The Express.
London, England, 1850-08-20 00:00:00

MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT ON THE RIVER

MERSEY.—NINE LIVES LOST.
Early on Sunday morning a party of friends, re-
siding in the immediase ueighhoorhood of Ball @tree,
Croeten. street, and Lower Harrington.sereet, in Torteth-
park, started in a boat from the l'otters-slip, for the purpose
of spi tiding the day at E asthma. The hut was in the
charge ef a boatman known by the name of " With,
Cooper."
The following ere the names cf the parties who were on
board—Mr. Blackie, William and Joseph Bleekie, two
bouths, his mono; James Spencer and William Spenser,
rother,, aged five and seven years; Eliza Walker, seed 17,
and her sister, Nancy M'Fall, aged 19; John Vaud; John
Duncan ' • Themes Gerrard and John Gerrard, twins, aged 15;
Richard Ashworth, end Wullie Cooper.
The party proceeded safely to Barham with sail full
set, although the wind was blowing very heeh at the time.
After passing the day in a pleasant and convivial manner,
they started on their return a little before eight o'clock in
the evening. The wind by this time had considerably
freshened, and the adult portion of the rally were all, we
believe, the worse for liquor. They took their places in
the boat about ten minutes to eight o'clock, and a man
named Charles Dean, a sailmaker, of Lower Harrington-
street, who was at the same time on the river in a moll
boat, • little distance from them, counted fifteen persons,
though from the strictest inquiries made from the rela-
tives of those who were saved, they can only remember the
above-named parties. The man Dem* states that he was
about 160 yards behind, and hie account of the accident is,
that the boat in !tuition was carrying too much sail, and
from the main 'hut being feat, with the great weight of
concurs the boat was carrying, caused her to duck, by which
a large quantity of water was shipped, and the boat imme-
diately swamped.
From Mr. Superintendent Ride, of the Liverpool polies
force, who chanced to bo on board the Ruthann terry-brat
at the time of the catastrophe, we have gathered the par-
ticulate as follows : —At a few minutes after eight o'clock
on Sunday evening, as the ferry-boat was about leaving
the E asthma slip, there was considerable alarm created
on board by a erg raised that a number of persons were
struggling an the water. Mr. Ride, with al other.,
ran t dtward and found such to be the fact, and it was re-
marked that a Railing boat, which but a few moments pre-
viously had been seen to leave the Cheshire shore, at the dis-
tance Mahout one hundred or one hundred and fifty girds in
advance of the packet, was not observable on the water. A
friend of Mr. Ride, Captain Stebbington, of the Nominee,
who was also on board the packet, and witnessed the
struggles of the unfortunate persons in the water, took off
his coat and said " Rem, Ride, hold my coat, and here's
my watch; I can swim for en hour together, and I'll save
some of time people if it's possible.' A boat at this mo-
ment was seen, at about one hundred and fifty yards distance
from the risco of accident, making in the direction of the
sufferen, and active preparations were being made to lower
the packet's boat, the very anxiety of doing which preyed en
obstacle to the accomplishment of the object mutat to be
affected, and it unfortunately happened that the boat, in the
hurry and contusion of lowering tier into the water, received
considerable damage—not so much, however, as to render
h r incapable of being floated, and as soon In she was
placed on the water, she was manned by the mate and
several other hands from on board the steamer: but it so
happened, that just as they were about to leave the packet
one of the rowers let slip his oar, which was carried away by
the water, and this greatly prevented the boat's program.
The packet's boat succeeded in picking up two old men, a
young woman, and a bey. The steamer at this time was
proceeding in the direction to meet the boat, and having
received the persons who had been taken trout the
water on board, returned to the ship, in order to put them
on shore. Animation in one of the old mea appeared to be
completely suspended, hot the moment the When were
placed on the steamer, active exertions were adopted to re
store vitality. The persons so rescued were afterwards con-
veyed to the public hours connected with the hotel, where
every attention wee afforded to them, and every available
measure used which the circumstances of the case required.
The boat instantly, upon placing the persons on board the
packet, returned to the scene of the disaster. Two persons
were then seen near, struggling with the waves. Captain
Btebbington, who bad not resumed his vestments, and be-
lieving he could render them usietance, jumped overboard,
swam to the boat, directed the attention of the crew to the
two men in the water, and he her now the satisfaction of
knowing that he was the means of saving them from a fear-
ful death. The persons thus saved were John Duncan, of
Lower Harrington-street, and John Gerard, of Casten-
strut. . -

At the time the accident occurred there was a fish'
boat lying in the bey, near to the shore, and immediately
the casualty was observed she put out with the greatest
alacrity, crowded all sail, sad was fortunate enough -o
rescue two or three persons. A yacht was lying at
anchor, and • man, who had been one of the persons in
the boat, and who manifested that he was • strong swimmer,
made towards her; • rope or buoy wu thrown to him, and
he was taken on board. The names of the persons who
were drowned ere—William Mashie, James end William
Bracer, John Youd, BelL street ; Eliza Walker and Nancy
M'Fell, John Duman, John Gerrard, and Thomas Gerrard,
Bell-street ; and two men who must hero been taken into
the boat at Eutharn, not being of the party from Liverpool.
The following are the names of the persons saved—Mr.
Blackie and his sea Joseph, Richard Ashworth, Fisher-
street ; and Willie Cooper, Bell-street.

PRIM THAD3.—The flea chip liumayoon, of 530
tons register. sailed from the West Dock, Dundee, on Mon- I
day last, with a general cargo for San Francisco, which we
mention as one of the many instances of an increasing export
trade from our port; aed when we state that we find no less
than 104 arrivals from foreign ports from the 3rd July to
brd August last, it may be inferred that Dundee has had no
reason yet to regret free trade. Our ship building yards are
well occupied, and with a larger and finer clam of vends
than we have in general on the stocks here, and such as
might do honour to soy tort in Britain-860, 770.
600, 400, and 350 tons register, as well as several
ethers of 200 and 300 tons. Our shipbuilders appear
to have given up vessels under 200 tom, or such
as are generally employed in the coasting trade, which
we believe is owing to a large proportion atone manufactures
andjute being brought and sent by railways, and many of
our coasting traders being driven eat of the trade; in cone.-
Iquence. There is, however, no falling off in the general
trade, but, on the contrary, all our spinning and weaving
machinery are at full work, and every working man, who
is willing and able, is employed, and the consumption of the
raw material is now, and has been for a long time past
gaits se great, If not greater, than at any former period. So
meek for the present ; and if we may judge from the large
additions, now in the course of erection, at 666666 I of our
public works, the anticipations for the future must be, good
and profitable business for some time to come.—North
British Moil.

AN ACCIDENT OF A PAINFUL AND SERIOUS NA-
TI:MI (uys the Devertport Tokyrapol) occurred last week to
Major (Jolly and his friend, Captain Mainwaring, who,
barites bean fishing, were returning to Trsvennen in a small
four.whealed carriage, when, owing to the breaking of some
part of the hairnets, the horse started off at full speed.
Captain Maiawaring unfortunately sprung out of the car.
Hap, and, entanglem his foot in the wheel, sustained a
compound fracture of the leg. Major Gully, with great
presence of mind, reined up Whorse towards the hedge,
thee stopping him in his wild career, is the summit of a
steep hiU, and sating himself and two lads, who were like.
wise in the carriage, from further danger. The captain
going ce favourably.