last, and landed at the Bluff today.