The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-06-12 00:00:00

THE BTRANDINO OF H.M.B. LIVELY.

TOTAL WRECK Or TEE YEW:L.

Iler hlajury's ship Lively, which stranded on the Hen
and Coickene Rocks about five miles from Stornoeny on
Thursday night, became a total wreck. The Lively,
having on board the Crofters' Commissioners, left tee
lighthouse at Butt of Lewis at half-peat six on Thursday
evening, at the concinsion of the meeting of the Commis-
sion held at Nees during the day. When she started
there was a strong wind from the east, rind the vessel ,
pitched and rolled heavily during the first two hours of ,
the run. Towards dusk the wind fell, and the sea became
c dmer, and at • quarter put nine o'clock, when this I
disaster occurred, the veceel was making for Um bay
Isadng into St rrnoway. In addition to the members
of the Crofter.' Commission and the crew there were
on board See representotives of the Prep who
were being conveyed, by permission of Commander
Parr, to Stornoway. The Commi-giontre had just
finished dinner, and were engaged an coavereation
with he commander in the saloon, when the ...se,' struck.
Goe of the jonior heutenanre aed Captain WDonald, of
T,berm .ry. wh had b. en acting as plot ell through the
trip, were on the bridge. The vessel was going at the
ra, of eleven knots an hour, and when she went on the
rook there was • loud mutt of bre cking timber. She
mined rarely listed heavily to starboard, and loran instant
everyone on board believed she would go down. At the
stern the water reached the level of the deck, and the ship
wae in danger of rolling off the rock by the heave of the
*ea. Commander Parr we. on the bridge in an instant,
and, comprehending the situation at a glance, at once
ordered the men tc stand by the bolts. The crew num.
ben 75, al told, and every but was goon In the water. Hots
man, however, left the ship, and in e few minutes were
occupied In muertaining the exact extent of the damage.
Commander Parr went down to the engine-room, and
on returning reputed to the C immissioners that the
veuel wag seriously damaged. He instructed them to
prepare for leaving the ship, and at the same time be gave
orders for anything movable, In the eteamer to be brought
on deck. While this was being done the engines were
reversed, but the vessel bed taken • firm hold of the rock,
and could not be moved. The tide wee ebbing, and this
added to the danger of the ship heeling over. A large
number of Stornoway herring boats were leaving for the
fishing ground at the time, and e number of them stood
by the vessel The ef,ahmer Harp Ann, of Glasgow, on her
way to Obao with a cargo of herrings, was • little way
ahead of the gunboat, and on seeing the occurrence she
steamed round, and, at the request of Commeader Parr, lay
alongside and received on board a large pert of the ship's
ditinp and 'totes. The personal effects of the Cram'
lois/Moen, officers, and crew were traasf erred to the
steam- rln less than an hour. A further examination of
the ship showed that the damage wag even greater than had
been et first supposed. There were about six feet of
water on the rock, when she struck, The rocks are well
known, and no explanation can be given of how the mei.
dent occurred. Commander Parr at once sent a boat
ashore with • telegram to the 8 ,cretary of the Admirelty,
informing him of the occurrence, and oPiationing that
the ship was badly inJur-d. A cast of the lead taken after
the accident indicated that there were eight fathoms of
water under the stein of the yeseeL By 11 o'clock the
tide was full ebb, and the of the f,, aft as
ti o Toddle tax, was high and dry on the netts It waa
tin n seen that the stem under the water-mark was coop
pletely mashed, ?behold wes full of water, and as it wag
believed Chet the vessel was about to nett'e down, the
crew were transferred it the Katy Ana which had
remained close by fr..m the beginning. Commander
Parr and the other officers, however, remained by the
• ship, the steam launch and the other boats lying off at a
lilt's distinc-. The rock upon which the Lively struck is
• very dangerous one, and it is stated that repeated
' repreaentaticns have been made to the authorities to have
it buoyed.

jal-esiie-.were made to save the Lively, bat thee' proved :
futile, sad the vessel is now absndoned. The rooks nivia
which the Lively stranded extend, the first to forty feet in
length, and the second to twenty feet. At With water •
hawser was attached to the Lively from • Mesmer, and an
eta mpt wee made to drag her off, the object being to run
the gunboat into thellow water. Th. vessel, however,
imm.vesthle, her position on the rocks being very
firm. When the tide rose the waves broke over the
Lively, the water dashing over the top of the funnel. The
officers and crew, mventyeight in number, left the thane
between eight and nine o'clock in the lull belief that
the vessel would either be broken up Of would
heel over and go down. The men on landing at
Stornoway were boa ,mmodated in the Lewis Coffee
room, where they were supplied with breakfast.
The cenduct of the commander, the officers, and
men is highly praised. No explanation of the
accident has yet been given. Tee capmin bed the benefit
of the Desistance of the Tobermory pilot, who is credited
with an intimate knowledge ot the c est, and was aware
of the existence of the rocks. He was on the bridge of
the uesdp ahem the accident occurred. The Sub.
Lieutenant and the Navigating-Lieutenant, it is said,
were alio on the bridge. The Ren and Chickens rocks
are clearly marked out on the chart. and the weather on
the night of the mit utroohe wee clear and quiet The
damage is estimated at thirty thousand pounds. The
disaster hes caused gre t consternation in Lewis. 'the
rock on which she first strzick was fully a fathom under
water. By the lurch she made that side the bow was
lifted up, and the paddles being still in the water the
Lively was driven over the rock nearly twenty feet, Her
bow then struck • higher ridge, In she
remalned feet,
The vessel wet balite' wood, and on the port side of the
stem, 'be timbers •ere driven in, while the keel for more
, than 12 feet backward. had been carried away. A sharp
peak of the rock had penetrated the hull just forward
troin the paddle-boxes, and it is believed that prevented her from sliding backwards sod demppearing into deep
water. When the thlp
_reek Commuted*? Parr ma
forward, and swinging etmeelf over the port bow slighted
on the rook to serartain the extent of the dewlec Tbe
water in the neighbourhood is very deep, aid rocas
smell; and had Me ship been steered her owe Meadth to
either side dm would have been safe
The Baptisms' =skis the following statement :—" A
very unpleasant Incident occurred, which will doubtless
form the subject of inquiry. The Talisman, steamer,
proceeding to Stornoway, was hailed after the Lively
had struck, but she refund to come to the veseeTs
&nee. The L.r.ly, et tit. 'tun.of the direeter. WM under
elilthe thew of N evioting Lieutenant 12111 a, nnd the poaa
meePntliwibt slitest.eirdoftetbienilde.da:O•hwsialge"upthp.si°l6l7stboa.arest,d7re t:ir.stiwtobsenlanttb.lar;t:eily.".74.l44l:etiTb.hi:d.:
the reesia, or some of tie eiders os deck, it
they were Arable • warldilL bet they were too far off
to he hoard.
The Liver is offirial4 dent... Led se a demeatre meld of
an* guln, 9a Mg tons. 1.403 liommineiree. attacked
te the Manna._ Squedrns and nmeaimimscag maw ma as «wow Ist of au yaw.

LA'

THE BRIGHT CELEBRATION.,
Birmingham streets are crowded for the Bright
celebration. despite chWy threatening weather.

THZ DYNAMITE CONSPIRACY.

Tb• Wel of the an dllsoulll• ocogliiralontra=d
it Old Bailey te-day, tlbe Attoroey-Generel as
000siderable length the owe for the prosecution.