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Source - The Belfast News-Letter

Friday, 15 June, 1849

'''FOUNDERING OF ANOTHER IRISH EMIGRANT SHIP. ONE HUNDRED AND NINE LIVES LOST.'''

Scarcely has the melancholy interest produced by the loss of the Hannah, Irish emigrant ship, and nearly two hundred lives, subsided, ere if falls to our painful duty to announce another similar catastrophe, the foundering of the ship Maria, from Limerick, in a field '''of ice, and the sacrifice of the vast amount of human life. The particulars contained in the advices of the shocking event, as received from Quebec by the Canada (American) mail steamer, state, that the ship's destruction took place at midnight, on the 10th of last month, so suddenly, that she almost instantaneously, on striking, went down, carrying with her no less than one hundred and nine unhappy human beings, all of whom perished.'''

'''The Maria, it appears, was an old vessel, manned by a crew of ten hands, including the master, Mr. Hesligeau. She sailed from Limerick on the 2nd of April last, with one hundred and eleven passengers, about eighty men and women, and the remainder their families, for Quebec, the emigrants intending to settle in Canada. About 20 days' sailing brought the vessel to within fifty miles of St.Paul's. Here severe weather was encountered, and a large field of ice sighted. The ship was hove to with a view of clearing the huge frozen mass. Unfortunately, however, the manoeuvre had but little effect, for late that night, the 10th of May, she ran into a berg with terrific force. The whole of her bows were stove in, and the next moment the sea was rushing into the hold with the violence almost of a cataract. A piercing shriek was heard from below, but it was only for a few moments duration, as the ship went down almost immediately. It was the mate's watch, who with one seaman and a cabin boy, succeeded in saving three lives by one of the boats, which floated from the wreck as she foundered. About twenty of the passengers managed to reach the deck just before she went down, some of whom jumped on to the ice, while others clung to the floating spars. Nine only, however, could be preserved - six men, two women, and a boy, who had got on the ice.'''

Nothing was seen of the master or the rest of the crew. They all perished with the remainder of the passengers. Exposed in the boat to the most inclement weather, the helpless survivors remained the whole of the following '''day. Eventually a barque, named the Roslin Castle, and the Falcon, a brig, approached and took them on board. The poor creatures had suffered severely from the cold, and their condition was the most heartrending. Their names are given as follows:- Michael Cussack, Joseph Lynch, Bridget O'Gorman, spinster, Conners, William Brew, John Hogan, and Patrick McTigue. The survivors of the Maria's crew are William Collins, mate, John Pickering, seaman, and Michael Tague, cabin boy, making in all, out of the one hundred and twenty-one souls on board, only twelve saved. In consequence of the brig Falcon being short of water, those who were picked up by her were transferred on board the Roslin Castle, which proceeded direct to Quebec and arrived there last Saturday fortnight.'''