The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-14 00:00:00

a( a_/".,_//-41

serious which can
The fact that the liZscibhlywdasevoaletue_ary nbuarniacapcer.
the skids, while we were endeavouring to hoist her
out, doubtless proves satisfactory to the Court, but
the other boats, though got out in less than half an
hour after the fire was reported, were not ordered
The- heroic conduct
bsetfoeardeyitaweasiplinneecessaof
officers and men
oanutd rYihe
who remained on board the ship, nobly doing their
duty under momentary expectation on the explosion
of the magazine, while large shells were bursting
between decks, was only equalled by the devotion
displayed by many of those in the boats, who, not-.
withstanding the fact that some of the guns were
shotted, that masts were falling over the side, that
the whole ship was wrapped in flames, and that an
explosion was imminent, pulled in and picked up
those who, unable to swim, were still clinging to the
ship ; thus saving by . means of the ship's boats
alone 525 lives out of 619. When it is remembered
that in the year 1800 the Queen Charlotte, of 100

guns, carry the flag of Lord Keith, was burnt off
Leghorn, three or four leagues -from the shore, and
only 167 men saved out of the whole crew, although
many hours elapsed before they were compelled to
desert the ship, and assistance was rendered from
the shore ; and that in 1807, the Ajax, 74, Captain
the Hon. H. Blackwood, was burnt in the Dar-
danelles, close to the shore, when 250 men were
lost,
it will, be apparent, that though un-
fortunatelyparallel in therecordsdisasotef r theis navy,not the
the without
ability
and promptitude with which the necessary measures
were carried out by the officers, and the order and
the crew of her Majesty's late
discipline
pcipßlionme Bombay,
yp,lahaicre bn y
ever been surpassed. I have
already alluded to those acts of gallantry conspicu-
ously displayed at a time when all were vieing with
each other in doing their duty, and I will therefore
now confidently leave it to the Court to appreciate
their conduct, without reviewing the details which
have been already before it ; but I cannon refrain
from saying here that to Commander Wilson I am
chiefly indebted for the admirable arrangements and
excellent discipline which had prevailed previously,
which I hope has been apparent to the Court; and it
is to the pertinent suggestions, noble, self-devoted
conduct, that I mainly attribute, under Providence,
the fact of our being enabled to save so many lives.
With reference to the remaining officers of her Ma-
jesty's late ship Bombay, and the ship's company
generally, I feel that in making this statement
if I have failed to create the favourable im-
pression on their behalf which they deserve, it
is due to no lack of desire upon my part to repre-
sent their merit, but rather to the want of ability to
express it. We have all been placed upon our trial,
but it has devolved upon me alone to assure this
Court—which I now do in the name of myself and
of those whom I have the honour to command—
that we are unconscious of any act of negligence to
which the fire could be attributed, and that when
this appalling disaster overtook us we endeavoured,
in so far as in us lay, to do our duty as British
officers and seamen.

The above defence was supplemented by two
letters, one of which referred to the kindness with
which all hands were treated by both French and
Italians at Monte Video, and which spoke in the
highest terms of the great sympathy shown towards
them and the assistance rendered under the dis-
tressing circumstances.

The Court adjourned to consider their judgment,
and remained in consultation one hour.

THE JUDGMENT.

The Officiating Judge Advocate then read the
following judgment :—The Court having heard the
narrative of the said Captain Colin A. Campbell of
the circumstances relating to the loss of her Ma-
jesty's ship Bombay, find that the ship was, on the
14th December, 1864, destroyed by fire off Flores
Light, in the River Plate; but after a patient and
careful investigation, extending over a period of five
days, are of opinion there is no evidence among the
surviving officers and crew of the said ship by which
the origin of such fire can be traced, and do there-
fore adjudge the said Colin A. Campbell and all the
surviving officers and ship's company of her Ma-
jesty's--late ship Bombay to be acquitted of the
blame in respect thereto. The Court are of opinion
that after the fire was discovered all efforts were
made to subdue it, but proved unavailing
in consequence of the extremely complete
state of the ventilation of the ship causing the
fire to gain ground with extraordinary rapidity ;
that the ship was not abandoned till all hopes of
saving her were at an end, and the officers and crew
forced overboard by the flames ; that the steadiness
and discipline displayed and maintained under the
very trying circumstances were extremely creditable
to the captain, officers, and ship's company, and
that the saving of such a large number of the ship's
company was mainly due to the foresight with which
the boats were hoisted out; that the said Captain
C. A. Campbell and the surviving officers of the
ship's company are hereby fully acquitted of all
blame accordingly. The court cannot separate
without calling attention to the mode of ventilating
the spirit room in her Majesty's late ship
Bombay, whereby easy access was afforded
by fire to the spirit room, and are of opinion
that every precaution should be taken to secure the
spirit-room against such access. The Court consi-
der it a duty to call the attention of the Lords Com-
missioners of the Admiralty to the many instances
of heroism and devotion exhibited by the officers
and men in the numerous cases that have been men-
tioned in these proceedings, and that the example set
by the officers must have contributed largely to the
saving of so many lives.
The President said—Captain Campbell, I have the
greatest pleasure in returning you your sword ;
Commander Wilson the same, and to the officers
the same also. lam sure that the way you have all
behaved is most creditable to you.

Captain Campbell, receiving his sword, said—l
beg in the name of the officers and ship's company
to thank the Court for their kind expressions in
relation to their conduct.
The proceedings then terminated.

THE THIRD EDITION OF " THE SUN,'
Containing the Latest
Can be had Every Evening of

G. L{. G Llf:N IP% Newa AGE3T,
No. 4, Connaught-terrace, Hyde-park.