The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-06 00:00:00

GREAT LOSS 01

It is our melancholy to

,sk to announce that a most fear-

ion took place in the Channel, off Folkstone, on
Sunday evening, between the Josephine Willis, Captain
Ganney, one of the London and New Zealand line of

ful col

packet ships, and a powerful iron screw steam ship, called
from Limerick,

the Mange

on, bound to the Tham

which resu

d in the foundering of the former ship, and,

it is feared, a lamentable sacrifice of life. The receipt of
telegraphic messages from Ramsgate and Folkestone

announcing the catastrophe occasioned a 'deep feeling
of regret throughout the shipping interest in the City

erday

The Josephine Willis was a first-class ship of 1,000 tons
burthen. She belonged to Messrs. Fletcher, of Limehouse,
and was chartered by Messrs. Willis and Co., who run a
line of packets to New Zealand. for a
voyage to Auckland. She cleared out. from St. Katherine
Docks on Friday, laden with a valuable and miscellane
ous cargo, ten first class passengers, amongst them Mr •
and Mrs. Ray and a brc,ther, relatives of the owners,
about sixty steerage passengerS, and a crew, officers and
3e 35 in number, upwards df 100 on board, all

regular monti

men, of

told. She was towed down the river ffom Gravesend
out to sea, and the pilot left her oft Deal at 6 ;?'clock on
Sunday evening. The weather was fine and clear, Ncith a
moderate fair wind E.N.E., favourable for her run dowri
Channel. She had passed the South Foreland, and was
proceeding as satisfactorily as could be wished, when
about half-past seven o'clock, Sandgate bearing S.S.W.
nine miles distant, a cry was raised by the look-out for-
ward of a light a-head. Whether the steamer saw the
Josephine Willis, or m'scalculated the distance she was
off, are facts yet to be ascertained. However, she came
on, and struck the ship amidships with such tremendous
force as to cut her down to the water's edge. A scene of
the most painful description immediately ensued amongst
the passengers on board the Josephine Willis, and a rush
was made to get on board the steamer, which
was then ascertained to be the Mangerton,
Captain Boucher,Trom Limerick. Unhappily, from some
unexplained cause, Capt. Boucher almost directly backed
his vessel out from the wreck! He may have had some
good reason for doinz so, but it is alleged that had he re%
mained or stood by, the larger portion of those on board
the ship might have been rescued. Only a few managed W
scramble on board the steamer; others, as will be seen,
were accidentally picked up some time afterwards. Capt.
Canney, who througl-tout the whole of the trying scene,
exhibited the most noble and seamanlike conduct,
endeavoured to pacify the terrified creatures, by assuring
them that, if they only attended to his orders, they would
be saved. He called to them to come aft; where the bulk
of the passengers were last seen. The ship then heeled
over with the end of her yards in the water, and what
became of her living freight, is at present a matter of con.
jecture. It is known that she has gone down, as her top•
masts were to be seen just above water, not far from the
spot where the collision occurred.

The Mangerton steamer appears not to have made any
attempt to go in search of the ship she had run into! Her
bows and stern were completely driven in by the force of
the collision, and on sounding the pumps it was ascer-
tained that she was making water. Her fore compart-
ment was partly full ; still, however, no serious conse-
quences were entertained of her condition. In addition
to those who got on board her from the wreck, she picked
up a boat containing several persons, and at six o'clock
yesterday morning she anchored off Deal, where several of
the rescued passengers were put ashore. As it was consi-
dered somewhat unsafe, in her damaged condition, to con-
tinue the voyage to London, it was proposed to send her
into Ramsgate to undergo some temporary repair. She

accordingly went into that harbour and landed the re-
m tinder of those she had on board belonging to the
Josephine Willis, in all about twenty-nine. Amongst
them were the first and second officers, the surgeon, and
Mr. and Mrs. Ray. It was then ascertained that at
midnight a boat had reached Folkstone from the wreck
with several of the crew, and from their statements
Lloyd's agents concluded that, as they reported they had
left the wreck on her beam-ends, with the passengers and
crew shifting cargo and pumping', there was a chance of
saving her, and a number of fishing boats and huggers put
to sea in the direction of the wreck, in the hope of ren-
dering her aid. Some of them returned without having
seen anything of the ill-fated ship. Several bodies, how-
ever, were observed floating about, and three were washed
ashore, one evidently a passenger (name unknown) with
a lire preserver fastened round 'his body.
These survivors add that Captain Hunt, a passenger on
board the steamer, was most instrumental in rendering
assistance to them, and to those who succeeded in reaching
that vessel.

As yet but an imperfect list has been obtained of those
known to have been brought on shore. The following are
the only names sent up :—Mr. Henry G. Ray and Mrs.
Ray, of Milton, near Sittingbourne; Walter Wright,
George Horner, W. W. Willis, Mr. Ford, S. Scott, C.
Fleming, steward, passengers' cook, boatswain's mate,
one midshipman, one apprentice, three boys, two sailors,
and ship's butcher.

The Josephine Willis was a new ship, and had only
been one voyage. ller cargo is largely insured.
Yesterday morning, four bodies of female passengers
and one child, lo,t in the Josephine Willis, were picked
up at Walmer, Kent.

LOSS OF H.M.S. POLYPHEMUS

The folowing telegraphic message has been received at
the Admiralty, from her Majesty's Minister at Copenhagen,
dated Jan. 4 :

"The Polyphemus was totally lost on the 29th ultimo,
south of Ilanstholm Light, north-west coast of Jutland.
The master and fourteen hands were drowned. The stores.
&c., will be saved. It will be useless and dangerous to
send assistance from the seaward. A part of the cutter's
and ship's crews having reached a vessel in the offing,
makes the number of lost doubtful. A strong current and
fog were the cause of the accident. Land not seen though
within 400 yards. I will forward Captain Warren's despatch
to-morrow, by Kiel steamer.

QUARTER SESSIONS.-YESTERDAY,

(BEFORE GILBERT HENDERSON, ESQ.. RECORDER

At the sitting of the court yesterday, the following
persons were tried :
Emma Richardson, 21 years of age, was convicted of
felony, and sentenced to four years penal servitude.
William Hadfield, 18 years of age, and John Flood,
23 years of age, labourers, were convicted of robbery,
and sentenced each to two years imprisonment with
hard labour.

William Irvin►, 20 years of age, and John Armstrong,
20 years of age, labourers, were convicted of robbery from
the person, and sentenced the one to four months' and
the other to twelve months' imprisonment.

TRADE REPORT

,-TUESDAY.

COTTON ! There has been a quiet market for Cotton to-
day, with a rather smaller demand, and an equal supply,
prices are about maintained. The sales, including 40
Pernambuco, 67,d ; 400 Bahia, 5Z-fl to 6,0; 200 Egyptian,
61d to lid ; and 500 Surat, 3H l to 411—are reported 7,000
bales, of which 3,000 are on speculation and for export.

PIG IRON : The shipments last week were 5,600 tons,
and for the corresponding period of last year 11,300. The
market to-day was not active, and prices closed for warrants

at 755, cash.
TALLOW : The Loudon market has been rather better
with few sellers. Nominal prices, 57s 6d Feb. and March;

;04 13roktrg eartl4.

CURRY & Co. (LATE ToNGE, CITRRY & CO.),
BROKEit ) FOR THE SALE or SHIPS,
AND SHIP VALUERS,
)pointed Brokers to the High Court of Admiralty,
WALMER-BITILDINGS, WATER-STREET,
—Vessels from 50 to 2000 tons ; Steamers. &c.

and a'
YOB

TONGE Sz Co

BROKERS F

rONGE

CURRY and C 0.,) I
OR THE SALE OF SHIPS,

AND SHIP VALUERS,

Vho have always on sa

.DINGS, FF-Nl7l

ps, Stean

;0 to 1,800 tons register.

SHIP

LIVER-Ca

KE-R3 F

STEA

AND C

,TARDY

IVERPO

CH-STREET,

SHTP YALU

rs, &c., of from

AUCTION"

,B-BTREET,

Sr, AUSTI

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KS FO

HIPS, WREC

cteat by Ruction,

ro n TL

FOR SALE