The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-04-03 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE "FERRET."

The Ferret and the Marten, companion training brigs, Ina
come round from Portsmouth on Saturday to take pit in
the naval operations at Mondays Review. They were moored
to buoys near the Admiralty pier The Ferret, commanded
by Lieut. Came, curl led eight guns, anti had a crew of 17
men, seven or eight stewai di, and 86 toys. Sets after mid-
night on Sunday the what began to Um with great my.
The Breeze, one of the Dover and Calais mail boats, was
despatched from the latter port at half-past one with passen-
gers. of whom there was a large sandier, principally excur-
sionists. All across the Channel the Breeze expel ienced very
lind weather, and before arriving at Dover, which she aid
about half-past three, a considerable portion of one of her
paddleboxes and sonic of herstern bulwarks had been carried
away. The Breeze brought up on the west side of the pier,
where she made fast, her new—most providentially for the
odic its, men, arid lioys of th,t Ferret—remaining on board.
Both the training brigs rolled heavily during the gale, and
at to minutes past 4 the Ferret I. R 3 driven inward with such
violence that her moorings were carried away, ad, escaping
from the Admiralty buoy, she was %tome rapidly towards the
pier, the water being then very low. The Comniander at
once gave orders for her ancher to be let go. She, however,
fell astern. and w-as brought up against the pier. The lit.ys
wt re at once called up and told to lose not as instant in pre-
paring to get •tut of the ship. Many if them were, of course,
in their hammocks, and some of those who hail been sod-
denly awskened from sleep raised a cry on !hiding in what
imminent danger all hands were placed itut, after the first
surprise, all tile young fellows appear to have acted with a
courage worthy of their profession.
The shouts of the officers and the cry of the lads were
heard on boarit the Breeze, and the crew of the steam
packet, on running across the pier, and tinting how matters
stood with the Ferret, brought all the line and ropes they
could lay hold of, and lowered them down to the deck of the
training brig, which was then some tot I. or 25ft. below the
level of the pier. Some of the lads mounted the rigging. and
from the parts got on to the pier ; bit the greater number of
them and the men were hauled up by the crew of the
Breeze. They were all taken to the Sailor's Home. For
some time it had been feared that one of the Sfi lads hod
perished, but on the muster rail being called over allot them
answered to their names.

It had been hoped that with the rising tide the vessel
would right herself and float, hut unfortunately she had re-
ceived serious damages when driven against the granite, and
still more unfortunately the wind increased in vi knee with
the rise of the tide, so that at the time when every one was
inching to the pier the Femt wds fast beceinung a total
wreck. A dreadful sea was rushing in from the north east,
a, id the WaVeS made terrific sport of the brig. She lay, or
rather was spun about, on her beam ends. The waters
rushed into and over her every other instant. For a second
or two occasionally, as the AN ayes receded, she appeared to he
making a desperate effort to right herself, and her two
masts rose high above the pier in a nearly perpendicular