The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-16 00:00:00

JANRY ) 1852.
LONDON,FRIDAY
• 'e
,it
•,14 ITA 16
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PUBLICATIONS.

Now ready at all the Libraries, in 3 vols.,

MR. WARBURTON'S DARIEN;
Or,

THE MERCHANT PRINCE.
" A most interesting narrative, and one in whirls the versatile ta-
lents of its author are conspicuously and agreeably apparent. The
characters are delineated with delicacy and skill, and there is a vi-
gorous vitality in the dialogue, which carries the reader along with
a movement at once easy and rapid. The descriptions are remark-
able for splendour of illustration and brilliancy of language, and the
incidents are involved with such ingenuity as to preserve the interest
to the last."—Morning Post.
Colburn and Co., Publishers, 13, Great Marlborough-street.

:Just published,
PICTURES OF LIFE IN MEXICO.
By R. H. MASON, Esq.
Two vols. post Bvo., with Etchings. 245. cloth.
London: Smith, Elder, and Co., 65, Cornhill.

LAURENT'S CASINO,
ARGYLL ROOMS, Great Windmill-street,
St. James's.
The PRIZE QUADRILLE, awarded to Mr. J. R. Tutton, of the
Royal Horse Guards (Blue), will be played every evening by
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Boulcourt.
Doors open at Eight o'clock. Dancing to commence at nine, and
terminate at half-past eleven.
Admission—ONE SHILLING.

'VRAMPTON'S PILL of HEALTH.
The following testimonial is another proof of the great efficacy
of this medicine :
Winchmore Hill, Middlesex, April 16, 1851.
" consideration of the great benefit I have derived from
taking Frampton's Pill of Health, I feel it a duty that I owe to you
and the public to send you the following statement. For upwards of
nine years I have experienced the efficacy of this excellent medicine.
I had long previously been afflicted with headache and indigestion,
but a friend having induced me to make a trial of Frampton's Pills,
I now inform you that a few doses gave me great relief; and during
this long period of time I have taken them in preference to any other
medicine ; and I have the happiness of saying that I never had a
better state of health, which I attribute to Frampton's Pills. I beg
further to add, that this medicine is in general use by my family, and
we know of nothing to equal it.
• " I am, Sir, es pectfully,
THOMAS PROVINCE.

" To Mr. T. Prout, 229, Strand, London.
This excellent Family Pill is a medicine of long-tried efficacy for
correcting all disorders of the stomach and bowels, and are a
pleasant, safe, easy apperient, they unite the recommendation of a
mild operation with the most successfid effect, and require no re-
straint of diet or confinement during their use.
Ask for FRAMPTON'S PILL OF HEALTH, and observe the
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Price Is. lid. an& 2s. 9d. per box.

DR. CULVERWELL'S NEW WORKS.
To be had of Sherwood, 23, Paternoster-row ; Carvalho,
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pr!ce One Shilling each ; by post, Is. 6d.

ENJOYMENT OF LIFE.
"Health, F.ecreation, and Rational Use of Time."

CONTENTS :—Early Rising—Spring and Summer Mornings—Ex-
cursions about the Environs of London—The Parks, Lanes, Hills,
Forests, Fields, High-roads, and other pleasant places—Country
Trips and Rambles—The Sea—London at Night—Evenings at Home
—Music—The Drama—On Eating, Drinking, Sleeping, Bathing,
Air, Rest, Ease, Occupation, &c., &c.

FRAGMENTS FROM THRMOUNTAINS. Two Vols.
Vol. T.

VISIT TO THE LAKES ; SKETCH OF EDINBURGH, &c,
Vol. 11.
THE LAKES OF KILL LRNEY ; REMINISCENCES OF
DUBLIN, &c.
111.
WHAT TO EAT, DRINK, AND AVOID,
That three score years and ten our course may run."
A popular review of almost every form (cause and cure) of ner-
you dy-debilitated health and enfeebled constitution, that harasses
the young, besets the man of pleasure, business, or study, and em-
bitters old age ; with tables and rules for the diet and physical regu-
lation of every-day life.

IT.
THE PASSIONS.
"What passions hart the body—what improve,
Truths as refined as Athens ever heard."
stnmeT .—Life's pilgrimage, from infancy to old age. The ad-
vent of the passions. Chastity and its infringements. The casual-
ties of licentiousness and dissipation, with illustrations graphic, nar-
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V.
THE MARRIAGE STATE.
"To be or not to be, that is the question."
pleoxamig :—Laws and obligations of nature, society, and reli-
gion regarding marriage, to be observed by either sex. Time and
choice, on both sides, as to age, temperament, complexion, and
figure, to secure healthy offspring, with the art of rearing them.
Physical defectiveness and its removal. Sterility and its conversion.
Cases, &c.
By R. J. CULVERWELL, M.D. (1841), M.R.C.S. (1827). L.S.A.
(1824). Twenty-five years Medical and Forensic Referee in these
matters. Reception hours daily till Five. Evenings, Seven till
Wine- 10 ArßYll-Dlace Regent-street.

THE AMAZON STEAMER.

Yesterday the inquiries instituted by the directors of
the West India Mail Steam-packet Company as to the
probable cause of the fire that destroyed this noble ves-
sel was resumed at the offices of the company, in
Moorgate-street, City. There were present—Cap-
tain Shepherd, the chairman, Captain Mangles,
Captain Nelson, Captain Whish, and Colonel Short,
forming a committee of directors to whom the inquiry
had been entrusted. There were also present—Captain
Chappell, the manager; Mr. mills, the principal engi-
neer to the company; Mr. Seaward, of Messrs. Seaward
and Capers, the makers of the Amazon's engines; and
other gentlemen interested in the fate of the passen-
gers, among whom was Captain Warburton, brother of
Mr. Eliot Warburton, &c.
The following letter was read from the-Board of Ad-
miralty:—

" Admil
" Gentlemen—With refereth
12th inst. respecting the invest
place regarding the loss of till
packet, I am commanded by
of the Admiralty to acquaint y,
very much obliged to you fur
when printed, but that, in the
ceedings, their Lordships do
interfere.—l am, Sco.,

The following eorrespondeni
and the Board of Trade was al

" Office of the Corn
for Trade, s
..,
" Sir,—l am directed by the fenr of the Committee
of Privy Council for Trade to red
st,you to call the at-
tention of the directors of the
to
ith
oe.i.
Wise:
jaissdia Mail Steam-
packet Company to the Steam
,rasclecetiothnes
powers
9n t ayn d
of 3n making2e , c which
es snecessary
r yinvestigations commitsforthat-,e of accident, and the
" The destruction of the Amazon appears to my Lords
to be so important, both as regards the magnitude of the
loss of life and property, and the nature of the circum-
stances under which it happened, as to render it im-
spoomsseibilenqfuoirryth.emho
to allow
however, t
th to e
pass without making
As, y are satisfied that it
is both the wish and interest of the directors to investi-
gate the cause as fully as possible, and as they under-
stand that those gentlemen are about to institute a
searching inquiry, my Lords wish to avoid the trouble
of a separate investigation, and desire rue to suggest to
the directors that a member of this department should be
present at the inquiry about to be instituted, with power
to take a part, and to put any questions he may think
proper.
" This course will, my Lords believe, be satisfactory
to the public, and will enable them, in the discharge of
their duties under the Act above-mentioned, to avail
themselves of the experience to be derived from the case.
" My Lords direct me, however, to state that, in mak-
ing the above :proposal, they
reserve to themselves the
right of instituting an independent investigation should
circumstances render it necessary to do so.
" An immediate answer is requested.
" I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
(Signed) T. H. PARRER."
" January 14, 1852.
" Sir,—With reference to your letter of this date, I am
instructed to remark that the directors of this company,
being under the impression that the vessels employed in
carrying mails or dispatches under contract with the
Admiralty, to or from pieces beyond the limits of the
river Elbe and Brest, are exempt from the operation of
the Steam Navigation Act, considered it would be irre-
gular to address the Board of Trade respecting the de-
struction by fire of the Royal Mail Steam-packet
Amazon.
" So anxious, however, were the directors that public
officers should either assist in the inquiry, or conduct it in-
dependently of the company, that an application with that
object was made to the Lords Commissioners of the Ad-
miralty; but, as their Lordships have declined to inter-
fere, I am to state that it will afford much gratification
to the directors to be assisted at the inquiry, which will
be continued at this office to-morrow, at eleven, and at
Southampton on the following day, at two o'clock, by
any members of your department who may be deputed
to attend on that occasion.—l am, Bsce
(Signed) " EDWARD CHAPPELL, Secretary.
" To 11. Ferrer, Esq., Secretary Board of Trade."
It was stated that, by the regulations of the com-
pany's Act, gunpowder, spirits, and other inflammable
substances were prohibited to be taken out in the com-
pany's vessels ; at the same time it appeared that a
quantity of gum, camphor, sulphur, and ammonia had
gone out among the cargo in casks without the know-
ledge of the company.
The first witness examined wa ,
Mr. Neilson, of Liverpool, w ,it may be remem-
bered,t was among the rescued ssengers who were
landed at Plymouth. In ans-ver questions from the
chairman, ho stated that when he (made a public states
ment on the subject of the fire h ad abstained from
entering into the cause of the fir , name he felt that
the board would institute an in y into the subject,
f
and though his attention had bee drawn to various cir-
cumstances that occurred on the erfit of the fire, yet he
felt, as a landsman, that it would 1,1 ot be right to make
any statement of opinions which might be crude and ill-
founded, except under the sanction of a board like the
present. But there were several. circumstances on the
night of that Saturday that caused him uneasiness, so
that after all the lights were put out, and most of the
passengers had retired to rest, he went upon deck, and
met the captain, and had some conversation with him.
The captain advised him to go to bed, but instead of that
he went down to the engine-room; and as be passed the
after funnel he noticed that it was excessively hot. He
did not think the fire originated there, but he noticed it
for this reason, that he felt, if an accident should occur,
the heated state of this part would greatly aid it. He
put his hand upon the beam above, which was near the
funnel, and which supported the spar deck, and it was
so hot he could not bear it. lie then put his hand viable
the main deck, and it was still hotter. Previous to this,
on the afternoon of the Saturday, he had been down in
the engine-rooms,:where he had repeated conversations
with the engineers, Mr. Angus and Mr. Allen.
The Chairman—Did you mention to them the heated
state of the funnel and the beams? Mr. Neilson—No,
I did not like to appear officious. Witness then went
to the opposite side of the engine-room, where the grease-
store was, which was nothing but wood, and it was ex-
cessively hot, On the steam-chest to the left of the
gangway, looking forward, there were some new coal-
sacks, but he could not decidedly saythat they were
on the top of it. When he left the engine-room, which
he did at half-past twelve, he said to himself—not ad-
dressing, any one, but touching the beam—" If a fire
occurs, it will come aft at a tremendous remen
d pace." No
fire had taken place then,
,but below, through the
grated foot-path of the engino-room gangway,
he saw a great deal of red-hot cinders
lying in front of
struck him that th the stoke-hole on the left; and it
e tar dropping from the new coal-
sacks had fallen upon the red-hot cinders, which imme-
diately ignited. There Was a great deal of coal lying
scattered about in the place; and ho was convinced,
from what he knew of the state of the after funnel, that
the fennel forward must have been much hotter. At the
time ho put his hand upon the after timbers they were
sufficiently hot to have ignited the instant they came into
contact with the smallest flame. There was a largo
quantity of grease in the store-room ; and on the pre-
vious day a large vessel filled with it had been brought
to the door in order to afford the mon easy access to it
when they required to lubricate the engines, which they
did very frequently. Before he went below he spoke to
the engineer on duty, and asked him, putting his hand
at the same time to the engines, how they felt • and ho
answered they were behaving beautifully. *hen he
went to his berth all the lights were out. There were
two men in the bulkhead, between the engine-room
and the cabin, whom ha supposed belonged to the
watch; and there were a number of fire-buckets
above their heads. Ho passed them, undressed, and
went to bed. He had not been in bed above three or
four minutes when he heard the cry of " Fire." The
cry was in a light shrill voice. 13e jumped up at once,
and running forward saw sparkp and bright points of
fire coming up from the engine-loom.
id ~..e
was then im-
pressed with the idea that the &Imes would soon be sub-
dued, and he went back to his cabin and dressed. While
he was dressing the screams increased, and as he could
not find all his clothes, he thought it was better to
escape as he was. On the deck he saw Captain Symonds
and all the officers, who were doing all they y could to
check the flames by carrying sacks forward, and throw-
ing overboard trusses of hay and other inflammable
materials. At that time the officers were not directing
their attention to the boats, but to the means of extin-
guishing the fire. The passengers were almost all nearly
naked, and were crowding aft. They lowered one of the
after boats on the port side, which was nearly full. She
turned over. Saw a Mr. Burney with a life-buoy, and
as witness had a life-buoy in his cabin, he thought he
would go back for it. At that time the hatchway of the
engine-room was one sheet of brilliant flame. He could
not find his life-buoy at first, and while seeking for
it in his cabin he heard a tremendous crash, accom-
panied by the shrieks of the passengers, and ho was
about to come without it when he fortunately laid his
hand on it. He was then returning, When he
saw a
gentleman and a lady clinging to each other by the rails
of the cabin. There were also two other passengers
there. Ho urged them forward, but the smoke was
coming aft so thiek that they seemed afraid to venture.
Witness, however, drew a long breath, rushed through
the smoke, and got out. Captain S-
imonds had urged
him before to get out the buckets, bu toe said it was of
no use. He heard the captain call Mr. Roberts—
" For God's sake put her before the wind." Mr. Ro-
berts, who was in his shirt, did so. At this time the fire
was coming up the companion hatchway. Witness had
intended to jump overboard, as he thought there was no
chance of the boats being lowered in safety; but he saw
some sailors doing their work so well at one of the boats
that he went forward and joined them. It was found,
however, that they could not move back the boat—she
would not stir. Witness looked over the side, and
found that it was fastened by being supported by an
iron crutch; and just then a sailor seized his arm and told
him to jump out and hoist at the tackle. Witness did
so; and by that time be found that the deck was very
hot—indeed, the fire scorched one of the men. Up to
this time, Captain Symonds seemed bent on getting the
fire out; after that his attention was given to the boats,

luncil

and to restore order. Witness saw him displaying great
energy, and several times he was close to the fire.
The Chairman—Have you been on board as large a
steamer as this before?—No; I never before crossed
the Atlantic, but I have often gone to Scotland by the
steamers.

Chheamitr,mwa
where
r e mentionyou
de that, s
orib e
toh inav suche
be e
been,
is
ves-
selsT hthee
usually very great, and might alarm passengers who had
never witnessed it before.—Yes; but the heat was very
much greater than I had ever witnessed before; and my
impression also was that the flues wore too short.
The Chairman—Do you understand machinery 7—Yes.
I have had a good deal to do with machinery. I have a
machine on my farm; and I was going out to superin-
tend some machinery in the West Indies. I have paid
particular attention to the economy of fuel.
The Chairman—l wonder you did not speak to the
captain about the heated state of the timbers.—l will
tell you why I did not. For some hours we bad stopped
on account of the bearings being over heated, and I saw
Mr. Allen and Mr. Angus repeatedly, night and day, at-
tending to the machinery, their whole anxiety being
directed to the bearings of the engines. Witness was
most anxious to state how free from blame the engi-
neers wore. He knew what duty was, and ho never saw
men more attentive to their duty, regardless of their own
rest, than were Mr. Allen and Mr. Angus. They were
constantly passing from one bearing to another;
and in conversation both of them told witness
that they did not expect the machinery to settle for
a week or ten days. When Mr. Allen was applying
the grease, witness said to him, surely the bearings are
uneven, as there would not be so much screaming
(alluding to the noise the engines made); and he added
that if the gale came on and one paddle-wheel was up in
the air while the other was immersed up to the axle,
they would have more music than they liked. It was
about this that Mr. Allen was anxious. He slackened.
the caps, and the pumps were constantly going upon
them, while two men did little or nothing else than to
pass from one bearing to another to lubricate them. He
was convinced that the engines bad nothing on earth to
do with the fire. He had been accustomed to see some
of the best engines in Liverpool, but be never saw better
made engines in his life than those that were on board.
He never saw greater liberality of metal—better worked
joints—or better arranged machinery; and bat for the
heating of the bearings he was convinced they were ca-
pable of doing their work in a first.rate style. He
thought it was a combination of circumstances that ag-
gravated the fire, but that the fire itself was caused by an
accident—that he believed to be the dropping of melted
tar from the coal sacks upon the hot cinders in front
of the stoke-hole.

Chairman—ls there anything else you wish to state?
Mr. Neilson—l had a conversation with Captain Sy-
monds, about half-past twelve o'clock at night, about the
ship and the crew. Captain Symonds said that the ship
was doing her work well; but as to the crew, he had
only time to get one or two of his old hands with him,
and that he knew nothing as yet as to their competency,
or to make any arrangements among them. I thought
he was alluding to the arrangement of the men at their
different stations in the boats. I put the question to
one of the men afterwards, and he said that no boats'
crews had been arranged, and that there h.d been no
time to do so.
Captain Mangles here stated that the captain could
not make such arrangements until he knew the capaci-
ties of the different men; but ho (Captain Mangles)
knew there was a fire-bell on board, appointing each
man to his several stations in case of fire.
Mr. Neilson continued—He was convinced in his own
mind that if the engines could have been stopped there
was ample boat room to save every sonl on board. But
it was almost impossible to lower the boats while the
vessel was making such progress, and in such a gale.
He thought means should be employed to stop the ea-
gines from the decks in case of emergency. He had re-
marked to the captain, when talking about the heated
bearings, that everything was in a heated state.
The Chairman—lt strikes me, Mr. Neilson, that tbo
unfortunate result has impressed upon your mind more
strongly afterwards than at first as to the heated tim-
bers, because if
you had felt upon the subject then as
you do now, you would have spoken of it to the officers?
Witness—No, Ido not think so. I did not fear fire,
but I felt that if there was a fire it would materially
affect the result. _

Colonel Short—Looking to the short time the vessel
had left Southampton, was the crew in good order and
subordination?—Quite so.
Colonel Short—And under all the circumstances you
think the crew behaved well ?—I never saw a crew be-
have better. Captain Symonds never lost his control
over the men till the ship was obviously lost. I saw him
rushing aft and back again; I could not distinguish his
orders, but he seemed full of energy to the last.
Captain Mangles—You say the beam was hot; was
that beam below the main deck or below the spar deck?
—The beam below the spar deck was so hot that it in-
duced me to put my hand also to the beam below.
Captain Mangles—Do you recollect how far the deck
was from the funnel ?—About a yard off ; quite suffi-
cient to prevent the fire coming from there.
Captain Mangles—You say the coals were lying about
the stoke-hole. Are you aware that the floor of the en-
gine-room was lined throughout with iron plates?—Yes;
there was no danger in that circumstance, considered by
itself. My opinion is, that the fire was caused by an ac-
cident; but that the rapidity of the fire was occasioned
by the circumstances I have mentioned, none of which
alone would have given ground for apprehension. The
witness continued—ln consequence of so much having
been said upon the subject of the boat fastenings, I beg
to draw the attention of the directors to the circum-
stance, that there was such a number of things in one of
the life-boats, and the davits were so arranged, that I
don't think the boat's crew, in ordinary circumstances,
could have lowered one in less than ten minutes. A
great deal has been said about keel cranes; but I think
if the men had been aware of their nature, there would
not have been the obstruction there was. The boat was
a heavy one, but a better boat never lived iu the sea.
Though the sea was running so high that the men could
make but little way, yet she never shipped an ounce of
water after we left the wreck. After the wind went
down we had the prospect of five or six days' pulling,
without food or water. Now, I would suggest that gutta
percha casings might be put under the benches of the
boats, and filled with bread, and that at the bottom of
the boat there might be square bottles filled with
water. The boat would thus have been victualled for
three weeks, and the additional weight would not have
been more than 1,500 lbs.

_ .
Captain Mangles here stated that the directors had
received a great number of suggestions respt sting the
boats and their equipment, and that a committee was
about to be appointed to consider them, when Mr. Neil-
son's suggestions would be considered as well as the
others. Ile asked what exertion the boat's crew had
made to save any of their fellow sufferers? Mr. Neilson
—I speak it with a pardonable pride, that in that hour
of danger, which was sufficient to appal the stoutest
heart, all our thoughts and efforts were directed at first
to save others. When Mr. Vine nt— and a braver lad
never lived—with his boat's crew, came on board of us
there were twenty-one in the boat; ono of them was
lying iu the bottom useless. I ordered to pull back to
the burning ship, and every man aided me to the utmost
till we were struck by a sea, and nearly filled with water.
I never saw.such a set of gallant fellows. I have been
in various queer positions in the Spanish Main, and I
know what good pluck is, but I never saw better than
was exhibited by our boat's crew that night.
Captain Mangles—Did you get near enough to see
those on board?—We saw three or four on the bowsprit,
but after the dingy was capsized and our own boat half
swamped it was impossible to do anything more, though
we heard the screams of dying men all around us, though
we could not get near them. Even after the rain had
brought down the sea it was with difficulty I could per-
suade the men to pull alongside the Marsden, they were
so afraid of being swamped.
Captain Warburton—On your landing at Plymouth
were any steps taken to send out a steamer to look for
any other boats?—l am not aware that any such steps
were taken. The Mayor called upon us and offered us

every assistance in his power. -
Captain Warburton—Was any application made to the
usual authorities there to send out a steamer?—No, I
don't think any such application was made. On getting
on board the Marsden a man was sent to the mast-head
to look out, but without effect. Captain Evans was then
trying for the coast of France.
Colonel Short—Do you know if any application was
made to the Port-Admiral on the subject?—None, to
my knowledge.
Colonel Short—Do you think there are any boats now
unaccounted for?--My impression is that there are
none. I should fear to encourage false hopes.
Captain Mangles—Well, I have a different impression.
I think we shall yet hear of some other boats.

The witness then withdrew.
Mr. Glennie was the next witness called. Ile said—
As to any information on the cause of the fire I can give
none. I was asleep in my bed when it commenced, and
I should imagine I was the last to get out of the cabin.
I immediately ran aft, and then turned round to take a
general view of the ship. It appeared to me that the
confusion I observed was even more appalling than the
fire, and thut I must depend more upon my own exertion
than upon any combined efforts. In consequence of this
another left
withr tthepassengers,b oat
I jumped into a boat and endeavoured to lower her, but
not understanding the way in which she was tied up I was
unable to do so. A friend of mine, M. Mortimer do
Rea, followed me into the same boat, but I told him I
w
thought we should not be able to lower it properly, and
that it would be capsized in the sea; we therefore
but she
tbhoeatbfooartwaagrdainw.as A
let At thetime
filled e le
down
was caught by one end—l think the bow—and all
Mr. M'Lennan dropped into the sea. I don't remember
severa
except
that any boats were swamped. I saw l —I think
three—got off clear from the vessel.
Captain Mangles--Fesides the onyou
e were in ?--
Ye?.
Captain Mangles—From the starboard
or larboard ?
They were starboard when I - saw them, but I don't
know where they had been lowered from.
w I satin one in
particular get off in fine order, and I wished myself on
board. At that time I thought the re was little proba-
bility of the boats being lowered in good order ; and I
I fr
om
his the captain to see I could discover
his orders or his actions if ho hadi any particular plan,
1 and to second it if I could. At that time they were

[PRICE SD.

hauling forward some settles, and it occurred to
me that they were going to make a raft, the very thing
I should have done, and I think that two settees
fastened with a spar at each end, would snake a very
fine raft. I assisted in dragging one forward. I heard
the captain then order the larboard life-boat to be
lowered, and he was answered, " she is on fire." I
rau up to see, and found it was so. Ile then ordered
the starboard life-boat to be lowered, and again was an-
swered " She is on fire." At that moment I saw a boat
lowered from the starboard side, and I thought this was
the last available chance, so instead of going to see the
fate of the starboard lift-boat, I watched the lowering
of this boat, and told my friend Martinez that this was
our only chance. Ilowered myself over the side by a
rope, and watched my opportunity till I heard the boat's
crew cry "Cut away," when I dropped into the sea. The
next moment I laid hold of the stern of the boat. and
they took me in. I think the steamer was then going
at the rate of eleven or twelve knots an hour.
The Chairman—l think that could not be,"as you kept
her in sight so long.
Mr. Glennie—Yes; but I think the ship was put about
Iba gecieoo.
urnel d I
sle oe becauseGtkheed machinery.a
gwhena
again, as
waswineAvfi
t the
eerro
that boat osao tmle got
tm ae glimpse
elapsed
of her quarter, and saw that a large hole was burned
in her larboard quarter behind the pad,le-box, so that
getting a spar out fur
a breakwater; that was a suggestion of one of the
seamen.

The Chairman—What is your opinion of the way the
men behaved themselves?—lt was impossible to see who
were officers and who were men. I thought I recog-
nised one officer by his gold•laced cap. Tho captain
certainly did everything in his power to maintain order,
end it.was impossible for man to do more.
The Chairman—Did your friend escape?—ile endea-
voured to follow me, but I do not know what became of
him. As I left the ship I saw Mr. Waiburton wank
quickly to the starboard lifeboat, probabably to see if
the report of her burning was true, as I had gone to the
other side.

Captain Mangles—Was Mr. Warburton dressed?—
Yes.

Captain Mangles—And collected?—Quite collected.
The Chairman—Then your impression is that there
are still some boats to be picked up?—lt is. I saw three
boats get away; I saw none swamped.
The Chairman—You know that there are other two
boats beside your own that have been picked up; do you
think it was any of these you saw ?—No, I think not.
The Chairman—Did you see the boat hanging by her
tackle ?—Yes, she was hanging when I went over.
The Chairman—Well, we have evidence that the boat
was afterwards lowered, and it was the boat in which
Mrs. M'Lennan was saved.

Captain Warburton—Was it owing to the represen-
Ation you made that the French admiral sent a steamer
'rem Brest?—Yes; owing to the representations I made
;o the vice-consul.

Captain Warburton—Do you think it possible that
the forward passengers suffered more than those aft?—
I imagine that very few of those forward escaped, as
there were no boats there, and none could come
aft, except one or two at first over the paddle-boxes, on
account of the fire.
Jacob Allen was the next witness called. He said—l
was sent out by Messrs. Seaward and Capel, the makers
of the ship's engines, to watch their working, and to
makes notes for their use afterwards. I was about the
whole of that day, sometime below, sometimes above. At
ten o'clock that night, through the sickness of one of the
engineers,
we happened to have a warm bearing on the
main shaft. I con6ulte.l with Mr. Angus, the engineer,
on the subject. The vessel was stopped—the bearings
slacked, and both the lubricators taken off the main
shaft bearings, and put in order again. This detained
us for about an hour and ten minutes. Near twelve
o'clock Mr. Angus and I left the engine-room to get a
few hours' sleep. Mr. Angus went into his cabin. I
went back to the engineer on duty to bid him good night,
hut previous to doing so I took the oil can and went upon
the main deck and oiled the eccentric of the wheels.
After that I went on the paddle-boxes and oiled the main
bearings. This was not my duty, but I did it to save
the engineer leaving the engine-room. It was a very
rough night, so that I could scarcely hold on the paddle-
boxes. I came down again to the main-deck, where I
met William Stone, the engineer of the watch, and told
him I had oiled his bearings for him, so that he had no
occasion to go there for two hours to come. I then
took up my lamp to go forward. I looked into Mr.
Angus's cabin, but I did not speck to him, as I thought
he was asleep on the sofa, but I went to my own cabin
on the lower deck, whore I undressed, and had been in
bed only five or ten minutes, or hardly so much, when I
heard the cry of fire twice. I jumped up, pulled on my
trousers, and saw flames issuing out of the fore stoke-
hole hatehway, as though they were coming from the
fore store-room. I ran aft, and saw two mon working
the putaps,alnd two or three more running to.get the
fire buckets, which hung behind the after fennel. I also
went forward with some buckets, but the flames and
smoke were such that they drove every one from be-
tween decks. I then made my way up to the spar-deck,
where there was a number of people running up, both
passengers end crew. I then saw William Angus and
William Stone throwing overboard trusses of hey, &c.,
to be out of the way of the fire.
The Chairman—Have you formed any opinion as to
the cause of the fire?—l was not in the starboard fore
store-room from the time we left Southampton, but I
consider it was there it came from.
Colonel Short—Was the machinery near enough to
heat it?—No; the bottom of the store-room was three
feet from the top of the boiler, one end of it being sup-
ported by one of the main iron beams that passed across
the ship, and the other rested on a coal bulkhead.
Colonel Short—Did you observe any particular heat
about the beams, for one gentleman has said they were
so hot he could not put his hand upon them?—l ob-
served nothing of that,
Captain Mangles—How far was the funnel from the
wood of the deck ?—About twelve or fourteen inches;
but then there was a casing of sheet iron between the
deck and the funnel, so that in fact there was a funnel
within a funneL

Captain
toptainMa
Mangles—Do you know that in the voyage
round
Southampton
the men slept in that store-room?
—Yes; I sometimes lay down there myself. Some
fourteen men slept there for two or three nights, when
the steamer came to anchor on account of the fog. It
was warm enough, but nothing disagreeable.
Colonel Short—Why do you think the fire began
there?—Because I saw the flames coming in that direc-
tion. Tho witness added that he never saw the store-
room door open after they left Southampton, but he was
given to understand that the tallow and the oil were
stowed away there in iron tanks. He did not think he
had seen any coal sacks, and he did not think that tar
dropping from them would have set fire to the ship. In
answer to Captain Wlaish, he said that he had not told
anybody at Southampton that he saw two men go into
the store-room that night.
At this stage of the inquiry, Captain Beechey, R.N.,
was introduced, as having come from the Board of Trade,
in consequence of the correspondence given above, to
assist at the inquiry.
Examination continued—He could not tell what smell
the fire had, but if it had been from the wipings or from
felt, he would have known it at once. [Pieces of the
vessels round,
felt which covered the boiler were here snown, and an
ineffectual attempt was made to set fire to it, but the
smell of the charring was peculiarly stronvgl
.8
time between the first alarm and the crew
boats?—l think about ten minutes.
Tho witness further stated that the fire was in no
sense owing to the overheating of the bearings, Which
Captain Warburton—Can you form any
time the
engineers knew to bo of no consequence. The engines
et.heMviellsss,elthleaftt
L60,3b0
dteobn:
wore working well in every respect. He had never
been to sea in a regular way, but he had often been en-
trusted by his employers to take large
after being fitted with their engines.
Mr. Seaward here stated that he had every eellathime,
isntowwiatgneesos.f the coals, from which it a-ppreesapreecdt,inegn
and
faeoal were
Some conversation here took place the
before the remaining
400 tons about twenty-four hoursput
the vessel
started. These were all stowed in
slues of the vessel,
fore and aft the boilers, near but notb touching them, in
such a way that the coals first
statementon
board
before o f AI
aboard must be first
used. There were also 100 tonspouft' a
coal
put in the cargo
space in bogs, lest the vessel should
require more than
they had calculated on•l
till the last. The but these were not to be used
bags, so often referred to, seem to
have been put the
William S there to receive the cinders.
Stone, the fourth "
engineer, was next called.
He stated that ho came on watch about twelve o'clock,
and was on the e
top IN the entablature, tending the bear"-
ings with oil. About half-past twelve Mr. Neilson
asked him how things were, and he said, all very com-
fortable. About one o'clock he was standing aft on the
starboard part of the entablature, and he saw fire on the
starboard fore boiler. When he saw the flames, he ran
forward to work the water-engine, but the smoke and
the fire were so thick that he could not, and they were
all obliged to get away as fast as they could. When he
got to the spar-deck the flames had reached there too.
He began, with William Angus, to throw over the hay.
He saw Captain Symonds in his shirt singing out for
buckets. Some men tried to use the pump that was on
deck, but no water would come. Then he went to lower
the boats. We got one clear of the cranes, and began
to lower her, but one part unhooked and fell down.
He held on, and got on deck again. One of tho firemen,
named Lang, assisted him in clearing the tackle of the
boat and lowering it again; then they found the fall was
fast, but witness cut the fall and the boat was lowered
into the water.
In answer to questions from the Chairman, he stated
that he had never been in the store-room; that they bad
all the tallow they needed mixed up in a large cask,
Inlding about 2 cwt., before they left Southampton,
which was placed on the entablature of the engine-room.
That had lasted them all the time, though it was belt
used when the fire broke out. As to the oil, they
supplied to them in tin cans holding half a gallon f 4 .f!,
time. He had never brought any oil up himself; if 1
was want2d one of the stokers went to the
l the
store-
keeper, wao gave it. The storekeeper left out. iteer
on
stores, but at night when he turned in the engln He __w
duty had the keys of the room left with him. N3
no oil brought out. The cans were full when he came
011 was usually
kon watch. Ile did not know how the

4v,
iralt January 14, 1852.
nee ', ; letter of the
stiga
.'ch is taking
le A z. -.'y ;
dntract steam-
my or 4, inimissioners
you t.l'. • Lords will be
the p . tlhe evidence
apr ut • a the pro-
not W. '-'l' ,6cessary to
~..
..:c!
" W. A. 14, ;. : MILTON."
t 4 nee tw. ,the directors
aso rd ' ~..
nulite .1‘ ' rivy Council
• Jan.'l4 1852
, •