The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-07 00:00:00

WEDN ES DAY

!Bradly, Byrne, Carrington, Cellus, Clines, Cummons,
Cestello, Cragg, Demtnick, Durkin, England, Field,
Fi.zgerald, Fianagan, Flanley, Freeman, Finn, Grin-
ghee-, Mira Hayward, Samuel Johnston, Wootton,
Keleher, Kerry, Lembrlon, Lawlor, Lee, M‘Dermott,
M‘Donnell, M'Morrow, Mattravers, Mealey,
Mullauy,
Moran, Morrison, Mans, O'Connor, Owen, Palmer,
Petifer, Pucell, Re,nalds, Roach, Shepard, Smith (2,714),
Spriggs, Thompson, Tigue, Wales, Wilson.
-
" Draught 43d Light Infantry—Sergeant Willian.
Hicks, Corporal Joseph Harrison, Corporal Benjamin
Cousins, John Anderson, John Butler, John Byrne,
William Bullon, Daniel Brennan,
Thomas Cave, John
Cosgrove, George Gilhatn, William de Bank, Thomas
Dews, William Donald, Joseph Penning, Kelly, Houton,
John Riddleston, Reardon, Sullivan, Vickery, Edward
Quin, Maurice Welsh, Charles Renshaw, Shepherd, Jahn
M'Quade, Michael M. Rerklin, rimothy Sheshen, Wil-
liam Tucker.
" Draught 45th Regiment—G. Cocker, William Con-
nell, M. Daughtery.
" Draught 60th Rifles--Corporal Francis Curtis,
James Brown, James Brooklaed, James Callaghan, il-
licin
Chapman, Eli Elliott, Thomas Frost, Arthur Ha-
mitten, Michael Reicher, William Kelly, Charles Lucas,
James Maher, James Moore, John M'Acy,
el'Quade, Patrick O'Brien, '
Thomas Peacock John
Rees, William Rustell, Thomas Scutts, James Storey,
Patrick Stokes, James Thompson, William Wilkins,
William Wilkierion, James Wilson, William Woodward,
John Wallis, Simon Jacobs, Joseph Ladd.
" Draught 73d Regiment—Lieutenant G. W. Robin-
seri, Lieutenant A. 11. Beetle Thomas BermiegLam,
,'
James Berard, James Bt am,
illiam Barton, John Bryan,
arn, William .Beernae, Das
iel Buckley, John Byrne
Michael Catfy, Matthew Collins, Patrick Conley, John
Clements, Charles Davison, HuglaDsegan, William Dad-
ley, Patrick Doyle, Hugh Feohy, Matthew Fitzpatriek,
Mtchsel Flanagan. Hugh Michael French, Ma•
leehi Garin, Michael Gavin, Sanoael Giles, John Grant,
William N. Hall, John Harmer, Patrick Flanley, Ro-
bert Hinchin, Michael Henley, William Kearns, Timothy
Skelly, George Lawrence, Thomas Larkin, Michael
Maher, John Meheys, John Murphy, Thomas Murray,
Petrick O'Brien, William O'Connell, Michael Reiman,
George Randall, George Darey, Flynn, Philip
Scat, Timothy Sheehan, Dawel Shea,
James Sullivan,
Hebert Shepherd, George Smite, James Wilson, Wil-
liam Holmes, James McMurrey„
" Draught 74th Highlanders—Major Seaton, Ensign
Russell, Corporal M. Mathison, Corporal William Laird,
George Anderson, Archibald Baxter, John Bluth°,
Robert Blackie, Walter Bruce, John Cattanach, Jehn
Cowan, David Cousin, William Donald, David Dueeld-
son, James Gibson, Charts Gow, D. R, Gormon, Wil-
liam Graham, Thomas Harrison, Alexander Henrie,
David Hunter, James Kirkwood, John Lowrie, James
Morton, Alexander Murdoch, Alexander Mathi on,
Thomas Marwell, Alexander Miller, David Miller,George Miller, William McAuley, James MeKintion,
El ward M‘Lsod, John M'Clerney, Themes Robertson,
Ebenezer Rutherford, John Fst
(1), Duncan Shaw,
s
Robert Smith, William Smith, Robert Stewart, William
Stewart, John Thomson, Adam Thom sop, Francis
gSeergeant William Butler,
Watson, Pieter Hamil-
ton, John Nelson, Thomas Pride. Tu,,rpre-rra,ußgrhibter9tlsWt Welker, Gene
cPkaeturaicek y, iag gamesga n,
Evans,
James Jays,
Corporal Alexander Webber, Joseph Burt, James Bryan,
James Buckhans, Wm. Whibro, James Cavaner, D odd
Daley, James Drury, Hugh Ford, Petrick Guffv, Julia
IL
nr bga K
er, Se tune pp hen lliggan, ,
Montgomery, William Mathson, J-
Smith, Lake Smith, Patrick Snsh int hSh lal
m Ek
James Tenney, Christopher Ware, Alexander Welling-
ton, Joseph Grant, John Moore, William Woodmen,
George Justs, James Moon, William Foster, William Measures, William Sedgewood, Patrick Kelly, James De
o n
t i Tamm i le r
G
Laney, Alexander M'Fadon, Henry Haywood, Patrick
Hussey, John Sweeney, David Pratt, James Walsh;
passenger, Andrew White, a servant."
Cornet Bond, of the 12th Lancers, one of the sur-
vivors, gives the fbliowing particulars :
" We left Simon's Bay at seven o'clock on tho even-
ing of the 24th. At two o'clock the next morning I
was awoke by the vessel striking upon a rock. I im-
mediately dressed myself and went on deck, and
found all in confusion. I heard the captain give orders
to back her, which I hardly think was carried into
effect, as the fires wore almost immediately extin-
guished. He then gave orders to Major Seaton to get
the horses up and throw them overboard, and I, with a
sergeant and some men belonging to the 12th Lancers,
succeeded in doing so. I then went
I did
entonthbeyp.coaorprs, whereiugup
the captain was standing. Ho told me to go and get
the women and children up; which
two of the latter. The others followed, and were imme-
diately lowered into the boats. At this time the greatest
order and regularity prevailed. All the officers were
then employed with gangs of men at the pumps, and a
number of soldiers under the command of Mr. Brodie,
the master, were endeavouring to haul out the paddle-
box boat on the port side, which was nearly hoisted out
when the tackle broke, and it remained fixed in the air.
The fore part of the ship now broke off at the fore mast,
and soon after she cracked in the middle and filled with
water. A great many of the men on the troop deck
were drowned in their hammocks, not being able to effect
an escape. All those who could succeed in reaching the
poop now crowded there, and the captain sung oat to
those that could swim to make for the boats,' of
which there were three at a distance of 150 yards. They
did not come nearer for fear of being swamped. A gig
on the starboard bide was then ordered to be lowered, in
which Mr. Rult, of the 12th Lancers, who was unable to
swim, and several seamen, were seen to enter; but in
lowering it one of the ropes broke and she wits swamped.
Poor Bolt rose, but was unable to reach the shore, and
was drowned. The poop immediately afterwards, owing
to the force of the water rushing up, sent down, draw-
ing all those who were on it, as well as myself, under
water. I rose to the surface almost immediately. I had
one of Mackintosh's life preservers on, which may be
filled in the water, which I did. The sea at this time
was covered with struggling forms, while the cries, pierc-
ing shrieks, and shootings for the boats were awful. I
I swam astern in hopes of being picked up by one of them.
hailed one 60 yards off, but could not reach it, as they
pulled away, I suppose, for fear of too many at templing
to get in. [ then turned round and made for the shore,
about two miles disiant, which I finally succeeded in
reaching, at a little after five A.m., by swimming only.
Two men, who were
swimming close to me, I saw dis-
appear with a shriek, most probably bitten by sharks.
I fortunately hit on the landing place, but owing to the
great quantity of seaweed I had to struggle through,
and
being quite exhausted, I almost failed in reaching it.
I then walked up a sort of beaten track from the
beach, in hopes of finding some habitation. In doing
so I perceived my horse at a short distance, standing!,
in the water on the beach. I got him out, and then re-
turned to the place at which I landed, when I saw a raft.
with about nine men on it endeavouring to land, but
they did not succeed in doing so until they saw me on
the rocks standing opposite to the proper spot; they
then steered straight fur
me, and finally landed at seven
A. M, Lieutenant Giardot, of the 43d Light Infautry,
was one of them. At the same time two or three other
men were thrown on the rocks cif a spar, and landed,
very much cut and bruised, and entirely naked. We all
then proceeded up this track, and, utter two hours'
march, we saw a waggonalong
the shore, to which we
went and obtained some bread and water. The driver
directed us to proceed further up the beach, and at five
miles' distance we should find some fishing cottages be-
longing to Captain Snattlee very much
, where we arrived,
fatigued at noon; here we obtained some more bread, and
then marched on to Captain Smales' residence, about 12
miles off, over the sands. On our way thither we met a
bullock waggon, which took some of
our man, who were
too much knocked up to proceed, back to the cottages we
had just left. At seven o'clock P.M. our party, consist-
ing of two officers and four men, arrived at Captain
Smales', where we were moat kindly received, the men
being provided with both clothes and victuals. Captain
Smales immediately dispatched a messenger for the field
cornet and magistrate of the district, who on their ar-
rival proceeded with us the next morning to the scene
of the wreck. On our way thither we met numbers of
men who had landed. Some came ashore in the paddle-
box
boat, which had floated up; the one was full of
water, and the other keel upper flat. One of the ship's
quartermasters told me that there were seven others in
the boat with him, which Was full of water. They, how-
ever, all died from cold, having
been many hours in the
boat and quite naked. h
-° -acl his clothes on. We also
met Captain Wright,
_9lst, who had landed on the spon-
soon; he had been along the shore and had picked up
several men. Some rafts reached the shore with bodies
lashed on them quite dead; other bodies washed up,
some of them dreadfully mangled by sharks. Her Ma-
jesty's steamer Rhadamanthus hove in sight on Sunday,
took us off, and brought us into Simon's Bay the nest
morning.
"The time from when the ship t k s ruc to the period
at which the poop sunk, and those on it were precipi-
tated into the water, did not occupy more than twenty
minutes."

EVENING,

poop struck him on the head, and ho never rose
again. All were clinging to the raft till it
broke up, and then some swam back to the wreck,
and some to the maintopsailyard. About tony-five
people were on ;he yard, where they remained about
twelve hours, till the Lioness schooner came and took
them off, about two o'clock on the Thursday afternoon.
About 100 of the soldiere were drowned below. The
vessel filed ,se fast that they had no time to get up.
From tho time we first struck, which was about two
o'clock on the morning of Thursday, until the vessel
was all to pieces, was about half an hour. Captain Sal-
mend might have saved himself easily, but he remained
giving orders until the after part of the vessel surged,
and threw him overboard ; he might still have been
saved if it had not been for this accident. Young Mr.
Mt, of the Lancers, asked the sergeant of marines to
try and s:ive him ; he did try, and got him on the raft,
but as it surged ugaiost the rocks it parted, and he sunk.
About 117 teen, women, and children, came into Simou's
Boy on board the schooner, and about 30 or 40 landed on
another ThEt. number could be counted on the
beach. Of the 45 Jut remained oh the yard were Mr. Hire,
the clerk, John Drake. sergeant of marines, John Cooper,
private marine, John Kinn, a stoker, auci 42 soldiers—
when ell, with one excennion, behaved most 4';mird'4lY-
• Thy we're rather in a hurry to get into the schooner's
boat when she came 0 take them off, which neatly
closed an accider.t; but all were saved. The behaviour
of the crew was admirable—ail obrdient to:order,:. There
is no chance of Captain Salmond being alive. Mr.
Brodie, tee master, was in the vet of clearieg the paddle-
I2';x boot, when the aria parted in two, end he was
kilt"i at once. Nothing ceuid exceed the kintlooss of
Captaie Rine:Acne of the Lioness schooner, who took us
on board; he clothed ua and fed us as well as he could; ,
and we shall always remember his kindness. It is sup-
posed when we left ii; roon's Bay that there were about
486 officers and men of different regiments, besides
women and children, and ship's company of the Birken-
head, amounting to about 115. It is feared that, on the
whole, not less than 500 lives have been lost.

" We presume a naval court-martial will be held on
the surviving cfScers of the ship, by which full particu-
lars will be elicited. At present we are unable to furnish
any further details which can be relied on of this ap-
pal tifig occurrence."

Toe following is a list of officers and seamen saved
from the Birkenhead :

" Dr. Culhane, assistant•surgeon; C. B. Renwick,
assistant•engineer, Ist class; B. Barber, assistant-engi•
neer, 3d chess; J. Freshfield, passed clerk; G. W. S.
Litre, clerk; R. B. Rtchards, master's assistant; J. Arch-
bold. gunner.

" Ship's Company—J. Bowen, A. 8.; G. Till, A. 8.;
J. Smith, A. 8.; T. Dunn, A. 8.; C. Noble, A. B.; T.
Daley, A. 8.; W. Langmaid, A. 8.; J. Ashbolt, stoker;
G. Randall, stoker; J. King, stoker; T. Dew, stoker; H,
Maxwell, quartermaster ; E. Wilson, boatmate; J.
Lacey, carisin maintop; J. Messurn, sailwaker's mate;
W. Neale, captain's mate; J. Tiffrey, pay master and
purser's steward; T. Aaudrain, T. J. Stoker; E. Gardi-
ner, stoker; J. Hoskins, stok,r; E. Croker, A. 13.; S.
Harris, A. 1.1; R
Tiggle, A. 8.; H. Cheeseman, A. 8.;
A. Stun', ord; J. M'Cates, stoker; W. Chase, stoker;
G. lieltey, stoker; M. Bush, A. 8.; R. Finn, A. 8.; G.
Windsor, A. 8.; T. Harris, A.B ; G. Lewis, ; T.
Woods, stoker; J. Thalan, A. 8.; J. Dyke. A. 8.; J.
M'Carthy, A. 8.; T. Forbes, A. 8.; H. Bewhill, seaman;
W. Woodward, seaman; T. Drackfard, seaman; T.
Coffin, seaman.
"Boys—W. Gale, C. Mathews, J. B. Howard, a
Windham, B. Turner.
" Marines—J. Drake (colour sergeant), W. North-
oven (private), T. Daniels (private), J. Cooper (pri-
vate), W. Luck (private), T. Keane (private).
" Abstract—Officers, 7; seamen, 42; boys, 5; marines,
6. Total, 60.
" List of officers drowned—Mr. R. Salmond, master
commanding; Mr. W. Brodie, master; Mr. R. D. Speer,
second master; Mr. J. 0. D. Davies, second master;
Mr. W. Whyhatn, chief engineer; dr. C. W. Hare,
master's assistant; Mr. James M'Clymont, assistant en-
gineer; Mr. Deeley, assistant enginesr; Mr. T. Harris,
boatswain; Mr. James Roberts, carpenter."
The Cape Town Monitor of March 3, says:—.
" It thus appears that out of the 638 on board at the
time of the wreck, 184 in all have been saved, and 454
of our fellow-creatures have been suddenly launched
into eternity. We have heard that the devastation of
the sharks which surrounded the rafts and spars of the
wreck in shoals, was most dreadful. The scene is har-
rowing to contemplate."
The troops on board comisted bf 499 officers and
men; the crew, 132; women and children, 12; total,
650 persons.
Names of the officers on board the Birkenhead when
lost:—
Cornets Bond and Rolt (12th Lancers), Ensign Boylan
(2d Queen's), Ensign Mettord (6th Royals), Lieutenant
Fairtlough (12th Foot), Lieutenant Girardot (43d Light
Infantry), Lieutenants Robinson and Booth and Ensign
Lucas (73d Regiment), Major Seton and Ensign Russell
(74th Highlanders), Captain Wright (91st Regiment),
Dr. Bowen and two other staff surgeons.
The following are the officers of the Birkenhead,
taken from the Navy List for January:—
Master-Commander R. Salmond; Master W. Brodie;
chief engineer, William Whyhans• Assistant-Surgeon
W. Culhane; Second Masters J. D. Davis and Robert
D. Speer; Clerk, John Freshfield.