The Express.
London, England, 1852-08-19 00:00:00

THE FIRE ON BOARD THE SEVERN.

Yesterday Capt. Austin, R.N., Admiralty__ Wraperio-
tendent, Capt. loot, a director of the /loyal elt India
Nail Steam-ship Company, Capt. Chap; ell, R.N., secretary
of the same, and Capt. Barton, held an inquiry at the com-
pany'. oiler, Southampton, into the causes of the late Bee
on board the Severn. Capt. Chappell having explaiaed the
construction of the vessel, the evidence of those on board
was taken. For formal reasons it wee necessary to receive
a masher of details which wo have already published : the
following is, however, an epitome of the material results of
this inquiry.
Capt. Charles Chapman, commander of the Severn, said.—
The part where the tire occurred could only be communi-
cated with from the after-part of the passengers' saloon,
sad contained nothing but two iron tanks of water; vier
had it any communication with any other pert of the ship,
being separated by the saloon store-room bulk head. It wee
the cement fo. (Aileen to visit the ship at stated times
dories,: the night until 11 o'clock, when the lights are es-
tingueibed, which he reports to the officer of the watch.
After II o'clock either the midshipman or the quarter-
muter of the watch goes the rounds of the ship every half
hour, and reports his having done so to the officer of the
watch.
Various instructions supplied to commanders by the
company were then put in and read.

In answer to a question, Captain Chapman said it was
not true that the ruin were allowed to go below with a
naked light, without being placed under the least control.
The rounds were made at half-past 12 and 1. I received the
last report at midnight. I was on deck until after 12 that
night, when I went to bed. Everything must have been
correct shout the ship, (or if anything wrong had been
noticed, it would have been reported to me. When I left,
the ship appeared in perfect security. The fire had been
put out for the night, and of my own knowledge the pumps
were rigged and the hose laid on, for when the alarm was
igiven, I led the hose down the hatchway to the fire, and the
supply of water was so ready, that the men filled some
buckets from the end, and threw it on to the seat of the fire.
Since I have returned into port I hen mad* a return of
the number of boats that were on board the Severn, and
the number of persons they would carry. The Severn had
sic boats, all to good condition. There were two life-
boats, each of which would carry 50; the pinnace, 40 ;
cutter, 30; mail boat, 18; gig, 18; making in the whole'
208 ; the two latter wero -Whale-boats. Including passen-
gers, officers and crew, there were on board the Severn
close upon 400 persons. I em clearly and decidedly of
opinion that the boots were adequate to the conveyance of
the passengers and crew on board.
Captain Chappell—Do you remember whether soy com-
plaint was ever made to you previous to the floc of a person
going below with • naked light ?
Captain Chapman—Yee, once. Admiral Cirenfell re-
, ported tome that he had found the scorekeeper in the act
of going below with a naked light, and the probability is
that the man would have gone had not the admiral goes-
tinned him. lam pretty certain Viet I Informed several
of the paseengers that I should discharge the man as soon as
I got home. I had lost confidence in him and should not
bring him again. This person was acting as steward. The
steward who went out failed, and the one who followed bins
was as unfortunate.

Mr. Wm. Sirutt, chief °dicer of the Severn, said—l re-
collect the circumstance of the fire taking place after we
left Madeira. It was nut my watch. I was in bed. Heard
the alarm of fire. Han aft on the main deck, and heard a
voice shouting for water in the after saloon. Took the hose
which was attached to Downton's pump along the pelage,
and on screwing another length of hose on the rush of
water was so great as for the time to prevent me doing so.
I got the end of the hoes down towards the fire, and parties
with buckets took the water and threw it over the part on
fire. The engine pump was turned on before Downter.'s
pump. Buckets of water were first puled from the engine
pomp. I went down into the space where the fin
originated. When 1 got there I observed a part of
the bulkhead on tire. The piece of wood form-
ing the bulkhead war about five or six feet in height.
I succeeded in extinguishing the fire in about two minutes.
It is the invariable practice on board the Severn for the
ship to be visited by the midshipman and quartermaster
every half hour during the night. They generally go both
together. 1 believe that the company's regulations respect-
ing lights on board the Severn to he carried out in every
l
floret. Had heard of a man being seen going below with
• naked light, but that occurred at 10 o'clock at night,
116 AS the 'doom lights were not oat. The master-at-arms
mu is charge until 11, when the midshipman goes the
reminds. If Iliad beard of • man going below de, or night
via a naked kt 1 should have reported him. The Severn
km bees with Sir Humphrey Davy's lamps, as ma
premaation—two in my charge end two in the
engines's& I have been at sea 14 years. The Severn
Is pievided with ample mesas of extinguishing fire. The
ramps mill hose were got ready and reported every night
at 8 Volta. I saw they were ready on the night in gaie-
ties. My attention has been called to the number of per-
sons the Severn boats woald carry, sad I and they would
accommodate 230.

Captain Auetin.—How did you arrive at that fact ?
Witness.-1 tested three of them. I lowered the life-
boat, and put forty persons in her. She floated very lightly
and would have taken forty more, bat I could not get any
more men to put in her. I then tried the pinnace. The
forty men in the life-boat went into her, and she swam quite
lightly. There was no crowding, and there was plenty of
room to pall the oars. I did not try the cower. elm would
hold 36 ; the whale boats 18. Had seen 181 and at Bt.. Vin-
cent in the whale boat. Some of them were ladies. lam
quite sure they would have carried the number I have
stated, and all we had es bleed.
A circular of instead's. So eemassadoni was then read,
in which they wens flebbillan reesive en board turpen-
tine, paint, oils, sad ether essabestibles particularised.
Mr. John Richards, third 'liar of the &earn, said—l
had watch on deck from 12 ee 4 ea the morning the are
lank Mass. Ms slam wess=6.t2o Edemas past 1. I
remind espris hen the of the watch, Mr.
In" nod the ganienerler ship pad 12 and 1, when
they went the roomier the i.
Captain Assda--Wliat did Brno, say when he reported
the mad,

Wit.-H. said that ha bad bees round, and all was
The rounds extend to the saloon and all parts of the
by es mu ...olds, met own below
ITheemaideed elleine-reen. We tsto tbe Ism sans.
Oseld sip thumb Iliegrattwes tither. was myth*/ wiz
is the bit win I heee4 the alarm, I emet lbw ti•
edhtw eel inestshed a matt I. pat is the
Thu Demise Irene woe is the Main deck.am

Oasis ChippeU—Wlet time eloped how the nowt
elf the ohm helms gives to the pied of the preps befog
pt opeelita
Wilms—Pm ea Ivo sokotoo T. esateeica I
did set dog the Ilee•bell. I Eldi oft fiL the Ise se the
haw wee eloolleisot awe saw Or Woo toe to de W.
I moolissol Sot with the mom sod water we hal Mead
the Ibis wail he speedily mad I did see deem
It prism to throw the prwrisee boo ea ssoesseary
wawa ol otesiollewrit dsaele the eitoyhig ofo the bell
woad have Noe boll I row IL
Capt. Cleppell.4love yea say ides se to bow the It.
arose ?
Witaiwo—l lops sit. _ _ _

Ca-cilia...o+7ll:4lm yes head imeamiss
w Vietairt: urlglassei Ibiza • lOW dear
of poossofor dim" smOlka Ist
only sositio. 1 donee of NNW Moss. sad
arising from a lOW Weer I thourgla Ode.
Capt Loads hen asked Copt at how ko
so-
swaod Aie dio ars t _ _

adtrilisObscraMidtertertprewies ienempLet
its lig
11111111111111 M of lbaespeimig be below
the poling. Ober deow etwaleweak bariewe, have we
Is ahem" ws 'pill mil beldwad
lbwsse. hes led me I" waserlis OM sat bare
bees easeal yaw pews wadi_ Ms the sterenest.
Ompt. lweet seed libel were** reetrielless rte pastes-
gem wareles
Mr. Mideards said the etwpasy's reselatiess prehibi tad
""suds/ ailmft the rnelltand dm only ea the upper desk.
"leaenaeldwg ellswedi dog go diesel "bridge wee palmed in
seamplesew ad mar Mei .
Bribed ?miss Ire" w widalgews 7t w lievers,
who was es As wed* iho OW die ilre WOW est,
Posellest /Oft tie mob fathead* la aselles et het&
pest Weelveseisaw Is lbws semi, 1 Wiled all pews
ewe* tie bell and aislaveeen. It Wombed bees 'ma
▪ k the "Me desk I wad have was it. I wield bare
INS - ess palm" es the "sloes deck. Saw necking
it My lift
Ompinin Amnia—Hew far did you go to where the fire
hirtasw- I pawed by the yeti's to withia awes het of
Trittness spoke of the reediftess with whisk the pump
were gat law work sad the hese kid.
Mr. Mutt, the skier sawn wee here recalled, and wiled
his mid= es as whether Its wall asereat he the "des
ef
lb" gew awl be replied that w Wets& awe IMO wait
time to hew the balk head et dis Were sews, awl that"
light 'Ma be bad espped deed lbe thaw.
Caps. Awls impbed wbailms wee would have been
tine kr a sew. have dispel dews three bestrew the
=
prase,
the laidahlywas, gabs rmeads, and the
dShe Is.. Mr. Mead theaslt tad then
Me hiterrepted the whole et the sea ea the hi swies
wasukng, bat bed been enable to wendssay eatiederwy
bet
John Reed. ems" (miser of the ewers, who wee es
weird at the time el *sibs, ague& to eatieing • peosliar
weell,, as It et seweshietbarilm, hetweas ewe sad Wi-
ped Tbseght It she lass" bearings ef the
"elan bush heated, he liand web astto be the
Mt. The men beanie grosser, sad es Ow
,up the
lehlar Maid Mlle ewe mall out " Pat on the wake.' Had
the at 8 o'clock at eight. As sees
as bsiVeliPtireanitt on the water, sad gave the
she. Is the elm amlasses. That west down to attend
the deskws, that wee widths/ the engine. It stepped pump-
ismit the.
Audi. ebeened, that this witness showed that
ese-Th "Sews et the yawl discovered seasething wee
mews, We had hew usable to detest it.
The witness added that he noticed the mall brim the
aims wee reified, and that he was Jest es the ore et rend-
ing far the Adel enginem when the disarm:sem mite.
Other wittiness were examined, but new wee
elicited, and after a lengthen ed lanes
loge were brought to • dome ahorgybitelfameti°9%'eloert.
committee of inquiry not Sieragag any opinion at pre-
sent

MARL ANTONIA RAILWAY. Train for the
week fade' Amen 5, 1862;-2173/. 1304.2611.

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 19, 1852.