MERIDIAN WRECKED ON AMSTERDAM ISLAND 1853

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aukepalmhof
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MERIDIAN WRECKED ON AMSTERDAM ISLAND 1853

Post by aukepalmhof » Tue Jan 18, 2022 7:32 pm

The French Southern and Antarctic Territories issued one stamp which shows us the wreck of the MERIDIAN, who did not have a very long life.
She was built of wood on the yard of G.W.& W.J. Hall on the Bridge Dock Yard in Sunderland for Hall & Co., London.
1852 launched as the MERIDIAN.
Tonnage 579 ton, Dim?
Ship rigged.

She left London under command of Captain Hernaman for her second voyage to Australia with onboard 108 passengers and crew, and a cargo worth about £25,000 bound for Sydney.
24 August 1853 she struck rocks on Amsterdam Island in the Southern Ocean, in which the Captain cook and a passenger washed away and drowned.
29 August they were sighted by the American whaler MONMOUTH, but the weather was too bad to get the people off. After nine days all were rescued.
The MONMOUTH under command of Captain Ludlow sailed thereafter for Mauritius where they landed.
Captain Ludlow and his crew received high praise for the rescue of the passengers and crew of the MERIDIAN.

Source: Lloyds register. The Australian Run by Jack Loney and Peter Stone.
TAAF 2022 1.50 Euro sg?, Scott?

The Nautical magazine 1854 gives:
We must not omit to add the following, which had been inscribed on an elegant gold pocket chronometer, the gift of the Admiralty, with fifty guineas, which we believe was to be distributed among the crew of the MONMOUTH.
Presented by the British Admiralty to Captain Isaac Ludlow of the American Whaler MONMOUTH for his humane conduct in saving the crew and passengers of the British barque (other sources give ship rigged) MERIDIAN wrecked on Amsterdam Island on the 24th of August 1853.

Of the wrecking and the stay of the crew and passengers of the MERIDIAN on Amsterdam Island what was published in a Mauritius newspaper and reprinted in an Australian newspaper.

The English barque Meridian, of London, of 570 tons register, on her voyage from London to Sydney, struck on a rock on the S.W. end of the Island of Amsterdam, at about 7 p.m. on the 24th August 1853. The vessel went to pieces almost immediately after she struck; and it is miraculous that, under such circumstances, we should have to deplore the loss of only three human beings. There are Captain Herneman (late commander of the Meridian), Mr. Pfau (a Swiss passenger), and Thomas George, the cook.

"Amsterdam Island is an arid and desert island, the only vegetation upon it being wild cabbages and a species of reed resembling the bamboo. Providentially enough, an abundance of pure freshwater existed near the spot where the wreck occurred. Had this not been the case it is frightful to contemplate the horrors that must have ensued. The unfortunate passengers and crew, among whom there were 17 women and 41 children, passed six
days on these almost barren rocks, sheltered only by a temporary canvas tent constructed of a sail that had been saved from the wreck; and they were beginning to experience all the sufferings of famine, when, to their inexpressible joy, they observed the white sails of a ship.
The most agonising anxiety sprung up amongst them, lest their signals of distress should not be perceived; but it was not of long duration, for they speedily observed that the vessel was bearing down upon the island and that their signals had been understood. This vessel proved to be the American whaler MONMOUTH, Captain Ludlow.

Relief, although now certain, could not, however, be immediately tendered, on account of the dangerous and inaccessible nature of the coast at the point where the wreck occurred. Captain Ludlow signalled them that they must pass over to the other side of the island before he could render them any assistance. Then commenced a series of privations and dangers of which no
one who was not an actual sharer in them, can form any conception. The almost impenetrable nature of the reeds which cover the island rendered it an undertaking as difficult as it was dangerous to accomplish, it being necessary to pass over on the extreme edge of the precipitous cliffs which surround the island. After a journey of three days, they succeeded in reaching the part of the coast indicated by Captain Ludlow, who himself, through the prevalence of unfavourable weather, had been compelled to make a tour of the island, and had been more than once blown out to sea before he could reach the spot which he did on the fourth day after first discovering the shipwreck.

"Arrived on board the MONMOUTH, the most humane and cordial reception it is possible to conceive was given to these people, nor can they speak of it without being affected to tears. As our readers are aware, the MONMOUTH safely reached this port in the evening of the
26th ultimo, after a passage of 17 days from Amsterdam Island.

" Memoranda of the wreck of the barque Meridian, of London, on the Island of Amsterdam:
"Soon after dark, during a gale from S.W., the ship ran right under the cliff. On bumping the second time, every cabin between decks to leeward fell down, and the ship's bottom on that side was out." Under the advice of Mr. Leonard Worthington, one of the mates, whose bearing and cool judgment were beyond all praise, we remained between decks about two hours and a half, supporting as many of my infants in my arms as I could grasp, and holding them up to windward out of the way of the wreck that was washing about between decks, the water at times reaching my shoulders, the ship reclining over at an angle of forty-five degrees or thereabouts. Mother and children calm and still; never dreaming that we should live the night through. " When it became evident to Mr. Edward Tullock, the second mate of the barque, and to Mr, Worthington, that the vessel must part amidships, they came between deck, and, with the assistance of Charles Snow, one of the seamen, got all the women and children up into the cuddy. Here we remained, under their advice, and guided by their cool judgment of the strength of the poop of the ship, until daybreak; when these gallant fellows commenced, and during the intervals between the seas, succeeded in getting off and over the wreck to the base of the cliffs, all the passengers who had remained under their advice in the cuddy. A few minutes, after all, had got from the lower deck, the ship parted, and all but the weather topsides of the once fine barque Meridian, was ground into splinters, and for the most part carried by the draw-back out to sea.
"All our children, of whom I had eight, one of them an infant at the mother's breast, was naked, but God in His mercy provided for us a bale of red surge shirts, part of the cargo, and which, thrown up under the ledge of rocks under the cliff, saved the poor infants from
perishing the first night—colder than an English winter's night, and the spray flying right over us. We could not have lived but for this providential supply.
" Once under the cliff, our next serious consideration was, how far the tide rose. A few hours relieved our anxiety, and we felt we were beyond the tide. Three days after, the tide and sea rose over the ledge of rocks that first shattered us; and none of us had we then remained
under the cliff, could have ever troubled the generous and warm-hearted inhabitants of Mauritius for all the kindness we have received from them. May God bless them and preserve them from ever encountering the dangers we have escaped!

" The interval of time between the landing under and the ascent of the cliff, we passed in picking up such things as would serve to sustain life; and the entire quantity secured would have kept us, at the rate of half a biscuit daily, about two weeks.
" Once on the top of the cliff, our first care was to erect a flag-staff and signal; and on Monday, the 29th August last, we wept for joy at seeing a barque which we after-
wards found to be the MONMOUTH, standing to windward of the Island. It blew a gale and rained, and we feared they would not see us. But they did; and when Captain Ludlow dipped his ensign, we knew we were saved if we could only hold out until the gale ceased. All that day, and the next, Captain Ludlow could barely hold his own, much less help us. But on Wednesday, the 31st August, he managed to land one of his crew, Wm. Smith, on the
Island, with directions to find us out, and lead us to the only landing place on the Island—which none but a whaler would know,—telling him to cheer us up as best he could, and to reassure us that he would, on the first chance, take us off. Strong gales, however, set in again
Immediately after Smith's landing, and again was the MONMOUTH blown to sea; and, to the great anxiety and grief of her gallant Captain, he could not regain the land until Monday the 5th September.

"During the interval from the 31st August to the day of our reaching the landing-place, besides the great labour of our journey across the mountains, which had to be traversed on the extreme edge of the cliff, affording a foot-hold——'As dangerous As to o'er-walk a torrent roaring loud On the unsteadfast footing of a spear,'we suffered all the pressure of famine, and, during the last part, want of water.

" During a brief lull of the usual squalls that prevail in this bad-weather region, Captain Ludlow embarked us all in the style of an accomplished seaman, and when we were once on board, doing all kindness in the kindest possible manner, he did everything his head and heart
could suggest. The limited means and inventory of a whaler's outfit alone placed any bounds to his efforts and wishes for our recovery.

“I was wrecked a strong man in all respects, Captain Ludlow received me with about the strength of an infant. But he has landed me here again as strong as ever, and, although heavily chastened and humbled, I trust a better man."

"We find much pleasure in stating that the Mr. Worthington mentioned in the preceding narrative is by birth a Creole of this Island (Mauritius), and is the son of Captain Worthington who was for many years a respected resident here. From information we have received
from other sources, his conduct as well as that of the 2nd mate, Mr. Tullock, and of the seaman Charles Snow, throughout the above melancholy catastrophe, was beyond all praise. We, therefore, signal them for special honourable, mention by the Managing Commit-
tee of the Subscription Fund in the report which they will feel called upon to make to Government and the Public.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/60147251
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