The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-17 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE QUEEN VICTORIA AND 1 V EARLY

M FRS.

DUBLIN. FEB. 16.

It is with feelings of the deepest regret that we have
to announce one of the most disastrous shipwrecks that
has for many years occurred on the coast of Ireland—
the intelligence of which produced a deep and painful
sensation amongst all classes of our fellow-citizens yes-
terday—and which, from the number of lives lost, and
the melancholy circumstances attendant on the catas-
trophe, occurring as it did almost at our own doors, is
only exceeded by the burning of the Amazon, and the
more recent destruction of the Birkenhead.

The particulars, as far as we have been able to ascer-
tain them, of this deplorable catastrophe, are as follow—
The Queen Victoria started from Liverpool for Dublin at
half-past 3 o'clock on Monday afternoon, having a general
cargo and about 120 human beings on board—about 12
cabin and the rest steerage passengers ; the latter in-
cluded a number of cattle-dealers who were returning
from England after having disposed of their stock. The
Queen Victoria was a first-class vessel, and some years
ago had been employed in carrying the mails between
Kingstown and Liverpool. She was commanded by
Capt. Church, an officer of great experience, high in the
confidence of his employers, and upwards of 20 years in
the service.

From the moment the vessel left the dock at Liver-
pool up to half-past one o'clock yesterday morning all
went well ; the wind was N.E., the weather favourable,
and she was making a rapid and easy passage, but about
that hour some heavy falls of snow took place, which
retarded her progress a little. No material abatement,
however, took place in her speed, and about two o'clock
the first mate and some of the passengers perceived the
Kish Light. An anxious look-out was kept for the
Bailey Light, and, we understand, that for a few minutes
they did see it, but the snow coming down in a heavy,
dense, impenetrable cloud, completely shut out the view.
Under these circumstances the coursewas to have slackened
speed, and whether this was effected to any extent or not
we are at present without any distinct or satisfactory in-
formation, some asserting that the vessel continued to
go at full speed, and others that her "way" had been
considerably retarded. However this may be, it is un-
fortunately but too clear that the land was hugged too
closely, and the first intimation those who happened to
be on deck had of their impending danger was a hurried
and agitated cry from the first mate to stop the vessel.
The mate, who was on the look-out at the starboard bow,
was horrified to perceive looming dimly through the
snow cloud, at a distance of not more than twenty yards,
the dark and rugged cliffs of Howth, a little to the north
'of the Bailey Light. He immediately gave the order to
stop, but it was too late, and the next instant the doomed
vessel went headlong upon the rock with a fearful and
appalling crash. The captain was instantly upon deck,
and gave orders to reverse the engines ; this was done,
and the vessel, being released from the rocks, backed
out into deep water, when, finding that she was
rapidly sinking, the captain attempted to run her
ashore. In the meantime, a scene of the most
melancholy and heartrending description ensued.
The cabin passengers were, of course, in bed, and
being awakened by the shock of the collision, rushed I
half dressed, and some almost in a state of nudity upon
the deck, when, to their horror, they found the ship fast
going down. The steerage passengers, affrighted and
dismayed, were running in wild confusion about the
deck, vainly-seeking for some mode of escape—husbands
were looking for their wives, wives were clinging to their
husbands, and mothers, clasping their helpless children
to their breasts, were uttering impassioned prayers to
heaven for succour and for mercy. The dark waves dash
ing round the vessel, the snow falling in thick masses,
" making darkness visible," the supplications for help,the
frenzied shrieks of despair, and the fearful confusion that
prevailed on board the unfortunate ship, all combined to
constitute a scene of the most agonising and appalling cha-
racter—enough to unnerve the stoutest heart—and which
will ever remain engraven upon the memories of those who
were fortunate enough to survive it. The captain,the first
mate, and the other officers, preserved their presence of
mind, and endeavoured to keep order, so that the passengers
and crew might have a better opportunity of effecting
their escape ; but such was the alarm and excitement,
and so short the period that elapsed between the collision
and the final destruction of the vessel, that their efforts
proved quite unavailing. The confusion increased every
moment, the cries for assistance became louder and
louder, and a general rush was made to the ship's boats.
The starboard quarter boat was immediately filled by
a number of the wretched passengers, but in the hurry
and confusion of the moment proper care was not taken
to secure the ropes, and the great weight caused the boat
to slip from her davits into the sea, when she instantly
swamped, and all in her perished. The larboard quar-
ter boat was then lowered, fortunately with more suc-
cess. It contained seventeen persons, including Mr.

Duffy, Queen's-squre, Mr. Walsh, of Athy, Kildare,
and Mr. Charles Ralph, shipowner, of Wicklow, of
whose humane and courageous conduct we cannot speak
too highly. On reaching the water, however, it was
found the boat was leaking
,fast, and must have gone
down in a short time, were it not for the coolness and
presence of mind of a young lad, who, having searched
with his hand, found that the plug-hole was open, and
immediately thrust his fingers into it. 'At this time the
boat was almost immediately under the side of the sink-
ing ship, the bulwarks of which were crowded with the
passengers, whom the captain was seen endeavouring to
quiet and pacify. Some of them, however, leaped into
the sea, and were instantly drowned. Mr. Walsh, whom
we have mentioned as being in the boat, saw his wife
clinging to some of the woodwork of the vessel, and
called upon her to leap down, but Mr. Ralph cried out,
" For God's sake don't jump down, or you will surely be
drowned—hold on, and we will return for you in a few
minutes." They had no idea at that moment that the
vessel was so near her final destruction, but in a few
minutes afterwards she went down bodily, bow foremost,
and the unfortunate lady, and nearly all who remained
on board were lost.
Up to the very latest moment the captain was seen
upon the deck, endeavouring to calm the agitation of the
passengers, and to direct their exertions into the proper
channel for the preservation of their lives ; and it is sup-
posed that when the vessel took her final plunge he went
down with her, together with the first and second mates,
who clung to their ship to the last. In the meantime
the boat, which could not hold another person, shoved
off ; the water was baled out with a hat, and Mr. Ralph
and a young man-of-war's-man, named Kegg, being the
only persons that could row, seized the oars, and after
severe exertion, ultimately succeeded in landing 14 per-
sons on the rock about half-a-mile below the wreck. Un-
deterred by the danger of the enterprise, and intent only
on saving as many lives as possible, Ralph, Kegg, and
the young lad who still continued to stop the plug-hole
with his finger rowed back to the scene of the disaster,
when they found the Queen Victoria had gone down, her
masts alone being visible above the water. 12 or 14 per-
sons were clinging to those with all the tenacity of despair.
Ralph and his companions took five off the foremast,
and were proceeding to relieve those upon the mainmast
from their perilous position, when the steward of the
Queen Victoria, who was one of them, cried out,
" Don't mind us, my dear fellow—the boats of the Ros-
common will pick us up." On turning round, Ralph
perceived at a short distance the Roscommon steamer,
the boats of which had already picked up several persons,
and were proceeding as fast as possible to render further
assistance. It appears that the Roscommon, chartered
by the Chester and Holyhead Railway Company, was
proceeding from Dublin to Holyhead with a general
cargo, when the Commander, Captain Brown, observed
four red lights in the direction of the Bailey Lighthouse.
This being rather unusual, he conferred, with his
mate, Mr. Davis, on the subject, and at length re-
solved to make for the light. They soon arrived at
the wreck, and the snow having by this time ceased,
they at once perceived what had happened. The boats
of the Roscommon were lowered without delay, and
proceeded to the wreck, where they took off the men
who were clinging to the mainmast, and rescued others
who were then struggling in the water. A little child
was picked up, its body yet warm, and the signs of life
faintly visible, but all efforts to restore animation failed.
Mr. Ralph, and those whom he had saved and landed
on the rocks, were also picked up by the Roscommon's
boats, and the greatest attention was shown to the suf-
ferers on board that vessel. All of them had suffered
intensely from the wet, cold, and fatigue which- they
endured, and many were reduced to the lowest state of
mental and physical prostration. About 45 persons
were rescued in this manner, of whom seven were fe-
males, and they were safely landed at Kingstown yes.
terday morning by the captain of the Roscommon. They
were at once placed under the care of the police, who did
everything in their power to minister to their necessities,
in which they were most kindly and humanely assisted by
many of the inhabitants of Kingstown. It will be seen
that the entire number saved amounts to fifty-three, of
whom we are informed twenty belonged to the crew.
When the Queen Victoria first struck, about ten or
twelve of the passengers and crew scrambled over the
bows upon the rocks, and eight of them succeeded in
obtaining a footing. They were afterwards brought by
the police into the town of Howth, and from thence for-
warded by railway to Dublin, where they arrived in a
most deplorable condition from exhaustion and exposure.
The Iron Duke (Captain Griffiths) arrived at Kings-
town from Liverpool about half-past ten, and was.imme-
diately ordered off by Mr. Howell to the scene of the
catastrophe.

When-, the Iron Duke had reached the spot where the
ill-fated vessel had gone down, nothing was to be seen.
but her funnel, ten feet of which was then above water,
part of the mainmast and foremast, a quantity of floating,
spars, and some trifling articles of clothing which had
belonged to the passengers or crew.
The number of people who were on board the Queen
Victoria, or the names of those who perished, cannot be
ascertained until the arrival of a vessel from Liverpool,
which shall leave that port after the intelligence of this
deplorable calamity shall have reached there.
'A similar accictent happened in the year 1841 to the
Thames, a splendid steamer belonging 0 the same nom-