The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-10 00:00:00

DREADFUL SHIPWRECK OF THE JOHN
-FRIGHTFUL LOSS OF LIFE.

The following is a more detailed account of this dread
ful awl iatal wreck than Lae yet been published :
One of the most distressing and melancholy cases of
shipwreck ever remembered on the western shores took
place on Thursday night last, on the Manacles Rock, off
tit. Keverne, en the coast of Cornwall. The unfortunate
barque, the John, of Piyieouth, Captain Rewle, left
Plymouth Sound on the attern ,on of Thursday, bound
for Quebec, having on board 149 adult passengers. 98
children, and 16 infants, together with a crew, in ail,
of 19 ; m +king the total number of souls on board 282.
The paeseneere were principally from the north of
Devon, the great source of American emigration in
the west of England ; numbers from other parts
of that county ; and the remainder from the counties
of Cornwall, Dorset, and Somerset--in fact, she
was considered what is termed a west-country ship,
Numbers of the friends of the unfortueate passengers
accompanied them to Plymouth to bid a farewell, and,
as the melancholy sequel proved, a is t adieu to many
of those whom they loved and respected.
The departure of the ship was witnessed and cheered
by numerous persons assembled on the line. She left
the Sound at four p.m., on the top of ebb tide, with a
favourable wind off the land ; and all bid fair for a rapid
awl prosperous voyage down Channel. How these hopes
were blighted it appears impossible to say, so varied are
the accounts furnished by those who have been spared
to tell of the catastrophe ; all seem, however, to unite
in a complaint of mismanagement against the captain,
and so embittered were the survivors towards him that
it is stated the coastguard were obliged to afford him
protection from their fury. But whether this anger
arose from a belief that the accident was the result of
inattention on his part—or that the captain and crew
saved themselves, as stated, to the sacrifice of the pas-
sengers—or, in fact, what gave rise to this angry feeling
in all, it would be wrong to say until evidence shall be
taken, as it may be easily imagined that parents made
childless, husbands widowers, and children parentless—
men who had left home full of hopes for the future, and
most of whom, even if free from the sad embitterment
of loss of wife, husband, or child, had lost all the wealth
probably they were possessed of in the world, would
give vent to complainiegs against one to whose charge
they had entrusted both life and property.
The scene when the vessel struck, as may be antici-
pated, was most distressing ; the utmost confusion pre-
vailed, and most of those on board gave themselves up
in despair. The account rendered by one of the pas-
sengers is most heart-rending, though of the chaiac-
ter of all similar disasters, except that human
sympathy was in this case the more excited from the
number of children on board, and from the extraor-
dinary efforts cf their parents to save them from the
death impending. One of the passengers, William
Walton, a man of apparently sickly and delicate con-
stitution, succeeded, as the vessel settled in the water,
in taking his wife and six children into the rigging one
by one—the youngest unfortunately fell from the mother's
arms into the sea ; the father, though unable to swim,
plunged after it, but failed in his noble effort to save his
child, and with difficulty regained the ship. Another,
William Clemence, who had a wife and ten children on
board, attempted to raise the 6 youngest of them into the
rigging by the aid of a "sheet," with which he had tied
them together. Unfortunately he failed in his efforts,
and the whole six were drowned. Samuel Rogers, a
boy, aged 15, one of the other passengers saved, has lost
his father, mother, two brothers, a sister, and a cousin.
Henry North, saved, lost his wife and three children.
As far as we can glean facts from parties on board, it
appears that all went prosperously till about half-past
nine, when they made the Falmouth light, the captain
himself pointing it out to one of the passengers on deck.
Just at this time the second mate was trying to sight
the Lizard light, and ho asked seine of the passengers if
they could not see the reflection of the light in the sky ;
they replied they could not, when the captain said he
could not either, but they would see it fast enough when
they got there. It was the second mate's watch, and
the captain shortly after went below. About ten o'clock
the mate came on the poop and asked the passengers if
they had seen the captain, and on being aseed what he
wanted the captain for, he said lie (the mate) thoueht
they were a deal too nigh land. Sh atly after ibis the
captain came on deck, and what the mate had state I,
"that they were getting too close on land," was re-
ported to him ; the captain pooh-poohed the report.
Soon afterwards some one forward sung out "rocks,"
and almost immediately the vessel struck with vio-
lence, so much so that she humped over the rock, and
then struck with still greater force upon rocks further
in ,• the captain was then distirctly heard to
call out "run her aground." The vessel then
had all sail on her with great way, as she was when the
accident happened going eight or nine knots, and though
ran aground the sea washed her off again, and she ran
down the coast for sonic distance. An attempt was
,rt- then made to bring her up by letting go her anchor, when
she grounded heavily broadside on. Attention was then
I directed to the boats—of which bad she four on board,
three on deck, and one over the side—the captain, four
seamen, a boy, and one passenger jumped into the latter
'ou boat and called out to lower, but finding no one answered
rill the call, the captain returned to the deck of the vessel,
when the boat was lowered. On her touching the water
his it was found there was no plug in her, and she was with-
tad out thowle pins. While they were waiting to supply
the these deficiences her tackle became unhooked, and the
mr boat drifted off from the vessel without the captain. The
men put their knives in for thowle pins, and the passenger
to his German pipe for a like purpose, and they pulled out
' to sea to get round a point of rocks over which the
breakers -were rolling heavily. When they had wea-
thered this point they pulled for the land, on nearing
which they saw a light. Not being able to find a landing-
place they called aloud for help, when they were heard
by the son of Lieut. M'Leau, of the coast-guard, who
pointed out a place of landing. Immediately the alarm
was spread that a vessel had struck on the Manacles.
An attempt was then made to pull out some of the coast-
guard boats without success, from the dangerous cha-
racter of the coast. The passenger who had got on shore
was taken by the coast-guard people in their attempt to
put out to assist the vessel, in order to direct them where
she lay, those of the ship's crew who got ashore posi-
tively refusing to lend even this assistance. Unfortu-
nately the boats could not reach the vessel, and were
compelled to return to the shore. They postponed all
further efforts till the following morning, when,
going further up the coast to a more favourable
place of embarkation, they reached the vessel,
which was then not above 200 yards from the shore.
During the whole of this time, the crew being for the
most part intoxicated, nut a single effort was made
to save the passengers by either captain or crew.
Some of the passengers attempted of themselves to-
get the cutter out ; in so doing they stove her bottom
and lost the boat. The tide at the time the vessel struck
was about two-thirds ebb, and when she sunk she filled
with water, but the decks were dry, and if assistance had
been rendered at this time all might have been safely
landed. Unfortunately, for the want of some directing
mind, this opportunity was lost, and on the returning
tide some portion of those on board got into the rigging,
the crew getting in the tops, while a large number of
the passengers took shelter iu the long boat—the boat
was floated out of the chocks and beaten across the
deck against the bulwarks until she was knocked to
pieces, and the whole of her living freight either crushed
er drowned. The rising tide soon did its Kirk, %%ash-
ing the unfortunate people off the decks and out of the
lower rigging, roost of them having from cold and suffer
ing lost even the little energy necessary to make a fur-
ther ascent up the rigging. In the morning the sur-
vivors were taken off the wreck by the coast guard and
landed at Coverack, St. Keverne, when they met the
most hospitable reception from the inhabitants. .
One of the passengers, Mr. E. C. Ilele, of Dawlish,
being provided vvL.h a swain ashore in the
night, and lie declares, that had the boats been lowered
when she struck all might have been saved. Another
of the passenger, Mr. Knuckey, lately returned from
Australia, lost 5001. of his earnings, but succeeded in
taking ashore 700 soveieigns in a belt. Elizabeth
Pearce and Mary Ann Penman, two of the parties
saved, left the service of Mrs. Hector, 2, Albany-place.
Another passenger among the fortunate survivors, who
lett the doccyard to emigrate, as if foreseeing the chance
of calamity, asked for a week's have only, instead of'his
charge from the service. This would have expired to-
morrow ; hs now returns in time to retake his employ-
ment. Seventy-six of the bodies of the unfortunate
people were buried in 36 coffins on Sunday, in St. Ile-
Verne churchyard, relations being buried together.
Immediately the melancholy intelligence reached this
place it wan telegiapbed to the Adnsiralty and to the
emigration commissioners, upon which the firmer di-
rected Sir William Parker, the commander-in-chief, to
despatch the Avon, Second Master Veitch in commend,
to the seen) of the disaster, and which returned to Fin-
mouth last evening, bringing a number of the passengers
saved. Tie emigration commissioners also directed
Lieutenant Carew, RN., agent at Falmouth, to proceed
at once to the wreck, and that gentleman lett on Satur-
day evening. The Board of Trade also despatched an
officer to institute an inquiry into the circumstances of
the wreck, under the provisions of the new act, which
carne into operation on the Ist instant, Commander Bald-
win Walter, of the Coast Guard, having made the pre-
liminary inquiry as the act directs.
In the interim the coroner of the district has been per-
forming the melancholy duty of holding inquisitions on
the bodies thrown up by the sea. The evidence at the
inquest sowed that there was not a single palliating cir-
cumstance in favour of the captain. The vessel struck
at ten p.m., and all were safe until daylight the next
morning; the captain forbade the passengers from
moving, and in the case of a poor old man who fell over-
board from the rigging he refused to allow a party who
volunteered to go to his assistance. The great loss of
Ho was occa3ioned by so many of the passengers getting
into the rigging that it broke away, the parties falling
into the sea, those not able to swim, or not strong
enough es regain the vessel, perishing.
The Jury having heard all the evidence, in recording
their verdict, observed that they considered the conduct
of the, whole of the crew, with the exception of a sea-
man named Elder, most blameable, and expressed their
surprise that the ship was not supplied with a signal gun
nor blue lights, and recommended that a light should be
placed on the Manacles. Against the captain (Itawle)
they returned a verdic:. of manslaughter, and the coro-
ner's warrant was at once issued for his apprehension,
and en which he Las been lodged ;n the Cornwall county
gaol at Bodinin.

The passengers who have survived have received their
passages back agc.in, but instances where survivors havo
lost relatives, the passagemoney of the deceased has
not been repaid.
The following is the list of passengers deposited at the
Custom-how,e prior to the sailing of the ship :
Cabin Passengers.—Mr. C. Hole, 20; Mr. Hornbrook,
45; Mr. linuckey, 35; W. Morey, 3.3; Mrs. Morey, 35.
Steerage Passengers.—Chart,tte Ash, 22; W.11..,itt0,
1; Henry Autridge, 51, labourer; Honor, ditto, wife,

John Coullie, a shipwright in Mr. Russell's employ,
who was working at the launches, left at a quarter to
eight on Thursday evening. On going to his bed-room
at nine he saw from the window sparks from the bow of
the battery, such as might come from a blacksmith's
forge when worked by the bellows. He then thought
one of the moveable forges was at work and turned
towards his bed, but on looking round the instant after
he saw a blaze start up as from a powder magazine or
some combustible substance easily ignited and then sub-
side again. He ran round to the yard to save
his tools, an i in his hurry getting under the bow of the
battery struck his head against an iron cramp winch,
which checked his course. As soon as he recovered,
he saw a man coming from the bow of the battery, about
10 yards from him. The man, on perceiving witness,
ran to a kiln where planks are steamed, and mounted it
by some iron bolts shaped like a ladder. When he got
to the top he looked towards witness, who, having re-
covered from the shock, immediately recognised his face.
The man then, who was, about 20 or 25 yards dis-
tant when witness raw him turn at the kiln, made over
a slanting shed, and in turning to descend from it again
exhibited his face t > witless. The light was so strong .
that witness could not be mistaken in the features, which
he recognised as those of a mar. who had worked with
him when the Esk was being built.
Mr. Ingham.—Do-you see that man in Vie court ?
Witness (pointing to the dock).—Yts, air. There he
is (sensation).

Mr.
cognise his features ? Ballatitine.—lt Was night. How
could you re-

Witness.—The light was so strong that any one could
recognisuthem at a distance of from 30 to 40 yards.
Mr. Ballantine (solernnly).—Remember, you are on
your oath. Is that the man