The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-23 00:00:00

The Late Fatal Collision in the Channel.

THE BOARD OF TRADE INQUIRY-
Yesterday (Friday) his worship the Mayor of
Dover (Mr. W. Mummery) and Dr. Astley, a
brother magistrate, opened an inquiry at the Town-
hall, Dover, into the circumstances attending the
fatal collision in the Channel between a steamer
named the Samphire, belonging to the London,
Chatham, and Dover Railway Company, and a bark
called the Fanny Buck. Mr. O'Dowd, solicitor to
the Board of Trade, appeared for the Board, and
Captain Harris and Captain Baker attended from
the Board of Trade as nautical assessors. Mr. Fox
appeared on behalf of Captain Bennett, of the Sam-
phire ; Messrs. Edwards and Son, on behalf of Mr.
Bowden, agent to the owners of the bark ; and Mr.
W. Knocker represented the mail service.
Mr. O'Dowd first, addressed the Bench, and then
called
William Richards, who stated that he held a cer-
tificate of service as mate. (The certificate was
then handed to the bench). He had held the certi-
ficate for about 14 years. He had been in the em-
ployment of the company for four years, and he
was the chief officer of the Samphire. He remem-
bered the night of the 13th of December. He left
the Admiralty pier on board the Samphire at 10 5
p.m., bound for Calais on that night. They
carried the mails, and had on board 78 pas-
sengers. The crew, including the captain, num-
bered 18. The weather was hazy and the wind
moderate. The Samphire was "well found" with
regard to the lights and other things. He saw the
lights were in their proper position about 20 minutes
before they started. There was a white light on the
masthead, a green light at the starboard paddle, and
a red light on the port side. He placed a seaman
named Northbourn on the starboard side of the
bridge, and a man named Northover on the other
- side. He went to see if they were keeping a look-
out about 10 minutes after leaving the pier. He
again looked at the lights and found them in their
right places. lie and a second officer took the wheel
on leaving the pier. He remained at the wheel
-while the second officer went to see after the lug-
gage. The second officer subsequently relieved
him. He, as he before stated, went to see if North-
bourn was keeping a good look-out. He then went
down to his log-book with the mail master. He
generally checked the log-book soon after leaving
the pier. As he was going down he heard North-
over call out, " A sail on the port bow." He then
heard the captain call, " Port, port ; hard-a-port,
ease her, stop her, turn her astern." He imme-
diately ran on deck, and saw the bowsprit of the
bark nearly over his head. He saw no lights, nor
heard any one call out on board the bark. He then
ran aft and found the a heel hard-a-port. He re-
ceived orders to get the lifeboat ready, and proceed
for assistance. The bark remained in contact with
the Samphire about two minutes. The bark had
not her lights in the proper position, or witness
would have seen them. He could not see the port
side on the starboard side, where the lights ought
to have been. After the vessels parted he did not
see the bark again until she arrived in Dover har-
bour. On the bark coming into the harbour he saw
her name painted on her, the Fanny Buck, of the
United States. The Samphire was moving at the
ordinary speed of 10 or 12 knots an hour. He
believed the engineer kept a log hook. The
only canvas he noticed the Fanny Buck using was
her topsail. He did not see any one on board the
bark before she cleared away. He took with him in
the lifeboat four of the crew and three passengers.
He made for Dover. The three passengers rushed
into the boat. It was an hourand a half before they
reached the pier. He asked the captain of the Bel-
gian boat for assistance. The Belgian boat was
named the Belgique, and had jiist come in. The
Belgique went to the assistance of the Samphire, and
found all herfore compartments under water. There
were three passengersin the fore cabin--two women
and one man. He learned that afterwards. The pas-
sengers were taken on board the Belgique, and sub-
sequently the Samphire was towed into Dover har-
bour. He did not think it would have been possible
to savethethree persons who were drowned, because
the rush of water was so great. The Samphire had
three compartments (subsequently corrected to
bulkheads). The water did not get into the second
compartment. About half-past 1 or 2 o'clock on the
Thursday morning the water had subsided in the
cabin, and he found the persons in the cabin
drowned. The man was lying on the top seat, and
the ladies on the floor. He did not know what had
become of the master of the bark.
Cross-examined by Mr. Fox—l have been mate
14„Tears. The call-boy was put upon the bridge. It
was extra precaution, because it was dark and hazy.
It is the duty of every one of the crew to keep a
look-out, though there are two or three appointed
specially to do so. On leaving the pier I heard
the captain tell Northover to keep a good look-out.
There was a moderate breeze that night. When
the vessel left the pier the captain was on the bridge.
From the time she left the pier until the collision
took place the captain did not leave the bridge. He
had a night-glass over his shoulder. He is in the
habit of using a glass. The captain has good eye-
sight. It is the practice of masters to use a glass.
When we started I could see the South Foreland
light. I was not aware in the first instance that
there was any one in the cabin. From the time the
captain gave the order to lower the boat after the
collision, about eight minutes elapsed before it was
lowered. We pulled towards the Foreland light to
sweep the bay round for assistance, as we thought
we might fall in with some tugs. Myself, two sea-
men, the carpenter, and a boy and three passengers
went in the boat. The captain and crew that night
were all sober. I did not see immediately after the
collision took place some men jump from the bark
on to the steamer.
Cross-examined by Mr. Edwards—l could not
get near the compass when I went to the stern, and
saw the helm hard-a-port. I should say the vessel's
head was south-east by south, or thereabouts. The
collision took place immediately after the order was
given to put the helm hard-a-port. If the collision
had not taken place we should have attained our full
speed in a few minutes. If any one had jumped
from the bark into the steamer I could have seen
them, but they might have got on without my no-
ticing them. If the bark had a light on her mizen
rigging I must have seen it from -where I stood. I
know the captain did not leave the bridge before
the collision, because I saw him there all the time.
By Captain Harris—lt was not called out, " A
but " A sail on the port
light on the port bow,"
bow." The second mate and an able-bodied seaman
named Boyce were at the wheel at the time the col-
lision took place. When I was at the helm I could
see from half a mile to a mile seaward. I did not
see the captain use his glasses. It was nearly slack
water that night when we left. Our ordinary course
is S.E. half E., according to the state of the tide.
Charles Daitlin said—l am second officer on board
the steamer Samphire. On the evening in question
I left the Admiralty pier on board the Samphire,
bound for Calais. I was at the wheel when we
started, but I left the wheel after clearing the pier
to see if the lights were all right and the baggage
covered up. I was engaged in settling the baggage
nearly up to the time that the collision took place.
I was on the poop, close to the wheel, when the
captain sung out, "Port, hard a-port." I was on
the starboard side of the wheel, and I put the helm
a-port, with the assistance of a man named Boyce.
Immediately afterwards the bark ran into her.
About a minute elapsed before the bark ran into her.
The shock threw me and Boyce over the wheel. We
picked ourselves up, and kept the helm hard aport.
When I assisted Boyce at the wheel I did not see
any lights on the bark, nor did any one call out.
The weather wfts hazy—low haze.
By Mr. Fox.—l have been in the service—all night
service—about nine years. When we started I gave
up the wheel to Boyce and gave him the course. I
did not see any sails immediately before the collision
took place. At the time of the collision I saw the
bark's jibboom and flying gib very plain. If the
bark had any lights I think I must have seen them,
as I was on the poop, and the poop is higher than
the deck. It was my duty to keep a good look-out,
and I always do so, and did that night. When the
vessel left the pier the captain was on the bridge,
and I believe the call-boy was there too, and the
captain did not leave the bridge until the collision

took place. I received orders from Capt. Bennett
after the collision to clear away the boats. Both
the lifeboats were lowered very quickly. The star-
board boat, I believe, was first lowered, but I air
not quite sure of it. I got into the starboard lifeboat
with two hands. The captain told me to pull away
for the bark, to tell her to heave to and take the
passengers in. We pulled for the bark for nearly a
quarter of an hour, but we could not reach her. I
hailed her several times, but no one replied, and the
bark continued on her course. I did not see any
lights in the bark when we pulled after her. I could
not tell you how many passengers were in our boat
while pulling after the bark, but the boat was full
of them. They all rushed into the boat. The pas-
sengers would not go back to the vessel again, so I
landed them between 2 and 4 o'clock in the morn-
ing at the Admiralty-pier.
Cross-examined by Mr. Edwards--Our vessel's
head was S.E. E. when we left Dover. I don't
know how fast the vessel was going. I should guess
about 13 knots an hour. I could hardly see half a
mile from the vessel to the seaward.
Cross-examined by Captain Harris—We were
about five miles from the shore when the collision
took place. I could see the Foreland lights on the
port quarter when the collision took place. There
was another man, named Malpas, on the bridge be-
sides the captain and the call-boy. I think it was
Malpas. Both lifeboats were uncovered and lowered.
Cross-examined by Captain Baker—We always
sound the fog whistle in foggy weather, but we did
not blow the whistle that night.
Re-examined by Mr. Fox—lf the bark had a
light should have seen her.
The Court then adjourned until this day at 10
a.m.

A Warning to London Printers•

Lately there has been an extensive and well
organised system of robbery in London going on for
many months past, and which, we hope, has now
been put a stop to. During dinner hour, between
one and two o'clock, " a man" has stationed him-
self in a large open space in the City, where he could
obtain an uninterrupted view of considerable extent.
He has appeared exceedingly on the alert, hence the
police have had great difficulty in watching him.
Happily, however, they have succeeded, even to
conviction ; but with very poor results in compari-
son with the magnitude of the injuries inflicted upon
a large number of the master printers of the metro-
polis by men and boys who have been followed and
found to come from printing offices and type foun-
dries situate in different parts. (This remark applies
more especially to large firms.)
Their mode of procedure was to surround " the
man,",so as to obstruct the view, and no doubt pass
small pages of type to him. They then gradually
dispersed, when the receiver proceeded to the neigh-
bourhood of Hoxton, and thence to the house of a
man ostensibly carrying on the business of a type-
founder, and always had a hot-pot in readiness.
The result of all this has been, that after several
months' watching and angling by the police for the
whole gang, they have only been able to seize one of
the depredators, who, as an occasional
,viand, worked
at a large office in the neighbourhood of Fleet-street,
and considered hitherto as respectable and trust-
worthy, and "the man," whom they apprehended
at the door of the receiver with 401 b. of type in
pages upon him, only one of which was identified as
belonging to the office where the other culprit
worked. The house of the receiver was immediately
searched, but the only evidence against him was a
hot-pot, ready to receive the valuable type, which
it would turn into almost valueless metal.
We write this as a caution to the London trade,
as there are still loose a number of thieves, who, as
soon as " the man's" six months' leave of absence
has expired, may again resort to this method of
plunder. We should have advised before, but were
cautioned by the police not to do so, for obvious
reasons.—Typographic Advertiser.

Report of the American Secretary of the
Treasury.

The report of Mr. Secretary M'Culloch was
presented to the American Congress on the 4th
instant. The report is of great length. We ex-
tract some of the most important portions :--