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

TERRIBLE COLLISION IN THE

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offices. We remained in the vicinity of the wreck
until Sunday ev.miing, when the weather cleared, and
we to oce,ded to take a pilot from the station boat at
the liar -Li4htstdp. From the pilot we got some beef-
steak and other food, which we cooked, serving it to
the ladies and the steerage passengers. We then
steamed up the Channel, and landed io the Korpeth
Mck about eleven o'clock at night, after which we
cro,:bed the river to Liverpool.

Continuing his narrative, the Captain proceeds :—I
have nothing but prase for the manner in which
the officers arid crew worked under the trN jug cir-
cumstances, and their endeavours to get the passengers
away corn ortaely were so su3cessful that not one of
them even had his feet wet. The second officer was a
fine young fellow of 26 years of age, a very attet:tive
and clever officer. It is probable that he was injured by
some of the wreckage. Of the conduct of the carpenter
I cannot speak too highly. He was cool and quick as
lightning in his movements, reporting the soundings
smartly and correctly, as if no peril existed. Being
only lightly clad at the time, I believe his death re-
sulted from the intense cold during his immersion in
the water. Very great praise is also dud to the chief
officer, to Mr. George Collar, the purser, and Mr.
Todd, chief engineer, for the calmness and decision
with which they carried out my orders. Whilst we
were in the water some episodes occurred which
may almost be said tube even humorous. For in-
stance, the engineer and the doctor having made their
way to a box which was floating about, the former, in
order to cheer up his companion in distress and prevent
him succumbing, had recourse to the recital of as many
comical "yarns" as he could think of. Two Irish-
men hanging on to my spar also kept up an amusing
dialogue, in which the wit of their nation beguiled very
acceptably the dreary quarter of an hour or twenty
minutes before we were taken out of the water. •

Of the many stories told of the disaster the joint
statement of two of the crew who arrived at the
Liverpool Sailors' Home is full of interesting details.
One of these men had been on the look-out, and was
relieved at four o'clock by a seaman who is amongst
the missin— It seems that after the shock was felt
he rushed into the forecastle to rouse his sleeping
comrades. He told them that the case was serious,
and that it was necessary to use all speed. The
men tem& warned jumped out of their berths,
and several of them, with only their sleeping garments
on, rushed to the deck, where they found the other
members of the crew busy cutting the lashings which
held the boats. The pas-engers were the first to be put
into the boats, and amongst them the lady portion had
the preference. All the passengers on board the City
of Brussels, with the exception of the two drowned,
were put into the boats, and got clear before the
steamer foundered ; hut at least two dozen of the crew
were left struggling for their lives in the water
when their vessel went from under them. 'there was,
fortunately, a large number of spars and other
buoyant materials en deck, and it was by the aid of
these that most of the immersed men kept themselves
afloat until they were picked up; one of the two men
who contribete this report was in the boat which
picked up the almost lifeless form of the unfortunate
second officer, whilst the other man formed one of the
crew of the boat whieh rescued the commander of
the steamer. In the former case the second
officer was found filating on the top of the
water. The hceiy seemed to be without animation.
The face of the poor fellow was lying on the
water, the waves beating into it. Some time
after the efforts bad been continued to restore
animation there appeared a slight sign of return-
ing consciousness, which was received with satis-
faction by all around; but shortly afterwards
life was fetand to be extinct. The captain was
Leand about an hour and a half after the collision.
He was clinging to a spar, along with three others of
the crew. The boat was directed to the spot by the
cries of the sufferers. The three men were first pulled
into the boat, and then the captain. The rescue was
most timely, as the men were very much exhausted,
and must have succumbed to their sufferings had they
been much further prolonged.
One of the most thrilling adventures was that under-
gone by the boatswain's boy, who was rescued from
the rigging three or four hems after the disaster
occurred. All the boats had returned to the Kirby
Ball, when, about eleven o'clock, a sound was heard
proceeding from the direction of the sunken steamer.
On further listening It was found to be a voice calling
out for assist:sr-we. Instantly there wa- quite a rush
of men to the boat to go in search of the helplees
being, whoever he spight be. The fog had by
this time greatly cleared ; still the men were only
guided to the spot by the sound of the voice, as
nothing could be seen. In a very short time the boat
was alongside the sunken vessel, in the tops of
whose masts, which were visible above the water
foreeveral feet, was the poor b atswain's lad. He wee
very soon brought down and placed safely in the boat,
which again cruised round the vessel, in the hope of
fieding se,me otters. This was, however, fruitless. The
boy told his rescuers of the fate of the lamp trimmer,
who, but tiftcen minutes before, was supporting
himself in the wizen riggieig. Although both of them
har-i been in the rigging of the veseel. since she went
down—one on one mast, however, and the other on
another—not a word passed between thew. The
lamp trimmer kept his hold until shortly before
the boat came up, when he became exhausted and
fell down, dieappearing at once beneath the
water. Another incident during the lad's imprison
merit occurred just after the vessel went down. He
was well up to the top of the rigging, and looking
down he beheld one of the quartermasters with his
face about a foot below the water. He seemed to
be looking up at the lad, but could not get
an inch further. The Jame was upturned,
and the poor fellow had evidently been making
for the top of the rigging, but the vessel diem).
pearieg such-161_1y just took him beneath the
waves. He seemed unable to go further, and
hsd either been suddenly smothered or else his foot
must have got last in some part of the rigging. The
boy looked at him for a moment, but his attention was
then directed to his own safety. On looking down
again a few minutes afterwards the quartermaster bad
gone, and was never afterwards seen by the boy.

Mr. J. 1. Plummer, who was one of the passengers
in the City of Brussels, arrived at Orwell, near Ipswich,
on Monday. Mr. Plummer, who is astronomer at
Colonel Ti mime's Observatory, was returning from
Bermuda, where he had been witnessing the transit of
Venus on behalf of the English Government. He
has lost all his instruments and luggaze, but his re-
ports on the observations had been mailed from New
York.

The Kirby Hall lies in the Morpeth Dock, moored
to the ordinary berth of the Bombay steamers, very
high in the water. The principal damage, which
carried away the cutwater over a foot into her stem,
is above water. She draws 18ft. forward and 18it.
aft, and there is a large rent in the iron plates from
the 18it. mark to the 24ft. mark, the c twater being
entirely carried away, and the iron plates curled up.
There is also a large indentation above the.24ft mark.
Beyond this the vessel appears to have suffered no
darn Age whatever, no other plates except theee by her
cutwater being stated.