The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-08 00:00:00

MASTER ASSISTANT OFFICER IN COMMAND OF TUE

ENCLOSUREm o n I; BA BOaT No.
March 5
e sty's
vesselstruck t w
strsteam-vessel
ad
asleepama in
thus,
smy
1, 1852.
At the litiemr Majesty's
ethe
dfullheaorfd
hammock in the fore cockpit I immediately ran on
deck in my shirt, and on looking down the fore hatch-
waywtha tee rc.a p
tlati
n g risingive
orders to rig the chainpumps. I went below in the after
eockpit, and with the pursers steward and carpenter
shipped the pump handles. I than went on deck, and
assisted in clearing away the first cutter, and starboard
fibeoe
settling
Qeadmftatet falls.
ttlraeihennredgn
ctd hr dews
soldiers
ledbytiTheeh
rte
shnv
eoe
csnhas
elet
called'
aed wpmiaoeesor,
poop,
then rolling
fast.o
err
which was
wir gd.
ynn. ,
tat.
B:ayo:Ile
mound
me to get the women and children in the second cutter,
alsod
and
jnueraa rpleydsiwuaomffptehde a I;ansngg:
and save them if possible. The boat was lowered with
isnoldhieerr's
side. The women and children were then passed into
way, in all thirty-five persons. I then got clear of the
vessel, which immediately parted in two just before the
paddle-boxes. I then heard the captain calling for a
boat to save Mr. Brodie, the master. I pulled to the
wreck, but could not see him. I was obliged to get
'clear of the wreck again immediately, as the
boat was nearly swamping, and a great num-
ber of men swimming towards her. I then
saw the first cutter and second gig astern of the
wreck. I hailed and asked if they were full, and told
them to take in as many as they could carry in safety.
They then pulled up towards me. I then heard Mr.
Renwick call to me to pick him U. I told him we were
nearly sinking, and full of people, and to go on a little
farther to the gig, which picked him up shortly after-
wards. We stayed by the wreck about an hour after
she parted in two, and having as many in as the boats
could carry, I stood in towards the shore to see if I
could land those that were in the boats. We got in as
far as the breakers, and I found the surf *as running
too high to land without staving the boats and endan-
gering the lives of those that were already saved, es-
pecially. those of the women and children. I then hailed
the boats to keep further out, as I was nearly in the
breakers, and should bo swamped; we, however, suc-
ceeded in getting out of them, and then proceeded along
the shore to the N.W. six or seven miles, but could not
see any place we could land. At daylight we observed a
schooner in the offing, five or six miles off. I consulted with
the other officers, and we considered the best way to try
and come up with the schooner. After chasing her
between two and three hours a breeze sprung up from
the westward, and she stood off the land; the first cutter
and gig were then very nearly out of sight a head of me,
52 we could not keep up to them, only being able to
null six. oars. I found it was useless my proceeding any
further in chase, so I stood in towards the land; we
were then in sight of the wreck, but could not distin-
guish any men on it; we made very little way towards
the land, and the breeze freshening we were obliged to
keep the boat before it to prevent her sinking; we were
within two or three miles of the land whe awed again saw
the schooner standing towards us; we pll the boat
round, and with a woman's shawl for a sail, succeeded
in making a little way towards her. She hove to, and
picked us up at about two P.M., when I found the first
cutter on board, with Mr. Renwick, Dr. Bowen, and
thirty-four men. We could not see the gig, and there-
fore made all sail towards the wreck, which wo hove to
off at half-past three; Mr. Renwick ,and myself then
proceeded to the cutters, and succeeded in saving forty-
five melt off the topmast and topsail yard; we could not
see anything between the wreck and the shore, and
thinking all that were saved had reached the shbre, we
proceeded in
,the schooner to Simon's Bay, having on
board 116 people.
(Signed) R. B. RICHARDS, Master's Assistant.
haadevhP aeoeaciprradn,yutveda
zaia fast,
liiensa htel ecno kp t
went ws
aft,a half
a n

STATEMENT OF MR. HIRE, CLERK.
WHO WAS TWELVE HOURS ON THE WRECK.
ENCLOSURE No. 6.
H.M.S.V. Rhadamanthus, Simou's Bay,
March 1, 1852.
I slept in the fora cockpit, and between two and three
A.m. on the morning .of the 26th of February, 1852, I
was awoke by the ship striking against something. I
got on deck and went aft to the commander, who told
me- to get the books ready to go in the boat, as he did
not think there was any immediate danger. I did so,
and went again on the poop. I had hardly got there
when she went in halves amidships. I stopped by the
commander, and Mr. Spear, second master, at the wheel,
until the poop went down, taking us with it. I came
up again close to the mainyard, and from there to the
topsail yard as she settled down, where rremained. I
did not see any officer or the boats; there were I think
about fifty men on the yard with me, some of whom
dropped off during the rest of the night, and at daylight
some went on shore on parts of the wreck. We saw a
vessel about five or six miles to windward, which after-
wards proved to be the schooner Lioness. I tried to get
one of the gigs which appeared above water, but could
not. At about half-past three r.sr. the next day the
schooner came down close to us, and the two cutters
with Mr. Richards, master's assistant, and Mr. Renwick,
engineer, came and took us off to the schooner, where
we received the greatest kindness both from the master
in their power to assis'
andand i
as k we, i
uf ea(,
(Signed)
oghn
ino
ef
odd
r)i
td a
neverything

G. W. S. HIRE, Clerk,
H.M,S.V. Birkenhead.

STATEMENT OF MR. RENWICK, CHIEF
' ASSISTANT ENGINEER,
• AS TO THE STOPPING AND BACKING THE ENGINES.
ENCLOSURE NO. 7.
11.M.5.V. Rhadamanthus, Simon's Bay'
March 1, 1852,
I was awoke by the vessel going ashore, and water
rushing from the main deck into the fere cockpit; I ran
into the ongins-roem in my shirt only, and found there
Mr. Whyham, Mr. Kitchingman, and Mr. Barber; the
engines were stopped, and water pouring from the main-
dock through the door, over the starboard cylinder. I
shut the door, and about a minute afterwards orders
were given to go astern, The engines, after making
from 16 to 20 revolutions' stopped, the water rising so
high as to extinguish the fires.
While opening the starboard injection-oink I observed
a large portion of the starboard bilge buckled upwards,
plates and ribs both started, and water rushing in.
Mr. Whyham having reported to the commander that
the water had risen above the level of, the air-pump lids,
ordered all hands out of the engine-room. I then went
aft and remained on the poop until she broke in two.
On rising in the water I swam towards the shore for
tibout 'fifteen minutes, but observing what appeared to be
two boats, about a hundred yards to my left, I proceeded
in that direction. On nearing the first one I hailed, and
was answered by Mr. Richards, who told nie to go ahead
0 the other boat, as his was full. At this time I was
seized by a boy, who took me down; after.struggling I
rose, and was picked up insensible by the second gig;
on recovering I found Dr. Culhane, and six or seven
others in the boat. The three boats being full,_,9lo9DA
and pulled in towards the 5h0re....1-1,-;* k t-nIC 6 landing
place, time surf Druakiug very heavily as far as we,coula
see. At break of day we saw a sail standing towards
us, distant about five miles, we being then about four
or five miles from the wreck, and three or four from the
shore. We consulted together, and decided to pull to-
wards her, as we were unsuccessful in finding a place to
land without mashing the boat. We pulled two hours
or so after her, but made very little progress in nearing
her. Dr. Culhane then proposed to close tho fir 4 cutter,
select eight good men, and continue to chase, the second
cutter, at this time, distant about a mile astern.
did so, and no officer being in the first cutter, I took
°barge of her, and continued to -follow , the
148o';
breeze sprung up, when the vessel quickly t
()!1...
ed
to
run before the sea to prevent the boat swampincge,
set
gig and first cutter pulled in towards' land,
At 12
standing towards us on the port tack to lebee
the
schooner
was picked up by her, which turned out soden.
being in her 36 men. About 11 A.N. observed the Tv'
Lioness, of Cape Town, Captain Baressi
supposed,
of
wren, in charge of
I pointed oat to him the position's
d sail in that diree-
the other boats; he immediately maioking
op the second
women, an
mast-head being unable
Mr. Richards. A man at theil
towards the wreck, and
ig,
to the main topmast and
cutter,tt ioo ns see:
et
hdwe
with
mowe pen,. rm sutteede
all
l sail
sedr i n 1r;.
arrived off the reef about •bi
to the wreck, and succeeded
closely examined the whole coast
lai
to sail "aving other persons afloat,
and 3n6
made sail
without perceiving any
having on board in all 116 persons.
for Simon's 8ay..115 c
Richardsm en
viho andw.er
em'y
(Signed) HAS. K. RENWICK,
First Class Assistant-Engineer.
leldenegt:ingn the rescuingt w o cutters,
Mr.
clerk,edreed

SBETOLA:TTIEthMeEmNoTruin: , GUNNER
sp(shomouardryzitofs:Pticw;eirire9t:
vs TO GETTING OUT THE PADDLE-BOZ BOATS.
was ordered by tho captain to fire
OF MR. ARCHIBALD
ENCLOSURE No. 8.
of February I was
aroused, froth my bed by a severe shock. I instantly ran
on deok, found the ship had struck on a -rock, and was
benoxt roar. e port sponson to clear away the
of the 26th,
rapidly sinking,
which I did; after
water, I hold
tahheilpy rockets
wont
henata andcraen
tw 0
down;
washed
suahtit.
ehnde
tt
hho
bye()
oebars lights,lbatimeaerd.
ly
when the fore part of the
time I and Mr. Brodie
the orator,
Mr. Brodie. Finding it iraDossiblo
on to
leaving the piece of wreck, I swam towards a truss of
part
of riving
theißg wreck.tO
to hold on with the straw any longer,
I • snado for part
of the ivrecic, *here I found Captain Wright, 91st Rogi-