The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-01-23 00:00:00

DISIIIMISING INCIDUTTI.

The Western Meriting Nan OM the following, among
ether painfully interesting particulars, taken from the
lips of several of the survivors :

To John King's (able seaman) marvellous moos..
steersman the survivors oil entirely and with gvatiterie
sttribute their preservation.

Some heroic sacrifices were made. One of the pas-
sengers in the boat, Mr. John Wilma, • native of
Mostrooe, went down into the cabin and endeavoured
to persuade • friend, Mr. John Hickman, from Bsliana,
and brother to Mr. Hickman, solicitor, Southampton,
to attempt to save his life by pins into the boat, but
he said—" No, I promised my wife and children to stay
by them I , sod will do so." The water was then a con-
siderable depth on the lee side of the abloom indeed
over the top of the berths, and he asked Mr. Wilson to
help him In removing bis four children to the wind-
ward side, out of the water. This waa dose, and then
he shook hands with Yr. Wilsou, with "Good bye,
Jack," and parted from his friend for ever. When last
seen, Mr. Hickman woo standing in • row with his wife
sad children. This occurred about an hour before the
host put off, bat probably they had perished by that
time, as the water had before then poured into the
steamer through her cabin windows, and when the boat
left, she sea was Sash with the top of the prep deck,
and the csrpeen of drowned women sad children were
limiting over the deck.
When the men were all in the boat, one of the seamen
cried, "There may still be room. fetch • lady." Mr.
Wilson then sprang over a portion of the deck in marsh
of a lady whom he knew, but not seeing her, and
knowirsi that every instant was precious, he said to a
young girl, " Will you go?" She did not refuse, there-
fore Yr. Wilson seised her and took her to the
bulwarks; but when she looked over the rails and saw
the distance which she must spring she said in despair.
"Oh, I cannot do that." There was no time for per.
session or parley, and Mr. Wilson was obliged to drop
the girl end jump from the steamer to the book width
be fell into safely. The ship was being washed over to
the bait, towarch which it lunged heavily. The captain,
who was walking calmly up and down the poop, bad re-
fused to leave his ship, bat just before the hoot put off
he had the oonsideratioa and proem, of mind to give
thous in the boat their "course." Before the boat
could be got off it was In peat denier of being mead
down with the ship, which WU rapidly settling beneath
the water. 'llse swirl of water round the stern that
preceded the foundering had already begun to bo
sive, and the brat was therefore hastily cat away.
At that moment those in the boat were philately
galled upon by • lady about twenty-three years of ask

who with a face whisk was, it is dated, livid with
horror, shrieked out an offer of "a thorned guineas if
you'll Like me in." But in that album boar millions
of money would have been accoucted valueless, lied to
return must have remised in destruction to all.
One of the seamen btu stated that when the boat was
pushed off, and the captain bad wished these in bar
"God speed," the men resolved that no danger mud be
allowed to seems to them from further crowding, sad
that some of them drew their keine with Us determi-
nation of cutting the hands of those who might Imp
from the ship and endeavour to *lingo the o
•

gunwales.
It is stated that long before this, when it was Int
mule known that the vessel mud go down, •
pa...eager brought on deck a carpet beg. and that on his
doing so the oaptaiu gave • short melancholy laugh, and
then smiled sa one of th• panssoirts hl=l4t
the preporterous idea of the man t a such •
time of hit property."
The Dutch portion of the crew, twenty-one in panther•
refused to work, and according to the English sailors
who were eased, thus men went to their berths and re-
mined there, so that the passengers had to work at the
pumps weariedly for many hours with the English
seamen.
•

We into the waves with 299 others, bee sunk
Gustemas V. Brooke, the famed tragedian, who was
bound for the country which had been the maw of •
reverse of fortune to him, but previously of way
brilliant successes. He will be well remembered as
tall man, of powerful build, and he is stated by the
rescued passengers to have exerted his strength to the
utmost in helping to keep the ship afloat To the
steward, who mad* himself known, Mr. Brooke mid—
" If you imansed in slaving yourself, give my farewell to
the people of Melbourne."
• ••• ••• • - •

The rescued men remember with gratitude andr
the efforts put forth by ministers on board. Tbaime.
Dr. Woolley—mid to be a bishop—emeouraged the par
onion to work aa the pumps, in whisk be was meonded
by the stewardem, who had • ODD On board, and cheered
the passengers by her collected demeanour and constant
attentiona The women sat round Mm reading
Bibles with the children, and oxisaionally
ninn or woman would step up to Mr. Draper
and oy, "Pray with me, Mr. Draper,"—• request
that always was complied with. Up to the time
shia went down the reverend gentleman ministered to
tiros amongst whom be moved constantly. He was
beard to may repeatedly, "Oh, God, may these that are
not converted be converted now—bwadrods of them."

When tba boat pat off with the three pasegsn f our-
teon men, and two boys—ono being the youagim mid-
shipman on his first voyage—essay of the preangers,
who, although expecting death, little knew how very,
very soon it wan to come upon them, waved their hand-
kerchiefs and cheered when the boat got shout a doses
yards from the ship, being apparently anxious that some
ono should live to tell their hapless tale.
- - • -

By the time the men had rowed the gig about eighty
yar& the wind mune down upon them from all quarters
en boisterously that they could not bear each other when
shouting, and at this time they looked eagerly back, and
saw the noble new vowel sink rapidly by the stern. TO*
stem rose so high that the kes.l was observed for •
moment to be oompletely out of water as far VI the
foremast.
-

Two passengers were nee with life-belts, bet probably
woe were alive when tbey oases to the =dam
- -

The epeatitele was only to be seen, for in the din of
the tempest no ay from the sinking multitude Gould be
heard, and moon aot a vestige was visible.
As the ship each it was seen that all on deck were
driven forward, not by water, bat by a tremendous and
overpowering rush of sir from below, which, se it
seeped through Um desk as well as the batches, im-
pelled all on desk forward with riot= and their
dreadful struggle most have been soon
- •••

A poor old couple, who bad three childreo with them,
had tried in vain three times to go apes their Toys's,.
First in a vessel unknown, and which was wreaked • next
in the Diuman Dunbar, which was alm reoently wreaked;
and lastly. Gardner, tin steward, saw the poor wile
washed overboard irom the London, to leeward, her
husband following bar presently beneath the billows.

Amongst the passengers were two stout old people,
who bad become favourites on board, and who had been
sent for by their only son. The poor creatures, on learn-
ing that they must drown, took • small quantity al
brandy, and went below to die together in their cells.
Several revolvers were seen in the hands of permits
who did not wooed their intention of sho.ting them-
selves when the last moment came, preferring to meet
their death, when inevitable, by • ballet, rather that' by
drowning. The steward, indeed, overheard an offer by
the owner of a pi•tot to • friend that he would shoot
bun if he dewed. The well-meant offer was at that
time declined; and whether these intentions were
carried lute execution is not known, bet no reports of
fire-arms were beard as the steamer foundered.
The rescued, when taken on board the ilarianople,
found themselves completely benumbed by the exposure
to which they had been subjected. Captain Cameos had
the men stripped, rubbed, and clad in fresh warm gar-
ments, and killed for them • turkey, besides providing
tea and soup, and setting apart for them warm beds.