The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-09-14 00:00:00

SATURDAY, SEPT. 14, ME.

nostications of those who foretc4l that the main cabin would
be found full of dead bodies were apparently to be denied
verification. There was quite a crowd watching the pro
eeedings of the Thames policemen when they com-
menced to search the interior of the vessel with their
long boat-books. After one or two articles of apparel
had been recovered from the main deck saloon, which
was almost wh dly out of the water, it was resolved that
every possible effort should be made to find out whether the
a:thins did really contain the ghastly freight which was con-
sidered by many to be within them. Accordingly an entrance
was forced into the main cabin by the destruction of the sky-
lights, which were sawn and knocked awiy. Au iron ladder
was then procured, and a diver immediately made his way
down into the bold. Tery anxiously did the people above
wait for his reappearance. Now and again his hand came
forth, hut there was no sign of the dreadful burden which
everyone expected him each moment to bring to light
A man's low felt hat, two or three leather hand
bags, half-a-dozen umbrellas, a score of bottles, a similar
number of glasees, and one or two trinkets—these were the
only results of his searching, and that of others. When he
re-appeared, after an absence below deck of more than half
an hour, the eager questions put to him elicited at once that
he had failed to discover any bodies. Ile had, however, found
so much mud in the vessel that free circulation was impos-
sible, and, as his search had necessarily to be conducted more
by touch than eight, it was believed he had missed discover-
ing that which formed the chief object of his mission.

On Monday, night the following figures were made
up :—Bodies brought to the dockyard, 505; bodies re-
moved for interment, 222; remaining, 283, of which
112 were unidentified. As 33 bodies came in later, the
number obtained up to eight p.m. on Monday night
would appear to be 538. To these should be added a
few corpses still lying at other parts of the river.
Out of the 186 identified at the inquests before
Monday 69 were men, 85 women, and 34 children.
Supposing the like proportions to obtain, it may be
said roughly that out of the 600 lcst (for this is the
lowest estimate that can possibly be accepted now,
and it is probably too low) 210 were men, 270 women,
and 120 children.

at Miss Clarke's, 16, Clapham-road. took her Lies(' with
her for a trip down the river, and both perished. The
four brothers of the lady—one being father of the
_yoUnger
eleoeased—followed in the mournful procession to FinchleY
Cemetery. During the afternoon the remains of Comolins
Briscoe, a constable of the N division of Police, with his wife
and one child of the two drowned in the collision, were
buried at Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington. The
fruaeral was attended by Superintendent Green and In'
spectors Glasse, Overy. Bishop, Jamieson, Brodie, Parker,
Holland, and Dunman, 24 sergeants, and over 300 constables,
with the band of the H division, and one of the fire-engines
from Clapton, upon which were eight firemen and Supt.
Sales. The deceased last year saved the life of a child bY
jumping into the Regent's Canal, for which he received s
medal from the Royal Humane Society. One other child of
his is still missing, and he leaves one little orphan, a
boy of very tender years.—At the Abney Park Cemetery
were also buried two brothers, Charlton William Harrison,
24, and Arthur Major Harrison, 19, and as the former had oc-
cupied a very prominent position in connection with the Good
Templars and the East London Temperance Association, there
were present large numbers of members of those bodies to
testify their respect and appreciation.—From the mortuary,
Northampton-road, Clerkenwell, nine of the victims in the
Princess Alice were burled. Two hearses arrived about two
o'clock, and from all parts of the neighbourhood people as-
sembled to witness the funeral, but there was little to be seen
that could gratify curiosity.—Another of the victims in the ill-
fated saloon boat Princess Alice, Thomas Jones, of Bell-alley,
Goswell-road, was interred at Ilford Cemetery. So great was
the throng of spectators that it was with considerable difficulty
a passage could be obtained for the mourners to pass into the
carriages. The hearse and three mourning coaches contain-
ing the widow and five little children together with other
relatives were followed by a long string of vehicles, most of
which were occupied by friends and fellow workmen of the
deceased."