“The bridegroom may forget the brideWas made his wedded wife yestreenThe monarch may forget the crownThat on his head an hour has been;The mother may forget her childThat smiles sae sweetly on her knee;But I’ll remember thee, Glencairn,And a’ that thou hast done for me.”Burns.
“The bridegroom may forget the brideWas made his wedded wife yestreenThe monarch may forget the crownThat on his head an hour has been;The mother may forget her childThat smiles sae sweetly on her knee;But I’ll remember thee, Glencairn,And a’ that thou hast done for me.”Burns.
“The bridegroom may forget the brideWas made his wedded wife yestreenThe monarch may forget the crownThat on his head an hour has been;The mother may forget her childThat smiles sae sweetly on her knee;But I’ll remember thee, Glencairn,And a’ that thou hast done for me.”Burns.
“The bridegroom may forget the bride
Was made his wedded wife yestreen
The monarch may forget the crown
That on his head an hour has been;
The mother may forget her child
That smiles sae sweetly on her knee;
But I’ll remember thee, Glencairn,
And a’ that thou hast done for me.”
Burns.
So far as ability and memory would permit I have given a plain unvarnished account of the incidents connected with the most trying time that I have ever experienced. Each day removes the date of theAlertdisaster further off; still, in quiet moments, when I look back on the 28th and 29th of last December, I cannot prevent a saddening sensation from stealing over me.
Mingled with the feeling, however, comes the thought that I can never be grateful enough, firstly to God, and secondly to the many kind friends by whose assistance I was snatched from the grave! I will be unworthy of the life they recalled if ever I forget those who befriended me in my need, therefore, through the pages of this little book I take the opportunity of publicly conveying some token of my heartfelt gratitude to the Misses Armstrong, Davies, Duggin, Hill, Moorman, and the nurses, Miss Skelton and Mrs.Keating, to Mrs. J. D. Ramsay and Mrs. Whitelaw, to Drs. Browning, Cox, Hutchinson, Hewlett, and Mullen, to the six gentlemen who carried me up the cliffs, namely, Constables Conroy and Nolan, Messrs. Knowles, J. D. Ramsay, J. F. Watts and W. D. Watts, also to Messrs. Clark, Cousins, Maillard, McWalter, Stanton, and others whose names have not been supplied to me. To each and all of the above ladies and gentlemen I owe a debt which I never can repay. Further, these friends have not only aided me as the “poor shipwrecked mariner,” but also, since the wreck, they have in various ways laid me under a load of obligation to them. There is still another friend whose kind services to me must be acknowledged, although it is not an easy task for me to convey my thanks to him. I allude to Mr. Austin Stanton’s St. Bernard dog, “Victor Hugo.” He, by the instructions of his owner, took an important part in the proceedings outside the cave on the Ocean Beach, and the very least that can be said of him is that he is a worthy descendant of the noble animal described inCrabbe’slines—
“With eye upraised, his master’s looks to scan,The joy, the solace, and the aid of man,The rich man’s guardian, and the poor man’s friend,The only creature faithful to the end.”
“With eye upraised, his master’s looks to scan,The joy, the solace, and the aid of man,The rich man’s guardian, and the poor man’s friend,The only creature faithful to the end.”
“With eye upraised, his master’s looks to scan,The joy, the solace, and the aid of man,The rich man’s guardian, and the poor man’s friend,The only creature faithful to the end.”
“With eye upraised, his master’s looks to scan,
The joy, the solace, and the aid of man,
The rich man’s guardian, and the poor man’s friend,
The only creature faithful to the end.”
CONCLUSION.
On the 2nd of February, 1894, the Melbourne Marine Court, consisting of Mr. J. A. Panton, Police Magistrate, Captain A. J. Roberts, and Mr. Douglas Elder, concluded their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the foundering of theAlert. The decision given was as follows:—
“We find that when theAlertleft Metung, she was properly equipped in every respect, and apart from the manner in which she was laden, was in a good and sea-worthy condition. She was a suitable vessel, having regard to her build, for the trade in which she was engaged, as it was shown in evidence that she was classed for any trade. In view of the vessel’s construction and the manner in which laden on her last voyage—having on board only about forty four tons of cargo—theAlertin the opinion of the Court, had not sufficient stability, and in view of the weather experienced, she had too much freeboard for the voyage she was on. Considering the trim of the vessel and the state of the weather, it would have been more prudent had theAlertrun into Western Port for shelter. In the opinion of the Court, the Master should have kept her head to sea when the vessel first commenced to take in lee water. There was not any neglect on the part of the lighthouse keeper at Cape Schanck, and existing regulations appear to have been carefully observed. The crew of the life-boat at Queenscliff appears to have been properly directed, and, in the opinion of the court, they did all that could have been done, having in view all the existing circumstances. A proper look-out was kept on board the pilot schooner on the cruising station. The reason the boats on theAlertwere not made use of would appear to be attributable to the fact that when the vessel heeled over, the forward boat could not be got at, and the after life-boat was washed away about the moment when the vessel foundered, and there is no evidence to show what became of it. There was a sufficient supply of proper life belts on board, and they were easily available. There is no evidence before the Court to show that the late Master, Alexander Mathieson, did not use every precaution in handling the vessel. There is no evidence to justify the Court in expressing an opinion as to the immediate cause of the foundering of the steamshipAlert.”
“We find that when theAlertleft Metung, she was properly equipped in every respect, and apart from the manner in which she was laden, was in a good and sea-worthy condition. She was a suitable vessel, having regard to her build, for the trade in which she was engaged, as it was shown in evidence that she was classed for any trade. In view of the vessel’s construction and the manner in which laden on her last voyage—having on board only about forty four tons of cargo—theAlertin the opinion of the Court, had not sufficient stability, and in view of the weather experienced, she had too much freeboard for the voyage she was on. Considering the trim of the vessel and the state of the weather, it would have been more prudent had theAlertrun into Western Port for shelter. In the opinion of the Court, the Master should have kept her head to sea when the vessel first commenced to take in lee water. There was not any neglect on the part of the lighthouse keeper at Cape Schanck, and existing regulations appear to have been carefully observed. The crew of the life-boat at Queenscliff appears to have been properly directed, and, in the opinion of the court, they did all that could have been done, having in view all the existing circumstances. A proper look-out was kept on board the pilot schooner on the cruising station. The reason the boats on theAlertwere not made use of would appear to be attributable to the fact that when the vessel heeled over, the forward boat could not be got at, and the after life-boat was washed away about the moment when the vessel foundered, and there is no evidence to show what became of it. There was a sufficient supply of proper life belts on board, and they were easily available. There is no evidence before the Court to show that the late Master, Alexander Mathieson, did not use every precaution in handling the vessel. There is no evidence to justify the Court in expressing an opinion as to the immediate cause of the foundering of the steamshipAlert.”
A perusal of the foregoing shows that, while almost everything else has been commented on, no mention, whatever, is made of the fact that the rig of the vessel did not permit of sail being set aft. In view ofthe great length of theAlert—as compared with her depth—the above fact constituted, in the opinion of the compiler of this book, a very grave defect. Further, no vessel, whatever her length, or whether steamer or sailing ship, should be classed by the Government officials as fit to go outside Port Phillip Heads, unless she is rigged in a suitable manner to enable her to carry sail aft, as well as foreward. No doubt in these “hurry skurry” days the tendency of the time is to make steam machinery take the place of sail, but until man can control wind and waves, machinery can never wholly supersede canvas. The latter is not only required to steady a steamship in a seaway, but is indeed an actual necessity during emergencies brought about by either a breakdown of machinery, or stress of weather.
It is not so very long since a large steamer, theAge, was tossing about, for a week or so, in Bass’ Straits, as helpless as a log, because her machinery had met with a mishap, and she was unable to set canvas enough to keep her side down, let alone bring her into port!
Moreover, it may be added that there is scarcely a single sea-going steamer, which, at the present time, carrieshalfthe canvas she ought to. In the interests of life and property this is a matter that should be carefully seen to in future, and, if need be, enforced by legal enactment.
Steam power is very well in its place,When water’s smooth and the ship’s in a race,But when sea’s rough and wind blowing a gale,There’s certainly greater safety in sail.
Steam power is very well in its place,When water’s smooth and the ship’s in a race,But when sea’s rough and wind blowing a gale,There’s certainly greater safety in sail.
Steam power is very well in its place,When water’s smooth and the ship’s in a race,But when sea’s rough and wind blowing a gale,There’s certainly greater safety in sail.
Steam power is very well in its place,
When water’s smooth and the ship’s in a race,
But when sea’s rough and wind blowing a gale,
There’s certainly greater safety in sail.