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Liverpool Mercury Oct 15th 1847
Supposed loss of an English vessel
A letter from Bremen, of the 4th inst, states that a bottle has been picked up on the shore near Wongerus containing a slip of paper on which was written the following words :-
“On the 8th August 1847, on board the SCOTTISH MAID of Newcastle-on-Tyne, coming from Boulogne. For the last day or two the weather has been stormy, wind W.S.W, Monday, half-past five in the afternoon. Good God! We are going down. May God-----” the rest was illegible.
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Aug 24th 1854
Bottle washed ashore
Singular communication
On Monday a bottle was picked up at low water by George ROCKLIFFE containing a piece of paper of which was written in pencil in a clear and legible hand the following :-
“Off the Isle of Man, August 15, 1854 - Dear Mother, Unhappy circumstances compel me to end my miserable existence. God forgive me for my sin - G. H. HARDING.”
The above is crossed with the words “Mr Harding, Bath, Somerset.”
Whether this be a hoax or genuine we give the fact of its discovery for what it is worth.
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Liverpool Mercury, July 9th 1864
A REPORT FROM THE SEA
ILFRACOMBE, JULY 6th.... A bottle was picked up at sea this morning, containing a paper on which the following was written in pencil :- “The OCEAN QUEEN, G. ARMSTRONG Master, has been sunk off Bermuda February 4th, 1864. All hands with the exception of two, James DADDS and John WILLIAMS, who were drowned are in the boats. She sailed from Liverpool December 11th, 1863, and the owners are Messers JOHNSON and LAKE, Liverpool, G. ARMSTRONG, Master.”
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May 6th 1870
Message in a bottle
The CITY OF BOSTON
Receiver of Wreck-office, Custom House, Liverpool, May 6th,
A paper was this day picked up at Waterloo, in a stone bottle, purporting to relate to the City of Boston, as follows;-
“S.S. City of Boston, Feb 4th, 1870.
“The City of Boston is fast settling. We have lost 4 men overboard, 3 have died. We …. in great danger of our preservation. The ship is on fire, and hurrying all the passengers to the bows. We have had to come on under canvas. Our propeller is broken, and we are now at the entire mercy of the waves. God help us, I ham hon my bare feet hand ave been all the weak.
“Sig …..Hough
“J. Hon.
“W. ECCLESTON.
“Whoever finds this bottle will do a great kindness in forwarding I ….W. Inman, Water St, Liverpool, England. We have . . . 4 vessels, but . . . Id nor . . . Then . . . Us.”
This was enclosed in another paper which was written :-
“City of Boston is sinking, W. Inman, WATER St, Liverpool, England.”
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
A. W. COULSON, Assistant-Receiver of Wreck.
We are informed the names signed do not appear on the articles of agreement with the crew. If, therefore, the paper is not a hoax it must be signed by passengers.
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LIVERPOOL JOURNAL
Saturday, Jan 20th, 1877.
A STORY FROM THE SEA
The Eastern Morning News of today [Tuesday] published a letter from Charles and C. WELLS, owners of the steamship WELLS, and the following letter which was picked up in a bottle washed up ashore near Lyhster, on the night of the 12th, inst, Dec 21 st 1876
My dear Wife and son,
We are lain in the North Sea, about 100 miles from the Holman, with our main mast stove in and gang ways gone. The sea is fearful. It is washing in and out of the main hatchway, and washing the linseed out of the hold. It happened at 4 am this morning.
My Dear we have the boat swung already for lowering, but we dare not for the sea. There is no water in the after hold, and the engines are going ahead to pump the water out of the boat. I am afraid it is to no purpose. I don’t think we shall live the night out. Pray to God, forgive our sins for we have many, My dear Wife and son it is a painful thing to write to you both, to say I expect every moment to be my last. The ship was too deep down. Plimsoll’s mark. Ships ought not to be allowed to load so deep. Good day, God bless you both, and I hope he will protect you. Tell JOHN to be a good boy, and keep honest and sober.
John COOK, Chief Mate, SS. WELLS of Hull, 130 days from Hull, Kind love to all.
Messers WELLS stated that the vessel had a cargo of fully 23 tons, less than her usual cargo since the plimsoll mark was affixed to her side, that the WELLS was worth, £17.000, and they are insured for £12.000. The freight, about £1.000, was uninsured, The cargo consisted of linseed and flax, and was consigned to Mr Fred B. GROTRIAN of Hull and worth £17.000. She left Memel on the 17th Dec and passed Elsinore on the 19th .
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Message in a bottle.
Liverpool Mercury March 21st, 1908
At the beginning of last year the Liverpool barque MAELGWYN while on a voyage from Pisco, West Coast of South America for Australia, in ballast, was dismasted during a gale in the South Pacific. While the vessel was lying on her beam ends and the crew feared she would founder, one of the sailors place “a last message” in a bottle and cast it over.
Fortunately the crew were rescued and landed at Lord Howe Island, whence they were conveyed to Sidney, where they joined a mail steamer for England. It now appears that the bottle message has been picked up a few miles from Clarence heads on the New South Wales coast.
It was written in pencil as follows:-
“Sunday January 21st, 1907, Barque MAELGWYN adrift, dismasted South Pacific Ocean. We had a gale of wind Saturday morning. Ballast shifted. W had to cut away mast. Ship on her beam ends. We have decided to get ashore on Lord Howe Island. Lord have mercy on us – H. R. 8 Bethel Place, Bangor, North Wales.”
The MAELGWYN was owned by, Messers Robert THOMAS and Co, 26 Chapel St. Liverpool.
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LIVERPOOL MERCURY FEB 1908
Messers Vogt and Maguire 29 and 31 South Castle St We have recieved the following information. Found off the coast of Jarderen South West Norway, written in pencil on an envelope and found in a bottle sealed with a cork Ship sinking, Remember to Mother and Dad Albert and J. Symonds Liverpool. Can be seen at above address.
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Liverpool Mercury Mar 9th, 1913
Message from the sea after 8yrs
A remarkable and pathetic sequel to the loss of the steamer NUTFIELD nearly 9 yrs ago, with all hands, was disclosed at South Shields.
The NUTFIELD left for a Mediterranean voyage and was never heard of again. It was supposed she was lost in the Bay of Biscay.
The crew included two Shields men, J. SLATER and W. HOWARD, a farewell letter written jointly was received by Howard’s wife on Saturday, having been found in a sealed bottle on the Kent coast of the Thames by Mr George JOHNSON of Cliffe, Rochester.
The letter contained two messages on each side of the paper.
HOWARD’S :-
Dec 1904
Dear wife and children – All the time I am writing this I am going to my doom. I hope you will look after the children, and Willie will be a good lad to you. – [signed] W. HOWARD
A series of crosses representing kisses followed, post script read –
“Best love to all, let mother and father know”
SLATER wrote :-
To whoever picks this up please make it known our ship is doomed. We have a heavy deck load, and are looking for every minute to be our last.
Goodbye to all
[signed] A. SLATER
On a fly leaf was written, “We are in the English Channel.”
Copyright 2002 / To date