OSCAR GUSTAFSON, of Guillhalmen, the mate of the barque, Cignes, said
the vessel was bound from Galveston, Texas, to Maryport, with a cargo
of about 500 tons of oil cake, for Messrs. CARR & Co., of Maryport and
Carlisle. They had an excellent voyage across the Atlantic. Upon
reaching the Solway, Workington was mistaken for Maryport, and the
vessel got too near in shore during low water, and upon the gale
coming away she could not put off to land again. It was about half-
past four o’ clock on Thursday afternoon that the vessel struck. The
topsails were set, and the foresail, but they were more or less blown
away. The crew got down what sail they could, but as the gale
increased and heavy seas broke over the vessel the men were obliged to
take refuge in the cabin. Very soon, however, the cabin filled with
water, and the crew had to hang onto the cabin roof and the mizzen
rigging. The gale continued to increase and at half-past ten at night
the force was terrible and the mainmast snapped off a little above the
deck. The Mate noticed the mast falling, and thinking all was at an
end and they would be crushed to death, stooped down to avoid the
crash, but the rigging very fortunately caused the mast to fall clear
of the men. The Captain and one of the crew named JOHANN AIKLUND were
then missing. A shout was heard afterwards from the Captain, and he
was found hanging on further forward than the rest of the crew. The
bulwarks and decks were smashed, and the Captain was in danger of
being washed overboard every minute. Five of the crew made an effort
to rescue the Captain, and they succeeded in bringing him, almost
dead, to the after part of the vessel. The Captain said that he had
hold of AIKLUND when they were knocked down, but could not keep his
hold, as he had to hang on to save himself, and AIKLUND was evidently
washed overboard by the sea, and nothing more was seen of him until
his dead body was washed up near the slag bank at Siddick. The vessel
drove ashore at the North Bank about half-past ten o’ clock. They saw
the rocket fired, and the line lying over the fore part of the ship,
but they were so benumbed and exhausted that they could not use it,
and no one durst go forward to attempt to do so on account of the
loose blocks and cordage that were flying about. If another line had
been thrown to where they were lashed to the rigging, they could not
have used it, so intense were their sufferings. The Mate says that the
crew did not see the Lifeboat.