The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-03-08 00:00:00

THE EXPLOSION ON BOARD A
STEAMER.

The captain of the Aberdeen died en Tuesday
morning at the Gravesend Infirmary. The inquest
was resumed before Mr. W. G. Penman, Gravesend
Borough coroner, on Tuesday. The names of those
whose deaths were the subject of inquiry were Charles
Matheson, captain; James Hilson, second officer; and
Henry Daines, pilot. The bodies of the first two were
identified, and medical evidence given as to the cause
of death.

Cornelius Thompson, of the firni of G. Thompson
and Co., said that he was on board the Aberdeen
when she left her moorings on Saturday afternoon.
He was talking with the captain and a Mr. Knight
opposite the door of the chart-room. About five or
ten minutes after the vessel started Hilson placed the
powder magazine just inside the chart-room. Hilson
afterwards called out that the magazine was on fire.
Witness ran, and the explosion took place. On
returning to the spot he saw Hamm lying under the
bow of the starboard lifeboat, and some blue lights
burning on the deck. Witness saw the captain
afterwards at the Infirmary, and he said to wit-
ness, "It's all owing to that magazine." 1 have
always been of opinion that there should be no such
things on board merchant ships.
Mr. J. H. Knight said that he was talking with
the captain and Mr. Thompson until shortly before
the explosion took place. He had the magazine
in full view, and saw no smoke issuing from it at any
time. When Hilson called out that it was on fire, the
captain said to him "Overboard with it." Witness
then ran for shelter behind the funnel casing.
James Barclay, first officer, said that he received on
board, about nine o'clock on Saturday morning, the
magazine, a box containing rockets and a paper parcel
containing blue lights. These were all placed outside
the chart-house. Ho ordered the magazine to be
opened to be ready for the Government inspector,
and as the key of the padlock had boon lost, the pad-
lock had to be forced. The magazine contained powder
in an inner compartment, and rockets and blue lights
in the outer compartment. surrounding. The inner lid
fitted on to the inner compartment by means of a flange,
the outer lid was fastened with a bayonet spring, and
in the centre with a hasp for a padlock. There were
in the magazine two tin boxes of revolver cartridges
in the hollow under the lid of the inner compartment.
Witness examined the magazine, closed the lid and
left it secure. About eleven o'clock he received on
board a box containing twenty-five flanneled cartridges
and the loose one which was used to fire the gun,
which it was customary to fire to satisfy the inspector
that it was in good order. The separate packages of
explosives wore taken on board because the quantities
they were required to carry could not be contained in
the magazine. Witness ordered the box to be placed
beside the other things.
Captain G. C. Sconce, assistant emigration officer to
the Board of Trade, said that with the captain he
examined the explosives about two o'clock on Saturday
afternoon, and was satisfied as to their condition.
After tho examination the captain put the lid on the
magazine but not quite close down, as the button was
not quite over the slit in the lid, but no flame from
without could possibly have reached the contents.
The captain threw a rug over the whole of the
explosives, saying that he could not put them away
just then as the clerks were using the chart-room.
Witness did not think there would be danger in
leaving them outside the chart-house a short time
longer. The weight of the magazine he thought was
front 50 to 601 b.
The inquiry was again adjourned.

On Tuesday James Kelly, a railway guard, was sen-
tenced to seven years' penal servitude at Clare Assizes
for rifling the lnggage of Lady Fitzgerald and stealing
£2O worth of jewellery.
A telegram from Gibraltar states that the A.malia,
barve' of and from Hormosand from Cagliari and the
British steamer Bertha, from Cardiff for Bombay, were
in collision at four a.m. on Tuesday morning off Trafal
gar. The former vessel sank, all the crew being drowned
except the master. The other vessel put into Gibraltar
slightly damaged

THE PRINCESS OF WALES AND THE
LIFEBOAT SERVICE.
On Monday the Princess of Wales personally pre-
sented medals to two coxswains of the Royal National
Lifeboat Institutions, as rewards for gallant services
in saving life. The ceremony took place at Marl-
borough House in the presence of the Prince of
Wales, attended by Lord Colville of Culross, Colonel
Stanley Clarke, Mr- Holzmann, and Mr. F. Knollys.
There were also present Mr. Edward Birkbeck, M.P.
(chairman of the Lifeboat Institution), Colonel
Fitzroy Clayton, Mr. Cave, Admiral Ward (members
of the committee), Mr. Charles Dibdin (secretary),
Captain the Hon. H. W. Chetwynd, RN. (chief
inspector of lifeboats), Mr. Harman (chairman), and
Mr. W. Wrench Towse (hon. secretary of the Clacton
branch of the institution.

The recipients of the decorations were Robert
Legerton, the coxswain of the Albert Edward lifeboat,
stationed at Clacton, who has assisted to save
ninety-one lives, and Rowland Hughes, the coxswain
of the Moelfre (Anglesey) lifeboat, who at the ad-
vanced age of 82 years, is now retiring from the post,
after thirty-four years' service, having assisted to save
forty-nine lives. Each of the men was personally
presented with the medal by her Royal Highness, and
they were congratulated by their Royal Highnesses
on their heroic services. The Princess of Wales has
always taken a deep interest in the lifeboat work, and
on the occasion of one of their Royal Highnesses'
visits to the late Fisheries EThibition she was pleased
to express a wish to become vice-patroness of the
National Lifeboat Institution, and gave a donation
to the funds.