The Express.
London, England, 1853-08-22 00:00:00

TWO EMIGRANT SHIPS BURNED.

By the Australian mail we are put in possession of
three most serious tomes at sea, two by fire, one being an
emigrant ship bound to New Zealand, and the third a large
steamer, which was wrecked on the roast between Port
Philip and Sydney, when between forty and fifty insfor-
tunate creatures who were on board perished. The emi-
grant ship was the Mehemet Shah, Captain Minter, com-
mander, which left London in the early part of January
for New Zealand, with about one hundred passengers for
the colony. She was a well-found vessel of some 600
tons, and belonged to a Captain Meeking, her former
captain. It appears that the voyage was safe enough
until the 18th of April, when the ship was some thou-
sand miles to the southward of the Cape, being
in lat. 43 deg. 30 sec., long .1 116 deg. 10 sec. B.
About noon smoke was observed to be issuing
from the forehuld. It was quickly ucertained
that the ship was on fire, and every effort was made to „
reach and subdue it. All the exertions of the crew failed
in suppressing it, and the general impression was that it
had originated from spontaneous combustion in the lower
part of the hold. The position of those on board the burn-
ing vessel then became most trying. Passengers and crew
were all got on deck, and the hatches battened down, in
the hope that the flames would be smothered. At this
period, a vessel, which subsequently turned out to be the
Helen, on a voyage from the Mauritius to Hobart Town,
peovidently appeared in sight, and observed the signal of
distress of Mahomet Shah. She bore down towards her,
and laid by her for two days and nights. On the night
aft 19th it was quite evident that the fire was
hat extending over the whole cargo, and it was re-
solved to send the passengers on board the Helen. The
boats were lowered, and they were all got safely off, the
crew quickly following. Not a vestige of their baggage
could be saved. The flames had penetrated the cabin, and
all approach below was cut off. The Helen laid off the
burning ship for several hours, and at midnight all was
completely enveloped in flames. The crew of the Helen
did all they could to alleviate the sufleriogs of the pas-
sengers; but, unfortunately, their provisions were not
adequate to meet the demand. To add to their misfortune,
the voyage to the port to which she was bound, Hobart
Town, swas a tedious one, and their rations were reduced to
very little food, and half a pint of water a day. Had they
been kept at sea much longer, starvation would have set in.
The Mahomed Shah was laden with a general cargo of
merchandise. Both were insured.
The other unfortunate ship which suffered from the
effects of fire was the English barque Winchester, Mr.
Carry, tauter. She had sailed from Melbourne on the 14th
of May, for Newcastle, New South Wales. On the follow-
ing morning the wind blew very heavily from the S.W.,
but moderating the captain directed some of the men to go
below to secure the stores from rolling about. When the
hands came up one of them was noticed to have a naked
lighted candle in his hand. In the course of ten minutes
some smoke was seen coming up the after hatchway. The
store-room was thea discovered to be on fire, and the crew
became to confused and alarmed that they could scarcely be
induced to act in suppressing the flames. The ship speedily
became ignited from one end to the other, the nuts falling
over the sides. The men took to the boat at an early stage
of the cesflagration, and it would seem that they laboured
under an impression that a quaatity of gunpowder was on
board, which was not the fact. The captain and officers
were preserved.
The ill-fated steamer was the Monumental City, • key
eland ahip, of 1,000 tons. She had arrived at Kelbeasa
w a large number of passengers from the United
aid Laving dliattamall aicumay a them at that part, LIU
for Sydney, several of the colonists taking a presage in het.
She sailed from Port Philip en the 16th of ay, and then
had every indication of • rapid and pleasant trip. It is
stated that she hugged the coast too closely during the
night. She was progressing through the water at the rate
of 12 knots an hour, when she went upon a formidable reef
of rocks in Malaquotta Bay. A scene of the moot painful
consternation ensued. As the morning advanced, a
terrible gale sprung up, and the heavy bumping of the
ship on the reef soon caused her to make considerable
water. The engine flies were extinguished, and the
prospect of all was most alarming. The first beat
which was lowered was dashed to pieces ; the second met
with a similar fate, and the third drifted away. The only
chance of escape now left for the unhappy matures was
by the life-boat. It was got to the bow, and a seaman
named Plummer jumped into it, and, with • rope attached,
it was allowed to drift to the rocks, but the rope broke, and
all chance was then cut off. As • last effort another line
was fixed to a spar, which floated within reach of the noble
fellow on the rocks. A hawser was then got off to the rock,
and by means of it 54 souls were rescued from a watery
grave. Many • poor fellow was wuhed off the hawser, and
perished in the sea. Thee came the last scene of all. The
billows were running mountains high and breaking over
the ship, the quarter-deck was separated from the fore-deck,
then another sea split the forecastle, and nothing remained
of the Monumental City but the floating timber which
covered the water. Thou who were saved were looking
intently oa the group slustered on the wreck, when it sud-
denly disappeared in a few seconds, with its living burden
of men, women, and children, who were seen for a moment
struggling among the breakers, and then lost for ever.
Scarcely a vestige remained, and out of 86 souls who sailed
from Melbourne, 54 only reached the land, while 32 unfor-
tunately perished. The survivors obtained a supply of pro-
visions on the island on which they had been thrown. In
the course of • few days the mainland was reached, when
the authorities took charge of them. Most of the bodies of
the sufferers were thrown up on the island before the sur-
vivors left, which they interred. Amongst the passengers
wko perished were Mr. Wire, stockbroker, of Glasgow ;
Mr. and Mrs. Stutts and child, Mrs. Wilson, William
O'Gorman, Charles Hopcott, Mr. Peter Stobell, Captain
White, and Mr. S. Porter. The toes of the Monumental
City will exceed 30,0001.

SHOCKING GUN ACCIDENT.—On Saturday last
distressing accident occurred at Stoke Gabriel, near Tots's,
Devonshire. In that village resides • respectable family,
named Brewer. On Saturday, Mrs. Brewer came to Tot-
nes, leaving her little boy, aged eight years in the care of
a neighbour, with whom she left the key of her cottage.
After Mrs. Brewer bad left, another son of hers, about 14
years of age, came to the neighbour and asked for the
key which his mother had left. He then, accompanied by
his ;brother, went into the cottage. On entering the
kitchen, the elder lad espied a gun, and taking it up, said
to his little brother in fun " I'll shoot you!" The elder
boy immediately pulled the trigger, the gun being loaded ;
and tke poor little fellow instantly fell down dead at his
brother's feet. On examination it was found that the
charge bad entered the poor boy's mouth, and dreadfully
mutilated him. The lad who was the cause of the accident
was so shocked, that for a long time he could not speak,
and was obliged at once to be placed under medical treat-
ment. The father of the lads had left the gun, in this
careless manner, for the porpose, as he said, of shooting
rooks. The mother, as might be imagined was frantic on
her return home, at sight of her bleeding and lifeless
child.

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EXTENSIVE CONFLAGRATION AT BRISTOL.—At
about 11 o'clock on Friday night, a most alarming firs
broke out upon the premises of Messrs. Margett and Co.,
manufacturers of waterproof clothing, Stephen-street, Bris •
tol. Within a few minutes of the alarm being given the
Barnes, owing to the combustible nature of the materials
and stock, had gained a complete mastery of the building
and illumined the prominent objects of the city to even re-
mote distances. The city fire engine and those of the vari-
ous Fire Insurance Companies were speedily on tho spot
and a plentiful supply of water being at hand they were
enabled to proven t the spread of the fire to the adjacent
premises of Messrs. Tanner and Co., the Cheddar Mills
paper manufacturers. Messrs. Margett and Co.'s place was,
however, gutted and a large amount of stock destroyed.
Some houses in the rear. in Leonard-lane, were also greatly
damaged, and the inmates narrowly escaped destruction,
being obliged to seek flight in their night clothes. A horse
was likewise with difficulty rescued from a stable which
formed part of the building.
DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT MENAI BRIDGE.—A
lamentable accident, resulting in the loss of two lives,
occurred on t3aterday at the Menai Bridge. A boat contain-
ing Mr. Russell, of Bangor, oyster merchant, and two of his
men who had been some time engaged in dredging for
oysters, came up to the Prince of Wales, steamer, in order
to place the oysters on baud. Having done this the boat
dropped astern, so as to be taken in tow of the steamer
which was about to start for Liverpool ; but the vessel on
backing out came into collision with, and upset the boat.
Its three occupants were immediately seen struggling in
the water. The accident having occurred close to the pier
several beats were instantly put off, one also being
lowered without delay from the deck of the Prince of
Wales. Mr. Russell, after great efforts, was ultimately
picked up in an exhausted state, but the two other un-
fortunate men had sank to rise no more.

SATURDAY STUDIO.
The railway market, to-day, prolonged scarcely
any feature deserving of comment. In the morning,
the tone was flat, especially for Caledonians; but on
tho improvement in Consols a rally ensued, and at
the close prices were fully as good as yesterday. Busi-
ness all day was extremely inaniiate.