The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-07 00:00:00

Liverpool Cotton Market—This Day.

Market continues strong at steady rates. Sales,
probably 25,000 bales.

A BORDER SABBATARIAN.—Same time ago, a
young man, when travelling on a border moor one
Sunday, saw a fine salmon lying in a shallow stream.
Owing to the sanctity of the day, conscientious scruples
would not permit him to kill the lonely and helpless fish,
although he was exceedingly anxious to get it into his
possession. His ingenuity, however, hit upon what he
seemed to consider a very safe compromise. Seizing the
salmon, he carried it away to a retired pool, and there built
a drystone dyke around it, so that it might remain secure
and unmolested during the week in return for his fine prize
His scheme succeeded ; in a few days ho returned, and, free
from all Sztbbatarian pangs, took possession of the so much
coveted salmon, which lie found safe and sound within its
extemporised water-prison ! How exquisitely balanced
are the consciences of " th© unco' godly !"—Kelso

My Lords,—ln accordance with your instructic)ns, we,
the undersigned, two magistrates for the county of• Sussex,
have held an inquiry into the loss of the Alexandra (s),
assisted by Captains Baker and Thurburn, the nautical
assessors appointed by your board. The Alexandra was
an iron paddlewheel steamer, of 180-horse power, built
at Greenock in 1863, registered at Newhaven, her re-
gistered tonnage being 204 tons. She was commanded
by Mr. Abraham Blampied, who holds a master's
certificate of competency, dated March 9, 1861, had
a crew of 21 hands, all told, and 27 passengers on
board, and she also carried a valuable general cargo. The
ship was in good condition, and well equipped. The Alex-
andra sailed foom Newhaven, bound to Dieppe, on the
morning of the 7th of September, at 2 30 a.m., she being a
passenger steamer belonging to the London, Brighton, and
South Coast Railway Company. On leaving Newhaven
she steered a S.E. 4. E. course, being well to the eastward,
to allow for the ebb tide running at the time, the weather
being fine and clear, with a light breeze from the N.E.
Nothing unusual occurred until about 630 a.m., when
the weather became foggy, and at 6 45 a dense fog set in, as
allowed by all the witnesses. During the passage across a
good many vessels had been passed, causing the steamer's
helm to be ported and starboarded frequently to avoid
them. At 715 a cast of the lino was taken, but no sound-
ings obtained with 20 fathoms of line. At 730 they got
soundings in 17 fathoms. From this time the lead was hove
occasionally, the engines having been slowed to half-speed
at '6 45, and at 8 30 to dead slow, soundings then having
been obtained in 8i fathoms, and shortly after in 6i fa-
thoms, this being the least water got by_the lead, as sworn
to by the master; but, by the evidence of the boatswain
and second mate, who was himself heaving the lead, he
got one cast of 3i, one of less four, and of five fathoms.
At 8 40 a boat was lowered, the engines being stopped,
and the chief mate sent in charge, with orders to pull in
towards the land to ascertain the ship's position. In about
fifteen or twenty minutes the boat returned, and the
mate reported to the master that the ship was to the west-
ward of Cape Ailly, distant about one and a half or two
mileS. On getting this information the engines, by the
master's orders, were turned ahoad dead slow, and the
helm ported hard-a-starboard, her head being at the time
about east, with a strong flood (spring) tide setting in that
direction, directly towards the rocks, of probably four
knots per hour velocity. The ship payed off slowly to-
wards the north, off shore, approaching rapidly, by the set
of the tide and her own way through the water, which was
about two and a-half knots, a dangerous reef of rocks,
called the Ailly Rocks, projecting out from the Cape
about one mile, and in a few minutes she struck lightly
upon a rock. When her head had payed off to the
N.E., the vessel passed over this rock without any ap-
parent damage, as it was at once ascertained that she
made no water. On her getting clear of this rock the
engines were stopped, and remained so about 15 minutes,
during which time she must have been drifting with the
tide towards the reef. In the meantime orders were given
to see all the boats clear for lowering. After this was done
the engines were again turned a-head dead slow, the helm
being kept hard a-starboard ; but in a few minutes she
struck a second time by the starboard fore sponson at 9.30,
and remained firmly fixed, the rock having gone right
through the ship's side, the engine-room and fore com-
partment being quickly filled with water. The Alexandra
has subsequently become a total wreck upon the reef of
rocks off Cape Ailly, about half-a-mile from the Point, and
nearly five miles to the westward of Dieppe. Fortu-
nately no lives were lost, the passengers and crew
reaching Dieppe safely in the ship's boats. Since this
disaster a considerable portion of the baggage, cargo,
and stores have been landed from the steamer, in a
more or less damaged condition. This is a brief narrative
of the facts as supplied to us by the evidence. In the
opinion of the Court the course steered was a safe and
judicious one, and should have taken the ship considerably
more to the eastward on approaching the French coast. It
would be difficult to account for her being so far to the
westward. Probably the helm was ported a good deal more
than starboarded during the passage, and the ebb tide may
have been unusually strong. It did not appear that any
doubt existed as to the correctness of the compasses, although
something was said about machinery being stowed on the
upper deck ; but this being some 70 or 80 feet from the
compasses, did not in all probability affect them. The
Court feels bound to give the master credit for having
exercised the precautions of slowing his engines for using
his lead when the weather became foggy, but it is impos-
sible to continue to render the same credit to him for his
conduct after 840 a.m. when he sent a boat on shore. For
although it may be conceded that he was misled by the
incorrect report of his mate, that ho was one and a-half or
two miles to the westward of Point Ailly, when, in fact, he
was actually much closer to it, it is inexcusable that he
should afterwards have omitted to use the lead, as he himself
states, with one single exception, until the vessel was finally
stranded. In coming to the decision upon the conduct of
the Master, taking into consideration the precautions
which he did take and the good character he bears, the
Court feels inclined to visit him with a lenient sentence.
At the same time, for the interests of the public, and to
prevent, if possible, future casualties, it felt it a duty in-
cumbent upon it to pronounce Mr. Abraham Blampied in
default for having neglected to keep his lead constantly
going after he found the ship in so dangerous a position,
and we have, therefore, with the full concurrence of the
Nautical Assessors, suspended Mr. Abraham Blampied's
certificate for three months from this date.

CHARLES CARPENTER.
BURWOOD GODLEE.
We concur in the above report.
It. B. BAKE;
JAMES 0. TRURBURN,
Nautical Assessors.
Lower, Oct. 2, 1865.