The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-02 00:00:00

Fatal Catastrophe at Glasgow.

On Wednesday night a melancholy accident occurred to
one of the harbour ferry boats at Glasgow, involving the
loss of 14 lives, and placing several other persona for the
time in serious jeopardy. These ferry boats, which belong
to the Clyde trustees, ply between the opposite sides of the
harbour, and are capacious vessels, licensed to carry 24 per-
sons besides the ferryman. About 6 o'clock on the night in
question, one of the boats left the north for the south quay.
having on board, as far as can be aster tained, 21 passengers
and one fertyman, most of them being working men, who
had just finished the labours of the day and availed them-
selves of the ferry as aftording a shorter route to their homes
—homes which many of the poor fellows were destined
never to see more. Th ere does not appear to have been any
women on board. The river, in consequence of the recent
rains, woe running in heavy flood, and the tide was about
one-third ebb. A minute or two before the boat put out
from the quay the steamer Inverary Castle had passed the
place on her way up to her berth. The captain of this ves-
sel states that he noticed the boat at the ferry steps, and
that at that time he was going dead slow. As he subse-
quently heard no cries it would appear that he must have
been some distance ahead before the boat started. But be
this as it may, whether from the disturbance of the water
occasioned by the steamer, or from whatever other cause,
the boat had only proceeded a few yards from the stairs
when she was overtaken by a heavy wave, which dashed
over her gunwale, leaving her half-filled with water, and at
the same time causing her to roll violently. The passengers
were thrown into the utmost consternation, end many of
them made a sudden movement to one side of the boat. Pre-
sently another wave came over the gunwale, which, owing
to the irregular movement of the passengers, was probably
lower than it might otherwise have been, and the boat heeled
over to the port side end turned bottom upwards. Several
of the passengers, on seeing the boat beginning to sink,
jumped into the water and Struck out for the north shore.
The others were submerged when the boat rolled over, seve-
ral of them being, no doubt, carried under her, and thus
placed in the most unfavourable circumstances for escape.
The boat did not sink, but turned right over and floated
bottom upwards down the stream, with several persons
clinging to her keel and gunwale. 'The cries of the unfortu-
nate people at once attracted attention on shore, and on board
of the vessels lying at the adjoining berths. The ferryman
in charge of the other boat plying on the station at once put
out, but by the time ho got to the scene of the disaster the
swamped•boat had floated out of sight, and none of the un-
fortunate passengers could be seen in the water. Another
boat was lowered, which, finding no one in tie water, seems
to have followed the swamped boat, and assisted in rescuing
the unfortunate fellows who were clinging to it. Four of
the passengers succeeded in reaching the shore, and under
medical treatment were so fir restored in the course of an
hour or two the'. they were able to be taken to their homes.
About 200 yards below the scene of the catastrophe another
of the ferrymen fell in with the boat, and found three men
holding on by her keel, and one beneath immersed in the
water convulsively clutching the gunwale. The three men
who got on the keel were taken ashore little the worse, but
the fourth, a man about 50 years of age, died in the course
of the evening. The remaining 14 persons were drowned,
and up to a late hour on Wednesday night their bodies had
not been recovered.

STATE OF TRADE.—BRADFORD, Deo. I.—The
market tc-day was much quieter, and little wool
changed hands. Several causes have tended to this result.
Spinners supplied themselves rather freely with wool last
week, and have good stocks. Many still fear that money
will bo dearer, and are cautious ; and the tumours, which
are not generally credited, of peace proposals in America
hsve, for the moment, a rather depressing effect. Staplers
wore generally exceedingly firm in their demands, rlthough
wool might be bought at prices a shade easier than a week
ago. The holders of wool in the country adhere with tena-
city to prices, and the stapler, who cannot replace at the
cutront rates, is indisposed to make any sacrifice. There
was great sluggishness in pieces. Spinners who had
recently taken orders were rather higher in their quotations,
while those who were not so favourably situated were easier
to deal with. Neither the home nor the export houses
placed many orders. Some of the home houses gave small
orders in fancy goods, required at the beginning of the
year, although the business doing is far below the average
at this season. In plain goods the only demand was for
China. There was nothing done for the Continent. The
accounts thence are unfavourable. Prices were without
change.

ROYAL Am PHITHEATRE.—M rs Macready ap-
peared on Monday night, and continues to play at this
theatre in SVestland Marstoa'a " Philip Augustus," or, as
it is now to be called, " Marie do Meranie," which abounds
in noble language and original thought, and which has at
least one very effective scene. As an after-piece "Dearest
Mamma" is played, and in the eccentric part of Browser
Mr Addison lavishes all hie art in making up and all his
great power of comedy.
.The part is decidedly a creation,—
Liverpool Daily Fog.