The Express.
London, England, 1852-01-27 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THR AMAZON.

INQUIRY BY THE BOARD OF TRADE.

Yesterday an inquiry was commenced at 12 o'clock
by the naval department of the Board of Trade, under the
Art 14th and 16th Vie., cap. 79, which came into force only
a few days before the destructian of the Amason. The act
provides that when it is apprehended that a vessel is lost,
the owners are to give exotica to the board, under a penalty
of 60.14. Inspectors may be appointed to investigate the
nature of accidents ; and the 23rd section enacts that an
inspector, or any person being a member of the naval de-
partment of the board, in all cams of accident or damage, '
may make such inquiries and requ.ro answers or returus
thereto, as to the nature, circumstance, and Games of the
same as he shall think necessary, and by summons to'
require the attendance and examine upon oath all par•
ties, Beyond ten mile, persona are to be first paid their
a Maws.
The inquiry on this occasion was conducted by Captain
Beechey, R.N., and Captain Walacr, R.N. Mr Labouchero
and Lord de Mauley acre present at the investigation.
Captain Beechey said that the President of the Board of
Trade thought it necessary that the present inquiry should
be male, but not with the view of casting any reflection on
the inquiry which had been conducted by the Royal Mail
Steam Company.
The first witness called was
Captain Corry. Admiralty Superintendent of Packet.' at
Suuthampton.-1 received a report (menthe Admiralty that
the boilers and machinery of the Amason were in every
respect effective. I did not, therefore, think it nerrmary to
make a personal inspection so into report particularly ; but
I went over her and thought everything right. The crew '
appeared to he a good crew, and rulticieut for the capacity of
the Tree& The resort was in every respect in her hull and
machinery seaworthy, sad I saw nothing which could be
Immo fault with. I had no impression when the vessel left
Southampton that she was in any way deficient. 1 did r.ot
know that there was a large quantity of coals on board.
Angus Macin.a«, storekeeper of the Amason—l had
charge of the grime and other stores of that kind. They
were stowed near the boiler. Is the larboard store-room
the tallow, oil, and soap were kept. The room was it feet
by 6. It was a hanging store room fixed upon an iron beam
going ..terl.b.s the ship. The lower pan of oho door was solid,
and the upper part «ooden grating. There was a drier in
the atter part, and another leading to the hatchway. In
coining down the hatchway 1 could see through the grating of
the dour. The oil in the storeroom was in iron tanks. 1 had
access to them to get out the oil, which I pumped out by a
small hand pump. The tanks were secured on the top.
The waft soap was contained in wooden casks. There was
no leakage from the tanks or maks. Before the fire 1
hod down in the forecastle, and afterwards I lighted
a moate and went down into the store-room and saw a
light. I went down by a ladder. As near as I could see
the light was at the bottom of the butler, between the boiler
and the bulkhead. I gave an alarm immediately. I left
the store-room before then, about 11 o'clock. I dill not
visit the sturv-room after that until a quarter past 12, when
1 saw the light. The light was a yellow tone, but no
great smell came up with it. When I first saw the flame
at was abou live feet below the store-room. In the
piece where I saw the fire fire-irons were kept. We
had no donkey at the fore part of the stoke hole.
The bulkhead, in which was the bean, supporting the
store-room was, I believe, made of wood, but I am not
certain. When I first saw the dame it was a large
one.. The rapidity of the flame must have immediately
caught the store-room through the felt or the bulk-
head. When 1 first saw the fire lam sure it was not in
the store room. rum fire when I first saw it must have
been in the bulkhead or in the plates of the boilers. I saw
the store mom on fire immediately after I put the hose on.
I heard Captain Symons giving orders not to lower the
boats, and to put the fire out. I escaped by the No. 2 life-
boat, which was supported by a crane. We had a great diffi-
culty in getting her into the water. Some maks of soap
were lying on the deck. 1 did not ace Mr. Angus in the
store room. Ido not know the names of the stokers who
were on duty. Every effort wee made to subdue the fire.
There did nut appear to be any order as to the lowering of
the boats.

Isaac Roberts, boiler-maker on board the Amason—The
first I heard of the tire was Mr. James calling out " fire."
I advanced towards where the fire was, and saw it on the
top of the boiler under the storeroom. I called for buckets
and went to the pump. The heat became so great that I
could not stand it. I first saw the tire between the boiler
and the bulkhead, coming out from underneath the bottom
of the store-room. The fire woe above the prickers. I
don't know whether the boiler was battened or not. I
could see the storeroom. perfectly plant at first, end there
was nu fire there then I was in the storeroom a few
minutes after 12. I went there (or oil in my own lamp,
which was lighted. In a minute atter I saw the fire no
one could remain in the engine-room, and it was impos-
sible to use the donkey' in it. Immediately I got on
deck I got the smell of tallow and oil. It was about
a minute. There was nothing to induce me to be
of the opinion that the neck of the funnel was unusually
hot.

William Nutburn, stoker on board the Amazon, and
Thomas Attwood, were next examined, but their evidence
possessed no interest.
Lieut. Orylls was the next witness called, and his evi-
dence was only a repetition of his examination before the
directors at Moorgate-street lie added, that if the ship
could have been stopped more lives would have been saved ;
and it was his opinion, that as it was hopeless to save the
ship, more attention acd order should have been taken to
lower the boats. if the boats had been lowered, and atten-
tion had been paid to them, they would be sufficient tocarry
all the passengers and crew.
Mr. Robert Neilim also repeated the evidence which be
gave a few days ago at the company's office, and attributed
the origin of the tire to tho falliag of oil on the engine, and
the oil again falling upon hot cinders, and the light again
communicating in this manner to the storeroom. The vessel
was well found and well manned and managed.
William Angus, second engineer—My opinion is that the
fire commenced below the boiler. When I first saw the
dime it was of a reddish colour. I don't suppose that any
of the pricker, had been placed between the boiler and the
bulkhead. I think the fire commenced between the bulk-
head end the boiler. The smoke came on so rapidly that
it blew out all the lights in the engine-room. There were
coal bags on the grating on the top of the boiler, but they
could not fall down on the boiler. I cannot say whether
there was anything between the bulkhead and the boiler,
which would catch fire. The rest of the witness's evidence
was a repetition of his former statements.
The inquiry was then adjourned.

Tar EARL OF DERBY Will, entertain at dinner a
number of the peers of the country party on Monday
neat; and on the ensuing Wednesday and Saturday the
noble earl will give dinner parties to the members of the
Lower Howse who at present sit on the opposition aide of
the Commons.

Honoree or WAl.—Y,ettedayt.
.fits I=2
alarmist statement weesigraileboll bythe asserme,
in the letter of its P eerrespladeat lam credibly
informed that at the pressed moms* tho Pessidlont's whole
idea w with respect to the invades of L that be
hes eadialted generals, studied the vim et the Bridegese
estimative, received reports ms Ile iliesibility of the
Zell&of the Channel, Ite. need In and a wend Onnosibei
Elyske that does net allot le spook of the invasion
as an stair that is note* yeesdieshis, bet which will be at-
tempted. Let it not he sewed that • pretext w.
Them ere, unhappy, Ise wage rads eel all of umiak
would be easy to roues the hell* 411 tM Fume mien,
and any ems 1111 widish wadi be as ewes ter war. The
hinds of Lodi Imeghle—amd I fear imagine
the Nen* veggie west te their
ibeamtrsdest at Weasels% ad s#r the rt"OfeZ
imam at St. Helms. Hui a ens t ssay would be
pegair,and is melt eiremeeftesse why should they
ned madeellehe it ? I knew emeing of the feelings of
ether oneateiss, but here the belief is that Russia would
joie Ia rimy attack which Freese might b• disposed
as stake ea England. Greek It is that since the
Rad of Dommaher the repamsetWve of Russia has
been the mum asiduom is bh attendance et the
• end the mast bosomed of the diplomatic corps;
that Is. mobilo are Lion pleatital in Paris at the pre-
sent msaamb than they have ever been sine. 1818; and
that bethimmagst the Freese sad the Russians it is cur-
rently Mated that an arraessmem between France and
liussla mold unity be mutilated, At that Russia would not
interim with the extension of the French frontier to the
Rhino, if France would permit Ramie to seise on Constan-
tin=(What next
venire Fine.—Yesterday morning a fire
broke onion the premises of Mr. Foletti, picture-from*
maker, of 64, Banner-street, St. Luke's. The whole of the
back workshops were burned down ; the top floors of
dwelling house, used as store rooms and workshops, burnt
out ; the roof destroyed, and remainder of house and con-
tents severely damaged by fire, Be. M. Foletti was seri-
onaly injured by jumping out of window. The contents
were insured in the Phoenix Fire-office. The house No. 61,
Banner-street, called the Hope Tavern, was damaged by
fire. It was insured in the Monarch Fire-office. Several
of the premises contiguous were damaged more or less
severely by fire, water. and removal.
Imre r. WOODEN STEAMERB.—The member. of
the government and the Admiralty are at issue respect-
ing the propriety of allowing mail packets to be built
of iron. The Admiralty are opposed to iron as a
material for mail packets, while Certain members of
the government, whose duties connect them with the
mail packet department, are in favour of iron mall
steamers. This explains the fact that the Peninsular and
Oriental Company openly avow that they are building an
iron steamer to convey the Indian Mail between Ragland
and Alexandria, and that in all the react mail contracts
advertised for by the Admiralty iron packets are not pro-
hibited, and it also explains the circumstance that the
public journals are continually contradicting the statement
that the Admiralty order issued SOON time since has been
rescinded, and which order was, that no iron steamer
built subsequently to a certain period would be allowed to
carry mails.
.
SOUTHAMPTON EMIORATION esO AND SHIPPING ...M-
-FAMT.—A meeting in this matter has horn held before
the Muter in Chancery Richards, when Mr. Firmin, the I
official manager, and Mr. Duncan, his solicitor, brought
forward a proposal for a call of U. 6e, per share, setting
forth in their report to the Master that the balance at the'
bauaere rim 891., and that with the amount to be derived
front payment of the call, assets to the extent of 1,302/.
would be realised, applicable to the discharge of remaining
debts sod liabilities, amounting to 8981. ; solicitor's bill
4r121., and official manager's costs 2071. The Master mads
the call.