John Maskell

At least two letters written by passengers during the time the ship was marooned on the reef survived the ship's destruction.

"I am writing this my dear girl while the boat is in grave danger," wrote John Maskell in a letter to his fiancee Dorthy Burgess. " We struck a rock last night which threw many from their berths, some were crying, some too weak to move, The life boats were swung out in all readiness, but it would have been madness to launch."

"The boat might go to pieces, for the force of the waves are terrible, making awful noises on the side of the boat…."

Maskell's letter included a hastily scrawled last will and testament.