The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-08 00:00:00

The Loss of the Stanley.

SHIELDS, Dec, 7,
The Board of Trade inquiry into the loss of the steamship
Stanley is continued in the Town-hall of North Shields by
Mr Alderman Joseph Spence and Mr A. S. Stevenson,
borough magistrates, and Captain Harris and Captain
Baker, nautical assessors.

Mr Hamel appeared for the Board of Trade; Mr George
Kewney watches the case for Mr Thomas Howling, the
master, and Mr Crawford for Mr John Main, the mate of
the Stanley. Only two witnesses were ex mined yesterday,
the mate, Mr John Main, and the second mate, Mr James
Kemp.

Mr Main's evidence at the coroner's inquest, reported in
The Sun of the Ist inst., was in substance the same as that
he:gave at this inquiry, In reply to questions put to him to-
day he said,—l was brought up in the coasting trade, and ,
I have acted as master of the Pharos steamer and the Fairy
schooner. Prior to that I was in the Lifeguard. The Stanley
had her engines placed about 70 feet from the stern. The
Lifeguard's would be further aft. She loads according to
the draught of water, Usually she goes a good deal by the
stern. Screws always require to be loaded by the stern.
The effect this has upon the ship when she is ruunin3. before
the wind and sea is that it makes her stern lower. I found,
when running before the wind and sea that she steered
readily when she was so loaded. She yawed a bit, but
steered easily. She required to be very quickly watched.
I do. not hold a certificate from the Board of Trade or
any pilotage authority here for piloting my own vessel. The
master was not acquainted «ith the pilotage of the Tyne
that I know of. I said I would do my best to take the ship
in. I volunteered, relying upon my local knowledge. When
we crossed the bar there was a strong wind from E.S.E.
The atmosphere was quite clear. We-could not see the
lighthouse when we oroaocil cue oar nor me leading lights.
We could see ahead 200 or 300 yards. There is not a fair-
way buoy laid clown between the buoy at the North Pier
and that at the South Pier. The leading marks ought to
bear W. half N. when crossing the bar. I knew of my own
knowledge that that was the best water. I did not keep our
lead going in crossing the bar. The lead was not used at
all. I did not hear any precautionary orders given by the
master to the man at the wheel when the sea struck the
vessel. I heard the master tell him to keep the helm astar-
board before this happened. The helm was ordered astar-
board before the sea struck her, and hard astarboard after
it struck her. Supposing this calamity had not taken place
I intended to anchor inside of the Low Lights. 'We ex-
pected to find a pilot shortly after we got over the bar. The
usual place is sometimes abreast the Black Middens, and
sometimes a little further in if the weather is bad. I know
that the pilotage of the Tyne is compulsory for passenger
boats. The jurisdiction extends over the bar. I have been
in the habit of taking a pilot when in the temporary charge
of the Pharos, but when there was any sea on we came in
without one. In the pilotboat was outside the bay we took
a pilot. If not we ran in without one. After the ship parted
she was in the same position as now. The lifeboat was out-
side of us. The vessel rolling and lurching so heavily was
not the reason why the men would not take the rocket line
to the masthead, I heard the crew and passengers all speaking
together when the hawser came on board. I did not see the
master at this time. He might have been there. I heard no
orders given at the time for the hawser to bs fastened to
the bitthead, and I gave none myself. Since I have been in
this trade it is a common thing to carry cattle on deck in
the winter months. When the vessel took the yaw when
the sea struck her the ebb tide and the fresh that was then
in the river would have the effect of forcing the ship upon
the rocks, It was the deliberate opinion of myself and mas-
ter that it would be safer that night to run into the Tyne than
to keep the sea. We thought it the best for all. Seeing
another vessel going in we thought it prudent to go in.
After having failed in getting a pilot it was safer to cross
the bar without a pilot than to remain at sea. The master
expressed his reluctance to cross the bar before the lights
were lit. I said it was better to go in before the lights were
lit, as the night was threatening. I said, if the master was
going in, the sooner he went the better. 1 cannot say
whether he could have kept out. The ship was making
heavy weather of it, and hardly had steerage way. I don't
think the ship would have been able to claw off if she had
stayed out, That was owing to the heavy sea and wind ;
there was more sea than wind, My opinion is that it' these
leading lights into the harbour were always kept burning,
with the present draught of water, it would tend to cause
more accidents. Leading lights might be placed for the safe
navigation of the channel. The same lights woull do if
they had a coloured light to show the state of the tide. If
those lights had been lit they would have led us in mid-
channel. I would suggest that they should always be kept
burning after dark, with an additional tidal light. Ido not
think a pilot could have come off to us when we fired the
rockets. If that lifeboat of ours had been lowered safely
into the water I' think she might have reached the shore.
We expected to find the pilot tugboat outside the bar, and
if she could not have put a pilot on board, she would have
led the way in.

Mr Kewney said the Tyne ships have their own pilots,
and the other pilots do not go off to them if they think they
have their own pilots on board. I believe it was the case
in this instance.

James Kemp, second mate of the Stanley, was then ex-
amined. his evidence in chief was substantially the same
as that of the mate. He sail—l heard the captain give
orders to have the hawser taken to the masthead. I cannot
state that I heard him say, "It is no use fastening it so low
down." I heard the captain cry two or three times for them
to take it higher up. I did not hear him request them to
take it half-mast high, if they would not take it to the mast-
head. When the captain said that they did not give him
any reason why they slid not do so. I have given my own
reason—that I thought the hawser was hauling away from
Ile, and that it could not be t tko'n to the mast-head. That
is the only reason I had. I rather think it was impossible
for it to have been got up to the mast-head at the time.
The Court is proceeding with the examination of seamen
belonging to the steamer this morning,

-
OUTBREAK AT PORTLAND.-WEYMOUTII, Dee.r6.
—Several hundred convicts have broken loose over Portland
Island, and caused great excitement here, the military hay.
ing been despatched to capture them. Owing to the prompt
measures taken by the authorities the roported outbreak of
convicts was quelled, The military are still there,