Tragedy Series: Grief. Sombre colours, thick, dense, heavy material with falling forms that pool like water and grief. Acclaimed in 1859 as one of the most terrible maritime disasters on record, the wreck of the Admella became a benchmark for measuring tragedy at sea. It was not only that 89 people, including 14 children, died, but also the terrible suffering they experienced in their struggle for survival over an extended period whilst they watched fellow travellers slowly die of thirst, exposure, drowning or being taken by sharks. The 24 survivors spent 8 days on the wreck in wild weather and huge seas with waves constantly breaking over them. The suffering included animals as 5 of the 6 horses on board perished.