LIVERPOOL JOURNAL 1st January 1881
TERRIBLE SUFFERING AT SEA
The ALLAN Line Royal Mail Steamer SARMARTIAN arrived in Liverpool on Tuesday and landed three men belonging to the Glasgow vessel OLIANA which was abandoned in the Atlantic in a water-logged condition after her crew had under gone great suffering.
The OLIANA is a ship of 871 tons, her owner Mr Alexander M. MITCHELL of Glasgow. She left Quebec in November with a cargo of timber for Greenock. On the 20th Ult she was struck by a tremendous sea and was forced on her beam ends. Whilst exposed to the waves she lost her boats, a part of her forecastle broke away, she became completely disabled and water-logged.
The crew had to wait exposed to the washing of the waves and terrible cold in the hope of being picked up. For 4 days the 16 men subsisted on half a barrel of potatoes and a barrel of apples.
On the 27th of November a steamer was descried and bore down to rescue the crew, she proved to be the Sunderland steamer NIMBO, Capt GORDON.
The sea was so rough Capt GORDON asked for a volunteer crew to proceed to the rescue. The life boat was got out and was manipulated within a stones throw of the wrecked vessel.
A line was cast and all 16 men were eventually drawn through the waves and got in the life boat.
The 16 men had suffered greatly and were only partially clothed, suffering frost bite and exposure. On the NIMBO they were treated with the utmost humanity, for which they express warm thanks.
Capt GORDON supplied clothing and they were landed at Sydney, Cape Breton, whence the three men arrived by the SAMARITAN were sent to Halifax by the consul.
On arrival at Liverpool the three men were taken in charge by the Shipwrecked Mariner’s Society. The mate of the OLIANA remained at Sydney suffering frost bite.
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