The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1875-02-02 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE FRENCH HAINVE MARIE
HEINE IN TILE WEST BAT.

Till INqViST

On the body of Alfred Detrue, the cabin boy of the loot
barque Marie Heine, was held at the Cove House,
on M.,n,Lly evening,. before Mr. R. N. Howard, coroner,
and the following jurymen —Messrs. Edward Bristow,
George Board, Thomas Radcliffe, William Wallis, William
Comben, Abraham Ackerman, Richard Flew, Henry
Mabey, William Young, Charles White, R. J. Andrews,
and Robert Way.
Mr. Bristow wan chosen foreman.
The jury first viewed the body, which was much bruised,
with • cut over the eye, awl one of the legs was broken.
The two Frenchmen, Levaillant, and be Merchant, were
very much affected at the sight of the poor boy, shedding
tears, and !Geeing the corpse. On return to the inquest-
room, the following evidence warn taken, Dr. McLean
assisting the Coroner, with information he bad previously
gleaned, and Mr. lb Cox acting u interpreter.
Guillaume be Merchant: 1 was • common seller on board
the Marie Fteine. She was rigged as a barque. She had
750 tons of cargo, patent fuel, belonging to the French
Government, bound from Dunkerque to Deguard, Senegal.
The fuel was to supply the Government steamers. The
name of the deceased was Alfred Delrue. He was the
captain's nephew, and acted as cabin boy. His age was
lb years and six monthis He was a native of Dunkerque.
The ship sailed on the 12th of January, well found in
every respect, rigging and sails good, ship only seven years
old.
. . . .

--
Dr. McLean told the Coroner that she was captured
from the Germans two years ago, in the war.
Witness continued: They had bad weather ever since
they started. On Thursday last they were off Torbay,
and took I pilot on hoard there, and he remained with
them two hours, and then left They went on their course
down Chawlet. On Saturday at 2 p.m. they were, as far
u they knew, off Plymouth, but successive squalls and
heavy rains with high Inn running, they were driven backs
and at two o'clock on Sunday they sighted the land, and
made it to be Portland, on the west side. They appeared
to lie about two or three miles off shore. Before that,
they had carried away all their sails in successive squalls,
I excepting the maintopsail, a portion of the mainsail, the
foresail, andjib. Before they could let go the sheets, the
sails were all split. The men were exhausted, having
been up for twenty-four hours, and had nothing to eat
for that time, and so were worn out. The captain knew
where they were and wanted to double the point, but
could not becausu he hat not enough sails, lie
called the crew aft, and they tried to let go the anchors
and chains, but they were eci exhausted and the
chains were so fouled that they could not get them to
run out in time. Seeing a (tag put up on there, the
captain steered his ship for the place, and ran her on
shore, The cabin boy was then in the cabuion-deck with
the mate. The chief mate, just before the vessel struck,
ordensl the cabin boy to go into the cabin to get some
money of his (the mate's) to take on shore. Witness did
not see the boy after, until he saw his dead holy. The
witness came on shore himself. When the rocket wee
tired, the witness hauled in the line, and was the first to
come ashore. Ten men were saved, and four .Irowned.
Witness did not see the captain after he WWI W:liking aft
to get the ship's papers, a sea came awl struck the ship's
boat, and broke it, by smashing it against the rail of the
ship. The first line on hoard W. from the beach, thrown
by lend. Before the first shot of the rocket
was fin.ot three leads were thrown from the beach.
Witness hauled ashore the instructions, and COW, on
shore by the rocket apparatus hue. The captain was
about 12 or 41 years old, and had been 12 or 12 years at
le&
Mr. 11..1,1 said there were about 150 or BA people nish-
ins; about, helloing, whereas if there IVAS some one to keep
order, all the lives would be saved with more safety and
better order.
The Coroner desired him to repeat those remarks at the
close of the evidence,
Richard Peters : I live at the bottom of liiglostreet,
and em a quarryman. I found the body alsett 11 o'clock
to-day on the beach. I saw it in the water, the waves
hove it up, and I caught him by the ann. Ile was .piite
dead, and appeared to have been seine hours in the water.
Ile had several bruises about him, and a cut on his back,
and his leg was broken.
Francis has aillant: The deceased was a Catholic. I
understand the evidence given toy 1,,0 Marehaut, aud con.
firui it, except that about the captain, as I did not see

that
Saniuel Smith: I reside at Portland. Yesterday after.
noon about one o'clo,k, u person come to my house and
told me a vessel wks in the hay. I went on the beach and
aiw a Teasel opposite Langton. She had a jib, foresail,
lower foretopaail, mainuad, wairstop m tail, and spanker t.
I remained about live minutes, and remarked " If he does
not carry away his mils, hell gat out of the ltay." Went
and had dinner, and about half-past two, I went on the
beach again. Saw hero-oil to windward of Blacknor
Point. A heavy squall came on, and I walked to the
Cove. The vessel was struck and obscured. When I
. . .

saw her again, her fo-recipsail sheets were gone. ant 1
thought her main-course AWL also. I said to some wen
mar me—" If her mainsail's gone and forefopaail, he'll
never get out of the Bay." I saw she wag keeping her
head well up,. and 1 thought she might get round. She
wore ship and want away to the 'westward. Mere was
• strung ehb tide. and she was making leeway het, almost
at List as headway. I ant my party, the Fianna gut up
and manned a boot, and said if she rounded to at all we
would launch after her, and try to get on board and
bring her up—a nautical ohmie for anchoring her. She
still kept to the westward, and after sone time wore ship,
and we knew she must come ashore. I and some of my
men went and got all the seine ropes we weld get She
wore ship swan, by the time we got on the beech. We
had than • flood tide, sad the captain kept ha heed wall