The Express.
London, England, 1866-02-03 00:00:00

THE LOSS OP THE LONDON STEAMER.

Yesterday the official inquiry instituted by the
Board of Trade isto the circumstances attending the fano-
done& of the steamer London was resumed at the Green-
wich Police-court, before Mr. Traill, the district stipendiary
magistmte, and Captains Harris and Baker, the nautical
unmoor,. Mr. O'Dowd, es before, conducted the case on
behalf of the Board of Trade. Mr. C. Wigram, of the
arm of Wignim and Sons, the owner, of the London, was
present, and a large number of persona were mumbled in
the body of the court, it haviog been stated by Mr. O'Dowd,
the previous day, that the engineers of the ill-fated steamer
would be tendered for exammotion at an early hour.

John Jones was examined by Mr. O'Dowd. He deposed—
I reside at Camberwell. I was chief engineer of the London.
I have A certificate of competency from the Board of Trude.
After leaving London on the 28th of December our
machinery worked without giving us the slightest
trouble until we had got as far as Plymouth. We
were in charge of a Trinity-house pilot. Mr.
Greenhill, and Mr. Moline, the sound and third engineers,
were with us when we sailed, as a'so a lesdieg stoker, a
tune-keeper, six firemen, and three coal trimmers. The
metes were working when we were leaving the docks, the
number of evolutions being about 30. When the weather
became rough off Dungeness the engines worked well. We
were loin; six or seven knots off Dawning. We kept a
log-book in the engine-room, but it was lost. Everything
went well in the engine department between London sad
Plymouth. Wale we were at Plymouth nothing occurred
that would require attutioe. We took in fifty tons of
coals in London, and we had five or six tons on getting into
Plymouth. We left Plymouth shortly after midnight of
the bth of January, previously to which we had replaced
the coals which bad been consumed on the voyage from
London to Plymouth. The coal was stowed toned the en-
glee-room hatch sod the steam chest. I don't think we had
twenty tow of coals on the deck on the 11th of January.
Some of the coals were washed away on the 11th.

To Mr. was disabled dUring the gal; by beiog
thrown spinet the snapper.
To Mr. O'Dowd—After leaving Plymouth we deemed
about eight knots an hour. The weather was very mild on
our leaving Plymouth, and continued so during the 6th.
The weather freshened on the 7th. I think the London
kept her course under steam on the 7th, and she had not,
as far as I know, made any water up to that time. The
weather increased almost to a gale early on the morning of
the Bth. About 8 cm. Captain Martin gave orders to
stop the engines, lift the screw, and pat the fires out. The
weather continued the same until about 5 o'clock in the
evening, when it moderated, and we got up steam again.
The wind began to increase about midnight of the Bth, and
continued increasing up to the time the ship went down.
On the morning of the 9th, I think, one of the life-
boats was carried away. I went on deck and saw the fore-
topmast, topgallantmut and royal mut hanging down. I
did not go forward to observe the gibboom. I did not see
the spars secured. The London had steamed up to this
time with her head to the wind. She shipped a little sea
on the 9th. The engine-room was clear of water on the
9th. The engines worked until the fires were put out by the
sea early on the morning of the 10th. At 3 a.m.. Captain
Martin ordered Mr. Greenhill, the second ugineer, to go at
full speed. I went into the engine-room at half-past 4 o'clock
and found everything going on well. My watch was from
half-past four to half-put 8 o'clock. At half-past four the
ship was in full speed and continued le that speed up to
the end of my watch. At half-past 8 o'clock I was re-
lieved by the seeped engineer, and did not go on watch again
until half-past four o'clock in the afternoon. After my
secondiwatch I went to my cabin. I was around at half.
past ten by the big sea breaking the skylight of the
engine-room. I went to the bottom of the ladder
leading to the engine-room, and found the second engineer
standing near the engines. The room was flooded. I ran
on deck, and saw that the whole of the skylight had gone.
I returned to the esgine-room and found the
fires oat. We then shut up the after bulk-heads, and went
upon deck. The ship was labouring very heavily, and con.
tinually shipping sae. Tarpaulins and canvas were brought
and laid over the apertures, sod the sailors got the flying
jibboom to put under these, but the men and materials were
washed into the tee•scuppers.
Mr.O'Dowd—How did the men week

Witness—Very well. Many of the passengers assisted at
the pampa, and baled out the water with buckets. The
salons passengers assisted as weU as the steerage peasengers.
I cannot say what canvas the ship carried at this time. I
was going with my breakfast when a sea struck the @hip,
that I was thrown into the lee scuppers. I had no bone
broken, but I suffered from pain. Things remained io the
same condition until the lOth. I went on deck early on the
morning of the 11th. I noticed that the ship Swam in •
most disabled condition, sod was rolling in the trough of
the sea. I wee on deck about 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
I ran across the deck and over the poop-deck, and jumped
Into the port-cutter. I believe I was the lest person who
mitered the cutter.

3dr. O'Dowd—Did you see the captain before you entered
the boat ?
Witaaes--Yes.
Mr. O'Dowd—Where was he?
Witness—Between the decks.

Mr. O'Dowd—What was ho doing?
Witness—He was going towards the saloon. He asked
me how I felt, and I replied, " Not well." That was the
only observation of his that came under my notice. This
was about an hour before I got into the boat.
Mr. O'Dowd—How did the passengers appear
Witness—They were preaching asd praying, and seamed
to be as much composed as possible under the circum-
stances. There were no loud sounds, but than was sub-
dued groaning.
To Mr. Traill—l had been only about four minutes in
the cutter when the ship went down stern foremost.
To Mr. O'Dowd—Our provisions in the boat consisted of
a few biscuits and some raw vegetables. There was no
water, wine, or spirits to my knowledge. We were
drifting about 20 hours, when we descried a valet That
was nine o'clock on Friday morning. We bad five oars.
We hosted an old shht on the top of a pole, and as soon
as the barque observed us her men waved their hats and
cheered us on. As soon as we got near, the log-line was
thrown towards us. and other lines of a thicker descrip-
tion were afterwards thrown out. There were 19 in the
boat, three being passengers.
To Captain Harris—l believe the boat was principally
governed by the oars.
To Mr. O'Dowd—The Dame of the barque was the
Marianople. , In the broadest sense of the word the captain
behaved with the greatest kindness.
John Greenhill, second engineer of the London on
her last voysge, was then examined. He said—
At 2 o'clock Captain Mattis ordered the port cutter to be
lowered. That was done safely with common tackle. The
boat belonged to me as second engineer. The captain
came to me at five minutes to 2 o'clock, and said the boat
was ready for lowering. I sad I did sot think there was
any use in lowering the boat. He replied, "There is no
chance for the ship, but there is some for the boat." He
shook bands with me, and wished me God speed. I then
went into the boat, and the first engieser end others fol-
lowed. We pushed off, seeing the ship was going down.
About four or five minutes after le►ving the ship I saw her
go down stern foremost.

- To Mr. Traill-1 heard nothing said shoot the a ipinio
pin into the boat. Ooe of the sailors called out before
the boat was lowered, and asked the captain what was the
mune. The captain replied, " E N.E., 80 miles to Breit.'
To Mr. O'Dowd—We had no hope of saving our lives in
the boat in such a sea.

To Mr. Traill—The sea broke into the boat, and we baled
it out with tie cans and a bucket. Our dr nking water got
mixed with salt water immediately after we left the ship,
and we bad to throw it away.
To Captain Hanis—The conversation between Captain
Martin enil me took place in the front of the poop. Both
of the lifeboats bad been lost, one having been stove in sod
the other washed away. When we lowered our boat there
wee only one hanging on the deck. Several attempts had
been made to lower the other phloem. They might have
got her out, but they seemed regardless is the matter.
After our boat had got off, I saw a rush to the remaining
phloem About noon on that day the square foresail was
set, and the ship kept before the wind, but fieding she took
more water, she was again brought to the wind. Every
time the ship lurched to leeward, she took in the water in
tons over her bulwarks. I thick the substance of thebulkhead
to which the sliding door was fixed was 5-Bths iron. The ship
made very little water until she was struck with the heavy
sea that carried away her engine-room hatch. If the
ship had taken is any water in the main bold I would have
seen it running into the engine room through the sluice
valves. I beard nothing 'it'd by Captain Martin about the
height of the barometer. Captain Martin spoke to me re-
peatedly daring the night of the 10th. He bad hopes of
saving the vessel, as he thought the weather was moderat-
leg. Efforts were made to clear the ship by buckets, and
the donkey engine was set to working the chain pump
during the morning of the Iltb, and was working when the
ship went down. The coals were thrown overboard in
seek■ after the fires were put out. I was aware the ship
would go down by the stern some boors before I left her.
The screw bad not been hoisted when I left the ship. I
found the stuffiog box at the sod of the screw abaft per-
fectly tight. I never heard that the topgallastmut had
come down and broken the skylight.
To Captain Baker—The last time, looked into the engine
room was at one o'clock on the 11th, and there wee thee 19
feet of water is the room. When we hove to after the
attempt to run before the wind I think the wizen staysail
was set, but lam not certain. We bad no difficulty in
lowering the boat in which we got away.
TM court then adjourned, it bents five o'clock.

Di/WATCH OF TIM Wray INDIA MAIIB.--13017111.
MIPTON, Far. 2.—The Royal Mail Company's itealaship
Beiee, Captain Beret*, staid hence to-do► with the sidle
fo► the British and Foreign West ladies, Mexico. the Pude,
California, and Central Amories. She took out 104 pawn.
germ, and an keig!it a pima' cargo, including 10,0001. is
eiteefloin, 13,6801. fn gold coin. 1.7961. la English jewellery,
8,6271. is French jewellery, sod six bottles quicksilver,
value 461

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