The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-11-01 00:00:00

THE GALE.

LOSS OF THE ROYAL CHARTER.

LtvrapooL, October 27.

A telegram has been received here from Bangor Ant-
ing that the Royal Charter, from Melbourne, which
touched at Queenstown on Monday OD her way to Liver-
pool, has been wrecked in Red-wharf Bay, and that
many lives have been lost. She would have a large
amount of specie on board, but the quantity is not yet
known, as she brings late advice...
Red-wharf Ray is situated about three miles to the
westward of Puffin Island, Menai Straits, and six or
seven miles to the north-west of Beaumaris. With the
exception of the bay, which is very sandy and shallow,
the coast is rocky and bold.
The place where the vessel is understood to have been
wrecked is not unfavourable for diving operations in
calm weather.

The Liverpool pilot-boat No. 12i reported to have
been lost, with all hands.
Some portions of the rails along the Menai Straits are
reported to have been washed away, and some tit the
telegraph wires have been blown down.

MOLFFIE KAY, Thursday Evening.
The following pariiculard have since been furnished by
the Tisics reporter:—
It id my very' painful duty to record the total wreck
of the screw dtesandhip Royal Charter, Captain Taylor,
which took place at from 3 to 14 o'clock on the 1111 l ruing
of Wednesday at Molfre, a rugged portion of the Angle-
sea coast, and about midway between Atulwch and Puf-
fin Island. The ill-fated vessel sailed from Melbourne
on the 26th of Angudt, having on board 388 passengers,
of whom 63 occupies' the salmi's, and a crew, including
oiiicers, of 112 ',erbium. While the chlil, will passing
Queenstown, on Monday morning. 13 of the pawn.
gels landed in a pilot boat. On Tuesday morning, at
11 o'clock. the Royal Charter *poke the ateauktug
United Kingdom, winch, instead of returning to port
with r"i,,gers who had been assisting in the working of a
chip to Cardiff. transferred 11 of the riggers to the P.,,yal
Charter, Capt. Taylor having kindly agreed to take
them to Liverpool; no that there were on board at the
time of the wreck 49:4 souls, and of these only 39 were
saved. .

The loss of life on this sad occasion was 459 persons.
The Royal Charter had on board a large assn of ataxic
on freight, the exact amount .4 which cannot he ascer-
tained, as all the ship's papers have been hot, but it was
variously estimated by the surviving passengers and
crew at from £500,000 to 4:800,000. One of the saloon
passengers, who was drowned, was stated to have had
in his possession gold to the value of 4:10,000. She
had only a moderate cargo, principally of wool and
skins. From the tine of leaving Port Phillip Heads till
the arrival off the Irish coast the passage was in the
highest degree favourable ; she was only once in danger,
and then from an icAerg. After passing Queenstown 1
the wind veered round to E.N.E.. blowing strung. On
Tuesday night it blew a gale, and continued to increase '
in violence, till at length, on the ruing of the fatal
disaster, it blew a perfect hurricane. Arriving off
Point Lyons at fi p.m. on Tuesday evening, signal
rockets were for several hours thrown up, in the hope of
attracting a pilot, hut none made their appearance.
Captain Taylor, finding that his ship was making lee-
way, and gradually drifting towards the shore, let go
both the anchors, but such WM the shit...nee of Una
wind and the heavy cross OVA prevailing, that the chains
parted. Notwithstanding that the engines were worked
at their full power, the captain was unable to work to
windward, and the unfortunate vessel struck the rocks
stern first in four fathoms water. Up to this period
(about 3 a.m.) not the slightest alarm was evinasi a 1111 l ne;
the pasungers, a large portion of whom were women and
children; the inset I.erfect discipline and order prevailed.
The masts and rigging were cut adrift, but caused nu
relief, as the ship continued to thump on the sharp
pointed rocks with fearful rapidity. Shortly ..fter she
struck, the ship was thrown hroselside on, purfectly iipo
right upou the 'hely:lig at .ny beach, the head and
stern lying due east and west, the former not being
inure than 20 yards front a pnvjectiti,r rock. At this
juncture one of the crew, a Portugueu, named Joseph
Rogers, nobly ventured to struggle through the heavy
surf and convey a rope on shore. Though it was not
believed by any one that danger was imminent, the
captain gave the order, and Rogers ably fulfilled his
duty. A strong hawver was then and secured
on shore, and to this was rigged a "boatswain's
swain's chair."
At 5 o'clock the ship labuurcal and bumped to such an
extent that the ladies and children exhibited the greatest
anxiety and fear; they crowded together in the after
part of the saloon, and the Rev. Mr. Ifolge, of East
Retfunl, a clergyman of the Church of England, offered
by
tuiliea, pray: e
tluuaiuping olfhtuhrtae '
vessel oil the rod:
kr rsu. fadedn d
the
homy seas which came dashing into the cabin. The scene
in the saloon was of the most heartrending description ;
children and parents, husbands and wives. were clinging
to each other in affectionate embrace. Captain Withers
and Captain Taylor came down and tried to allay their
fears by assuring them that there was no immediate
danger. Scarcely had their words been uttered before a
succession of tremendous waves swung her about on the
rocks, and she divided ainidshipa, engulfing all cm board.
Shortly afterwards she also parted at the furehatch,
throwing • large number of persons into the sea. Many
were killed by the breaking up of the ship. Several of
the crew saved thenixelves by means of the hawser to
the shore, while the remainder were hurled upon the
rucks by the waves; all the officers perished. Captain
Taylor was the last wan men alive on board. He had
lulied his body to a spar and was drowned. Mr. Ste-
vens the chief officer, was killed by wine of the falling
rigging. Several of the more fortueate passenger re-
ceived severe injuries while struggling for life. With
the exception of • portion of the 'IMAM'm bulkhead,
which Appears a few (set above the water, there is
scarcely a vestige of the Royal Charter remaining. The
bullion chest, which was substantially built of iron, and
secured to the trawling of the ship, is supposed to Lave
been shattered, from the fact of a gold box having been
pickssl up with the address of a leading banking firm
upon it.
About 250 sovereigns and a quantity of notes have
been picked up among the rocks.
At least 30 bodies which have beca cast ashore are
lying in the adjacent church ; most of them are fright.
fully mutilated. William Hugliec, the only apprentice
saved, states that when the vev.sel parted lie W 142, in the
waist, and was precipitated among the machinery, which
was hurled to and fru by the action of the waves. Ile
had given himself up for lost, when a wave lifted bins
clear of the ship and landed him in an uncomic:ions state.
The survivors during their stay at the scene of the wreck
were very kindly treated. 'Ewe ladies made themselves
conspicuous by their attention to the sufferers.
It is stated that all the beats were in perfect readiness
for lowering had eitinunstances permitted.