The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-10-08 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN TIMES.---LIVERPOOLI VMDNESDAY.

THE LATE COLLISION BETWEEN THE
FALCON AND THE IMOGENE.-130ARD
OF TRADE ENQUIRY, YESTERDAY.

An official enquiry into the cause of the late collision, which
took place in the channel, between the Steamer Falcon and the
brig Iniogene;. opened yesterday, by the direction of the Board
of Trade. The enquiry was held in the Sheriff's-court, St.
George's-hall, at two o'clock, haat.° Mr. Mansfield, stipendiary
magistrate, and Captain Schomherg.
Mr. Tyndal, solicitor, represented the Board of 'tirade. 4r.
Aspinall appeared on behalf of the Falcon. Mr. Blair repre-
sented the owners of the Imogene.
Mr. Tyndal said this was rin enquiry into the caused of the
collision which took place between the screw-steamer Falcon,
belonging to the Cork Steam-ship Company, and the brig
Imogene, belonging to Messrs. C. 1). Bowring and Co., of this
port, by which collision the Imogene was sunk in the channel,
on the morning of the 21st September. The only preliminary
arrangements to be made was the order in which the witnesses
were to be taken.
Mr. Blair suggested that the most convenient course would
be to open with the witnesses who were on board the Imogene
at the time of the occurrence.
Mr. Aspinall assented to this arrangement, and, accordingly,
the mate of the Imogene was the first witness called.
Joseph Derritt, first mate on board the Imogene, examined
by Mr. Tyndal : Deposed that the vessel left Liverpool on the
morning of September 20, bound for Pernambuco. She
had seventeen in crew, and seven passengers. At midnight of
the 20th, witness commanded the port natch, consisting of six
with himself. It was a beautiful clear night. The wind was
from the westward veering to south-west. Tiii3 ship was heading
south by west. She was then near the South Stack tight.
When witness came on deck the captain went below. Beforo
going below, the captain told witness if it came on cloudy to
take in the light sails, and to call pith if she broke off to the
eastward of south. Continued that course until a,betit one
o'clock, when it came on a little cloudy. A little before two
o'clock she broke off to the south east. Witness called the

captain. Had taken in the sails according to his orders when
it came on cloudy. The wind changed about two o'clock to
west southwest. The captain came on deck, and all hands
were called to put the ship about. The ship was put about,
and after that she made north west with her port tacks on
board. She was overhauled. She was making about four
knots. About a quarter to three saw a steamboat coming up
the channel. The weather *as then clear, arid the Water berj,
smooth. ni;51.4 1...1t n“lipsi at Saw
her masthead light and:her starboard light. She had her square
topsail and squaresail set. Witness ordered the signal lamp
to be held out and hung in the rigging. The orders were
obeyed. It was a bright light, and burning well. The ship
was still on the same tack. Was expecting to see the steamer's
port light. Thought the steamer would have passed under
their stern. The steamer continued to near. Hailed her,
saying, " Stop ytiur engines, or you'll be on board of us." She
did not alter her course'at all, or stop her engines. He then felt
that a collision was inevitable. Told the Imogene's steersman
to put the helm hard a-port, and ran aft to see it done. Saw
the order executed."' Ran to call Captain Williams, whom he
found coming up the companion. The tollisibn then took
place. The forerigging of the Imogene caught the rigging of
the steamer, and the former struck the latter on the port bow.
The Imogene lost her bowsprit and anchor, which were swept
away as if by a flash of lightning. Captain Williams called
out to the steamer for mercy's sake to stop her engines, as his
Vessel Was foundering, The steamer was nearly a mile away,
before they could perceive any stoppage. She did not stop on
striking them, but went right past. She put out +oat for
them after. While she was rounding to, Captain Williams
had got his boats out; and put his passengers on board them.
There was water in the fore compartment of the Imogene,
which began to fill in rapidly. Captain Williams told the
party who came in the boat, that if they would send a hawser
the steamer could, perhaps, tow them into Holyhead. The
boat returned to the steamer and came back, but did not bring
a hawser. In the meantime, they had got ready a hawser of
their own in the Imogene, but they did not attempt to send it
to the steamer, as the vessel was sinking too fast. Captain
Williams and witness remained with the vessel until she went
down, they then went on board the steamer. The *lain of
the Falcon started his engines when one of the boats was close
to the screw, and tho boat nearly foundered. Captain Wil-
liams called out for God's sake not to cause his boat to
founder; the engines were then stopped. There were five
moo in the boat who were then got out. The captain of
the Falcon had refused before to tow the boats. There were a
few things saved from the Imogene, but no one on board the
Falcon lent a hand to save them.
To Mr. Aspinall : The Imogene was heading north-west
before her helm was ported, and she might have gone
two pointa in answer to the port; At that time witness
had seen the green light of the steamer. Saw it
all along without any alteration. The steamer might
be a couple of ship's lengths off when he had his
helm put up. If she had stopped her engine, then the
collision might have been saved. The green light was abreast
of the Imogene's main rigging. Between the time of his helm
being put up and the collision, not more than a couple of
minutes could have elapsed. Never saw the steamer's red light
at any time. The steamer was struck by the bow of the
Imogene in a slanting direction, When Captain Williams
called out to the captain of the steamer to stop his engines, as
the boat was foundering, the engines were stopped, and the five
men who were in the boat were got out, and the boat allowed
to go adrift,

To Mr. (hair : The steamer ought to haN;e seen the Imogene
before the Imogene saw the steamer. Tho Imogene's light
was put i❑ the rigging in an instant, and was there about twelve
minutes. If a proper look-out had been kept on board the
steamer she must have observed the bearing of the brie. Twd
spokes of the steamers wheel would have been sufficient to
clear them when first the vessel's light was hung out.
Tho witness then described minutely, in answer to the
questions of Captain Schoenberg, the manner in which the
vessels struck each other.

James Carroll, the man who placed the lamp in the main
rigging by the directions of the mate, was examined by Mr.
Tyndal. Deposed that he held the light from the time he got
the order until the collision took place. It was burning all
the time. It was a large signal lamp, and did not require
trimming during the time be held it.

William Williams, master of the Imogene, examined by
Mr. Tyndal, deposed that he was called up for the second
time on the morning in question. Having lain down in his
clothes he came on deck at once, and found that water was
coming in at the forecastle in consequence of the collision
which had just taken place. Ho called out to the steamer not
to leave them as he feared the vessel would founder. Did not
hear any reply, nor did the steamer stop at that time. The
passengers had come on deck, and were calling out to him for
God's sake to save them in the boats. The boats were got out,
and witness took the female passenger in his arms and conveyed
I her to one boat, and told the male passengers to follow her.
He told the men to row the boat to the steamer, and come
back as soon as possible. A boat from the steamer came
shortly after, in charge of a gentleman, whom witness afterwards
was informed was the harbour-master of Queenstown. Witness
sounded the pumps iu his presence, and said, " You see there
is no water in this main compartment (the ship was built in
compartments), and if you aro smart enough in sending us a
hawser you can tow her to Holyhead." The boat went away,
and came back again just as the Imogene was sinking. The
same party was not in charge of her, and she did not bring a
hawser. Witness did not leave the ship until another boat
came from the steamer. Before this came, the mate and he
had got a hawser (their principal hawser having snapped as
they were crossing the bar coming out), but the
vessel was settling down so fast that it was then too late to
have her towed. Before leaving the ship witness called out—
"ls every man in the boat ?" and the answer was given,
«yes." He then dropped from the wizen chains into the
boat, and ordered her to pull towards the Falcon. When he
got on the Falcon's deck he saw his vessel go down. He found
then that the men were still in the boat which had left the
Imogene before the boat in which he left. At his urgent
request ropes were thrown to those men, and they were hauled
on board the Falcon.
To Mr. Aspinall : Was not on deck when the collision
actually took place, and did not see how the vessels struck.
Re-examined by Mr. Tyndal : On the Sunday morning
witness asked the captain of the Falcon why he had made such
a blunder as to run the vessl down on so clear a morning ?
The captain asked why did not the Imogene's mate luff
Witness said he did quite right to port the helm ; the captain
said Then wo shall see which was right."
To Mr. Blair : Tho moon was shining between light westerly
clouds, and the horizon very clear, at the time of the collision.
Should say a person looking out of the steamer could see his
vessel at a distance of 2i or three miles.
To Captain Schomberg : Should think full an hour must
have elapsed from the time he asked for the hawser until the
boat came back.

The examination of other witnesses was proceeding up to
the adjournment of the court, which took place about five
o'clock.

APPALLNG TRAGEDY IN GALWAY.—The Vindicator of
Galway contains the following dreadful narrative of the
death of two children and suicide of their mother :
Rumours of a most appalling catastrophe have reached us
this morning, involving the death of three individuals (a
mother and two children) at a place situated between
Ballinrobe and Hollymount. It appears that the wife of a
farmer, named Magrath, had been preparing to make
butter, and had some boiling water in readiness for the
purpose of rinsing and scalding the churn. Two children
i
were n the house at the time, an infant and a child a few
years older, whom, having occasion for a short absence, she
left playing together. While playing round the churn, as
15 supposed, owing to some unfortunate casualty, the elder
child furc,ed the younger into the churn. The poor mother
shortly afterwards returned, and, unconscious of what had
occurred, poured the boiling water in the churn, thereby
scalding the wretched infant, whose stifling screams only
announced its horrible death. Urged to desperation and
agony on beholding the effects of her act, the frantic mother
seized on some implement of destruction (a footstool, accord-
ing to one account), and hurling it at the other child, who
had been the innocent cause of the shocking casualty, caused
its death also, and then rushing to a stream close at hand,
she flung herself into the water, and met the fate she rashly
invited. The dreadful occurrence has caused great excite-
mentglyi eif i
of
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apffaaritro.f the country, and many versions are