The Sun.
London, England, 1837-08-18 00:00:00

Yesterday afternoon a meeting of the Directors of tFe
Star Steam-packet Company took place at Gravesend, for
the purpose of investigating the circumstances attending
the destruction of the Medway steamer, o the afternoon
of Wednesday last, while on its passage to, Gravesend from
London.
Captain Robert Smith, of the Medway, said, I left
London at half-past one o'clock yesterday, with. about 100
passengers. When just past Greenhithe,, M. Hill, a
passenger, came to me and drew my attention to the
smoke issuing from the lower part of the funnel, and
asked me what it was ; I immediately went to see wllsat
it was, and saw the smoke, and went to the engine-roonr
and saw the engineer on the ladder ; I asked him what it
was, and he said he was afraid the deck was on fire over
the boilers ; by this time the passengers got into confu-
sion, and were running out of the cabin ; I immediately
ascended the paddle-box and ordered the chief mate
to go to the wheel, giving him orders to run the vessel
ashore at the first place that would insure the safety
of the passengers. I then ordered the luggage to be re-
moved away from the steam-chest, and directed the cre►t
to get their buckets and to throw water down where the
fire was supposed to be. I then requested the passengers to
go forward, and if they would, I would land them safely
on shore. All this time the vessel was going down at full
speed, and with the tide. Many of the passengers made
requests to me ; some wished me to go alongside of a brig .
at Northfleet Hope ; others, to go head first ashore to lee-
ward there ; some encouraged me to go on to Gravesend,
and others to go for the Hard, near to Mr. Pitcher's, at
Northfleet, where, by keeping her head to the wind, the
flames and smoke would be kept away from the passengers,
who were forward. Had I gone ashore at Northfleet
Hope, or any other place than the one I did, great loss
of life might have happened, for I should have had to
encounter two serious difficulties (a stormy wind blew
from the east)—the first, of running the vessel into a
mud bank, where, without any assistance from the shore,
it is probable many passengers would have been lost by
falling into the mud, which is there four or five feet
deep ; the other, of bringing upon the passengers the
smoke and flame from-the aft part of the vessel, because
she must have been put on shore head on, or the entire
passengers must have been sacrificed. I therefore deter-
termined on putting the vessel ashore between the Red Lion
and Mr. Pitcher's yard at Northfleet, where the difficulties
before described would be avoided, and, indeed, was the first
place that I could make with regard to the lives of the pas-
sengers. I had previously inquired of the engineer whether
he could ease the engines ? He told me it was not pos-
sible, and indeed the smoke at this time surrounded the
engine-room. I ran her ashore head to wind, and received
immediate assistance from the people on shore by means of
ladders, and safely landed all the passengers who were for-
ward. I take the liberty of saying that the exertions of the
officers and crew, as well as the engineer and his men, were
beyond all praise, but in particular I submit to the Direc-
tors the conduct of Hollingham, the chief mate, who kept
his station at the wheel, surrounded by flame and smoke,
until the vessel was safely ashore, and then was obliged to
leap overboard to save his life. Such was the intensity of
the smoke and flame that I could not see him, although I
could hear him ; I could not tell whether any other person
was at the aft part of the vessel ; my first anxiety was the
safety of the passengers, and my conduct was all along ac-
tuated by the desire to do the best for their preservation. •
I did not quit the vessel for a long time after she was ashore.
Thomas Hollingham, chief mate to the Medway, said—
On my voyage to Gravesend, when at Half-way Reach,
being on the paddle-box, I saw a little smoke ascending
from the engine-room, and I asked the engineer, who was
standing in the hatchway, if there was anything amiss that
caused the smoke ; he immediately went down to the en-
gine-room to ascertain ; he came back to me and said he •
could not perceive anything that caused the smoke, and de-
scended again into the engine-room. The smoke not in-
creasing, I did not notice the circumstance until we got past
Greenhithe, when I saw it coming up the hatchway and
round the funnel. On entering Northfleet Hope I several
times i‘egged of what few passengers were aft to go forward,
because I was certain they would he much safer forward
than where they were, but none of them paid any attention
to what I said. Coming towards Northfleet-creek I then
pereeived rite flames issuing from the ports in the saloon.
Several persous then began to get into the boat, which was
hanging astern. ,I begged of them to come out, but they
would not. • Still they insisted on keeping in the boat, and,
as they would not leave, according to my wish, I told them
to hold fast.. There was no other person aft at this time
except the stewardess and a young woman passenger. I
toted them to stand fast ; but directly the vessel struck, the
stewardess, from the shock, fell over the stern into the
water, and I think the young woman jumped overboard at
the same time ; and, at the same time, one end of the boat
fell, but from what cause I cannot tell. I thereupon low-
ered the other end of the boat, expecting to right her, but
in consequence of the passengers in the skiff being all aft,
she filled with water ;. there being now no other person aft
bat myself, and the flames issuing all around me, I jumped
overboard for the purpose of saving my life and trying to
save those in the water ; at this time I took hold of one of
the females wbo had let go her hold from the boat ; then,
seeing a boat coming to my assistance, I got into it, and as-
sisted in picking up two women, a child, and one gentle-
man,•and landed them just above Mr. Gladdish's wharf. I
then proceeded to the vessel to assist in extinguishing the
flames. In my judgment; :lie Captain did the best thing
possible for the safety of his passengers.
The passengers who unfortunately remained aft were
Miss Emma Sale, of Miller-street, Camden-town ; a maid-
servant belonging to the family of Mr. Curdingley, and
his child, of No. 8, Paternoster-row ; the stewardess of the
vessel, Mrs. Cleaves ; another female, whose name is un-
known ; and a German. gentleman of the name of
Mori, a partner in one of the principal wool warehouse
in the city ; happily all these persons are saved, except Mr.
Mori, whom no persuasion could induce to go to the fore
part of the vessel. Mr. Mori was picked up floating some
distance from the vessel, and apparently dead, and although
the means recommended by the Humane Society were re-
sorted to for four hours, their attempts were unsuccessful.
Mr. Mori was conveyed to the Hit or Miss public-house.
where the body now awaits a Coroner's inquest. The
other passengers who were taken from the water were
conveyed to the neighbouring houses, where they bad
prompt medical assistance, and were visited by the Directors
and officers of the Star Company, who rendered every
assistance in their power fur the promotion of the comfort
and convenience of the unforttwate sufferers.
There was one person still mis:ine. when our reporter
left Gravesend last evening. Nots.tes were distributed
over the town, with a reward offered by the Steam Packet
Company, for her discovery e the bills desc:ibe the person
to be about the age of 25, and her name Ei.zabeth Da-
vis, who, it is supposed, had fallen overboard during the
confusion. _

The vessel, we understand, is insured in the Norwirh
Fire-office for 4,000/. The steward of the Medway, Hamil-
ton, will he a great sufferer, his goods, plate, &c., being lost.
Mr. Carttar, the Coroner, will hold an inquest o❑ the
body of Mr. Mori this afternoon, at two o'clock.
The afterpart of the Medway has been destroyed to the
water's edge, but the machinery, engines, and fore part of
the vessel have sustained very trifling damage. The loss is
estimated at about 2,000/. The occurrence created so
much alarm at Gravesend on Wednesday night, that a
great many persons who intended to have gone up the river,
on their return to London, in different steamers, either re-
niained in the town all night, or returned to the metropolis
in the coaches.

The cause of the fire appears to have been the too
near approach of, the timbers to the boilers, and the fire
had probably communicated to the beams for a considerable
time before any one on deck was aware of it, and when the
flames once broke forth all hopes of extinguishing them
were out of the question. It is stated in one account, that
after the Captain had exhorted the passengers to be calm,
and assured them that if they maintained their self-posses-
sion all would be placed safely ashore in a very short time,
the most prompt measures were taken for this purpose, and
the passengers manifested under the circumstances compa-
ratively little alarm, until the nursery-maid of a family on
board, who had a child in her arms, gave a terrific shriek
and leaped into the water. This act had a talismanic effect
on all the ladies on board, who then began to scream dread-
fully, and many of the gentlemen also becoming panic-
struck, a scene of the greatest confusion ensued, many pas-
sengers of both sexesjumping overboard. As this circum-
stance is not noticed either by the captain or the mate of
the Medway, the story is perhaps incorrect.

Two steam-carriages have just been landed at Leith
from London, aud arc to be forwarded to Glasgow, be-
tween which place and Paisley they are intended to run for
the accommodation of passengers. They are built upon the
most approved principles, and of substantial materials. The
one is of 16 and the other of ten-horse power. The most
important feature that they present, end differing from any
that we have previously inspected, is the construction of
their boilers. These are composed of circular tubes, and
are coiled together in a very small compass. By this im-
proved mode all hazard from explosion is removed. The
pistons, in place of workinr, in an upright direction, are
placed horizontally, which, besides the convenience, makes
the power come at once upon the wheels, and will add not
. -
a little to the speed of the vehicle.—Caledonian ~.....ercusy.
There will be very little private business during the
next Session of Parliament. The decrease in the number
of Railway Bills will be extraordinary.
Yesterday the supporters of Messrs. Wood and
Pownall, registered as electors for the parish of Isleworth,
dined together at the Northumberland Arms Tavern, Isle•
worth-square.