The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-29 00:00:00

271. E LOSS OF THE CIII!14.

The official report of the inquiry into the client'
stances attending the stranding of the ship Ching
on the Kish Bank, and her subsequent abandonnle°
on the 24th of February last, has been made to t-110
Board of Trade. After stating the circumstances
the report states that the casualty of the stranding
of this ship was owing to the default of the captain'
and to his neglect in not adopting the proper meat
sures within his reach for her safety. Firstly, lb°
lead was not called into play to the extent the
circumstances required, there having been n°
cast of it taken from 12 o'clock on Sunday night
till after the striking of the ship on the follow
ing day. Secondly, the ship's journal was het
kept in such a manner that proper calculatiol
as to her position by dead reckoning coal'
be ascertained as well as it might other"°
have been. Thirdly, before making the unknosol
land on the forenoon of the 24th, pilot boats hove'
in sight, which might have been attracted by tb°
China, and in that case her doubtful position would
have been ascertained, and perhaps in time to
save her. The master, however, did not avail him-
self of the opportunity thus afforded of trying to
clear up the doubt as to his position, which b
e
must naturally have felt after having
been upwards
of 39 hours at the mercy of calms and currents.
Fourthly, the first and second mates, being the
officers in charge of the watches, were never per-
sonally consulted by the master as to the position
of the ship with or without the chart or sailing
directions, nor were they offered access to the chtlrt
or sailing directions, nor (save on one occasion it
the case of the second mate) were their opiniono
asked by the master ; whereas, had they access to
the charts and sailing directions, and known of the
existence of the sets and currents laid down therein:
they would have been better enabled, by means 01
proper soundings, to observe what the ship was
doing, and to judge of her whereabouts. With re-
snect to the question of abandonment—passing by
the legal points put for ward in the master's state'
ment as not being, in my mind, relevant to the
question—l consider that here, also, blame is attri'
butable to the master. A panic having seized OW
crew, he too readily acquiesced, and too readily"
abandoned his ship, and did not subsequently
make a single effort to rejoin her on the pilot 5°
doing. Having thus expressed at large my opinion
of the captain's culpability, I beg to subniit
(says the commander) to favourable consideration,
in partial extenuation of his conduct, his undeniable
sobriety, and his unceasing personal anxiety
throughout. He was continually on deck, never
resigning his command, nor taking his clothes ee'
his back, nor sparing himself personally, in his °Wu
feeble inefficient manner.
of this
being the firstanner.lbegfurth ijs: t:
aster which but
to
othe circumstance
befel any ship under his command
during the very long period he has been acting afs
master. The very high testimonials also which )3°
has adduced, together with the facts of his not.
being
a native of this country, and chiefly engage"
in trade elsewhere, I feel in justice bound to lay
before your lordships in his behalf. 1 cannot con"
elude my report without particularly adverting t°
the evidence given in the course of this inquiry, a°
bearing directly on the stranding of the China, a°,
to the importance of having pilot-boats furnishco,
with danger signals, the timely use of which might
prevent vessels in the perilous position of the Chilli'
before she struck from meeting her f4te, and al°
as to the imperative necessity, with a view to tile
more safe navigation of the port of Dublin, °r
having a lightship with a fog bell on the south en",
of the Coddling Bank, near the Kish. Both 01
these matters I deer.: so deserving of further con'
sideration, that I beg to bring them thus specially
under the notice of your lordships' honourable
board. 1 beg to transmit
o:irthlaosrdybolan
Sour
the
,
captain's certificate, tebe dteoalt3*
ships may seen' fit. erd-

- ......, — -
A marriage is arranged to take place between Sir
Thomas Fowell Buxton, son of the late Sir Edward Bur'
ton, and LadyVictorialloel, youngest daughter of the fiat.'
and. Countess of Gainshorough.