The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-06 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE ANGLO-SAXON.

LivEnrooL, Friday.—The official inquiry into
the loss of the steam ship Anglo-Saxon was re-
sumed to-day before Mr. Raffles and Capts. Baker
and Harris. The first witness examined was W.
Jenkins, purser of the Anglo-Saxon, who said that
of the passengers on board at the time there
were saved 33 cabin and 104 steerage, 71 officers
and men of the crew, and one mail officer, mak-
ing a total of 209. There were drowned 15 cabin
and 208 steerage passengers, and 15 of the crew,
including the captain—total, 238. Witness was
below when the vessel struck, and so slight was
the shock, that he scarcely noticed it. He heard
the captain then cry out " Hard a starboard ;"
witness then went on deck. When he reached
the deck, he heard the captain giving instruc-
tions to back the ship at full speed. After this wit-
ness went forward and helped the captain to get a
rope ashore. In their first attempt the rope slipped
from their hands, bat ultimately two ropes were
secured to the rocks, and by these a number of
steerage passengers were conveyed to the shore.
When the ship began to settle down there was a
great rush to the shore side, and the people jumped
into the water, but as there were 30 feet of water
space between the ship and the shore a great number
of the passengers were drowned, although a few
were rescued by being pulled out of the 'water with

the ropes. Whilst the ship was breaking up the
mainmast fell seaward. There were a number of
persons clinging to it, and they were carried over
the ship and drowned, it being impossible to render
assistance from the shore. Witness saw No. 3 boat
capsized with about a dozen passengers in it. The
boat struck on the rocks bottom upwards, and was
dashed to pieces. There were some people in the
fore rigging, but only two were rescued, and a
number of passengers in the ether parts of the rig-
ging were also drowned. When it was impossible to
save any more lives some of the crew were sent in
search of human habitations, and the people busied
themselves in securing wood and other necessaries
for an emergency. Before the vessel broke up wit-
ness saw Capt. Burgess, who was at the gangway
assisting passengers into the baskets, and saw him
again on deck about five minutes before the ship
settled down. Capt. Burgess was a second officer in
the Montreal service from 1856 to 1859, and a first
officer from 1859 to 1861, after which time he sailed
as a master. The captain was up night after night
whilst the ship was approaching and in the ice, and
he appeared to do everything that was right. Wit-
ness had the highest opinion of the captain, both as
a sailor and a man. Voyages to Quebec had been
made earlier in the season than when the Anglo-
Saxon (witness) had gone a week
earlierstarted.nlBs H
1858.
e During
that voyage the St. Law-
rence was found clear of ice, though a great quan-

tity of field ice was passed in the Gulf Stream. The
10th of April was about the usual time the spring
voyages commenced. Witness never heard of ono
of the boats landing with only five persons in it.
Wm. M'Master, first engineer, was next ex-
amined. He described the voyage until Sunday the
26th
p.m., when the ice off Newfound-
land was cleared and the engines were worked at
April
full speed. The engines were kept at full speed
until eight o'clock the next morning, when the fog
became very dense, and the captain ordered them
to be put at half-speed. At half-past 11 a.m. was
standing on the bridge with the captain, when the
first officer reported that he heard the sound of
breakers. The captain said, "It cannot be; it must
be ice." Shortly after this the look-out shouted
" Breakers a-head." The captain then ordered the
engines to be reversed at full speed. This was done,
but the vessel struck on the rocks astern. Witness
then ordered the second engineer to stand by the
bilge pumps, and the ship was then turned ahead at
full speed, in compliance with the captain's instruc-
tions. Witness again felt the ship strike forward,
and finding the water rising in the stokeholes,
ordered the safety valves to be opened. The men in
his department then went on deck and assisted in
getting the boats out. He concurred in the state-
ments made by the last witness relative to the land-
ing of passengers, &c. Witness explained that he
assisted in towing No. 2 boat to Cape Race. He
had been sent off from the ship to look for a landing
in a boat which contained but few persons. She
was in charge of a merchant captain named Craw-
ford, who was a passenger on board the Anglo-
Saxon. The boat was unable to find a landing, and
also, on account of the fog, visa unable to return to
the ship.
Mr. O'Dowd said be was glad that this statement
had been made, as it set at rest an allegation that
the boat was capable of containing 40 persons, and
through some carelessness had only a few people

, was the next in it.
contained no fact
3 who adjusts the com-
passes wit-
ness G i lebxearmt
iLnietdt l. e , asassistante pursersien t
of interest.
companies, de.
pal\slsers. JoofhntLheefepvrrien,coipptailcisatneamship
posed that he adjusted the compass of the Anglo-
Saxon supplied by Mr. Gray on the Ist of Novem-
ber,
ard he found it perfectly correct. The compass
was a new one at that time.
Samuel T. Green, mail cfficer, remembered the
morning of the 27th of April. On the evening of
Sunday witness had a conversation with Captain
Burgess. He was aware of the distance they were
from Cape Race, and the rate the ship was going—
twelve miles an hour—and he made a calculation,
and found we should be at Cape Race about eight
o'clock on the following morning, Witness met the
captain, and said, " Captain Btrgess, " I suppose we
shall be up at the Cape at abut eight o'clock to-
morrow morning." The captain considered a
moment or two, and then said, ,c yes, about eight
o'clock." Witness was aware 1f instructions having
been given to call at Cape Race to learn the state of
the St. Lawrence, and whether the ship should pro-
, teed there or go to another pot He expected in-

structiobs from the Government as to how the
mails would be delivered at Cape Race. He came
on deck a few minutes before eight o'clock on the
morning of the 27th, and found the ship stripped of
all canvas, and going at half speed. He spoke to
the captain, and asked him how long he thought
the weather would continue nnfavourab'e, and
asked him if he would sight the Cape, and the cap-
tain said, " Certainly not." Witness then asked
him where he would go, and he said to Quebec, as
they were then 17 miles to the southward of that
point, and they would be going out of their way.
At about 11 a.m. witness was in the of writing,
when he became conscious that the ship had stopped,
and thinking the ship was at Cape Race he went on
deck at the port side, where he met the second en-
gineer, who took hold of him and exclaimed, " My
God ! Mr. Green, have you seen that ?" and he then
looked out end saw land far above the masthead.
He then went to the bridge, and said, " My God !
captain, what is this ?" The captain said something
which he did not understand. After this he went
to the engine telegraph, at the request of the cap-
tain, and put the vessel ahead slow. The look-out
cried, " Breakers ahead," and the engines were then
reversed at full speed. After this he went to the
bridge, and when he got there the ship came crash
against the rocks. The engines at this time began
to tell on her, and ran her astern, but she struck
again heavily in that direction, and again went for-
ward. Witness went to the side of the vessel, looked
over, and saw that the 'udder had been carried away,
and that the propeller had a large piece knocked out
of it. He informed the captain that the rudder was
gone, and when she struck again the order was given
to let go both anchors, and he heard the chains run-
ning out. Orders were then given to clear the boats.
A good many people got into No. 2 boat, which was
in charge of Captain Crawford, who said he would
look for a landing place. The captain said that would
do, but CraWford must hurry back again. The boat
was not half full, but it never returned. Captain
Burgess repeatedly asked where Captain Crawford
was, and frequently said, "My God ! where has
Crawford gone ?" Another boat went away with the
fourth officer and some passengers and sailors. N 0.4
boat was taken possession of by part of the crew—five
sailors. Directly these men were in the boat they
pushed off from the ship and lay in the offing, about
100 yards from the ship. Two of the boats were
rendered useless, by hanging directly over the
rocks. Witness asked the captain to afford him the
means of saving the mails, and he said he would do
so when the passengers were attended to. Mr. Hove,
the chief officer, and others, endeavoured to make
No. 4 boat come to the rescue, but the sailors would
pay no attention. The captain asked witness if he
would take charge of the boats and bring " those
scoundrels in," meaning the sailors in No. 4 boat,
and he said he would do so. The captain was vexed
with the men, as witness never saw him out of tem-
per before. When witness procured a boat, he
pulled out to No. 4, and asked the men " Why the
they did not came in," The men said they
could not, as the people would swamp their boat.
Witness said his instructions were to run into their
boat if they would not obey orders, and that the
captain would hang them on a yard-arm. Witness
further told the men that there was no danger, as
there were only a few women and children, and that
he would take the first instalment. His boat took
in 21 passengers, amongst them the Hon. Mrs.
Young, and No. 4 boat then came alongside and
took the saloon passengers who were saved. After
this, witness's boat took the Hon. Mr. Young and
two other passengers from No. 4. If there had
been ten minutes longer they might have saved the
whole of the saloon passengers, but the ship began
to heel over, and the boats were obliged to pull
away. The captain and first officer were exerting
themselves to the utmost. After pulling away
witness did not see the captain again. Witness
picked up two passengers,who were swimming in
the water—the Rev. C. P. Eaton, and Captain
Cassidy, of the 30th Regiment.
A letter was here read from the Rev. C. Eaton
and Capt. Cassidy, stating that one of the boats de-
serted them, and that if it had not been for Mr.
Green they would have perished.
Witness continued—With one single exception
all the sailors were in their wrong boats. State-
ments had been made that every one appeared to
be doing the best for himself, but he witness did
not complain of anything but the conduct of the
men in No. 4 boat, and the fact that nearly all the
men were in their wrong boats. It was witness's
duty to make a report of anything-particular which
occurred to delay the ship—either negligence on
board, or other matters—and he therefore took par-
ticular notice of the conduct of the officers. From
his observations he believed Captain Burgess to be
one of the most careful seamen in the Montreal
Company's service, and a man who paid the utmost
attention to the safety of his ship, and the safety
and comfort of the passengers. In answer to Cap-
tain Harris, witness said there was no doubt that if
a fog signal had been on the coast the vessel would
not have been lost.
The court then adjourned.

The Fatal Boat Accident at Cambridge,

An inquiry was held yesterday at the Red Lion,
in the village of Grantchester (about two miles
from Cambridge), before Mr. Barlow, coroner for
the county, into the circumstances attending the
death of Mr. Isaac Pask, student and scholar of
Emmanuel College, Cambridge, who was drowned
in the river Cam, between Cambridge and Grant-
chester on the previous day, as reported in our yes-
terday's impression. The Rev. Mr. Fuller, of Em-
manuel College, was present, representing the
friends of the deceased. The following evidence
was adduced :

Mr. David Jones Davies, undergraduate of Em-
manel College, deposed—l knew the deceased, Mr.
Isaac Pask ; he was of Emmanuel College too. Yes-
terday deceased, I, and another (Mr. James Bar-
dell Adamson) came up the river in canoes. We
left Cambridge about half-past nine. Mr. Adam-
son is of Emmanuel. Neither of us was accustomed
to rowing in canoes. It was the first time we had
done so. Neither of us could swim. We all agreed
to go in canoes, but did not think of the danger.
We started from Good's boat-house by the mill,
came up the river slowly, and reached within about
half a mile of Grantchester, There is there a slight
bend in the river, and a very deep hole. I was a
little in front of and Mr. Adamson a little behind
deceased, each a few yards. 1 saw Mr. Peek's
canoe capsize and himself immersed. He did not
sink at the first, but struggled in the water. There
was a short interval, during which he was quies-
cent, and then he struggled again ; his head was
then not quite covered. He fell on his back after
the second struggle, with his arms lifted up. I
then saw him sink gradually till the depth of
water hid him from my sight. I was in great
confusion. I tried to reach the bank. Mr. Adamson
reached the bank before I did; but by the time
we were up the bank Mr. Peak had sunk out of
sight. He had made no complaint that morning of
pain or numbness in the head, but conversed in his
usual style when on the river. He appeared quite
in his usual health I have known him since last.
October. Deceased was about 20 years of age. On
reaching the bank Mr. Adamson ran with ail speed
to the village, directing me to wait at the exact spot.
The accident occurred at half-past 10. About 10 to
15 minutes after Mr. Adamson started for the village
he was back with assistance. When they arrived I
left to procure something to get deceased up, When
I returned I saw men in the water. The drags were
obtained, and eventually the body was brought to
shore with them; that was about 20 to 25 minutes
he sank, and he appeared,after to be quite
dead. All did their best to recover him. He
was undressed, rubbed with blankets, and artifi-
cial respiration was attempted to be brought about,
but all was of no avail, tend I. and Mr. Adamson left

to acquaint the College authorities. I returned, and
four. d that the body had been removed to this
house, and medical men were present.
By the Foreman—There had been no "
on the river ; we all rowed up slowly and steadily.
Mr. James Bardell Adamson, undergraduate of
Emmanuel, in the main corroborated the evidence
of the last witness. He said—We had none of us
been in canoes before. I could not swim, but I had
heard Mr. Pask say he could swim a stroke or two.
I was behind Mr. Pask—about 20 yards—so that
my face was directed to his back, but I did not see
him actually capsized. When I heard the splash
and saw him in the water he was in front of his
boat : the head of the latter was directed straight
up the river. Can give no information at all as to
the cause of the capsize. Can say nothing as to the
current at the spot of the accident, as I never reached
it. For a short time after immersion deceased ap-
peared to be endeavouring to support himself by
what is termed "treading water," but he suddenly
threw up uis hands, fell on his back, and sunk. He
only made one exclamation when in the water,
when he threw up his hands, and that was,
" Oh!" I ran off for assistance as soon as I
reached the bank. Two men went into the water
after deceased, but the body was recovered by the
drags at the first attempt. In had been in the water
at least 25 minutes.

Mr. T. Smallman, of Grantchester, said he was
summoned to assist, and on his way, finding the
body had not been brought out, sent back for a
small private drag, with which he brought out the
ho3y at the first throw. Two men were in the water
searching for deceased when witness arrived, but
their efforts were impeded by the congregation of a
number of females on the bank, so that modesty re-
strained the men from getting out of the river to
plunge. The position of the body was revealed to
witness by a transitory gleam of sunshine. It was
nearer the side than the middle of the river. The
water is more than 12 feet deep there. Deceased
was quite dead when taken out. Witness tried all
means prescribed by the Royal Humane Society for
the resuscitation of apparently drowned persons, but
without effect, till Mr. Fawcett, surgeon, of Cam-
bridge, arrived, and pronounced him dead. Was
told on arrival at the river that the body had been
20 minutes in the water then, and it was 20 minutes
more before it was taken out. Some delay was
caused by a person telling witness's little boy .(the
messenger) that the small drag was of no use, and
sending him to a farm-house for a horse-drag ; so
that witness had to send a second messenger for the
small drag.

The jury immediately returned a verdict of

"Accidentally drowned," all concurring in the
danger of the use of canoes by persons who cannot
SA IM.

The remains of the deceased have since been
brought to London for interment. This unfortunate
occurrence has thrown a gloom over the whole of
the University, but more especially the society of
which Mr. Pask was a member, in which he had
just concluded the June examination, and achieved
the place of honour of first man of his year.
The unfortunate young man received his early
education at the North London Collegiate School,
at which he gained the highest honours, and carried
off an unusual share of prizes. His loss is a severe
blow to his unhappy parents, whose hopes were
centred in his future career, from which much was
expected by all who knew him.

New Discovery of Ancient Bones at

Gibraltar.

A correspondent of the Atheneum, under date,
Gibraltar, May 13, writes—" I send you an account
of the discovery of an ossiferous cavern on this rock.
The mere fact of a cave containing osseous remains
having been found would not perhaps be of suffi-
cient interest to justify me in asking you to give
place to a letter on the subject. But there are cir-
cumstances connected with this discovery which in-
duce me to believe that some account will not be
unacceptable to geologists. At any rate, it is de-
sirable to determine if possible the antiquity of these
remains, even though they be, as some declare, com-
paratively recent. The fact of a human skull hav-
ing been discovered in a cave embedded in, bone
earth, in close contiguity to a stone implement and
the bone of a huge mammal 20 feet below the sur-
face of a limestone plateau, is sufficient to justify
some inquiry. For the last six months the Royal
Engineers have been employed excavating a large
tank for the use of the military prison on Windmill
Hill. The spot where this excavation has been
made is situated upon an oval plateau, 400 feet above
the sea, at the southern point of the rock. The pla-
teau is composed of compact limestone, in most
places scarcely concealed by the superficial sail. So
solid is the rock that the quarrying of the tank was
done entirely by blasting. About 10 days ago I
hetird casually that some bones, described as ' beef
bones,' had been discovered in the excavations,
when proceeding to the spot I found the quarrymen
working about 15 feet below the surface, and they
were removing portions of a blast which had just
taken place. Beneath two large blocks of limestone
some dark, loamy earth was visible, and it was from
here that the first discovered bones had been taken.
Unfortunately, being considered valueless, they had
been thrown away. A few turns of the spade,
however, brought up others, including three
portions of a human skull and a hume-
rus, also human. Close by was found a frag-
ment of rude pottery made of baked clay. Since
this discovery the search has been prosecuted more
carefully, and with the following result. It was
ascertained that no fissure of any kind leading from
the earth's surface was observed during the pro-
gress of the excavations. The superincumbent
limestone was compact, and measured twelve feet in
thickness at the spot where the first bones were
found. After a few hours careful digging, during
which many bones were collected, the roof of a cave
was reached. Labour was then directed to the ex-
cavation of the cavern. It was filled to its ceiling
with dark, rich mould. This mould was filled with
bones, broken and dislocated, and presenting the
same appearance as the bones found in other osseous
caverns. The roof of the cave is covered with
broken stalactites. The depth of the cavern has
not yet been ascertained. It has been excavated
vertically 24 feet below the surface ; and an iron
rod forced through the mould gives no bottom at
14 feet lower. The organic remains and works of
Art found in the small portion yet excavated are
numerous. Seventeen feet below the level two
Close by were two
human jaws were discovered.
stone knives and an oblong sla
one surface much worn and poll:18o: wfriitch.
bleovtetolmwassura
stone shaped like a rude p-
tion. 'Within a few feet
and thehandle or upper
concavities, which exactly fit
oel:3ttlir Thesame
part
a s worna rthree
nadmpaoilii polished,
the thumb and two fingers when the instrument is
grasped most conveniently. It seems probable that
this implement was used for grinding cereals or
breaking nut on the slab of sandstone. Mixed with
these remains were found numberless bones of ani-
mals, including a portion of the vertebra of a huge
mammal. An experienced surgeon has declared
this bone to have belonged to the elephant, but of
what date he is unable to say. In my opinion it
is the bone of a smaller animal. Amidst the vast
quantity of bones I have been able to recognise the
teeth of a large species of or, the horse, a large
deer, the wild boar, the lagomys, the jaw of a car-
nivorous animal which I believe to be the hyena,
and portions of the jaws of other carnivorous ani-
mals which I cannot determine. At the lowest
point yet reached two flint hatchets, more highly
finished than those of Abbevillee, were turned up.
Also, a small highly-polished and sharpened flint (?)
implement, cut with some skill. At this point por-
tions of three human jaws were found with the
femurs of a man and a woman.

"Fragments of pottery abound; also bits of