Barque ALABAMA

WRECK OF THE BARQUE ALABAMA AT CHATHAM ISLANDS.

The schooner Flying Cloud has brought to Lyttelton fourteen seamen of the barque Alabama, wrecked at the Chatham 
Islands, and the following letter to the United States Consul, written by Captain Coffin, at Port Hutt, referring to the 
wreck: - Sir - I regret to acquaint you with the loss of the whaling barque Alabama, of Nantucket, Mass., under the 
following cirumstances. On or about May 27th, I left Waitangi and sailed across to Port Hutt. This port is considered 
the only port of safety in the Chatham Islands. I arrived at Port Hutt the same day, at 11.30. On June 9th, I had 
completed getting my stores, water, and provisions, and was ready for sea The wind was about due south, and I 
could not beat out. There was no swell at the time. The wind continued in the same point for four days. On the night 
of the 13th it gradually increased, and at 3 a.m. it blew a strong gale from the south; a heavy swell was setting into 
the bay at the same time. I did not consider that there was any danger, as the holding ground is considered good. I 
had my heaviest anchor down, with 75 fathoms of chain, having previously lost the lightest one. At 3.30 a.m., on 
June 14th, the ship began to drag. The wind was blowing at that time almost a hurricane. At 4 a.m. we were close 
to the rocks. I cannot say whether the chain parted or the fluke of the anchor broke, as I have not yet recovered it. 
The ship's head fell off rapidly before the wind, and in a few minutes we struck on the rocks, among the breakers. 
The ship then commenced to thump tremendously. A consultation of the officers was called, and it was considered 
best to cut away some of the masts to relieve the ship. I ordered them to cut away the mainmast, which was 
accordingly done. It fell, carrying away the mizen topmast with it. The foremast threatened to fall, and I ordered 
that also to be cut away. The cutting away of the masts relieved the ship, although she still continued to thump 
heavily on the rocks. At 4.30 a.m. the lower hold was full of water. At about 10 a.m. part of the crew managed to 
get ashore, and, although we could Jand nothing from the ship, some provisions were thrown overboard and washed 
ashore, and were taken up by the men on the beach. The gale lasted until the latter part of the 17th, so that we could 
land nothing from the ship. After the gale abated we commenced landing what we could get from the ship, and have 
continued to do so up to the present time. We have about 150 to I60 barrels of sperm oil on board, but I have not 
been able to save it yet. I got a little on shore a few days ago — about five barrels of mixed oil. I have every reason 
to believe that a quantity of this oil is stove, and that the ship's bottom is badly stove in, as the tide ebbs and flows 
inside the same as on the outside. We shall save from wreck enough to pay wages due and expenses."

Transcribed from the Otago Witness, of 12 August 1865, Page 4