The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-12-07 00:00:00

THE INQIJr4Y_ INTO TH lc4s Jr 111

MAG-GIE... AVALiER.

The following is a contintafron. of the proceedings of
•J •
the above inquiry on Wednesday afternoon..,
William Henry Sewell, captain of the vessel Maggie
IValker, was then, examined by Mr. Hull—After de-
scribing the amount of property (which he valued at
I.tfj he had on board, he said he was a duly qualified
heid a certificate of competency since
March; ,188, have'. sailed between forty and fifty
times in and
•out cif, Oie rMrdifbarinel. lam pretty
wolf acqnainted with,the lights aid IYA'adimads. • I have
never Hoeg at gifford Haven, Cardiff, oi tWksea. In
the course of n ex:p.erien.po. as a; sailor, my practice has
been to go down the Irish 9hapnel taking the bear-
ings of the headlands anu and' when 1' could
not see them, I go by the log slate; 64 when I
get into tho open sea, I og by observation. piewould lie within six points' of the wind in close haul.
On Thursday, the 11th of NoVember, we left the Mersey
I under weigh at about half-past eleven. The powder is
kept iamd boats, airid hating to get some on board we
were tugged up
.thb rititifet Hiatt purpose The same
boat did not tug as tint a f'ltw the-daptiiim and
myself had a glas..CoLviiiVe Wheoafilig Writ his fee) It
sv,mo be labou,t hait-past tug `that we.,ttaSsttl the 'Vell
4 Buoy. ,The,pilet left us there. The wind was blowing
a fresh Vreeie from E".'N.E: We, Tiede Point Lynes about
six o'clock p.M., and Eld not /vend the Skerries until
soon after one o'clock a.m., and lie had a strong flood
tide against us. The wind continued fieni the eime
direction until we got to Bardsey, when it turned to the
i west. We passed Holyhead about two o'clock. The
nett light we gassed was Bardsey, at about five o'clock
a.m. We WoEld tie about fifteen miles from Bardsey.
I saw Bardsey light niyielt t camp,, down from the
South Stack to Bardsey with the wind a the eteateard
point,—always right aft. When we passed the SoZth
Stack was about N.E. The wind came round by the
north to the west; and we stood on on the starboard
tack. When we were at Bardsey we steered S.W. by W.,
and continued until the wind changed, about three p.m.
We stood on until we made Lundy. When .we' made
Lundy .island the light, bore about S.E., at fifteen
miles diitaiit, at a:bout Ave tido& We were then
lying about S.S.W.; and &Winded that coifrse until
between seven and eight o'clock, wliftt Lundy here EA.E.
We would, then be about ten or twelve miles distant.
We then wore ship to the N. on the. port teat. We
then lay out N. and. N.W. until we made St. Ann's
tight, and then wore ship again to the S. and W. It
would then be about 'twelve o'clock midnight. :We
could not see Lundy Island now. After we wore' the
"hip the second time our course lay to the S.S.W.; and
continued until eight o'clock on Saturday morning.
Lundy Island was then t.N.E., and about fifteen miles
distant. We still stood •on until see made St: Hiles,
when I again wore ship to the N. It would he about
four o'clock on Saturday afternoon. I was distant
about ten miles when I wore ship at St. Hiles. My
course then lay N.N.W. We made Lundy Light
about eighto'clock that night. Lundy Island lay E.S.E.,
and was distant about twenty miles. I again wore ship,
and stood down for Silloth. We stood W.S.W. and
all down: The next light made was the Seven
Stones, at five o'clock on Sunday morning, about Oh
miles distant, bearing about S.S.E: We still stood on
the same course. The next light we salt NI:MS gt. Agnes,
between seven and eight. o'clock a.m., distant about
fifteen miles, hearing S.S.W. I again wore round to
the N. After doing so we lay about N .N.W., and stood
upon that course at about half-past three on the follow-
ing day, when we abandoned her. We passed the
Smalls in the afternoon of Friday. We passed outside
the light bearing south-west, distance about ten miles.
I have marked out, as near as I can, the course pursued
by our ship, on the chart handed to the bench. The
wind was blowing strong on the Friday. We, lost a
jibboom about 9 p.m. on the Friday. I was in my cabin
at the time. The first mate communicated the circum-
stance to me. On being informed of that, I did not say
" She shall never lose another." I had a spare jibboom
on board at the time. I never had my clothes off from
the time I left the port until I abandoned the vessel. I
sometimes lay upon the sofa, and sometimes upon the
floor, facing the stove. I was lying oil the sofa asleep
when the sea struck the ship. The mate came down to
inform me; and I went up and stayed on the companion
door while they were clearing away. Next day, on
looking at the damage done, I found that the staun-
chions were started and the covering-board split, and
,could put my three fingers between the plank ends and
the part where the deck is nailed to. Immediately the
ship struck, the mate sent two seamen to the pumps.
I was on deck from time to time on the Friday night.
The pumping was then going on. On Saturday morning
I went aft, and found the quarter-piece on the port side
sthrted, and the planks'of the side of the poop started
fioni the stern frameweik. The buttons of the water-
way piece on . both sides were also working, but
they always
.- do =so in bad weather. On Sa-
turday morning the sea was running high, the
wind strong ; throughout the day. blowing fresh with
high sea. .I .was on deck during the; day and night. I
noticed nothing else wrong with the vessel except having
water in. The nien were working both Saturday morn-
ing and night. The mate informed me he had sounded
the pumps, but I did not ask him what depth. The sea
was very high on Sunday ; wind high. I did not appre-
hend any danger to the ship ,on Sunday. Between seven
and eight o'clock on Sunday Morning, the crew objected
to pump any longer, and wanted to leave her. i said I
would go below and consider about it. They turned to
and 'pumped again. When the mate got up, I told him
what the crew had said. I had no intention at that time
of abandoning the ship. On Sunday night it was blow-
ing strong. On Monday morning I found the ship was
making a little more water, but we could have fetched
'Cork if the crew had stayed on a little longer working
the pumps. I saw one pump going on Monday morn-
ing. There were two men at it, relieving each other. I
could not keep both pumps going, because I had not hands
sufficient without keeping all hands on deck. The water
flowed freely from the ship. It was blowing strong on
Monday morning. The ship was then in much the same
state. The mate and myself had a conversation about
the ship. I said I thought she had not opened forward
any more. A great deal of water would come there. I
.did not take notice of the water ways and butts,—l
never went off the poop. I concluded she was making
more water that day because we could not get the pump
to suck, but we did the day before. I had no conversa-
tion with the second mate on the Sunday morning to
the effect that I would finish for her. On Monday
morning I was speaking to the first mate in the presence
of-the second mate. I said we would have to take the
boats if she got worse, unless we could get over to 'the
Irish side. I did not apprehend any immediate danger.
We were then going S. by W. If we had stood on that
course, I think we would have landed at Cork. The mate
made no reply to my remark. I said that if we had to leave
her at night, the safest thing we could do for other vessels
was to cut the water-pipe. When we were heaving the
ship, the first mate asked me whether he should cut
away the water-pipe, and I said, "Its coming dark, you
had better do it." I was just coming from below when
we first-saw the Ottila. The crew then refused to pump.
I did not hit the men on the head with the stick. If it had
Come on to blow, I thought it dangerous to stay on board,
as, in my opinion, she would go down; I therefore thought I
it a prudent thing for the safety of the lives to abandon
the ship. If the Ottila.had not come in sight I would
have remained on her as long as I could and then have
taken the 'long-boat. I think, by the course we were
steering, we would have reached Cork about 8 o'clock
next morning. I think it was a safer plan to hold on to
a wind than to have scudded. The first day we left the
river I found myself a "little drunk." I had two
glasses of wine with the tug man, and one of spirits
with the pilot. The feeling went off me soon after. I
was never in that state at any other time. When on
board the Ottila the mates asked me if their advance
notes would be paid, and I said "Yes." My note was
paid tvthen I was 'wrecked off Arklow Banks. I told
both of them that when the owner, who was then in
Scotland, came to Liverpool, I would ask him to pay
for the clothes they had lost. I left the crocks of butter,
the oars, my gold watch, and eight sovereigns in the
vessel; but my chronometer and clothes I secured and
brought away. I made no promise to the second mate
on board the Ottila to pay for his clotheh;
.but while in
the long-boat, at the side of the vessel, some of the men
were getting their clothes, and I said "D— the
Clothes; I'll pay you for them." That was a hasty
expression, because I feared we would be " stove in,"
and all our lives lost. I never interfered with the log
while on board, and never looked into it until I got to
Liverpool.