The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-03-30 00:00:00

FOUNDERING OF HER MAJESTY'S
SHIP EURYDICE.

OVER THREE HUNDRED LIVES LOST.
On Sunday night the Admiralty received the following
telegram from Admiral Fanshawe, Commander-in-Chief at
Portsmouth :--

"flays just received the following from coast-
guard, Ventnor :--` Eurydice capsized off Dumiose.
Cuddicombe [Cuddiford], first class boy, and Fletcher
saved. Tabor, first lieutenant, very doubtful.
Steamer going naamediatel,y. "
"A further telegram states that ahe capsized in a
sudden squall at half-past four this afternoon.
"A subsequent telegram states that Lieutenant
Tabor and Colonel Ferrier, R.E., are dead.

"The Eurydice was commissioned by eaptain Hare,
in February, 1877, as a training-ship for second-class
ordinary seamen, and she was returning to Spithead
after a winter's cruise in the NVest Indies.
"The Admiral Commanding-in-Chief at Ports-
mouth has sent steamers to search the vicinity of the
accident, but no further report has been received.
"Admiralty, Sunday, 11.30 p.m."

We extract the following particulars of the fearful
calamity Nom Tuesday's Times
"The sere& of the Eurydice, the training-ship for young
ordinary seamen, off the Isle of Wight, and almost within
sight of Spithead, for which place she was standing, at the
end of a pleasant and successful cruise to the West Indies,
Is a disaster which calls vividly to mind the loss of the
Captain off Cape Finiaterre. With this exception, there is
nothing to compare with the calamity whf.a occurred on
Sunday afternoon, so far as the .Netvy is concerned, though
the toss of life has frequently been exceeded by the sink-
ing of emigrant vessels. The circumstances are similar in
many respects to those attending the loss of the Captain,
both ships having turned over and sunk during a gale of
wind, all their sail being at the time set. So far as can
be ascertained, the Eurydice had 368 souls on board
at the tittle, though this is very much a matter of conjecture
as, besides her own officers and crew, she was bringing home
a number of military officers, supernumeraries, and invalids
from the West Indies. Hence considerable uncertainty
exists both as to the names and numbers of the sufferers.
The Eurydice was a wooden sailing, fully-rigged ship or 921
tons displacement, and was at one time considered one of
the smartest and quickest 28-gun frigates in the service.
She was built about 1843. Last year she was converted into
a tratning-ship for ordinary seaman at Mr. John White's
yard at Cowes, and was completed for sea at Portsmouth
Dockyard. She was commissioned on the 7th of
February, 1877, and finally sailed from Portsmouth on the
13th of Novernber with a crew of about three hundred ordi-
nary seamen and the officers. All the officers and crew
are lost, with the exception of two seamen. Captain Hare
had been at one time commander of the St. Vincent, train-
ing-ship at Portsmouth, and was selected for the command
from his knowledge and experience of young seamen. Lieu-
tenant Tabor was a thoroughly efficient sailor, haying
had command of the Cruiser in the Mediterranean.
The Eurydice was accompanied from Portsmouth by
the training brig Martin, and was eventually joined
at Maderia by the Liberty from Plymouth. All the
vessels were filled with ordinary seamen, whom it was
considered necessary to inure to the sea by a long
cruise; and, as they wexe all draughted from the home
training ships, the distress caused by their loss is spread over
the whole country. They were, of course, mostly unmarried
men, and in this respect the crew differ from that of the
Captain, who were principally able-bodied seamen and petty
officers. The Liberty arrived at Portsmouth a few days
ago, the Eurydice being detained for the purpose of
taking up supwumeraries. Captain Hare, however, in-
formed Lieuteglnt-Commander Hicks that he expected to be
home almost as soon as the Martin.

"The Eurydice left Bermuda on the 6th inst., and nothing
was heard of her until she wa.4 seen by flee coastguard at
Bonchurch at 3.30 on Sunday afternoon, bearing for Spit.
head under all plain sail, and with her port stunsails set on
tke foretopmast and maintopmaat, the object being clearly
to arrive at the anchorage at Spithead before nightfall.
There was an ominous stillness prevailing at this time. A
heavy bank Of clouds was coming down from the north-west,
and the glass was falling rapidly. Such wind as there was
came from the westward, and blew on the port quarter of the
ship. The Isle of Wight is of peculiar formation on its
southern fringe, having what may be considered as a double.
coast line extending from Blackgang Chine as far as
Shanklin. The inner chide of the Powns reaches a height of
500 feet above the sea, and affords a deceptive shelter to
ships well inshore. From the direction in which the
Eurydice was steering she would be in
_comoaatitynt,
smocothivater,l9.3hPLtaLdse—llead, where the disaster
occurred. This circumstance will also serve to explain the
fact that the Emma, schooner, which was near at the time,
was not affected by the gale. At ten minutes to four the
wind suddenly veered round from the west to the eastward,
and a gale, accompanied by a blinding fall of snow, came
rushing from the highlands down Luccombe Chine, striking
the Eurydice just a little before the beam, driving her
out of her course, which was heading to the north-east,
and turning her bows to the east. This to what seems
probable, thougja from the manner in which the sea was
concealed by the snow, nothing was seen of her at
the supreme reoment when she capsized to starboard.'
The air cleared as suddenly as it became overcast, the wind
sinking away at the same time. As soon as anythiug could
be seen, the masts and top-hammer of the ship were dia-
cerued above the water about Et miles FaN.E. off Dunnose,
a well-known and lofty landmark between Shanklin and
Ventnor. The ship lies in 11 fathoms elf water, and from
her position she appears to have righted in going down. Of
the whole number of souls on board, only two persons, as
already reported, succeeded in reaching the shore alive.
These are an able seaman named Benjamin Cuddiford, a
native of Plymouth, and Sydney Fletcher, an ordinary
first-class seaman, aged nineteen, belonging to Bristol.
Lieutenant Tabor died before reaching the shore, and
the only other bodies which have been recovered
are those of Colonel Ferrier, 11. E., and a petty officer
named Bennett. The bodies, which were picked up as
they drifted towards Ventnor on an ebb tide, were taken
Into a cottage at Ventnor, where they await the coroner's
Inquiry. The two survivors were first taken to the Esplanade
and subsequently to the Cottage Hospital at Bonchurch,
where they were attended by Dr. Williamson, of Ventnor,
ter the night. They were both brought over to Portsmouth
yesterday afternoon. Cuddiford is doing well, but the lad is
still very weak. Much surprise has been caused at the
small number rescued, the more especially as the time being
at hand for the changing of .the watch a great many men
woul&I be on deck at the time. Ordinary seamen are also
taught swimmiug as part of their training for the sea. No
doubt numbers threw themselves overboard when the ship
capsized and were sucked down by the ship and carried out
to sea by the tide; but there is good reason for supposing
that the majority succumbed through becoming chilled by
the cold

"Captain Langworthy jenkin, master of the Emma,
schooner, bound from Newcastle for Poole with coals, was
the means of rescuing the survivors, and has brought his
ship into Portsmouth to give full particulars. He states
that at 45 minutes past 4 on Sunday afternoon, after a heavy
avail, the atmosphere cleared and he observed some wreck-
age and the royals of a ship flapping above the water. He
also fancied he heard some one shouting for assistance. He
sent a man into the rigging to look out, who reported
that he saw a man floating in the water with a cork
Jacket. He immediately made sail and stood towards
him. Having to tack once to fetch him, he hoisted
ou.t boats, which picked up four men, and one man was
pitked up from the ship. He did his best to restore their
circulation, but one of the men had died before he was got
on board. Captain Jenkins then stood for Ventnor with
colours half-mast high, and a boat came oil. A doctor was
sent for, but two other men died before he arrived. The
Coastguard boat afterwards came alslngside with Commander
floach, who recogniv)d the body Of Lieutenant Tabor, the
First Lieutenant of the Eurydice, and the other as an officer
of the Royal Engineers. When the men were picked up,
Dunnose bore N.W. by W. three to four miles.
"The boy Fletcher is too weak to furnish full particulars
of the sad affair. Ile states, however, that he was below
with the greater part of the crew, when, bearing a noise, he
rushed up the hatchway and heard a cry, 'All hands for
themselves.' He caught a life buoy and jumped overboard,
as did also the rest who were picked up. A minute after-
wards the ship gave a lurch forward and sank, drawing him
down to a considerable distance, but the life buoy raised
him again.

"The survivors on arrival at Portsmouth were taken to
Admiralty-house, before the Commander-in-Chief, and were
afterwards re-taken to Ventnor, in order that they may
give evidence before the County coroner for the Isle of
Wight. Prior to leaving Portsmouth, Cuddiford made an
important statement to Admiral Foley of the circumstances
attending the wreck. He said :

'At 7 bells on Sunday afternoon, the 24th inst., the watch
at a quarter to 4 o'clock was called to take in lower stud-
ding tails. I was on deck to tend the lower tack, and let it
go. The captain gave orders to take in the upper sails.
The wind was then freshening. The captain ordered the
men to come down from aloft and then to let go the topsail
halliards. The gunner's mate let go the topsail halliards,
and another man, Bryant, let go the mainsheet. The water
was then running over the lee netting on the starboard
Bide, and washed away the cutter. The foretopmast
studding rail was set. The wind was about a point abaft
the port beam. I caught hold of the main truss, tell, and
caught hold of the weather netting and got on the ship's
side. We could see her keel. Sire milted a little
before going down, ringing the mirren topsail out of the
water. She then went gradually ever from forward, the
greater part of the hands being at the fore part of the ship
outside. She then turned over, bringing the port cutter
bottom upwards. land another, Richards, cut the foremost
gripe, and then saw the captain standing on the vessel's
side near the quarter-boat and the two doctors struggling in
the water. I swam sortie distance, keeping over my head a
lifehuoy, which I found, and then picked up some piece of
wreck, which I gave to some of the men in the water. I
then came across the copper punt lull bf water, five
men were in it. The sea capsized the punt, and they
all got on the bottom. They asked me if there was any
signs of help. I told them the best thikig they could do was
to keep their spirits up. One of them was just letting
go his hold of the punt. I do not know his name. I next
saw Mr. Brewer, the boatswain, with a cork lifebelt on. He
was struggling strongly. I then saw Fletcher in the water
with a cork bolt and breaker. I lost sight of him during the
snow. About live minutes afterwards the weather cleared
up. I saw Fletcher again, and we kept together. Then we
saw land, but, finding it too rough, we tuged our backs to
the land and saw a schoones, The schooner bore down on
us, sent a boat, and picked up two officers that I had not
previously noticed with a wash-deck locker. A rope's end
was thrown to me from the schooner, and I was
then picked up. I judge that I was in the water one
hour and twenty minutes. The officers picked up were
Lieutenant Tabor and a captain of the Royal Engineers
who came on board at Zermuda with one corporal, one
bombardier, four privates, and the servant of an officer of
capsized
g i vainblutortdeenrsat
the Royal Engineers. The shipminutesthe
as carrying out his duty. We rounded on the
btiemfoerteaefoduwr o'clock. The captain was
weather beam, andset the lower studding.aail, at two p.m.
The ship was then going Si knots. I don't know who was
the officer of the watch, as the captain was carrying on the
duty. The lion. 3lr • Gillard went to the wheel to help at
the time the water was coming over the lee nettinga in
consequence of an order being given to put the helm up.
the '—
Three Court-martial prisoners from Rover; one
There were the following supernumeraries on board •
ontluary illumod ?aim, wily had t,evil trivi
All., a .Court-martial prisoner from Bermuda; an

urt-taltiel (he belonges-1 to the iLurydice) :
anti ab oat 12 or 14 Marines, with one sergealit of Marine's
from Bermuda Dockyard, two invalids front Bermuda Hos-
pital, one ship's corporal from the Argus, one cap-
tain's cook from the argus, one engineer's steward
from the Argus, one ship's c3ok from Bermuda Dock-
yard, one quartermaster, named Nicholas, from the
Rover. I believe some of the maindeck ports were open to
let in the air to the main deck mess. I don't think the hands
were turned up; there was hardly time for that. I saw
most of the men forward take off their clothes and jump off
before 1 lost sight of them in the squall. When the snow
cleared up the ship was gone down.'
"During Monday the Commander-in-Chief was in constant
communication with Her Majesty and the Lords Commis-
sioners of the A.dmiralty, and in the course of the day re-
ceived the following telegrams from the Queen. The first,
which came direct from her Majesty, was in the following
terms

'The Queen is deeply grieved to hear of the loss of the
Eurydice. Her Majesty anxiously asks for further details.'
The second was transmitted to the First Lord of the Admiralty,
and was to the I olio* jag effect :
'The Queen would ask Mr. Smith to make known her grief
at the terrible calamity to the Eurydice, and her heartfelt
sympathy with the afflicted friends and relatives.'

In another telegram to Mr Smith the Queen said the tele
grams had caused her the greatest grief. These telegrams,
having been forwarded to Admiral Fanshawe, were promptly
posted at the dockyard gates, where they wercreagerly read
by sympathetic crowds.

"Admiral Foley visited the wreck in the course of the
afternoon, and from an examination of the rigging and
gear of the ship he Is firmly of opinion that the crew were
In the act of shortening sail at the time the ship sank. In
this opinion he is aupported by the pilots who were assisting
at the wreck. They found that the topsails had been let
go, and that the mizzen-topsail was actually rest-
ing on the cap. The squall, however, was evidently too
sudden and powerful for the crew to relieve the
ship in time. There is also reason for concluding
that the ports on both sides were open, and that
the water rushed in on the starboard side, which prevented
the ship from righting and pulled her over. The divers and
riggers were engaged on Monday in relieving the wreck of
her spars and sails, and the Grinder arrived just before seven
with the royals and some of the yards of the ill-fated ship on
board. It is expected that a month will elapse before the
ship can be raised and brought into harbour. Inspector-
General Domville, the chief medical officer at Hasler
Hospital, and who was formerly an officer serving on board
the Eurydice, has had an interview with the Com-
mander-in-Chief, and it has been agreed to fit up one of the
alcoves in the grounds at Ile.alar for the reception of the
bodies of the crew as soon as they are recovered. Canvas
and flags have been sent over from the Dockyard for the
purpose. There is deep and widespread grief throughout the
town.

"A profound sensation was created at Chatham on Mon-
day by the receipt of the news of the loss of Her Majesty's
ship Eurydice, as the relatives of several of the seamen on
board the ship live in that district. Captain Ferrier, who
was on board, was an officer of the Royal Engineers; he
left Chatham some months back, aud proceeded to Bermuda
in command of the 32nd Company Royal Engineers, and
he was returning home in the Eurydice on leave ot
absence. Captain Marcus A. S. Hare, we believe, was
the son of the late Lieutenant Marcus Theodore Hare,
R.N., by his marriage with the Hon. Luc.), Anne Stanley,
second daughter oi the first Lord Stanley of Aiderley,
and aunt of the present Lord. He entered the
Royal Navy in 1855, became Lieutenant in 1857, Commander
In 1867, and Captain in 1873. He had received four medals
for his serviees. Lieutenant the Hon. Edward Robert
Gifford was the second son of the late Lord Gifford, by the
Hon. Frederica FitzHardinge Berkeiy, eldest daughter of
the late Admiral Lord FitzHardinge. He was born in No-
vember, 1853, and entered the Royal Navy in 1871. le be-
came Sao-Lieutenant in 1873, and Lieutenant in 1874.
Lieutenant Gifford was heir-presumptive to his brother's
title."

A telegram from Portsmouth on Tuesday night says :—No
news has arrived to-night respecting the Eurydice. The
Grinder'tug came in just now with the mainsail, a smaller
sheet, and some rigging, which had been detached from
the wreck during the day. Vp to the time of her leaving
no furthes bodies had been recovered, as considerable
difficulty had been experieuced in clearing away the
sails. All hope of any one else being saved having
died out, the relatives now anxiously wait for tidings
of any bodies having been discovered, in order that they
might proceed to recognise their friends. To relieve this
anxiety the Admiral to-night posted a niotice announcing
that no bodies had been recovered up to four o'clock. In
anticipation of the recovery of the bodies—of which there
are thought to be probably 200 between decks—orders have
been giv, n to a Gosport undertaker to make 100 coffins,
which are to be delivered at Haslar Hospital with as little
delay as possible.