The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-23 00:00:00

THE BARQUE GRASMERE.

The following official report has been presented
to the Right Hon. the Lords of the Committee of
Privy Council for Trade :
My Lords,—We, the undersigned, Mr. Joseph Alexander
Wright and Mr. William West Watson, two of her Ma-
jesty's justices of the peace for the county of Lanark,
have held an official investigation into the stranding and
subsequent loss of the barque Grasmere, of the port of
Liverpool, which occurred in the evening of the lich De-
cember last, near Ballyferris Point, in the county of Down ,
on the east coast of Ireland. In this inquiry we have been
assisted by Captain Harris and Captain Campbell, R.N.,
as nautical assessors, and we have now the honour to re-
port that the Grasmero was a barque built of wood at
Chepstow, in the year 1847, and registered at Liverpool,
of the burthen of 432 tons, and was owned by Messrs.
Lamport and Holt, merchants of Liverpool, and Messrs.
Patrick Henderson and Co., of Glasgow. The Grasmere
was chartered by her Majesty's Emigration Commis-
s:oners to carry emigrants from this port to Bluff

Isand, in New Zealand. Every requirement of the
Passenger Act appertaining to her outfit had been
complied with under the inspection of the medical
officer, and she .was in all respects fully and efficiently
equipped. She had on board a crew of 22 hands, a general
cargo, and 114 passengers. Thus manned and equipped,
she sailed from Greenock on the 14th December last; but.
the wind being adverse, the vessel put into Lamlash Bay.
Here she remained, wind bound, until the morning of
the 17th of December, when she departed on her voyage
about 8.30 a.m., with a moderate and favourable wind,
which continued so throughout the day, and a little
after seven o'clock the same evening she was a wreck on the
coast of Ireland. No lives were fortunately lost. The vessel
passed Ailsa Craig about noon, and the course deposed to
have been steered, namely, S.W. by S., would, if properly
kept, no doubt have cleared all the dangers of the 1 rieh
Channel. That this course could not have been made good is
obvious, for, either from the influence of the ebb tide acting
upon the port bow, or from bad steerage—probably the
former, as the wind was fair and the weather moderate—
the ship was found at 6 p.m., when the chief mate came on
deck, nearer to the Irish coast than was expected or was
deemed prudent—in fact, heading directly on the land.
Under these circumstances, the mate himself altered the
course two points further to seaward. At this critical
time it would appear that the master was below and asleep
in the cabin, but, upon being called at seven p.m., he not
only confirmed the prudence of his mate in hauling
the ship off the land, but directed that the course
should be steered still more to seaward, or S. by E., and
while upon this course the vessel struck. In reviewing this
case, it appears to us that great negligence was evinced by
the master in navigating the ship. The weather appears to
have been fine and clear, the wind fair, and the sea smooth,
nothing whatever to perplex or disarrange the reckoning of
a seaman, In fact, the land and lights on both sides of the
Channel were in sight, and the only precaution necessary
was a good look-out, to see that the vessel did not from any
cause approach too near the land. This salutary precaution
does not seem to have been exercised, for we have it in
evidence that the master was on deck till five p.m., or
about dark. That at this time he gave no directions for
altering the course, but went below to his cabin, although
it would seem that the smallest amount of observation
would have told him that his ship was not in the posi-
tion that the course steered ought to have placed her.
In fact the Grasmere was carelessly and negligently
navigated, and for this we hold the master:responsible.
Under these circumstances, we have no alternative but
to pronounce the master in default, and that the barque
Grasmere was lost by the want of due care and attention
on the part of her master. We are more inclined to attri-
bute the loss to carelessness than recklessness, and giving
duo weight to the proved excellent character of the master,
are disposed to pass a less severe sentence upon him
than we otherwise should have done. Nevertheless, our
duty to the public, as well as what is due to those persons
who have no means of protecting themselves, constrains us
to mark our sense of the negligence of the master in such
manner as will show that the interests of emigrants and the
public are not lost sight of by this court. We have there-
fore, with the full concurrence o the nautical assessors,
and under the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Amend-
ment Act, 1862, suspended the certificate of Mr. Charles
f
e
Turner, as master of the Grasmere, for the period bl
calendar months from this date.
We have the honour, .
Wee. W. WATsos,
.lOSEPIC A. WItIORT, J.P.
We concur in the preceding report, Nautical
HY. HARUiSf
)Assessurs.
T. C. CAgrBELL,
Glasgow, Jan. 14, 1864

Biting' TRADE has greatly increased during the
last 40 years, as a proof of which in 1825 the total amount
of our imports and exports was £96,493,427, while in 1562
they amounted to £393,782,115, In other words, they have
more than quadrupled,