The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-03-30 00:00:00

THE INQUEST.

The inquest on the bodies of Francis Hope Tabor, First
lieutenant of the Eurydice, Captain Louis Ferrier, RE,
and Bennett, an ordinary seaman, was opened on Tuesday
at the "Queen's Hotel," Ventnor, before Mr. F. Blak-e, the
Coroner for the Isle of Wight. After a brief address from
the Coroner, in which he alluded to the deep concern caused
by the dreadful calamity which had befallen the Royal Navy
and the country generally, the following evidence was
taken

Robert Montague Tabor, of Carshalton, Surrey, had seen
the bodies viewed by the jury. One of them was that of his
brother, Francis Hope Tabor. He was a naval lieutenant.
Ile last saw him alive about six months ago, in Kent. He
was First Lieutenant and was on his way from Bermuda, on
board the Eurydice. He was expected home daily wheu.he
heard of his death. Ile would be 30 in July.
Benjamin Cuddiford identified the bodies as those of
Lietsteeant Tabor, a man named Bennett, whose Christian
name he did not know, and a Captain of the Royal Engineers
who took passage home in the ship; he had heard his name
was Ferrier. Witness was an able seaman on board the
Eurydice. Bennett was captain of the quarter-deck. The
captain was Marcus Hare. They left Bermuda on the
homeward voyage on the 6th of March. They had op board
over 300 officers and men, but he 'could not say the exact
number. On Sunday last, about two o'clock, they set the
lower stunsails. The ship was then coming up along the Isle of
Wight. Before setting the stunsail we had all plain sail set—
viz, the courses, topsails, ctc. They had all sails set save
topgallant sternsails. The weather w 8.3 very tine at the tinie
a moderate breeze blowing just about the beam. Between
half-past three and four o'clock the port watch was called to
take I the lower stunsail, as the weather looked dirty. The
captain gave the order to "watch in " lower stunsail. It
Fai4at‘i ak e tfienrOiiis.` e we 4
not taken down, as the captain ordered the men down, as the
squall was coming on. The royals were lowered, but not
furled at this time. The captain gave orders to let go the
topsail halyards and the main sheet. Witness saw that this
order was done himself. He heardthe captain say, "If you
can't let it go, cut it." He did not know to what this
referred. The water was up to the men's waists on the star-
board side. He expected that the order referred to the fore
sheet. He was on the quarter-deck at the time. The ship was
on her beam ends. He climbed on the quarter-deck netting
over the ship's side on the weather side. He there could see
the ship's keel and the sails in the water. She righted a
few feet, and he saw her mizeu topsail come out of the
water. He saw the ship sinking from forward and taking
a body of men with her into the water. The water began
to increase aft, and as it got abreast of the mainmast she
turned right over, the port cutter being bottom upwards
He stuck to the ship, and the captain gave orders to get
the fore cutter clear, but we were only able to get one gripe
clear by cutting it With a knife. The captain wa beside
me at the time. A man named Rictards who was assisting
me was washed away and the cutter was not got clear,
because the water was encroaching upon us. Witness
then jumped overboard and passed the two doctors who
*ere drowning, but could render them no assistance. There
were many others in the water at the time. Ile swam to a
round lifebuoy and then to the aid of others, taking
them pieces of spars and wreck. The vessel went down
Immediately after he jumped overboard, the captain being
on the deck. He saw six men clinging to the bottom of
the copper punt. He told them to keep their spirits up,
but they were washed away. He saw none of the bodies
which had been identified in the water. The men who
were clinging to the boat were Mason, Martin, a cook's
mate whom they were fetching home from the Tamar, and
the rest were ordinary seamen whom he did not know. He
saw only one man with a lifebuoy, Mr. Brewer, the boat-
swain, who instructed the ordinary seamen. Witness turned
his back to the ship and continued to swimatiout for an hour
and twenty minutes, until he was picked up by the schooner
An ordinary seamen named Fletcher was also picked up.
He saw no one else picked up. On being picked up he felt
giddy, hat was able to lay hold of the rope's-end that had
been thrown to him.—After the witness had given some
further evidence, and answered several questions bearing
upon the calamity put to him by the jury,

George Henry Ferrier was called, and said he was a Cap-
tain Of the 105th Regiment, quartered at Colchester. He
recognized one of the bodies as that of his brother,
Gaptain Louis John George Ferrier, Captain of
Royal Engineers stationed at Bermuda. He was coming
home on leave in the Eurydice, having apparently got a
passage home from the captain. Be was not of his own
lcuow ledge aware that he was coming home. He was in his
38th year.

Sydney Fletcher, just turned 19, an ordinary first-class
seaman on board the Eurydice, was next called. Ile stated
he had been with her during the last six months. He was
below during Sunday afternoon. He was getting his tea to
come on at eight bells (four o'clock), when he heard a rush
of water coming through the parts fie had just before
felt the ship give a lurch. He lowered the all port and
ran on deck, when he saw the water coming in over her
lee nettings. He assisted another man to overhaul the
foretopsail halyards. Ile then got over the weather
netting and walked aft on the quarter on the ship's side,
The ship was on her side at the time, and he
walked below her ports. He could see the keel of the ship
out of the water. The wind was blowing and the snow
was falling. The main yard was touching the water.
The captain was standing on the quarter giving orders
to clear the cutters. They cut the foremost gripe,
but could not cut, the aft one as there was not time,
the ship being in the act of sinking. He picked up a
life belt and got away about 30 yards from the ship in the
direction of the wind. Mr. Edmunds, the sub-lieutenant,
took offhis coat and jumped overboad, but he did not see
what happened to him. He saw Mr. Tabor on the quarter
with his coat off and without hts cap, and he afterwards saw
him clinging, to a wash-deck locker in the water. When
he saw the schooner he had been in the water about an hour
and 20 minutes and saw neouett, captain of the quarter-
deck, and Mr. Brewer floating past him. He was
so overjoyed when picked up that he could not notice any-
thing. lie saw that the sails were set when he came on
deck, but he could not tell their state. He did not ob-
serve that the weather had changed before the water came
in. Of the whole starbcard watch only about two men and
a boy came up beside himself. They were all making a
row, crying and screaming. The reason why he escaped
was that he was close to the hatchway. lie asked Brewer
which was the way to the land. Ile could not say how long
the snow continued. From what he had seen he thought
there were about 24 lifebelts on board, but he did not see
many of them in use. They could not be readily got at, the
majority being kept in the pinnaces. On ordinary occasions
when the ship was sailing they could readily be got at, but
not on Sunday in the condition the ship was in.

By the jury: Ile did not see the ship go down. There was
one man in irons below. Water was partly the ballast of the
ship, and Ors would become lighter by consumption near
the end of the voyage, lie could not say whether much was
left. The ballast also consisted of stores. Neither these nor
the guys had shilted. They had not been put upon short
allowance during the voyage.

B 3 Mr. Tabor: He might have been mistaken when he
said that Lieutenant Tabor had his coat off if he was told
that the lieutenant was picked up with his uniform on. It
might have been some other officer he had seen.
By Mr. Harvey The heeling over of the ship and the
inrush of water occurred simultaneously. The last orders
of the captain were to clear the cutter, bit they had not
time. It was fine weather up to the time of the ship lurch-
ing. Ile did not know that the ballast was concrete and
iron. He always understood that the water was to drink
and also to act as ballast. He was told on board that the
water was to serve as ballast. Witness was much pressed
on this question, but he stuck to his statement that the
principal ballast was water. In the pinnaces was the best
place to keep the lifebelts when the ship was aailing all
right.

Cuddiford (recalled) said, in answer to jurymen, that the
ship had her proper ballast for her tounage and that her
lower tier of tanks was never disturbed. She had sufficient
ballast without her stores and water. When the latt,r
became diminished there was a difference in the ship. She
became more lively. This would be the case with al sailing
ships. At no time daring the voyage from Bermuda had he
heard that the ballast had shifted. lie did not know what
the state of the barometer was. He would have heard had
there heed any sudden fall in the morning.
William Langworthy Jenken, master of the Emma
schooner, of Padstow, said that on Sunday last he was
sailing from Poole for Newcastle. fie encountered a
sudden squall about ten minutes past four, when off Durmose.
jt looked rather bad to windward before the squall came
on, and they hauled down the eying jib, maintoptuast
staysail, gaff topsail, lowered away the marnsan,- tap.
gallant and topsail halyards, bOom jib and jibboom, and
fore staysail, and also lowered the foresail afterward. They
had then only the standing jib set properly. Part of this
was done during the squall, which lasted half an hour.
They were from tour to tin miles from lamct tinu tho

storm stuck them. There was nothing to prevent them
seeing the storm approaching. He
,saw nothing of the
Eurydice before she went doWn. After the snow had cleared
away he saw something floating on the water. He sent a man
into the rigging, who reported that there was a man in the
water. He steered his vessel to the spot, which was to wind-
ward. They heard cries for help in the water and found five
men floating, whom he ticked up. They were much ex-
hausted, and were all insensible when taken on board.
Cuddiford and Fletcher were two of them, and the bodies
they had viewed were the others. The men were taken
into the cabin and stripped and rubbed. They then pro-
ceeded for Ventnor. It was from three to four miles
from land where the men were picked up. Restoratives were
administered to such as 'could take them. A boat came off,
and a doctor was sent tor. Two came. He could not say
whether the men were all alive at the time. Bennett was
dead when he was picked up. The others did not speak in
his hearing. Lieutenant Tabor had his uniform on when
taken on board. Ile did not think the gale would have
capsized such a ship as the Eurydice when under full sail.
lie never thought of such a thing. Ile imagined the men
belonged to the bolt a crew. The Emma was 137 tons
register, and had a crew of six hands, all told. They had a
light cargo of coals.
By the jury : The wind was not off the land at first. They
could not take in their sails before the squall took them.
As they were further away from land than the Eurydice they
had a better chance of seeing the storm rising.

By the Coroner: They had no stimulants on board, but he
was sure the men could not have taken anything had they
had stimulants on board.

By the jury: He also saw a barque after the gale, but she
was too far off to see if there were any men in the water.
They had no barometer in the schooner. It would take
about twenty minutes to take in their sails, and ,by that
time the storm was over. They did not take anything in until
they felt the wind. He had experienced heavier E quails, but
none more sudden. He was not aware that Dunnose Point
had a bad reputation for storms.

James Mann Williamson, a doctor of medicine, deposed
that on Sunday afternoon he went aboard the schooner, lie
found three persons in the cabin. Cuddiford was half
dressed. He was sensible, but apparently suffering from
shock, and the other two were apparently ctead. Dr. Martin
arrived there before and had been using every means to re-
store animation in Lieutenant Tabor. He attempted to re-
store animation to the body of Captain Ferrier. He did not
discover any signs of life, Mr. Martin thought Tabor's
heart pulsated very slightly, but witness could not feel it.
Bennett was dead. Witness believed all died from drown-
ing. Froth exuded from Mr. Tabor's mouth.
George Parkinson, able seaman, deposed that he was
aboard the schooner. He saw the Eurydice before
the storm came on. All the sail was out on the
Eurydice, co far as • he could see, when he first saw her.
He did not consider she had too much sail for her
safety. After the squall came on he could not see any-
thing and he never saw the ship again. Ile did not look
for her. lie saw the squall coming up black, but did not
think it was going to be anything, as it was so long coaling.
Ile never saw anything so heavy after being so long rising.
There was only a moderate breeze when he saw the Eury-
dice. She was about a mile from land Witness's vessel
was foul' or live. They did not lower sails till the sails
struck.

Henry Ransom, sergeant of police at Ventnor' produced a
watch from Dr. Morton, who was attending Captain Ferrier.
It had been tilled with salt water and had stopped at ten
minutes to four.

After a careful summing up on the part of the Coroner,
the jury retired, and after being absent from the room
about half an hour, announced their agreement in the fol-
lowing verdict :

"We find that Louis J. C. Ferrier, Francis Hope Tabor,
and Bennett were accidentally drowned owing to the cap-
sizing of Her Mejesty's ship Eurydice by a sudden squall off
Dunnose on Sunday, the 24th inst., and the jury consider
from the evidence adduced that no blame whatever can be
attached to the captain, officers, and men of the ship."
It is not the intention of the Coroner to hold other in-
quests should more bodies be washed ashore, as certificates
could be given. A telegram from the managing owner of
the Emma schooner has been received by the captain from
New Quay, Cornwall, stating that no charge had to be made
for the detention of the ship, and that he was only too glad
that he was able to save life.

A corritondent at Brighton writes to the Daily Telegraph
—"ln the absence of data which we are never likely to
receive of the cause of the loss of the Eurydice, the extra-
ordinary suddenness of yesterday's squall may amply suffice
for explanation of the catastrophe. I happened to be on the
Parade when a cloud of dust in the distance and the
whitening of a calm sea on the western horizon, coupled
with a black mass of cloud in the same direction, gave suf-
ficient warning to the crowd then enjoying the sunshine of
the afternoon that some uncommon disturbance was in
the atmosphere. I had scarcely time to slip into a side
street when the dust In a cloud that seemed solid swept
down the Parade, followed immediately by a hurricane of
wind and bliucting snow, so tierce as to render walking
against it almost impossible. After an hour the gale as
suddenly abated, leaving a glorious sunset. As the
Eurydice was under the lee of the Isle of Wight, there seems
little wonder that she was caught without warning if the
squall there in any way equalled its fury here."

The Admiralty has issued a list of the lost believed to
have been on board the Eurydice, from which it appears
there were 15 officers, 15 marines, 73 petty officers and
others forming the ship's company, and 220 supernumeraries
—in all, 523 souls.

It appears that several Bristol lads were on board the
Eurydice. and to this city belongs one of the two survivors,
Sydney Fletcher. Learning this fact, Admiral Fanshawe
considerately telegraphed from Portsmouth to the Mayor,
requesting him to inform the boy's friends of his rescue.

The Daily Telegraph of Tuesday says :—" Mr. George S.
Wells, L.R.C.S., of Vottnor, writes to say that Benjamin
Cuddiford, A. 8., the first survivor brought ashore, was con-
veyed by Dr. Williamson and himself fl!dr. Wells) to the
Cottage Hospital. The man stated to his medical attend-
ants that at a few minutes to four o'clock nearly all
hands—that is to say, 316, including 30 AB 's and
the rest boys qualifying, were on deck preparatory to
prayers. At that time the vessel was going about
ten knots, all sail set, and on her port tack.
The order was given by Captain Hare to shcrten sail,
when at that moment a driving snowstorm caught the vessel
from the North, and she heeled over, her stern settling
down. All the men were swept to the lee-side, which in-
creased the weight greatly. The captain ordered sails and
rigging to be cut away, and for a few minutes hopes were
entertained of her riguting: but, the storm increasing, she
went down bow first with trie captain on Out.k."

A House of Commons subscription list in aid of the wives
and families of the Eurydice'es.crew Ni a. 3 started on Monday
11LIU uo A.,Aebuay reached over a hundred Eignatnres,
amounting to nearly £2OO.

Commander Lord Charles Btresford makes an appeal for
subscriptions for the wives, mothers, and families of the
unfortunate ship's company lost in the Eurydice. A com-
mittee has been formed at Portsmouth (provisionally), con-
sisting of the Commander-in chief, Admiral Fanshawe, Rear-
Admiral Foley, Captains Herbert, J. C. Wilson, A.D.C.. and
Jones. Cheques should be crossed to Mr, Richards, cashier,
Portsmouth Dockyard.

Captain Hare, commander of the Eurydice, was a magis-
trate of the Teignbridge, Newton Abbot division, and re-
siding at Abbots Kerswell. At the Newton Petty Sessions on
Tuesday, the chairman, Dr. Atkinson, said the Bench could
not resist recording their deep senie of the loss they and the
neighbouthood had sustained by the death of their friend
and brother magistrate, Captain Marcus Hare, of the Royal
Navy, on the occasion of the sudden foundering of Her
Majesty's ship Eurydice under his cianmand, and they begr ed
to tender their sympathy to his bereaved widow and family.

A melancholy interest will be felt by the members of
temperance societies in the fact that among the unfortunate
men and youths lost were a considerable number of mem-
bers of a Naval Good Templar Lodge, with a travelling
charter under the Grand Lodge, of which Mr. Malins,
Birmingham; Rev. W. Ross Rothsay, Bute; and Captain
Phipps, commander of 111.711.5. Warspite, hold leading
offices. The Lodge was called "The Decoy Bird," The
ship's steward, J. Curtis, was the agent of the Grand Lodge.