The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-04 00:00:00

THE SUN, 'LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 4, 1863

THE LOSS OF THE ANGLO-SAXON.

The following is the official report as to the loss
of this vessel :

TO THE RIGHT HON. THE LORDS OP THE PRIVY
COUNCIL FOR TRADE.

"My Lords,—l have the honour to report for the infor-
mation of your lordships the result of the inquiry which, in
conjunction with Captains Harris and Baker, as nautical
assessors, I have held into the circumstances attending the
wreck of the screw steamship Anglo-Saxon, on the 27th of
April last.
" The frightful magnitude of the disaster naturally ex-
cited an unusual amount of interest, and communications
relating thereto, chiefly from passengers by the ill-fated
vessel, now residing on the other side of the Atlantic, have
in the course of the inquiry reached one or other member of
the Court.
" Their communications, though not receivable as evi-
dence of the facts stated therein, have on several points
guided the Court in the examination of the witnesses, as it
seemed highly desirable that the public mind should be set
at rest as to tha truth of certain statements which had ob-
tained currency through the public press both in this
country and Canada. The conclusions, however, at which
I have arrived are deduced solely from the facts proved in
evidence by the witnesses who were examined viva voce
before the Court.

"The Anglo-Saxon was built at Dumbarton in the year
1860, and was owned by Messrs. Allan and others, and
was one of the line of steamers trading between Liverpool
and Montreal, and carrying the mails for the Canadian Go-
vernment. Her gross registered tonnage was 1,713 tons, and
she was of 250 horse power. She had a crew of 85 persons,
and was commanded by Mr. W. Burgess, who held a certi-
ficate of competency as master.
" The Anglo-Saxon left Liverpool for Quebec on the 16th
April. She had on board, in addition to the master and
crew, 360 persons, 48 being cabin and 312 steerage passen-
gers, a general cargo consisting of iron and measurement
goods, and the usual mails in charge of Mr. Green. The
requirements of the Board of Trade with respect to boats
and compasses had been complied with, and the ordinary
declaration for a foreign-going steamship, signed by the
shipwright surveyor at Liverpool, was shown to the Court,
specifying the number of passengers allowed to be carried,
and the number and cubical contents of the boats, from
which it appears that the vessel was licensed to carry 455
passengers ; and in the present instance, including the
master and crew, there were on board 446 persons. The
usual certificate as to compasses was also produced, signed,
as required by the Board, by the previous master, and dated
Oct, 29, 1862.
" After touching at Moville on the 7th of April, the
vessel proceeded on her voyage without anything to call for
remark until 8 p.m. on the 25th, when she fell in with ice,
accompanied by foggy weather. The engines were at once
slowed, and at 10 p.m., the ice becoming thicker and the
fog increasing in density, the engines were altogether
stopped. and, according to the evidence of the first engineer,
so remained until 10 a.m. on the 26th, when, the ice being
somewhat less compact, the engines were occasionally moved
slowly ahead by one or two revolutions at a time, until two
p.m., when clear water was reached, and the engines were
put on full speed ; all sail was made with the wind from the
S.S.E., and a mule shaped N.W. and by W. towards Cape
Race. At noon on this day, an observation had been ob-
tained, which gave the lat. 46 54 N,, and at 3 30 p.m. sights
were taken for the chronometer, which, brought back to
noon, placed the ship in long. 47 24 W. A similar sight
taken at 4 p.m. the same result. From the position of the
ship at noon Cape Race bore about W. S., and the ship
steered about W. 1 deg. S. till 8 a.m, on the 27th, so that it
is obvious that in the long run of 18 hours she would be at
that time clearly to the northward of the Cape. At 8 a.m.
the engines were slowed to half speed, and the course was
then altered to W.S.W., true, until she struck, shortly after
11 a.m., about half a mile to the southward of Clam Cove,
and became a total wreck. Immediately on the vessel
striking such of the boats as could in the position of the ves-
sel be got at were lowered, and by that means and also by
means of a spar which was thrown across to the nearest
root and a whip from the foreyard, to which a basket was
attached,
many lives were saved, and in all probability, had
not the slap listed over to port and sunk in deep water, in
little more than an hour all hands might have been rescued.
Those earliest on shore proceeded to Cape Race and
communicated by telegraph with St. John's, in consequence
of which the steamer Dauntless was at once sent off in search
of the boats, and picked up three of them, and also took
several persons from parts of the floating wreck. In all,
according to the most reliable accounts that could be fur-
nished 209 persons were saved.

" In reviewing the circumstances attending the catas-
trophe the main difficulty arises from the conflicting evidence
as to the actual speed of the ship during the period from 2
p.m. on the 26th, when her position would be little changed
from the time of the noon obServation of that day, till 8 a.m.
on the 27th. But in carrying back the reckoning from the
spot on which she struck till 8 a.m., it is clear that
she must have run at the rate of 12 knots an hour
during the period in question. During this long run
of 18 hours the tendency of the wind and sea would
be to place the ship ahead and to the northward and
westward of her reckoning, and the distance run was pro-
bably thus accelerated ; but for this it would appear that
no allowance was made. Had the lead been occasionally
used, as, without doubt, in such weather and approaching
land it should have been, Captain Burgess might have had
timely warning of his danger. Nor can I omit to notice
(though I feel most painfully the necessity under which I
t
am laid to comment upon the acts of a man who, when the
fatal accident happened, nobly did his duty and perished in
its performance), that the speed at which the vessel was
y imprudent,
1 i.
c feela bound,
driven during a thick fcg and in the vicinity of land, was
highl
to therefore,
pronounce actintghautntdheer
Anglo-Saxonthe advice
of my
nauticalassessors,
was