The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-08-21 00:00:00

Bfirmin gb ars , Thursday

Considering that this is the holiday season,
there was a tolerably large attendance on 'Change
this morning, and there was a noticeable improve-
ment in the tone of the market. Finished iron
was in much better inquiry. This remark especi-
ally applies to sheets, the prices for which ranged
from £lO 15s. to £l2 for ordinary singles. Un-
marked common hors were selling- at ,a2B per ton,
and transactions are said to have taken place
under that figure. Good branded iron was in
steody demand, and the .210 per ton fixed at the
last quarterly meeting fully realised. Pigs were
very plentiful, natives being brought down by
competition with other districts, and 10s. under
market quotations had been accepted for some
minor Staffordshire qualities. The prices at which
common cinder pigs are selling does not leave any
room for profit. Cleveland pigs were offering at
..t3 ss. Furnace co4l is selling at lls, per ton;
other classes at proportionate rates. It is still
satisfactory to know that the recent heavy failures
in the North and in the metropolis have not, so
far as has been ascertained, had any perceptible
! effect on this district. -

THE ROYAL YACHT IN COLLISION.
On Wednesday afternoon the Royal yacht
Alberta, conveying her Majesty the Queen from
Osborne to Gosport, en route for Scotland, while
crossing the Solent, ran into the schooner yacht
Mistletoe, 50 tons, the property of Mr. Heywood,
of Manchester. The schooner was completely
cut through by the force of the collision and
sank immediately. The accident occurred off
Stokes pay at half-past six o'clock. Miss Peel
and the mate of the schooner went down with
her, and the captain died shortly aftorwards from
the injuries received. Mr. Heywood and several
of his crew were severely injured. The Queen,
who witnessed the catastrophe, was much agita-
ted, and on reaching Gosport remained for some
time making enquiries.
A telegram from Portsmouth says :—" Any
fresh details that become known in connection
with the collision between the Alberta and Mis-
tletoe are instantly telegraphed to the Queen.
Divers have been near the scene of the collision
since an early hour trying to recover the bodies
of the mate and Miss Peel. She is a lady be-
tween thirty and forty, and when the Mistletoe
was struck Samuel Stoke, one of the seamen,
caught hold of her with a view of saving her,
but the rigging tore her out of his grasp, and
she sank, whilst he managed to scramble up the
bows of the Alberta. The crew seem to have no
definite idea as to how the accident occurred,
except that they were on the starboard tack, and
the Alberta suddenly struck them amidships,
cutting her almost in halves. The captain,
Thomas Stokes, was at the helm, which had just
then been put a little to lee. He is about 75
years of age. and comes from Poole, and leaves
a widow and five children. The mate is named
Nathaniel Turner, also of Poole, and leaves a
widow and two children. The Alberta is said
to have been going about fifteen knots an hour.
The steward, George Hiscock, had his arm
broken. The crew numbered ten, all told. The
body of the captain lies at the Hasler Hospital
where an inquest was opened on Thursday.
At an early hour on Thursday morning a large
party of divers were despatched to the scene of
the lamentable catastrophe, to search for the
bodies of Miss A. Peel and the mate of the Mis-
tletoe. The body of Miss Peel was recovered
by two divers during the afternoon. It was
placed on board the Grinder
.tug and conveyed
to Portsmouth.

THE INQUEST.
The inquest on the body of Captain Stokes,
of the yacht Mistletoe, who was killed by the
collision with the Royal yacht Alberta, was
opened on Thursday afternoon. Prince Leinen-
gen, Commander Fullerton, and other officers of
the Royal yacht were present.
John Stokes, seaman on board the Mistletoe,
admitted that the yacht was endeavouring to get
as near the Alberta as possible, that the ladies
might get a good view of the Queen. He could
not say whether the collisiod was due to the
captain of the Mistletoe putting the helm up.
Samuel Storks, another seaman, stated that
Miss Peel was dragged down by the rigging.
William Rowthom, boatswain, said he did not
believe Captain Stokes gave the order to keep
near the Royal yacht.
Charles Dayman, cook, said he saw the Alberta
two miles off. After the collision be saw Com-
mander Fullerton in the water, assisting to save
the crew.

John Toop, a seaman, aaid there was plenty
of time for the Alberta to have altered her course
from the time when they first saw her.
The inquest was then adjourned till to-de y.