The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-09-25 00:00:00

AFFRAY BETWEEN CONVICTS AT

PORTLAND PRISON.

A murderous attack was made at Portland Prison
Thursday. Two prisoners employed in the bake.
house quarrelled, and one stabbed the other with a
knife in the side of the neck. Fortunately the wound
Wok a forward direction into the man's cheek, or it
would have proved fataL The injured omvict is
progressing favourably. It is stated that the convict
who attacked him endeavoured to cut his throat.

THE COLLISION IN THE
CHANNEL.
The adjourned inquest was held on Thursday
morning, and, after being formally opened at the Cove
Inn, was adjourned to the new schoolroom, Chesil,
Portland.
Mr. Fox Kenworthy, who had lost two brothers,
and Mr. Raikes, instructed by Messrs. Clarkson, Son,
and Greenwell. London. appeared for the owners of
the Forest; Mr. Ingledew, of Cardiff, for the owners
of the Avalanche', and Mr. F. C. Arden (Weymouth)
and Captain McNeil, Surveyor for the Association for
Protection Against Loss of Life, in which the ship
was insured. Captain Petherdridge, nautical adviser,
of Messrs. Shaw, Saville, and Co., and Mr. Temple,
one of the owners, with a brother of Capt. Williams
of the Avalanche; also M.. John Rounefell, Messrs.
T. Harwood, & Co., ages ts for the Forest, were ale:
present.
The Coroner (Mr. Howard) said it gave him pleasure
to speak in the highest terms of the bravery and skill
of the inhabitants, who went without fee or reward to
rescue life, and he publicly gave them thank. (Ap-
plause.) If it had not been for their bravery not one
single witness would have escapes' to be present here.
(Renewed applause.) He also referred at length to the
article in the rintesrelative to the details of the funeral,
and which said "The careless and indecent haste with
which the bodies were carried to the grave would be a
bating disgrace." In justice to himeelf and the police,
he stated, the Coroner had only to give a written order
for burial, and his duty then cea.al. Hie only sug-
gestion to the police was that the funeral might be put
off to allow relatives to be present. mud the funeral
di,' not take place till Saturday. Inquiry, he hope!,
would be male and the disgrace blotted off from the
jury and the coroner, for they were not at all responsi-
ble. The enquiry not only had to do with the deaths
of six belies viewed, but of over ninety others. It
was most important that these sea -borne carria,ges,
these large ships, should be guided with care and skill
from one port to another, and the jury would have to
inquire whether there MIN any culpable negligence.
They had not to enquire into the civil responsibility—
the Government have laid down rules by which shipping
is to be guideL Amongst those regulations respecting
lightsandsteering were :—On thestarboard side a green
light shall be shown, and a red" the port side. When
two ships are crossing, the ship with the wind on the
port side shall keep out of the way of the ship on the
starboard side, with certain exceptions, due regard
being had to all dangers of navigation. Before a
person was made criminally liable he must be shown
to have been wilfully negligent.
Wilhelm Meyer identified the five bodies as those of
John Rosett, carpenter, Lois Branson, cook, Alexander
Mitchell, J. Gaffery, and Constance Shmandt, three
seamen, also part of the Forest's crew. At the time
of the collision witness was on the forecastle deck,
the watch consisting of seven men, captain, and second
rette—captain aft on poop, second mate also. Heard
the report "Green light on port bow" by Nicholas, a
survivor. Witness saw the light plain, over the port
side. They were about two miles from the vessel, a
point and a-half from port bow. He believed the
wind was W.S.W. to S.W. Witness could not tell
the course the chip was steering, but they were on a
wind. The man then steering was drowned. About ten
minutes after the first time the light was again
reported very nearly ahead, half a point on port how.
Witness saw it awl went on the forecastle, and when
the other vessel was close, before the blow, heard some
one on the Forest's deck eay "Put your helm hard &-
starboard." Don't know if it WWI put as the other
vessel came right before our bow, and we struck her
before the mainmast. The Forest held on her course,
and the Avalanche turned out of her course, and our
port bow struck the port side of the Avalanche.