The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-12-06 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

belonging to the Part du Havre, which is riveted as
nearly ae possible in hie own words. Re says :
" I think it was shoat twenty minutee to two o'clock when
I felt the shook of the collision. I had been on the sick list
for some days and WM then sleeping In my berth. The first
thing I heard slier out ship was etrack wises cell for all
bands to come on deck. I rushed up the gangway at once
and then I saw at once whet had happened. We—that
1., myself and some of my mates—tried to get one of the
boats ready, but the panic was so greet that we ocenl
not do it. The passengers were crying, shrieking, and
calling out ' Help ! help they made a rush at the boat
ants I don't believe you could have kt pr them boot; no,
not even if yon had threatened to shoot them. Didn't we
see the Lochearn coming? Well! yea I believe *somebody
must have seen her, for there were 20 men re more on denk.
Heard that the eecond officer saw her tif teen minute. afore
she struck a.; but, of comae, I can's say. Toe cantata
came out of his berth jud sib., jibbood was a combs'
over our bulwarks, and am ses to the quartermesNr,'Why
didn't you call me ? ' He blew the whittle. but It wee too
late thoo. She wee down on us with a creels like a thunder-
clap, and the water came proving In terrilleally. Don't soy
anything against the captain, for he had been three days
and nights keeping watch, and only held himself down that
night on the sofa about half.past eleven. When she was struck
eau pause:gees. eat sold, came ruabin up from below and
began to fill the boat.. There was about 50 of them to one
of the longboste when the malunied tell bang on it ; and
oh! 1 shall never forget that there scene. Some of them
were killed eight out ; some had their head. smashed, others
had broken their arms and their leg.. The squealing of
the women—but, there, I can't tell how awful it was ; the
mast struck me a.m.. the forehead as It fell, an t the
boatswain we. killed by my side. Some of the sellers I
Meted up with their legs broken, but all we could do was
just to move them out of the way, ppor fellows ! The main-
mast brought dowel the mlzenmest along with it and that,
too, smashed a host with hir 00 people in it. I think
everyb fdy in that boat was either killed or injured. Could
not we hove got some of the other, into the boats? Lor
b'ess pa, sir, they wore too frightened and tree-4. I/
they had been quiet and waited e bit, we might have saved
some of them; but there wee no order, not a bit. But
there, It's always so. I've been ehipwrecked three
times myself, and nobody knows what them seems are that
don't go through them. The Ltvhearn meshed two of
the boats wit:, her .par, and rigging, and when the two
Leg ones had been broken up by the falling masts there
were only four others left, and two of them were small. It
was them masfs, however, that did ill the mischief after-
wards. 11th. y had not a fell, and if we only could have
kept the passengers quiet • bit, I don't believe 20 of them
would have Men lost. Why old they not lamp on the Loth
earn's bows Mere lune time for that, SW. She was
gull,* at 124 knots, and we were &dog 12, so that she
bonneted back and wee gone from us almost directly. Our
captain remained on hie bridge eli the time giving orders, and
was on it when she went down below the water. I went
down with her, too; I should think 20 or S.) fathoms. On
coming to the surface again I looked round and saw many
• poor draggling mutely in the water, Then there was
a boat near me, end I held on to the keel remit I could get
Weide. I polled in three or four women ; leastways, I
gave them • hold on the boat until they could be dragged
In. then I pulled off some of my clothes and jumped lute
the water and swam to the Lothearn. Throe or four does
were thrown out to me and at led I was hauled on booed
that's at: I can say about, the collision, butt should just like
to ray a word or two &teed our captalo. He was always very
careful and in the f..gs never eeemea to like trusting much
to Ma officer, lie was the last man on the bridge, and re-
mained there till the very last moment The second officer
was n very good officer, bet Its my belief the captain had •
aced deal of suspicion or him and used to watch mei close. I
don't lite to say much about them as he Is gone, but I
do think he might have called the expiate sooner than he
did."

magistrate and hays him punished for hand. It
usually happens, however, that the skipper, when
the run is over, is m glad to get rid of his on.
profitable pareenger m that passenger is to be
well out of the Mfg. The former ems nothing
aboat the pecuniary loos hie owners have suffered, and
the latter ie unite content to be silent with regard to
the numerous attentions conveyed through the instru-
mentality of marlinspitee and ropes'-ends with which
he has been favoured by the boatswain and his assist-
ants. What the French authorities would have said to
these waifs and strays on their arrival at Havre is un-
certain; but the poor fellow. need fear no frowns of
human justice now. They are drowned.