The Express.
London, England, 1864-12-30 00:00:00

FATAL STEAMBOAT COLLISION.

FOUR LIVES LOST.
It is our painful duty to record another fatal
Isteamboat collision, which occurred at an early hour this
maiming, resulting in • sacrifice of four lives, and the
'foundering of a small steamboat. The circumstances are
as follows :—The screw steamer Guy Fawkes, 34 tons,
Archibald Campbell, master, left the tail of the bank
about ti o'clock this (Thursday) morning, bound for the
Kam.. Gunpowder Works, situated in Kyles of Bute,
having on hoard a quantity of nitrate of soda, about
1;21:10 empty kegs, sod other general cargo. The mora-
-1 log was comparatively clear, and the Guy Fawkes bad
all her lights up, according to the government instructions.
When rounding Kempoch Point, to the westward of
Gourock, the lights of a large steamer coming up the river
were observed. The Guy Fawkes was rounding the point
close in shore, the tide at the time being about low water.
When the lights of the steamer were observed, the man
at the wheel on board the Gay Fawkes got orders to
' port the helm, which was at once done. The bow of
the steamer was thus pointed for the Damao shore. The
Earl of Carlisle motioned her proper course, but the
muter, fearing his vessel might take the ground, gave
ceders to starboard the helm, which was done. Both
vessels consequently were thus steering for mid
channel. The malt was that the Guy Fawkes was
struck by the Earl of Carlisle, on the starboard
quarter, elms to the mainmaat, receiving such iejuries as to
cause bar to founder in about ten minutes after the oolli-
sion. The small boat of the Goy Fawkes was stove io, and
the crew were thus left without any means of escape. Au
attempt was made to run the Guy Fawkes 'shore, but the
water tubed in so speedily as to pat out the fires, and the
vessel sank immediately thereafter. The hands at mice
made provision for saving their lives, each man laying
hold of some buoyant substance in order to float until as-
sistance could reach him. The steamer made a long circuit
before lowering a boat, and, upon • small boat being sent
only one of the crew of the Guy Fawkes could be dis-
covered. This man, named Duncan M`Farlane, was at
once takes oa board the Earl of Carlisle in • very ex-
hausted state. The names of those drowned are :
Archibald Campbell, master, aged about 28 years, married,
and one child ; Hugh if 'Kenzie, eogioeer, married, and
five children ; Dugald ld'Kellar, deck hand, unmarried;
Alexander Thomson, aged about 19 years. unmarried.
The unfortunate men all resided in Karnes. None of
the bodies have been found. The imastguardsmen sta-
tioned at Kunio& Point put off in their boat, but
none of the immersed moo could be mesa. Other boat.
were also put off from Gourock, but anfortusately too late
to render any assistance. Duncan 31`Farlane, the man who
was saved, states that all the crew clung to pieces of dealing
wreck until, becoming exhausted, one after another sank
and was drowned. M'Farlane believes be was about three
quarters of an hour in the water ere he was picked up. All
bands were on deck on board the Guy Fawkes at the time of
the collision. The sea was comparatively calm and the
morning clear. The Gay Fawkes is supposed to have sunk
in about 15 fathoms. An atSempt, we believe, will be made
to raise her. The Earl of Carlisle was uninjured.— Ghugoir
Harald.