From The South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide, SA) 3 October 1859 - MISCELLANEOUS SHIPPING. THE SHIP LADY ANN.--The boats left the Semaphore station before daybreak on Saturday morning, the 1st inst., for the purpose of boarding a barque which had been signalled on the evening previous, but the vessel did not reach the anchorage in time for the Press to board her owing to a strong adverse wind and ebb tide ; this vessel was found, to be the Peregrine Oliver (particulars of which are elsewhere reported). From her deck, by the aid of a telescope was observed an object far to the south, previously considered to be two sloops sailing in company, but afterwards perceived to be a vessel of considerable tonnage, presenting a most distressing appearance, with signals of distress flying on her ensign halyards at the peak, indicating the words "send a steam-tug immediately." This signal was answered with the utmost dispatch, the tug getting up steam as soon as the bunting could be made out ashore. The reporter's boat immediately bore down from the Peregrine Oliver and after the crew had pulled for two hours, got alongside the ship, which turned out to be the Lady Ann, with nearly 300 souls on board, from London and Plymouth, and under the command of Captain Alexander Sinclair, a gentleman who had several times made this port with emigrants. His last two vessels were the David Malcolm and the Nile. On being boarded, the Lady Ann presented a crippled and singular appearance, the waist being perfectly clear of spars, masts, both standing and running rigging, and the only indication of the vessel ever having had a mainmast being a short stump showing above the main deck. The immigrants crowded along the bulwark, and such indications of a catastrophe having transpired, caused the almost immediate enquiry whether loss of life had occurred, which providentially was answered in the negative. The following was reported by the captain to our shipping reporter:--The Blackwall liner, Lady Ann, sailed from the London Docks on June 17, with emigrants, and on her way down Channel put into Plymouth Sound for the purpose of taking in her complement of remittance passengers; sailing from thence on July 8, having made, when the trying circumstances which retarded her progress are considered, one of the quickest voyages for the antipodes that has been accomplished for some time ; and although under jury rig from the longitude of St. Paul's Island, has accomplished her voyage in 85 days from Plymouth. Nothing transpired worthy of notice until Sunday, September 11, at 9 o'clock in the evening latitude 45� 30' south; longitude 70� 7' east. The captain was promenading the poop. The ship had all canvas set together with fore and maintopmast studding-sails. The weather was cloudy but fine, with a fresh breeze blowing from W.N.W. The single females had providentially gone from the poop to their berths. The ship was noticed to give a sudden lurch to leeward, when the mainmast was most unexpectedly carried away about 15 feet from the deck, dragging with it in its fall the foretopgallantmast, mizentopmast, top-sail-yard, and cross-jack-yard, breaking the mizentop, starboard bulkwards, poop rail, and quarter boat hanging to the starboard davit. The wreck beat heavily against the ship's side, and it was found impossible to secure it, and preparations were speedily made and carried out reluctantly, but of necessity, to cut adrift the whole of the wreck of the mainmast and mizentopmast, together with all the yards, booms, and sails, the running and standing rigging attached in order to prevent danger to the hull of the ship. The foretopgallant and royal yards, together with their respective sails, were saved. The crash is reported as being instantaneous and tremendous, but resulting in injury to no one ; and although three boats were lashed to the skids, viz., the gig, jolly, and a lifeboat, close to the mainmast, not one of them was injured, all the wreck being blown over the side and striking in its fall the quarter-boat (before mentioned). The total loss is very severe, and it is the wonder of all on board that no life was lost. The loss consists of mainmast, maintopmast, topgallant and royal masts, with all their respective yards ; also the crossjackyard and sails, maintopmast, and two topgallant studdingsails with booms and yards, and the entire standing and running rigging ; also the main and mizen topmaststaysail. No damage was done to the hull. On the steam-tug getting out to sea she proceeded down to the Lady Ann, but the chief pilot, Mr. Creer, found he did not require steam until yesterday morning, owing to the tides not permitting her to cross the bar that day. The emigrants appear clean and healthy, and when the ship was boarded, despite the disaster that had occurred, she presented the appearance of being under the supervision of competent officers, and her 'tween decks were remarkably clean. The industrial list gives the following various artificers and laborers:--Females--2 nurses, 1 cook, 79 domestic servants, 2 dairy-maids, 1 dress-maker, 2 sempstresses ; Males-57 laborers (various, both farm, bricklayers and others), 4 ploughmen, 1 mechanic, 1 smith, 1 wheelwright, 1 shoemaker, 1 shepherd, 1 miner, 1 gardener, 1 miller, 1 porter, 1 bootmaker, 1 tailor, 2 coach painters, 1 frame maker, 1 brush maker, 1 moulder. Two-thirds of the emigrants are Irish, the remainder English and Scotch. The number of English being--Adults, 50 ; children between one and twelve years of age, 13 ; infants, none ; total English, 63. Scotch-Adult, 8 ; children from one to twelve years, 4 ; infant 1 ; total Scotch, 13. Irish-Adults, 177 ; children from one to twelve years of age, 8 ; infants 1 ; total Irish, 186 ; being a grand total of 262. During the voyage neither births nor deaths occurred, and the only complaint prevailing the whole time were three cases of hooping cough. The number of married couples, 36 ; single men, 95 ; single women, 108 ; children from one to twelve years of age-males, 15 ; females 2 ; infants-males 10 ; females, none ; total, equal to 247 1/2 statute adults. The aggregate number of superficial feet in the several compartments set apart for passengers other than cabin passengers in this ship is 3,825. The following vessels were spoken :--On July 30, lat. 9� N., long. 27� W., the British ship Avon, from Victoria, bound to London, 71 days out ; August 10, the barque Lord Palmerston, bound to Buenos Ayres, port of departure unknown. ------------------------------------------------ Historic Australian Newspapers, 1803 to 1954 http://ndpbeta.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home Aherns in Australian Records http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~aherns/ahcrim.htm ------------------------------------------------