The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-12 00:00:00

THE SINKING OF THE DUCHESS OF

KENT STEAMER.

GRAVESEND, WEDNESDAY.—This afternoon, at One
o'clock, the jury empannelled to investigate the death of
Atir. J. 6. gra, —h, lao by Oa, uoinsion netween
the Duchess of Kent, Ramsgate, and the Ravensbourne,
Antwerp, steamers, which took place in the river, off
Nortbffeet, on the Ist July last, and by which the former
was sunk, re-assembled for the third time, at the Town-
hall, before Air. Hilder, the borough coroner, further
to prosecute their inquiry.
An additional hatch of witnesses, who were present
'when the accident occurred, were examined, but their
evidence contained nothing worthy of being added to the
statements of the casualty which have already appeared.
On the conclusion of evidence,
Mr. Hind, on the part of the friends of the deceased,
wished, before the coroner addressed the jury, to offer
an observation or two as to the property which it was
stated was found on the body of Mr. Sard. He felt it his
duty to correct that statement. It appeared that
a day or two after the sinking of the Duchess
of Kent, property which bad been recovered was
conveyed to the offic,es of the Commercial Steam
Packet Company, in Fish-street-bill, and the pack-
ages were opened to be dried. Now, what struck
him as most extraordinary on the part of the company,
and which showed at least a great d.lal of supineness, was
the fact that, amongst Mr. Sard's luggage was a small
coorth-dio containing an order for 501., which he (Hr.
Hind) had forwarded to him, and two circular 101. notes,
but the most singular part of the business was that the
S, Salisbury-
company kept the property for 19 days without making
the slightest effort to. tied out Mr. Sard, although in the
cover of the portfelp, which
.he then produced, there
begged
company in
was legibly written the fAlowing, " The address of the
dtTbayhe'slPs'atorthfieoifid out the friends
slightestaved they,
h ideae y
°Stwreuerr, Strand, London, LPotnedkoen%b(E'tl:tiln(d'.i.l"ll dt:dgdgiet
di on t too
say,t
e
there was on the order for 501. his (Mr. Hind's) address,
g
justified in looking
in nho
showed
v tv: ikdai rng t r:t oyu
supinenesss
steps e - s q u
fr
re .109 n
of Mr. Sard.
Mr. Parkinson, in defence of the Commercial Steam-
theypahiasedn noggers twheer.
packet Company, said
that any one was drowned, but, on the contrary, they
into any passenkes private pocket-book.
firmlytherefore, believed
would that
not ateletlatehemselves
A juror remarked that the company perfectly well
knew what had happened, and the very fact of a person
not applying for the space of nineteen days n
for his lug.
gaga ought, and no doubt did, create a suspicion , in the
minds of the authorities of the company that tne owner

was lost.
Mr. Parkinson said the reTion they did not make in-
quiries was that they were hoping every day to get up
all the luggage. when they intended to advertise it alto-
gether.
The CORONER expressed his conviction that the mat-
ter was one of immense importance to the public, and
host questions
place, tinet
h
then proceeded to read over the evidence, commenting
they rcyo nhsaidderteod decide
the
collision were whether,
was ther,i n the
from
He ho proceeded on its conflicting characier. The three
an
accident consequent on the state of the tide, or whether
there was blame attaching any culpable negligence or
to
those who had the charge of the Duchess of Kent, or
those who had the command of the Itavensbourne atrthoef
time. If they were of opinion that any one was to hla
they were bound to let this matter go before anotherme
tribunal.
The jury, at a quarter-past five o'clock, retired to con.
oiler their verdict, and and after an absence of nearly two
hours, they returned into court.
The Foreman then read the verdict of the jury 83 fei.
13ws:—" That the deceased John Sard came by his
death through an accidental collision between the
Duchess of Kent end ,he itiveashourne steamers, off
Northfleet, on the lit July, 1852." The jury cannot
separate without expressing their feelings in terms of
strong condemnation, in consequence of the neglect of
the owners of the Duchess of Kent not advertising the
property of the said John Sird, in their custody, they
having nod the means cf aseertainiog the same fron;
papers found in his luggage, which was saved from the
wreck. for 01
The professional gentlemen attending d e various
parties having tendered their ackowle gments to the
coroner for the way in which he had conducted the ie-
. •and for his courtesy and urbanity, the
vestigation, pro,
ccAiui-,s of this protracted and important inquiry ter-
minated,
—...-----

by the
with loud
--...-------
Lord Ernest Bruce had an interview with Mr. se-
cretary Walpole yesterday.
THE LAST OF THE ELECTIONS.-Th official de-
ciaration ot the poll for Orkney and Zetland took place at
Kirkwall yesterday week. As the election had created con..
was
sc com p
receivedani ed
sideratile interest in the town there was an immense number
Sheriffoepu tyA.
syhteol
fr,m;ldre.
Robertson,
ot people congregated in front of the hustingi. At one o'clock
applause. He said—Electors of Orkney and Zetland, it is
my duty to declare the result of the piling on Friday and
Saturday last, and I will now read to you the respective
numbers polled by each candidate in the different polling
appearance,
and
1 districts. In Kirkwall, for Mr. Dundas, 71, and for Mr.
Inglis, 85. (Cheers and hisses.) At Stromness for Mr.
Dundas 96, and for Mr. Inglis bs—(Tremendous cheering)
—at Lerwick, for Mr. Dundas 41, and for Mr. Inglis 34 ;
(Great applause)—at Burranoe, for Mr. Inglis 20, and for
Hr. Dundas 16— (Cheers and hisses)—the gross poll in all
the four places am•umting to 227 for Dir. Dundas, and 194
for Mr. Inglis, giving a majority to Mr. Dundas of 33 ;
(Vociferous applause) - and I hereby declare Mr. Frederick
pandas to be duly elected and returned as a fit and proper
person to represent the united shires of Orkney and Zetland
in the ensuing Parliament. The assembly was then ad-
dressed by Mr. Dundas and the Lord Advocate, after which
the usual ceremony of chai •tookthe procession
ring place,
t parading through the principal streets of the town.