The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-18 00:00:00

`ROUNDING OF TEE LADY EBRINGTON.
BOARD OF TRADE ENQUIRY.

Yesterday afternoon Mr. Mansfield, stipendiary magistrate,
and Captain Walker, of the Board cf Trade, sat in the Sheriff',
court, St. George's Hall, to empire into the circumstances of
the grounding of the ship Lady Ebrington, on the Blaekwater
Bank, off the coast of Wexford, on the 29th of March last.
Mr. Tyndall appeared on behalf of the Board of Trade, and
Mr. J. B. Aspinall for 6tre.in Edward Morgan Hulman
master of the ship; Mr. Court attended on behalf of the
Liverpool underwriters.
Mr. Tyndall said that the enquiry was held by direction of
the Board of Trade, at the request of the underwriters of
Liverpool, and that it was to .enquire into the grounding of
the ship Lady Ebrington, on the Blackwater Beek, on the
29th March last. She left Liverpool early on the morning of
Saturday, the 28th March, and was towed out as far as the
Bell buoy, where she was left by tho tug at half past eleven
o'clock. She had a full general cargo, including from 150 to
200 tons of iron, which was placed fore and aft,
Over about fifty tons of coal. She was a vessel
of 413 vetons, and had a full complement of men,
all hands told, numbering seventeen. The weather was
thick and hazy, and at about eight o'clock the next morning
land was sighted. The lead was hove, and seven fathoms
found, and the vessel was run nearer to the shore, in order
that her exact position might bo ascertained. She was run
into five fathom., and then it._ was found that she was inside
the Blackwater Busk. In attempting to get out she grounded,
but was got off in two hours. She was then brought back to
Liverpool, and underwent repairs.
Captain Edward Iforgan Hultman examined by Mr. Tyndall:
I was the late master of the ship Lady Ebringtore of 413 tons;
I. have a master', certificate; I obtained it in the early part of
1852 ; I have b sea at tea twenty-five years ; I first became a
toaster in 1847 ; I left Liverpool- in the Lady Ebrington, on
the 28th March last, at 5 30, a.m., bound for Valparaiso, with
a general cargo, including .150 to 200 tons of iron. It was
placed fore and aft in the lower hold of the ship, over about
.50 tena of coal, more aft than forward ; we drew about 15 feet
lArward and 17 feet 6 inches aft ; we were towed to the Bell_
buoy, and the tug left us about 104 o'clock, the wind being
S.S.E., moderate- weather; we were going about four
-knots an hour;. we set all sail and steered W.N.W. The
Weather *as thick and hazy. We continued the same course
Ors far as Holyhead. We made the Skerries light about six
m., and were about three miles from it. We made Holyhead
"about eight o'clock p.m" eight miles distant. After passing
Holyhead the wind was a little more to the S.E. We steered
S.W.southerly, and the flood tide abating, I ordered and saw
the man at the wheel change the course. We continued that
eourse.until we made a light which we supposed was Bardsey
light, about six miles distant, the weather thick and hazy, with
small rain. We took the bearings of the light, but the officer
did not report it in the log hook. We etude the light near
midnight. Up to that time we had sailed six or seven knots
on an average. The wind then cline more to the southward.
We broke off to W.S.W. We thought that would take us
clear of Tuskar light. The wind freshened, 'and we took in
our topgallants about one a.m: We continued that course
until eight a.m., sometimes to windward, and sometimes to
northward. The weather then cleared, andwo saw land about
Seven miles distant on the starboard bow. We took soundings,
and found seven fathoms. We continued to use the lead treill we
reached five fathoms ; I conflated my chart in the meantime,
and I considered myself inside the Blackwatt'r bank ; when we
reached five fathoms we put about te, come out by the North
Bank ; she struck aft first, and we immediately hove all aback;
the then touched forward ; In twe hours she backed into deep
water, and I then came out by the North End ; the wind had
gone more to the south; atter; she struck she made a good
.
deal of water, and we to keep pumping till we came to
Liverpool ; I had ne:. previously used the lead until we sighted
in t
land abhoui. t eigh!-., o'clock ; we had two compasses in
use—one
he
inizer
Tiede' and one on the saloon table abaft the
—mast ; they varied' from one quarter to one-half ; I
r •
'attribute the grounding. to an unusually strong current from
the southward, and probably, from having mistaken some other
light for Bardsey Light; probably had we sounded before we
did wo might not have got inside the bank ; but although the
weather was thick and hazy, we are not in the habit of using
the lead going up and down the channel; the vessel has now
been stripped, Caulked, and coppered, and a piece of the keel
repaired ; she is now in the Prince's dock reloading.
By Mr. Aspinall : I now think the light we took for Bardsey
light must have been some other •light, and that we must have
thee passed it twenty miles. The Bardsey light is a bright
steady light, and I acted on the assumption that the light I
Saw was it. I had Gort's chart. ,
Captain Walker : It is a great pity owners do not provide
their ships with admiralty charts. They are almost as cheap
as the others.
The charts were here produced, and ther% was some difference
in the soundings marked on them.
Mr. Aspinall- observed that if the soundings were to he so
much insisted on, it would be well if the Board of Trade
reeeired the use of one particular chart.
Captain Walker : The Board of Trade has been blamed for
doing too much. Some time ago they named charts, and
Where they were to be sold, but an outcry was raised that they
interfered with free trade. The board cautions captains that
they will be hold responsible for sounding. Captain Walker
here exhibited an admiralty chart of the channel, and showed
that if the captain had had such a chart, and regularly sounded,
7ke could not haye got inside of the bank. In the chart ho
had there were no soundings, except at distances of ten miles.
He observed that there was no use of expensive surveys of
the, channel if soundings were not taken, and that in thick
weather, captains going up and down channel should continually
use the lead.

Benjadtin Patchett the mate, was examined: He was
not on deck after eight p.m., but up to that he corrobo-
rated the statement of the captain, who, he said, was
never off the deck during the whole night.
Alexander Lees, boatswain, corroborated the captain's
statement.
All the witnesses deposed that it was the constant habit
to go up and down the channel without using the lead.
John Veno, carpenter, deposed that the vessel, by the
accident, lost .her false keel and part of her main keel,
and teat she required to be new coppered and caulked.
By Captain Walker : She appeared strained when she
got into dock, and while returning to Liverpool made
from twelve to fourteen inches of water in deep water. -
This closed the evidence.
Mr. Tyndall said that he had been requested to call
Captain 'Walker's attention to the 242nd section of the
act in making his report.
Mr. Aspinall urged that Captain Walker should then
state whether or not he would advise the cancelling of the
captain's certificate. The ship was ready to sail, and the
owners were willing that he should go with her, and it
was therefore necessary that he should know at once what
the decision of the board might be. He was not guilty
of gross neglect. He certainly omitted to use the lead,
but it was a practice followed by every captain sailing
out of Liverpool.
captain Walker observed, that the board had given
public notice in the Shipping Gazette, in the newspapers.
through the marine boards, and through all the shipping
offices, that all captains would ba visited with- severe
punishment for the non-heaving of the lead. Captain
Hulman himself would admit, that by frequent sounding,
and with the chart he (Captain Walker) had shown, zhe
aceideni would have been avoided. He would ask if that
was not time the opinion of Captain Heiman ?
Captain Hulman replied that it was.
Mr. Court said, that the Liverpool underwriters had
issued the notice to all the shipmasters in Liverpool, so
far as it o,uld be done.
Captain Uulman observed, that he had neither read
nor heard of such a notice. • •
Tit answer to Captain Walker,
Mr. Norman, whose firm represent the owners of the
North Devon Shipping Clnapany, said, that the damage
was estimated at £6OO.

The court will sit to-day at one o'clock, when Captain
Welkei will state his intention in the matter.

'A TENANT RIGHT MEErrero.—A dinner will be given
to Archdeacon Frzgerald on the 6th May next, and it is
said all the Irish members of Parliament who have pledged
themselves to support t nant right are to ba invited to
attend. A large amount has already been subscribed
towards carrying out this project. On the 7th May, being
the fair day of this town, a tenant right meeting will be
held h re, The attendance is expected to be large , and
influential.—Limerick Reporter.
A LADY IN THE Por.rer. On Monday evening a large
number of p.rsons were attracted to Bethany Chapel,
Regent street, by an announcement that a Mrs. Cullis,
from Worcester, a successful female preacher of the gospel,
would on that evening deliver a sermon, and conduct the
usual service connected with that place of worship. On
entering the chapel we found the preacher already in her
place. She appeared to be a plain parson in features, of
middle stature and of middle age, quietly dressed in black,
and diveSted of bonnet and shawl. She gave out the
echsgmarnz
and made prayer in a clear and sonorous voice, Which
prdmise that a good discourse might be anticipated. In
due 'course she gave out her text, choosing one appropriate
to the season of Easter, on the subject of the resurrection
and ascension. During the delivery of this discourse, which
occupied about three quarters of an hour, the preacher was
listened to with the most marked attention ; and that
attention' was not misplaced. Her language was in good
taste, and occasionally there were passages which in print
would alniest .pass for eloquent. There was also an easy
grate throughout, and a modest amount of gesture which
relieved the discourse of anything like dulness; bat that
•we'could see her—hear that we were listening to a not
unpleasant female voice, the same discourse would have
done no discredit to any preacher, who had been regularly
educated for the ministry.—Cheitenhatm Examiner.