The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-08 00:00:00

The Stranding of the Brig Governor

Maclean.

The following is the report of Mr James Traill,
stipendiary magistrate, assisted by Captains Baker
and Cow, as nautical assessors, of the investigation
into the stranding and,damage of the brig Governor
Maclean, on the Owers, on Sept. 5, 1864 :
The brig Governor Maclean was 216 tons burthen, was
built at Millwall in 1833, and was the property of Mr John
Forster, of London. Though upwards of 30 years old, she
was strong and seaworthy. She was employed in the
African trade, and at the time of her stranding was on her
homeward voyage from that coast, bound for London, laden
with palm oil, cotton, and ivory. She was commanded by
Carl August Gyllenspetz, a Swede, holding a Board of Trade
certificate of competency as master, dated Sept., 1854, who
has commanded English merchant ships for many years,
during which he has had opportunities of being acquainted
with the navigation of the English Channel. Besides the
master there was a chief mate, holding a Board of Trade
certificate of competency, dated the 19th June, 1862; and
also a boatswain and acting second mate, a Swede, who
holds a Swedish certificate of competency as master The
brig was in every way properly found, and manned by a
sufficient crew. The facts of the case, as regards the strand-
ing of the Governor Maclean, lie in a small compass, and
may be collected from the ship's log, which is admitted by
the master to be a correct statement. The following is a
transcript of these entries, from 4 a.m. of the 4th Septem-
ber, till 3 a.m. of the sth, when the brig went aground on
the Owers :—" 4 a.m , Start Light N. E., 10 miles. 5
a.m., set port foretop and maintopgallant studding-sail.
7.20, wind heading; in maintopgallant studding-sail, and
braced forward the yards. 8 a,m., St, Catharine's Point
N.E. N. 11.30 a.m,, squared the yards and set all
studding-sails, Noon, Dunnose Head N.N.W. W,, lat,
50 23 N., bar. 30. Cher, 64, let. account 50 45, long, account
234 W. Pumps attended to, 6 p.m., got sight of Beachy
Head, it being thick, hazy weather, so that at dark, when
we saw the light, could not distinguish any flashes as from
the light on Beaehy Head ; but presuming that some alte-
ration had taken place with that light took in all studding-
sails, royals, and topgallant sails, wind W. to W.S.W.,
squally, with thick haze and drizzling rain. Steered east
and east by north till eight o'clock, when Dungeness light
came in sight. At ten o'clock, very thick, dark, and rainy,
with wind inci easing and blowing in heavy gusts, the light
then bearing N.N.W.—sounded in 15 fathoms, keep-
ing the course for a short time, and burning flash lights
for the attention of pilots, but saw no sign of return
signals. Braced up the yards and stood off to the star-
board until twelve o'clock, when it became necessary to
take in two reefs in the topsails, stow mainsail, jib, and
mainstaysail, the light being nearly out of eight, and the
object being to keep near so as to get a pilot at daylight.
Wore ship with her head to the N. W., until we got sight of
Folkestone, or the reflections from the gaslights of the place.
Sounded in 10 fathoms, Wore ship round, the light bearing
S.W. by W. Steered a S.S.E. course, and got to the
southward and westward of the light, and about what could
be judged in about two miles dietanee, and sounded in 15
fathoms. At a quarter to two hove the vessel to under the
double-reefed topsails, with•the head N. W., wind W.S.W„
and the tide ebbing; the vessel seemed to gain to the west-
ward or north-westward. At half-past two the vessel
struck the ground several times, and all attempts to back
her off were unsuccessful. Clewed up and stowed all sails,
and got the longboat and surf boat hoisted out. As the
vessel struok the rudder was unshipped, the wheel and
everything around knocked to pieces, and the vessel, as the
tide fell, listed over on her starbcard bilge. At daylight,
found that the vessel had stranded on the elbow of Ower,
and that 0 wors Light had been mistoken for that of Dunge-
ness," From these entries it will be seen that the master
made a series of the most extraordinary and unaccountable
mistakes as to his position during the whole of Sept, 4. At
4 a.m, he knew he was off the Start, and when he next
sighted land, at S a.m., only four hours afterwards, he fan-
cied it to be St, Catherine's, in the Isle of 'Wight, a distance
of 91 miles, If the master know so little of this part of the
Channel as to make so great a mistake, he was the more
inexcusable in not examining his chart, which would have
made him aware that this land was not St, Catherine's
but the Bill of Portland, 50 miles short of it. Once pos-
sessed of this erroneous notion of his position, he goes on
with a succession of mistakes, first supposing St. Catherine's
Light, seen at 5 p m., to be Beachy Head, 59 miles further
up the Channel, and afterwards, at 8 p.m., mistaking the
Owers for Dungeness, above 60 miles further up. Under
these circumstances, the stranding and damage of the Go•
vernor Maclean was adjudged to have been caused by the
default of the master—and it was further considered a de-
fault on his part that, with so great reason to be doubtful
of his position in the night of the 4th and sth, he did not
lay his ship to with her head to the southward, and wait
for daylight, particularly when, at or about twelve p.m.
he found the soundings reduced to 10 fathoms, and
the light which he took to be Dungeness appearing to sea-
weld of the ship. Had he done this he would, in all pro-
bability, even at that late period, have escaped the conse-
quence of his mistakes. Fur these reasons the master's
certificate has been suspended fur six calendar months from
this date, and would have been suspended for a longer
period but for his general good character and the care he
seems to have used in all other respects, with the exception
of a proper examination of his chart.

JAMES TEAILL I R. B. BAKER I JOHN Cow.
To the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council

for Trade, &).

MARKETS—This Day.

COVENT GARDEN.

The show of fruit cid vegetables was seasonably large,
and the inquiry for most descriptions ruled steady, as
follows :

FRUIT.

s. d. s. d.
Pine apples 6 0 to 6 0
Foreign do., each 1 6 to 2 6
Grapes,per lb 2 0 to 6 0
Foreign do 1 0 to 1 6
Melons 0 0 to 0 0
Nectarines, per dz 0 0 to 0 0
Apples, per hf-sv. 1 3 to 2 6
Years, per do
Oranges, per 100..10 0 to 14 0
Lemons, per 100 5 0 to 8 0
Gooseberries lit SVeJ 0 to 0 0
Strawberries pr pt 0 0 to 0 0

d. d
Mulberries,prpt 0. 4to 0 0
Cherries, per lb. 0 oto 0 0
Foreign ditto, puno oto 0 6
Filberts, per lb .. 0 9to 1 0
Walnuts, per 100 1 oto 2 0
Cobnuts, per lb .. 0 oto 0 0
Almonds, per bus 0 oto 0 6
Figs, per doz. .... 0 oto 0 0
Peaches, per d 0... 3 0 to 10 0
Currants, per la.sv 0 oto 0 0
Plums, per do. .. 2 6to 3 6
Greengages, pr do. 2 6to 3 0