The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-25 00:00:00

YHE GALES.

BURNING OF THE SHIP HINDOO.
LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY.

The gales which has swept over this town and the
neighbourhood still continues, though with less in-
tensity than the storm of the previous day. Some
of the shipping in the river has suffered severely,
but fortunately no loss of life has occurred. The
case, unhappily, however, is different outside, and
many rumours are rife as to the loss of several
ships, together with their crews. Some of the coast-
ing steamers which have arrived here report fear-
ful weather in the Channel, and also the sighting
of several vessels more or less in distress.

Last night a communication was received from
the Bidston telegraph station to the effect that a
large vessel was in the Queen's Channel dismasted.
Immediately afterwards another telegram was re-
ceived stating that rockets were being fired from
the Formby lightship. As soon as possible the two
Liverpool lifeboats were despatched, in tow of two
steam tugs, to the vicinity of the lightship, and
ascertained that a dismasted ship had been seen in
the Channel. The boats went in search of the ves-
sel, but failed to make her out, and ultimately the
boats and the steam-tugs returned to Liverpool.
The mystery has been cleared up, for early this
morning a telegram wus received here from Water-
loo to the effect that a large ship was on fire on
Taylor's Bank, and in consequence of the strong
smell of petroleum it was believed that the ship
was homeward bound from one of the British North
American ports. This conjecture proved correct, for
it was soon astertained that the burning vessel was
the Hindoo, bound from Montreal to Liverpool,
laden with a cargo of petroleum. This vessel was
overtaken in the Channel by the fearful gale, and
after working up as far as the Bell Buoy the gale
became so furious, and the ship was so dis-
abled that she almost became unmanageable,
and to prevent her, if possible, from drifting
ashore the masts were cut away. This precau-
tion, however, proved to be unavailing, for the
ship, propelled by wind and tide, drove ashore
near Formby. Endeavours were now made by
those on board to reach the land in safety; but be-
sides the storm another fearful enemy arose—the
ship was discovered to be on fire, and this with a
cargo of petroleum on board. The fire soon got hold
of the vessel, and the crew, seeing that there was no
chance of saving anything, attempted to gain the
beach. After swimming through a sea of petroleum
—for the cargo had broken up and was washing out
of the ship—the crew, with the exception of five
who were drowned, reached the land. Many of the
crew were severely injured, and Capt. Murphy, com-
mander of the Hindoo, was much crushed by the
drifting wreck, besides being nearly poisoned with
petroleum. At 10 o'clock to-day not a vestige of
the ill-fated ship was visible ; but that there had
been a fire of petroleum there could be no mistake,
for the stench from the vicinity of the wreck pre-
vailed all over Liverpool ; and so great was its effect
on the Exchange news-room that the floor had to
be sprinkled over with chloride of lime. The Hindoo
left Montreal for this port on the 17th of Sept. last,
with a cargo of about 3,000 barrels of rock oil on
board. The ship was owned by M. I. Wilson, Esq.,
of this town, end commanded by Capt. Murphy.
A letter received here from Bude, Cornwall, gives
some further particulars of the total loss of the Ben-
coolen. On Sunday last during a heavy gale her
masts were carried away, by which two men were
killed, and a third killed by the falling of a block.
The Bencoolen had been drifting about the Channel
up to the 21st inst., when, at about 3 o'clock in the
afternoon, she drove ashore near the breakwater at
Bude. The weather was fearful, and the vessel soon
became a total wreck. The captain (Chambers), the
first and second mates, and 25 ut the crew perished.
Only six were saved. The survivors are hearty in
their praise of the conduct of Sir T. D. Acland,
Bart., and W. Maskell, Esq., who gallantly assisted
them to reach the shore on spars, and then enter-
tained them in the most hospitable manner. The
cargo was washing ashore for miles around the
vicinity of the catastrophe.