The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-15 00:00:00

The Loss of the Channel Steamer Paris.

Yesterday morning an official investigation, instituted by
direction of the Board of Trade, took place at the Green-
wich Police-court before Mr. Traill, police magistrate, into
the circumstances attending the total loss of the steamer
Paris, Hemmings, master, one of the Maples' Channel
Line, which was wrecked off Jersey on the morning of the
28th July last.
Mr. F H. Mond, barrister, attended to conduct the case,
and having briefly narrated the facts as disclosed in evi-
dence, called
John P. Manger, of Guernsey, who said he held a certi-
ficate of competency as master in the home trade, dated
July, 1859, and was chief mate of the Paris. The vessel left
St. Malo about six o'clock on the morning of July 28, with
a crew of 23 (including the master and pilot), and 20 pas-
sengers. She was well found and properly equipped, and
the weather on leaving St. Malo was fine, bright, and calm.
At halt-past 8, after rounding the west end of the Miniquis
he went on to the bridge and spoke to the captain and pilot.
The captain told him to go aft and give the course to haul
the ship up from N. to N.E. N . He (witness) remarked
to the pilot that the marks on the middle passage, two flag-
posts, were not clear, and the pilot handed him the glasses
to see whether the flag. posts were one, which would be right
for the middle passage, The vessel was then four or five
miles from the Grunot rocks, and witness could not see
whether the flag posts were in two or one. A quarter of an
hour after he left the bridge, and went forward to get the
anchor ready, The vessel was then entering on the Silliette
passage, the marks of which were open, the western mar-
tello tower being to the eastward. On looking ahead of the
vessel he saw the Grunot rocks about 10 or 15 yards from
the ship on the port bow, and exclaimed to one of the
crew, "My God, we are going on the rocks." At the same
moment she struck heavily on the rocks and passed over.
The engineer called out from below, " Get out your boats,
you have not a moment to lose," and the captain gave orders
to lower the boats and the engines to be stopped. The boats
were immediately lowered, and about seven minutes after,
as they were leaving with the passengers and crew, the
stewardess was seen to come out of the cabin. The captain
got out of the boat, but as the ship was then sinking he called
to the stewardess to jump into the sea, and he would pick her
up. She did so, and a Frenchman jumped out of the lifeboat
and held her up until they succeeded in getting her into the
boat. The ship went down immediately afterwards.
Thomas Avis, an able seaman, said he was at the wheel

at the time the vessel struck. At the moment she struck

_ .. .......
the pilot called out "hard a-port," and the captain called
out "hard a-starboard." They both called out the same order
again, and witness was baffled, and put the helm hard
a-starboard. After she passed over the rocks witness found
the vessel would not answer her helm, and he got into the
lifeboat.

David Simpson, chief engineer, also gave evidence of

feeling the vessel go over the rocks, and described the shock
as if she had grated across something. The water imme-
diately rushed into the engine-room, and having eased the
valves, to prevent an explosion occurring, he left the vessel
in the boat.

De la Cour, the pilot in charge of the vessel, was the next
witness. He said he belonged to Jersey, and had held a
pilot's certificate of competency four years, but the authori.
ties at Jersey had deprived him of it since the present occur-
rence. He was engaged at Jersey by the agent of the com-
pany to which the Paris steamer belonged to go on board
as pilot, the agreement being that he was to be paid 355.
per week for his services. On going on board, and before
leaving the harbour at Jersey, the captain told him to go
and hide himself, as he thought a pilot named Finnie was
coming on board. Witness went and secreted himself in
the fore-cabin, and as Finnie did not come on board he
came from the fore-cabin on the vessel getting away from
the pier heads, and piloted the vessel to St. Malo. Wit-
ness had no other duty to perform, and when the marks
of passages were visible then he considered his duties as
pilot commenced. On the morning of the wreck the captain
said the marks of the Silliette Passage were just open, and
he (witness) gave orders for the vessel to be kept to the
southward ; but the captain said, " No, let her go towards
the Ruandiere," a reef with a buoy on it. The vessel struck
in about two minutes after he gave the order to keep her to
the southward, and on hearing the captain's order he be-
came thunderstruck, and said nothing. After the vessel
struck, the captain, addressing him, said, "You are a
pretty fellow;" and witness replied, " If you had done as
I told you this would not have happened." The captain
made no answer. When five or; six miles from where the
vessel struck, the captain asked him what passage he meant
to take, and he told him the middle passage. The captain,
on asking him this question, said " Cut it as short as possible
to-day, and let us be in first," meaning thereby not to let
the Wonder steamer, which left St. Maio about five minutes
after the Paris, and which had been in sight nearly all the
way, got before them. 'Witness replied that the middle
passage was the shortest and safest, and he should take
that passage. He never told the captain that he should
take the Silliette Passage.

Captain Hemmings here said that the witness distinctly
told him he should take the Silliette Passage, and that on
the vessel sinking on the rocks he (De la Cour) stamped
twice on the deck and exclaimed, " Silliette I Silliette 1"
meaning thereby that he thought the vessel was upon the
Silliette rocks.

The witness De la Cour denied this statemeut in toto.

Captain Hemmings, in answer to the Court, said that the
pilotage dues for the Paris would amount to £3 17e per
week, and these duties were to be performed by De la Cour.
Captain Harris remarked that, had the vessel been in-
sured, which he understood was not the case, the entering
into such an engagement would have prevented the com-
pany recovering the amount of insurance.
Mr. Traill said such a proceeding was a direct evasion of
the pilot laws, as Do la Cour, being so engaged, was to
all intents and purposes one of the crew, and although called
a pilot ho had not that authority, as he was under the cap-
tain's order. His (Mr, Traill's) opinion was that the
duties of a pilot had been most abominably performed—
that nothing could have been worse, and that the cabin-
boy could not have been more inefficient.
The witness Manger was recalled, and stated that he un-
derstood from the captain that Do la Cour was to act in the
capacity of pilot and second mate. Witness had been five
months on board the Paris, and never knew a pilot taken
on board before in their passage to the eastward.

Captain Harris expressed surprise at this admission, and
asked whether the pilotage dues were not payable, notwith•
standing the services of a pilot were not rendered.
Captain Hemmings replied in the negative, and handed