The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-01-13 00:00:00

MERSEY.

The funeral of M. Gembetta in Paris on Saturday
seem to heve been one of the meet imposing demen-
stratiens held in the French capitel eine, the remains
of the reat Nepoleon were, brougl,t from Sr. fieleha
in 1840. Vie deputations . from au parts of Frame,
the miles oi elieeed shops, the unw 'teed aspect of the
streets, and the mighty masses of soecnitors, all corn-
bioed to make up a scene which even our dramatic
neighbours across the Ceannel do not often equal.
,Gamleetta was popular bec ins° in an hour of supreme
national peril he sprang to the front and made a
desperate effort to drive the invaders from the country
of his birth. The story -Of his leaving Paris in
a _balloon on the
.10th of October, 1870, when
that city was closely invested by the Germans,
of his safe arrivel at Tours, and of his organisa-
tion of the Government of National Defence, which
kept the vast. assembled armies of Prussia at
bay nearly five reontleS after the surrender of the
Emperor at Sedan, read more like a romance than a
chapter of sober history within our own reinemlnance.
There was a time in that dark period when • the
Germane, with all their victories, were in a critical
position, hut the surrender of Metz was a fatal blow.
It acted in two ways-. It sent 170,00 French soldiers
as prieonerm into Germany, and released a German
army 200,000 strong from the investment of Metz to
march upon Paris. Garnbetta's superhuman efforts
. had been all in vain.
Lon Ganahette—leonine in appearance—has been
called the Lion qf France. He had a remarkably ring-
ing and powerful voice, which awoke the echoes of the
Chamber of•the Corps Legislative in the days of the
Empire, rose above the din at Bordeaux when Alsece
and the greater pert of Lorraine had to be surrendered
to the foe, and was familiar enough in the Palace of Ver-
tailleswhen the deputies held their sittings there, before
removing to Paris. He is described as having been
slovenly in dress, and inattentive to those niceths
which men of a smaller intellectual calihre affect in
the -furhiehing of their . personal appearance. The
truth is, he had no time for auch trifles, nor had he
any inclination for them. A man who has till, d the
pasition of Pilate Minister of France, and amid the
multitude of changes of Government there looks for-
ward, reasonably to the Premiership again, has his
attention touch too pre-occupied to think of how he
will look in another kind of collar, or a necktie of a
different colour.
The quality of a man's brain is evidently of far more
impottence than its quantity, seeing that the brain of
M. Gambetta was not above an averahe iii wseight. It
did not weigh more than two English pounds, while
that of Mr. Thackeray, the great novelist, was nearly
three, and so also was that of S;r James Shop-on, the
eminent physician. The late Lrd Beacuesfield had a
very braio ; and as for the present Prime
Minister, it is said he can never get a ready-made
hat to fit Lim ; his head always has to he measured.
The reported abandonment of Mr. Gladetone's pro-
jeeted visit to Midlothian, in consequence of the right
hon. gentletnan'e ill-heaLit will be a matter of regret
to all who take an interest in public affairs.
Mr. Gladstone has eot addresied a public gather-
ing of his constituents eince the general electioh,
end a great deal has happened meantitne. He firet
went down there on the 24th of November, 1879,
and in the course of a fortnight delivered a series of
epeechesdeithe metropolitan county of Scotland. For
a man who had arrived' at the seventieth year of his
ace the effort was a gigantic one. He often up ke amid
deeceeding snow, his white hair being blown about .n
the bitter wind, and an army of more than a hundred
reporters followed in his train. Upon tee dissolutiori
of Parliament on the 24th March, 1880, Mr. Gladstone
went down again and was elected. Upon his appoint-
ment to the Premiership, he necessarily vacated his
seat on accepting office under the Crown; but his con-
stituents did not put him tu the trouble of going down
to be reelected, for he went through that process
without opposition. That is "nearly three years ago,
and such has,heen the quietude of this recess that a
speech or two from a man holding the position of
premier would now be read with interest.
ir Charles Dilkeie unopposed return :for Chelsea
on hie appointment as Presid-nt of the Local Govern-
meat Board makes. the Cobieet once more com-
plete, which it hid not' been 'since the resignation
ou Mr. ihieht in July last. The fact that the right
lion, baronet had to vacate his -seat, altheogh he
4.• has been a very prominent member of the Aeinistry
ieOriieke it existed, illustrates in a peculiar way the
4eirleing of the British Constitution. When, as now,
• the Secretary of State for Foreign Aff sirs is in the
House of Lords, it is essential- that the Under Secre-
eery should be in the Cemmens, and that moreover he
ehoulel be one of the men of mark in that assembly.
But the Under Secretaryship is n,t technically a
4._roevn appeinteneet ; the fiction is that it is made by
the Secretary of State, Ja reality, of course, there is
o difference ; hilt in the f, rra.r case the seat is not
• vacated, 31,1 in the latter it as. ir Charles Dilke
did not vacate seat on his taking the Foreign
Under Secretaryship, but he did on accepting the
Presidercy of the Local Government Beare; hence
the necessity for pre-enting, himself to his c,omnitnents
for re-election.
The appointment of a new Primate has afforded
an enportunity of making an appeal for the throwing
open for pureeeep ef public recreation of the nine acres
of fields-attached to Lambeth Palace and beyond the
gardens. The latter, which immediately adjoin the
episcopal palace eo famous in English history, would
of course be retained for the private use of the Arch-
hiehop, and eo one would wish to interfere with them.
But the -fields, eine sinres- in. extent, outside the garden
wall, have hitherto been devoted to sheep grazing,
and would be eepecially.aoceptable to a vast popula-
tion for etienperposea of recreation. Those Who are
rmoving In-this heater have the' big:fie-et' hopes of 'sue-
e'ess from the welhenown views of the new Primate.
AmongSt theeea,ies of issa w.g Toile to .the people of
Lolneon ivhich has not attracted much attention. Six
thousand eicrei. of. Weededeconntry, secure for ever
from the danger .of encleeureAand fro* the enterprise
of the speculative builder, have been dedicated by the
;Queen to the use of her people for all time. The
reserved-space was Epping Forest. The Corporation
of the City of London has Many-critics, but the public
spirit ma•nifested by that body frotn time to time is
aaaseaee-e., beyond question or dispute.. The rescue of Epping
-- ...Forest from the common fate of enclosure, which
• befalls eo many open spaces near our populous towns,
was an incident iretho history of the corporate autho-
erte._r Jity which will-long be remembered with gratitude by
- the iiababitants_of the capital. 441.14..
!VP er- Mani a country. visitor .to London 11"aa had the
eetsa`r cnrioeity to look at the Temple Bar Memorial on the
ite of- Sir Christopher Wren's antiquated gateway,
.0'6,0601 -..;.etnii.between the.Thryal.COurte of Justice and Messrs.
esseteset-ea*Childhs -Bank.-- The -Memorial was much abused;
ke'aiirtlatet there were upon it really. ornate designs repre-
senting sotne of the hietcric City processions of the
see
.oaete. and coreying the mind heck to days long
• ago.- -These,' however,. being in terra-cotta, were
.often broken by the mischievously disposed mem-
:, the passing : crowd. These --have now
e-) 'lbe7sti rep-le.ced by metal, and there is no
telfeesaexe '
own* ee 'doubt as .to the --addition which the substitution has
sot tee neade to the beauty' of the Memorial. For a lore
v?‘34 14' 01410 it mat.) -lighted by only two lamps on the City
0-idea-at the -Weettnineter end shedding no light
sove'r the busy thoeceighfaree The lamps have however
elinewsbeeresupplied ; they match well with those of the
see:efieer. leity'lit the eastern end ;and now by night as well as
. by day the memorial can be_ seen by the crowd of
"se --•• reedeeteians who, are ever hurrying eastward and west-
Oetalbeteveen• Charing Cross and London Bridge;
Throngh the thoughtful•eonsideration of the Lord
• 3/44-'• •Chancellor' the New Lave Courts have been seen by
:Ye 'evetyotteleehocared to wander. over the geiat building,
• • : • Which will'be an imperiehable monument to the genius
e.,f Mr. Streets In &i probability the electric light
* WPT 'soon be applied to the internal arrangements of
e the vaet. structere. The centre of London is not a
very cheerful-place in midwinter, ani the sombre
gloom of the past three menths has but seldom been
, brokeraby the oblique rays of the sun. The Grand
ant- being. teceesary for access to the various
enurts,e.will be .open to the publie. only on special
oitseione," It is one of: the most impressive portions
;Orate; of our public -buildings, and was the scene of
the opening ceremony. by her Majesty on the 4tl ult.
.Eyente commanding co much public attention as
e the death of AI. Gambetta, awl fa a lesser degree the
-54• s death or General Chanzy, have not e..ntirely drawn
away the public notic-es from the dieeeteous oode in
• e , thee fineet.pcovi.nees ef. Europe. We hear of the oven-
-' :reit ifi▪ sotia4 of theßhipe Anclethe Danube ; hut there is a
river larger tean etthei Orthete, of Whonl nobody
ever hears alter he leaves school. When a boy he is'
. • taught that the lareetit river in Europe is the Volga,
- evhiehraakes its way to the sea through a considerable
pai(of Russia. The Volga is more than twice the
; (awl' of the Rhine, and is larger than the Denube.
It' is ten . times as- long as the Thames; but by no
chime (4.,,:g any account ever appear in the papus of
• •-•
the 'o* erti,ering- of tee :Volga. A_ body o• water
eetet te. h-eil!sich ii arms a length of country equal to 2,000 miles
seehesess- ' • is'nouid in. soma 'parts of its course pass throneh a
atenette few 13.100tated , districts; telt tired:tug river pe'erne
itteseit e -nesse Ma4tt .ine. Fay through barren steppes and vast
*haw!, reoiitueles, the, ',hind of its rubble waters dyine
net tee- :sway amid din-aria wildiern.ess; arid a tong rernov;
-ye elide ±(Oui toe busy haunts of leen such as the Denub4 has
testeest-1. ,ilormed Vienoa, the Rhine at Coblentg' the Seine
in Paris, and the Thames in London. To use an ex-
- - pression of Millen in his "Paradiee Lost," and apply-
' log it to the vast voluble of the Volga, "eternal silence
• `seems to be its doom." •

114**

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WO- -

*di*t

s

We deem it right to state that we do not at all times I
'46.entify ourselves with our correspondent's opinions.] SINKING OF AN ATLANTIC MAIL
STEAMER.
The Times of Monday gave the following account
of a disastrous collision between two steamers
On Sunday rrialit, a new steamer Kirby Hall,
belonging to the Hall Line of steamers trading between
the 'oessey nisi India, ariived at Liv,rpool with the
news of a teriible collusion which had occurred at the
estuary of the Mersey between her and the Inman
steamer Oity of Brussels, involving the almost' imme-
diate foundering of the latter vessel and the loss of
eight of her crew and two of her passengers.
A dense fog has prevailed for several days, not only
in the immediate vicinity of Liverpool, but in the
Channel, and it was due to this circumstance that the
collision between the two vessels occurred.
The City of Brussels sailed from New York for
Liverpool on Thursday week, crossed the Atlantic in
safety, reached Queenstown in due course, and sailed
thence for Liverpool where, under ordinary conditions,
she should have arrived on Sunday. Everything went
on smoothly with the City of Brussels on the passa,ge
up Channel until the vicinity ot the North-West
Lightship, the outer mark of the Mersey, situate
twenty miles outside of Liverpool, was reached.
It was then about six o'clock on Saturday
morning. The fog, which before had been
slight, now became dense and impenetrable; and
as it came rolling over the waves from the
landward it enveloped the whole scene in dark-
ness. It is said that it was impossible to see
further than six or eight yards ahead. In these cir-
cumstances Captain Land, of the City of Brussels,
decided not to attempt to make any headway, but to
lie by under steam in the neighbourhood of the North.
West Lightship. A sharp arid careful look-out was
kept, the captain and the second and fourth officers
being on the bridge. The pilot who had charge of the
navigation was also locking out. Every other pre-
caution u-ual in the case of a fog was adopted ; bells
were kept ringing, and the fog-horns of the engines
were frequently sounded. •
For some time the vessel lay in this position in
safety, and no danger seemed to threaten, but the
precautions were not relaxed, and extra look-out men
were posted in every part of the large vessel. These
measures had a reassuring effect on the passengers, of
whom there were a considerable number on board, and
no apprehession of peril was excited. Suddenly a
low gurgling sontei of a vessel approaching was
heard. A large sieamer, only a few yards distant,
moving quickly OH 000-1 the water, loomed out it, the
too, and almost instantly, before any. steps could be
taksn to avert it, a tremendous collision was seen to
he inevitable. The bow of the strange steamer
struck the starboard bow of the City of Brussels with
terrine orce, cutting her down to the water's edge
and almost half through.
The vessel which had thus suddenly made her pre-
sence felt proved to he the Hall Liner Kirby Ball,
which is stated to have been on her maiden Noyage.
She had left Glasgow only a few hours before, and
was calling at Liverpool to complete her loading and
to embark passengers for the East.
The moment that the collision was seen to be in-
evitable verything possible was done on board the
City of Brussels; to protect the lives of the passengers
and crew, and all tome on board bear testimony to
the presence of mind and coolness displayed by
Captain Land and his officers. Indeed, even alter
the collision the passengers seemed to be unc n
scious of the gravity of the situation and the
terrible gap which had been made in the forward
past-of the ve,sel. She was known to be leaking
Very rapidly, and all the pasi.engers were marsha led
into appointed placea; 8o- that there was no hurry
or confusion. Lute buoys and other appdances were
served out, the boats swung on the davits, and
every preoaration was made for the emergency. This
proved to Le more critical and immediate than was
anticipated. The passengers had been put into the
boats, and some of the crew were told off to each
of these crafts, the captain and the remainder of his
men continuing on board until after the safety of
the rest had been assured. The vessel got visibly
lower in the water, and those of the crew who bad
not escaped in the boats climbed the rigging and
awaited the result, "It was the coolest thing you'd
ever- see in this world," was the remark of a weather-
beaten sailor, in narrating the catastrophe. In about
20 minutes after the impact the huge vessel gave a
aremeudeut lurch, flinging •if those who were in Oai
rigging and plunging into the depths with a fearful
swirl. The scene that ensued was heartrending in the
extreme. The people in the boats were enveloped in
darkness, and those in the water were without help.
The Kirby Hall, whic's immediately after the col-
lision had rebounded through the violence of the
impact and was soon obscured in the fog were unable
to lower boats or render any active assistance. The
boats of the City of Brussels picked up all who could
be recovered quill the water, but this was no easy
flinger, owing to tube difficulty of seeing what was
going on around. The fog lifting, all the people
were taken on beard the Kirby Hall, which had
not left the vicinity ; and when they were mustered
on board of her it was found that two of the passengeis
had been drowned They were steerase passengers
and Italians. There were also eight of the City of
Brussels crew lost, including the second officer, Mr.
Young, arid the carpenter Woods. All the others are
believed to have escaped. The Kirby .Hall, after
searchieg about the scene of the disaster for several
hours, proceeded to Liverpool, where she arrived on
Sunday night at ten o'clock, and landed the survivois
of the calamity at the landing stage.

The fuller accounts of the collisicn show that the
force with which the Kirby Hall ran against the
City of Brussels make it surprising that the latter
vessel did not sink even sooner than she did. Tile
Kirby Hall Made a gash 81t in width, and pene-
trated 31t. into the side of the other vessel, and
before any arrangement could be made fora temporary
stoppage of the hole with a sail, the carpenter found
that there were 14ft. of water in the fore hold, show-
ing that the water must have been pouring into the
steamer in imintnse volume. The Kirby Hall's cut-
water was entirely carried away, and there was a
large rent in her iron plates between the 181 t. and
24ft. mark.
Some officers of the Mersey Bank and Harbour
Board and of the Liverpool Salvage Association
visited the scene of the catastrophe on Monday so as
to mark the spot, the position of the sunken steamer
rendering her a danger to the navigation of vessels
entering or leaving the Mersey. The City of Brussels
Aas found to be in fifteen fathoms of water, two miles
and a ball to the north- east of the North-west Light-
:ship, with her masts above water. A steam tug with
divers and apparatus was despatched to• remove the
vessel's matt and funnels, and thus minimize the
denger to passing v.essel.. There seenis to be no hope
of raising, the steamer's hull, but with favourable
weather much of the cargo will probably be recovered.
No Mote bodies were found.

Mr. D. Siegel, manager and foreign representative
of 'Ales rs.. W. 'l'. Blackwell and Co., manufacturers
of tobacco and cigarettes' Durham, N.C., America,
who was a passenger on board the City of Brussels,
said he originally took his passage to this country in
the ( tty of Berlin, but on the mishap to that vessel
was transferred to the City of Brussels. The City
of Brussels had good weather for the first four
days, alter which a terrible gale- came on ' • this
they safely weathered, through the skilful sea-
manship of Captain Land. '1 Sunday morning
they were all happy. About half-past five that
morning the narrator was in his berth when he heasrd
a tremendous crash, "a solid crash" he not inaptly
termed it. He got out of bed, but not hearing
just then anything further he laid down to rest again,
when he was alarmed a second time by the cry of
"boats," the meaning of which, though he did not
know it, he feared to be one indicating danger. He
hastily put on the first garments he could lay hold of,
and went on deck, and he saw they were getting out
the boats. He observed a young lady, together with a
feeble old lady, trying to get into one of the boats, and
he immediately assisted them. This boat we the one
which was taken command of by the purser, to whose
courtesy and presence of mind he pays a high compli-
ment. Mr. Siegel says he saw some of the drowned
men " fished " out. One of these was the second
officer, a fine stalwart young fellow, whom it was
pitiable to behold. He also saw the captain " fiehed "
out, There were about thirty persons in the boat
in which Mr. Siegel was. He heard them halloo.-
lug to the Glasgow boat. He does not know any
earticulars as to how the accident occurrs d. The
were, he adds' very kindly received on hoard the
Kirby Hall, and the doctor of the City of Brussels was
very kind to them. Mr. Siegel says he lost all his
clothine and effects, together with 400 dole, in money.
Asked if he and the others had not time to get their
effects together, Mr. Siegel replied that he was afraid
of being left behind, as it was impossible to know
how long she would keep up. One of his companions
was an artist, who had some valuable paintings with
him, all of which were, of course, lost.

Captain Land, the captain of the City of Brussels,
has given a narrative of the disaster, in the course of
which, after describing the collision, he says :—" I at
once gave orders for one garg to clear away the
boats; for the chief officer and another gang to
get a spar sail and place it over the hole made
by the collision; and for the oaepenter to sound
the wells and report the amount of water in the
ship. Before the sail could be got off the car-
penter reported 14ft of water in the forehold,
and the engineer reported that water was making
fast in the stokehole, and that tl.e fires would
be out in about a minute. I thereupon ordered
all hands to leave the sail and get the boats out, the
steward to marshal the passengers on deck without
luggage or encumbrance, and the purser to see all the
women in the boats first, which orders were coolly and
skilfully carried out by the purser and stewards, I
also instructed the chief officer to take the port life-
boat, eet as many as he could it it, and bang off for
the ship. The veesel was by this time filling as fast
as the other boats were filled protniecuouely by the men
without orders, and they pushed away trern the side,
-leaving reyee)f, the chief engineer, the doctor, the
second officer, the carpenter, and about six or seven
other men on board. As they were not able to get
the beats to approach us again, when the ship h
sunk as far as the bridge I sang out for everyone to
save himeelf, and then sprang ,ff the bulwarks head
first ieto the water. Tee chlef engineer and the
others ran up the mizeee riegine, and as the City of
Brussels sank deeper and the wat- r reached them they
floated off, seizing hold of any wreckage or spar that
might be about. I got hold of a spar, on which I
floated and swam with two or three others. We were
buoyed up until the boats to k us in and put us aboard
the Kirbg Hall. We afterwards returned and cruised
round the wreck for an hour, 'Atkin ~ up the ru-
se ~ibe forms of the second officer and t e carpecter.
We used every effert to restore animation to
their bodies, but without avail. The total nun bar
lost wan ten, consisting of eight of the crew (including
second officer and carpenter) and two Italian steerage
passenger's. When on board the Kirby Hall the
utmost attention was shown to us by the captain and
. . •