The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-09-04 00:00:00

THE TOTAL WRECK OF AN
EXCURSION STEAMER.

A brief telegram on Saturday stated that the
steamer Bournemouth ran ashore in a dense fog near
Portland on Friday night, but the passengers were
saved. Additional details show their escape was
nothing short of marvellous, and will no doubt be
read with interest. The Bournemouth is a paddle..
wheel excursion steamer, built three years ago at a
coil' of nearly £15,000, and is the property of a com-
pany composed mostly of residents of Bournemouth.
On Friday morning she left that place with about
200 passengers for Torquay, and left in the afternoon
on the return voyage. After being out a short time
she ran into a dense fog, but all went well until
land was suddenly discovered, and immediately
the vessel struck widi terrific force some
rocks under a perpendicular cliff not far dis-
tant from the higher lighthouse of Portland. So
heavy was the blow that the steamer's fore compart-
ments were crushed in, but in spite of this there was
no great terror amongst the passengers, as the sea
was very smooth and, apparently, they were close to
land. There was no means of escape, however, by
land, as on all sides there were high precipitous
rocks. Signals of distress were made, and fortunately
seen, telegrams being sent to Messrs. Cosens and Co.
for assistance, on receipt of which their manager
(Mr. Fowler) proceeded by land to Portland to direct
operations, and sent the Queen tug to render assist-
ance if possible. Prior to his arrival the coastguard
had rescued four persons by means of the rocket
apparatus, but as the hauling them up the cliff was
attended with so much danger it was deemed best to
wait until boats arrived. All available boats were
obtained, and, owing to the good order which was
maintained, all the passengers were safely landed;
on the Chiselbeach huge fires being lighted in order
to direct the boats into the cove. All the passengers
assembled at the railway station, and about midmight
a special train was obtained, and they were conveyed
to Bournemouth. As soon as it was known an ex-
cursion steamer was on the rocks the excitement in
Weymouth was very great, as it was not known until
some tune after but that it might be one of the
Weymouth boats; but when it proved it was the
Bournemouth, and information was telegraphed there,
messages from all quarters asking for details poured
in. The extent of the damage the Bournemouth sus-
tained was, of course, not known at the time she
struck, but on Saturday a survey was made of her,
when it was found her back was broken, and that the
entire fore compartments are crushed in, her fore
section as far as the paddle boxes, being high and dry,
whilst the stern and mid-ship section is floating in
five fathoms of water. About a quarter of an hour
I before the Bournemouth struck the steamer Empress,
of Weymouth, which left Bournemouth on the same
day for Torquay, on her return voyage made Portland
Bill all right, but as the fog was so denae her captain
would not run the risk of going eact..ard, and re-
mained at Weymouth with his passe4er. until Satur-
day morning. The Victoria steamer from Weymouth
had the fog in coming from Dartmouth, but kept well
out to sea and made the Shambles Lightship, from
wlngnee an easy run to Weymouth was matip,„

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