The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-09-27 00:00:00

WEYMOUTH.

WRECK OF THE JERSEY MAIL STEAM
PACKET FXPRESS.

On Tuesday last the Express left Jersey at a
quarter to 7 o'clock a.m. for Guernsey and Wey•
month, having on board nearly 200 passengers and
three horses. The latter, with most of the passen-
gers, were bound for Guernsey, Tuesday being the
hrst day of the races. The vessel was under the
command of Mr. Mabb, chief mate, the usual cap.
tam, Mr. Harvey, being at the time too unwell to
take his accustomed ',lace in the ship. As before
stated, the Express left at a quarter to 7 o'clock,
under the moat cheering auspices for a fine run across,
the weather being very fine. When off the torbiere
the ship was hugging the land so closely that a few
of the passengers made remarks to the bystanders,
but no notice was taken of their observations.
however, Mr. Hanison. a Jerseyman, and deputy-
harbounmaster of St. Helier's, observed that he hail
often mule the trip by steinner, and had never
known any vess,4 attempt the cut they were then
making. These wonls had scarcely been spoken
when the Express struck on a rock called the
" ;runes lionillieres.“ t ',installation and terror
scizeff all parties, but .Mabb endeavoured to calm
their fears by stating that it uWI nothing, and all
would be ri6ht." A second shock was now felt,
and Mehl, for the first time smuts! to understand
that the ship was in danger. To extricate the ship
from her position he endeavoured to get her into
deep water again: and to run her on the sandy beach
of st. Brelade's Bay.
Fortunately, the Express is built in compartments,
and, having struck on her port bow, the water had
not reache4 her engines, which were still manage.
able. Mr llamsma, assisted by Mr. Brett, a boat-
man of St. Helier's, who took the helm, drove the
idlip into a snug berth on some rocks a very short
ffistimee from the mainland.

The next thing was to see ta the WO landing of
the passengers, uhieli was aeemnplished by Mr.
Munson, ably assisted by the second mate of the
Express, who throughout exhibited great coolness,
activity, and judgma lit.
Three lives, however, at least have been lost.
Their loss is attributable to the persons thetieselvos,
who endeavoured to descend int° .1 boat which 601
1141011 lowered shortly alter the disaster, Thu rest of
the isassengent were landed from their perilous peal.
tion by means of the staimar's boats itlying between
the rook atiil tlie 1111,111 f. The three horses we at also
have.l by swimming to the reeks. The tuol bags
r England were conveyed to Sentlutteptiiii on
Wednesday by the eitinputy's steamer Despatch.
The bag leiter. for I :et:may being iii the fontpirt
of the vessel eottlil not be got at, anil it may be coil.
siderisl hist. !luring the evelling th,, day if the
disaster the three It:lilies were found and brought on
shore. The Expretei lion in siteli it position that she
may yet pissilily Ist got itlf, unless a situtle.rly wind
should spring tip, mid then she must 'wont:sit perfeet
wreck. Mr. I ;recto, the malinger of the NU:mm..l6p
department of the Iseult:ln ititil SonthtM'estern Itaib
wily CoIIIINUIy, arrived ut 11uerieley, tinWialmait
iliy ttiortitug in his way to Jersey, having left
Southampton imintsliately on the news of the owl
event rewhing the latter place by telegraph.
Nlabb was to have been arrested on Weilnesilay
Alterman' by ',riles of the queen's Proettreur.
. .

Ali invo :Minn will In mi noon no t0...11,10
.I.'l. iv. doubt, will conic, ocia 114 tic till)
n., NitieliVll PIIIIMAgO
1 :1 liptl'4l by slaty stomata.,

• 1 .1

i.in been found ; those of a woninn
slid two Imo • Vlidirpo Coudray, of the Star Hotel,
St. Vetoer., Jersey, mail that of an English gentle.
man, who hail his wife and daughter on board. 110
imagined that a boat hail been lowered, and let him.
self down by a rope, and fell into the water. The
%WIWI whose body has been found is not known.
It is feared that other pUr/11.1111 have been 'frowned.
Immediately 1/11 till/ arrival 'if the Despatch at
Jersey on Tuesday morning Captain Robot, her com•
niander, visited tho wreck to render any assistance
his nautical skill might suggest, and sent his vessel,
the Despatch, to Dummy to convey the intelligence
tho electric wire between the islands being out of

TIM GREAT FAKTKIIN.--It is understood (says a
Liverpool corre.powlent) that the directors of the
I ;reat Iluitern have given up tha idea of sending her
to sea 'luring the ensuing twelve months. This delay
in her voyage will enable the directors to exhibit her
most profitably in different ports of the kingdom—
the proleil'al railway 'companies being willing, it is
said, to allow the treat Easter,. directors a per
centage of the exeursi.m fares to different ports of the
country.

DEATII.--An old gentleman, named Prit-
chard, wits fintnil dead at his lodgings. in 7, Joint.
stone-row, on Nboulay afternoon week. It aecniu
that lie had been sultject to spitting of blood, and in
the morning, when his breakfast was taken to him,
he said his old complaint hail returned. Two bags
of sovereigns were found sewn up in his coat, and
the addreaa of a letter enabled communications to be
sent to his friends in
NEw Svg.snrst.--The advent of the Great Eastern
has totally obscured the kisser satellites that !lave
been revolving round her. Now, however, that the
excitement has amnewhat allayed, we have tissue to
look about us and observe a great improvement hay.
insg taken place its the steam traffic between Wry.
mouths and Portland, by the introduction of the Pre-
mier. This very handsome vessel arrived on Thurs-
day week, and having achieved the passage from
thstubarton in two days, a favourable idea may be
formed of her speed. lifer accommodations are of
first-class order, and she will carry (we understand)
400 passengers.
COrNTT P"I.ICE, Wednesday.—Diaohrdirnee on Board
the Great Eastern. —Present Captain Manning, R. H.
Swr.Meld, Esq., and H. C. °midden, Esq. Thirty of
the crew of the Great Eastern were brought tap on
charge of wilful disobedience to lawful commends. Mr.
Howard was for the prosecution, and Mr. W. J. Hill
for the defendants. Mr. lloward having stated the facts.
Mr. Prowse, the senior officer on board the Great East-
ern. deposed that being infonneil on Sunday week of the
prisoners Imving refused to wash the deck lie mustered
the men and inquired the rea.on. Tiro 11 the prisoners,
Johnson and Ilrodie, said there was no necessity for
washing the sleeks sin Sunday, and they should ii t she it.
Thinking this disposition was not universal throughout
the crew, he ordered those Woo persisted in refusing to
stand on the starboard side, mid those to go aft who
would he willing to obey. The thirty prisoners went to
the starboard. Anil about tho same number went aft.
thus signifying they were obedient, and by his orders
they washed the decks. Witness reportssl the eiretuns
stance to l'aptain Ilar-ioifl. lie produced the log•hook,
containing anode •.f their refusal. Thu., ilie4ibedietit men
having Ixo stered, raptn 'herr'. asked the rea-
son they refused? Brodie repli«l, they did not sec the
necessity of it, and would not comply. y then went
below. It was usual to wash sleek on Sunday morning.
—Croni•exatitinell : The t;rent Eastern bail not a full
crew of able-bodied men. About Oh hail signed articles
for whom the duty at present was: not more than suffici-
ent. The decks had been made shirtier than usual in eon-
ist•iptence of the large number of visitors who 111141 been
on histnl the ship. The men tot board kept a watch of
two hours, to which thee would be lialde if there was a
Iii!! ^rew• on Monday, said he was wiliing to
•lo •iie.• • • • e oilt. the wonl necessary
t.i.• lid. es i.e that beinteniledtiijuslge what were
swear whether ltr.lie on Monday
• • Ilelieved lie spoke for the whole
's articles were not poled ne in

I. i.:

r"

t I. foe le. ,re-r-.1....e; —s-oeli a' thing il,me
before the ship had a full complement. The
article,' were reed to the men when they signed.
If any of the men asked to see the articles,

they could have done so. The men were required to be
glean on Sunday to attend divine service ; but worship
had not yet been performed on board. If the whole GO
men had washed decks when ordered, they could have
gone below and cleaned thentaelves by eight o'clock.
Captain Harrison stated that on Sunday morning he
ordered the men who bad disobeyed orders to be
inmtered, and asked why they refused obedience to
orders. Brodie said they did not consider washing
decks on Sunday as necessary work. Witness told them
he did not think they were the proper parties to judge
of it. Brodie made a remark about having a soul to be
saved. Witness said he had nothing to do with that—
he wanted the decks washed. They still refused and be
ordered them to go forward. Cross-examined. - Brodie
did not pay, 'Our souls are as good to be saved as
yours."—Mr. Hill, in defence, urged that this was the
first act of disobedience on the part of the men, and
there was no evidence of combination between Johnson
and Brodie ; that they were willing to return to their
duty, and there was no copy of the articles posted up in
the forecastle, as required by the Merchant Shipping
Act, wherein it was ordered " that the Master shall, at
the commencement of every voyage or engagement,
cause a legible copy of the agreement to be placed or
posted up in such part of the ship as to be accessible to
the crew, and in default shall for each offence incur a
penalty not exceeding Eli." Mr. Hill then inquired of
'aptain Harrison if he would receive the men back in
the event of promising to be obedient in future. Captain
Harrison said their conduct lied been such, that lie
must decline to take either of them on board again. Ile
feared they would contandeate the rest of the crew,
I aptain Manning said the prisoners llrolle Anil John-
son apper.red to be the ringleaders in the unfortunate
matter, but Johnson was less culpable of the two.
Brodie would be sentenced to four weeks' imprisonment
with hard labour, and forfeiture of two days' pay.
Johnson to three weeks, and also forfeiture of two days'
pay. The others would undergo a fortnight's imprison-
ment and forfeiture of two days' pay. Brodie asked to
lie allowed to make a atatement, but was refused. The
wit. Is thirty were then marched off in custody of the
police, being loud in their expressions as to the undue
severity of the sentence.