The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-07 00:00:00

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DES' RUCTION OF THE STEAM
SHIP AMAZON BY FIRE.

LOSS OF ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY
FOUR LIVES.

PLTMOUTII, JAN. 6 —lt becomes our painful duty
to report the particulars of a most appalling accident.
The new Royal Mail steam-ship Amazon, Captain
Symons, which left Southampton on Friday for the
West Indies and the/Gulf of Mexico, has been totally
consumed by fire, and of 153 persons who were on
board her when she left it is feared only 21 have been
saved.

The Amazon left Southampton at half-past three
o'clock on Friday afternoon, and in the Channel ex•
perienced strong head winds and rain. At a quarter
before one on Sunday morning, when the ship was
about 110 miles south-west of Scilly, a fire
broke out suddenly, forward on the starboard side,
between the steam chest and the under part
of the galley, and shortly after the flames
rushed up the gangway which is in front of the
foremost funnel. The alarm bell was rung, and
Captain Symons rushed on deck in his shirt and
trousers. Wet swabs and other loose things were

placed on the gratings of -the spar deck hater, and a
hose was brought to play on the main deck, but
quickly abandoned in consequence of the excessive
heat. The deck pump was also kept at work until
the men were forced to retire. The wind was blow-
ing half a gale from south-west, and the vessel was
going 8 knots, which was her average rate from the
time of departure. Captain Symons ordered some
hay, between the engine-room crank gratings, to be
thrown overboard ; two trusses were hove over the
ship's side, but the fire soon ignited the main body,
the hencoops on each side, and the paddleboxes, the
men were 'obliged to abandon the deck, and those who
could leave were all finally driven from the ship.
Many were burnt in their berths, others suffocated,
and a great number were drowned in the lowering of
the boats.

This account was brought into port this morning by
the brig Marsden, Captain Evans, of London, from
Cardiff, with iron, for South Carolina, which picked
up from the lifeboat the followirg persons —viz., Mr.
Neilson, for Demerara ; Mr. T. Sisely, for
Chagres • John Hawke, second class passenger, Vera
Cruz; Mr. Vincent, jun., midshipman; James
Williamson, chief steward; Mr. John Dunford,
quartermaster • W. Foster, AB.; Thomas Carney,
AB.; James Maylin, AB. ; James Mowatt, AB.;
William Steers, AB.; J. H. Passmore, .AB.; H.
Williams' AB. ; William Stevenson, AB. ; John
Nerink, AB.; William Nutman, water tender;
James White, fireman ; John Shearing, fireman ;
Charles Thorn, fireman : W. Dummer, George King,
Coulterman.

Mr. Neilson and Mr. Vincent, proceed by train
to-day to London, and the crew will be forwarded
to the Sailors' Home, Well-street, by the Ship-
wrecked Mariners' Society.
Since the foregoing account reached us the secre-
tary of the company has informed us that the crew
and engine people on board the Amazon were about
112 in number, and that there were 60 passengers on
board. He has also supplied us with the following
list of the ship's officers, who are missing:—Captain
Symons; Mr. Roberts, chief officer; Mr. Treweeke,
second officer; Mr. Lewis' third officer Mr. Good-
ridge, fourth officer ; Mr. Stuart, midshipman ; Mr.
Stainfortb, midshipman ; Mr. Angus, chief engineer;
Mr. Angus, jun., second engineer.
Mr. Vincent (son of Captain Vincent, of the Se-
vern), the midshipman in the Amazon, who was
saved, has been so good as to furnish us with the fol-
lowing narrative :
" We left Southampton with the West Indian and
Mexican mails on board on Friday, the 2d instant. On
the 3d, at noon, we were in latitude 49.12 north, longi-
tude 4.57 west, steering west by south half-south, with
an increasing fresh breeze. At 9.30 P.M. we stopped
with half bearings. At 11.20 we proceeded, wind still
increasing. At about twenty minutes to one on Sun-
day morning fire was observed bursting through the
hatchway foreside of the fore funnel. Every possible
exertion was made to put out the fire, but all was in-
effectual. The mail boat was lowered with twenty or
twenty-five persons in it, but was immediately swamped
and went astern, the people clinging to one another.
They were all lost. The pinnace was next lowered, but
she hung by the fore tackle, and being swamped the
people were all washed out of her. In lowering the
second cutter the sea raised her and unhooked the fore
tackle, so that she fell down perpendicularly, and all but
two of the persons in her were washed out.
" Captain Symons was all this time using his utmost
exertions to save his passengers and crew. Sixteen men,
including two passengers, succeeded in lowering the life
boat, and about the same time, I (Mr. Vincent), with
two ram, the steward and a passenger. got into and
lowered the dingy. In about half an hour the life-boat
took the dingy's people into her, and bore down for the
ship with the dingy in tow, but the sea increasing, and
being nearly swamped, they were obliged to cast the
dingy off and bring the boat head to sea. The masts
went—first the foremast, and then the mizenmast.

"About this time a barque passed astern of the life-
boat; we hailed her with our united twenty-one voices,
and thought she answered us, but she wore and stood
under the stern of the burning vessel, and immediately
hauled her wind and stood away again.
" The gig with five hands was at this time some little
way from us, but the sea was running so high we could
reader her no assistance, and shortly afterwards lost
sight of her.
" About 4 Am. (Sunday) it was raining heavily, and
the wind shifted to the northward; sea confused, but
dereasipg; put the boat before the sea. At five o'clock
the ship's magazine exploded, and about half an hour
afterwards the funnels went over the sides and she sunk.
At noon we were picked up by the Marsden, of London,
Ciptain Evans, by whom we were treated in the kindest
manger possible.

" We were picked up in let. 48.5 N., long. 5.30 W.;
wind N. to N.E. The captain stood in to the coast of
France, but the wind shifting to the southward he bore
np for Plymouth, where we arrived at 10.50 P.M. on the
sth, end were most hospitably and kindly received by
the landlord of the Globe Hotel."
Mr. Neilson, one of the only two passengers saved,
has sent the following communication :
"I have to report the total loss of the West Indian
Mail steam-paoket Amazon on Saturday night, the 3d
inst., off the Bay of Biscay.
" At 12.40 the fire broke out. In less than 10 minutes

it was bursting up the fore and main hatchways. WOat of
156 people on board only 21 are, I believe, saved, for I
was on the last boat that left the ship, and one of the two
last men who got in after lowering her, by springing
from the ship's side and sliding down the tackle fall. The
fire caught the other man and burnt the hair off his face
before he sprang off.

" We were picked up the next day by the brig Marsden,
Captain Evans, who treated us with the greatest kind-
ness and attention, and landed us about one this morning.
We were received at the Globe by Mr. Radmore with the
greatest kindness."

The Royal Mail steam-ship Amazon, Captain Symons'
took her departure on the 2d January with the usual
mails for the British and Foreign West Indies (excepting
Havannah and Honduras), the Gulf of Mexico, Spanish
Main, &c., in charge of Lieutenant Brady, R.N., Admi-
ralty agent. She took out fifty passengers, a large and
valuable cargo, specie value 20,3001. sterling, and 500
bottles of quicksilver, value 5,1501. sterling, for mining
operations in Mexico.
The sailing of the Amazon on her first voyage to the
West Indies, as the pioneer of the new series of steam-
ships intended for this important mail service, excited
considerable interest. Several directors of the company
went down to witness the event, and there were present
—Captain Maegles' Mr. Masterman, M.P., Captain
Nelson (one of the Elder Brethren of the Trinity
Board), directors of the company; Captain Chappell,
R.N., the secretary and joint manager; Captain Barton,
R.N., the superintendent at Southampton; Mr. George
Mills, the company's engineer-in-chief ; Lieutenant
A. Austen, R.N., and other gentlemen interested in
underis
steam
having
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rmt he o
unfortunate
t yorvewe dho'
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vesselt(h
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proceeded
eme riverdga ieeldst,
from the shore in a small steam tender to witness her
departure—little anticipating how 80031 their rejoicings
would be changed into lamentations. The draught of
water of the Amazon was 21 ft. 7 in. both forward and
aft. She started, therefore, although deeply laden, yet
in good trim and with an even keel. She had on board
1,133 tons of coal, besides a full cargo and a full cow-
plement of water, stores, and provisions of every kind. It
from
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Thomas's is 3,622 miles.
mdiasktaenacer
The Amazon was to commence the new direct line of
steam-ships intended to run fortnighly between South-
ampton and Chagres, touching at St. Thomas's, while
several lines of branch packets for the accommoda-
tion of the West India islands, the Gult of Mexico, &c.,
were to run from the island of St. Thomas to the vari-
ous ports and islands embraced in the new scheme of
the West India Mail Packet Company, and sanctioned
by the Lords of the Admiralty. By means of the main
trunk line, the course of which is a perfectly straight
route from Southampton to Chagres, a great steam ferry
is in point of fact established between Europe and the
Isthmus of Panama. It is to be hoped that this sad oc-
currence will not retard the accomplishment of this de-
sirable enterprise.

FORTUNATE CLERICAL FAMILY.
(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.?,
Verily the Dales are a " happy family, so far as the
good things of the Church are concerned. The other
day we announced the death of the Rev. James Soll
Hutchins, M.A., Rector of St. Alphage, London-wall,
and Afternoon Lecturer of the united parishes of St.
Anne and St. Agnes, with St. John Zachary, Alders-
gate, aged 71. It appears that deceased was also Li-
brarian of Sion College. It was rumoured yesterday
that the eldest son of tho Rev. Canon Dale (who
already has the Rectory of St. Vedast, Foster-lane),
was to succeed the deceased in the Rectory of St.
Alph3ge, and also in the Librarianship of Sion College.
---,Advertiser.

THE MURDER OF MR. BATEsoN.--The Newry
Telegraph states that a man arrested by the Collon police,
butn ot
also only charged with the murder of the late Mr. Bateson, has turned
his complicity in the case of that
his being a party to the murder
of Owen hrlategart. This per4on was conveyed to Dublin
Castle by the oil Ovuzday.
baparpbroavroeur,s liadtmroictitti)ll-g,