The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-17 00:00:00

THE INSUBORDINATION ON BOARD
THE LADY ELMA BRUCE.

Captain BradshaW, of the Lady Elma Bruce, who, as stated
yesterday, had been brought to this country from Monte
Video, on a charge of murder, was on Thursday brought be-
fore the Mayor and borough magistrates of Southampton,
when five of the crew—John Morris, able seaman ; Augustus
Egans, seaman; Augustus Melville, carpenter ; Peter Tully,
painter ; and John Bolin, able seaman—were examined at
great length. It appeared from their statement that the
vessel, which belongs to Liverpool, and is 1,000 tons bur-
then, was joined by some new hands at St. John's, New
Brunswick, in consequence of several of the crew having
deserted, and proceeded on her voyage to Valparaiso. On
the evening of April 3, there were some disturbances on
board, in consequence of some of the crew becoming insub-
ordinate and refusing to pump the ship when ordered to do
so by the mate. Next morning (the 4th of April) it com-
menced to rain very heavily, and Chesterman (the man who
was subsequently shot) and another man took shelter
under the poop. The captain went up to them, and said,
" Men, get buckets, and pass rain-water along." Chester-
man said he would not pass any more rain-water along
while he was on board the ship, and, on the captain ask-
ing for his reason said, " Because, captain, I have as good
a right to drink good water as you or your wife." They
disputed together for some time, but their quarrel
was terminated for a time by its becoming necessary
to trim the sails of the ship. After the captain liaCi
put the crew through the necessary manoeuvres, he
crossed from the starboard towards the port side of the
ship to Chesterman, and asked him what was the reason he
would not pass along the rain water ? The man replied point
The blank, " Because I won't, captain." captain again asked,
" You won't ? " to which the man replied, "No, I will not."
The captain then ordered him off the poop, and when he had
turned round to go below, Chesterman received a blow on the
head with a " sling shot." or life-preserver, which the captain
held in his hand. The blows were repeated, the captain try-
ing to trip the man up. Chesterman then grappled with Brad-
shaw, who attempted to strike him again with the " sling
shot," but it flew out of his hand. Chesterman caught the
captain by the hair with his left hand, and with his right
hand dealt him a blow under the eye. They were then sepa-
rated, and Chesterman was in the act of leaving the poop,
when the captain produced a revolver pistol, which he had
before attempted to draw from his pocket, raised it, fired,
and shot the man in the left side. Chesterman staggered
down the ladder, and a short distance along the deck, and
fell forward on his hands and knees. The captain turned to
the men, held out the revolver, and exclaimed, " I'll shoot
every one of you." The crew ran to Chesterman, and con-
veyed him to the forecastle, where he exclaimed—" I'm shot,
Charlie," and immediately expired. The deceased was buried
at sea. The occurrence took place near Rio de Janeiro, and
the ship was run into Monte Video, where the acting consul-
general investigated the circumstances, and forwarded the
prisoner and the witnesses to England, together with the
stock of the revolver. The case not having been concluded,
the mayor remanded the prisoner.

LAUNCH OF AN AUSTRIAN STEAM WAR FRIGATE.—
On Thursday a timber-built paddle-steamer (not named),
1,100 tons burden, built for the Austrian Government,
was launched from Mr. Wigram's yard, at Blackwell.
She is pierced to carry 10 guns, and is to be fitted with
engines of 400-horse power. A number of gentlemen
connected with the Austrian embassy were present.
THE CHAMPION (AUSTRALIAN) SCREW STEAMER.—A
smart iron screw steam-ship, barque rigged, called the
Champion, intended to run as mail and passenger packet
between Melbourne, Sydney, and Port Adelaide, made
an experimental trip down the river yesterday (Friday),
to below the Mouse light-ship, preparatory to proceed-
ing to the colony. Her passage excited considerable
observation, as much for her speed as for the ease of the
working of her screw. She was built by Mr. T. D.
Marshall, at Shields, from designs by Mr. John Dud-
geon ; measuring 130 feet extreme length, 23 feet beam,
12 feet depth in hold, and 300 tons burthen ; fitted with
direct-acting engines of 60-horse power, which for com-
pactness we have not seen their equal. The screw is
worked on Beattie's principle, from behind the rudder,
the latter having an opening in the centre for the passage
of the shaft, without causing the least influence on her
steering qualities, which was fully evidenced in the ready
and speedy manner she answered her helm in proceeding
through a fleet of vessels beating up the river. Her
engines worked 65 revolutions per minute. The work-
ing of the screw elicited the highest satisfaction, doing
away with the unpleasant vibratory motion which pre-
vails in all screw-going steamers. The screw in the
Champion is quite clear away from the stern of the ship,
and the water is lashed quite free from her. The vessel
left Blackwell at 11 o'clock, and reached the Nore at
2.10 p.m., where a trial of her speed was tested to the
Mouse light-ship, a distance of eight nautical miles,
which was done in 44 minutes against wind and tide,
and in the return 36 minutes, thus showing the rate of
speed to be 10.9 knots against tide and 13.3 knots with
the tide, making an average of 12.1 knots per hour.
The Champion is commanded by Mr. Helpman, a gen-
tleman who has been engaged many years in the Govern-
ment surveys of the coast of Australia. The ship draws
but eight feet water, and is thus capable of encountering
the difficulties in crossing the shallow bars in most of
the harbours of the colony.
WRECK OF A VESSEL ON No MAN'S LAND.—On Sa-
turday night, the harbour master at the Duke's pier
hailed the captain of the schooner Andrew, of Fraser-
borough, Scotland, and ordered him to get his vessel
ready to come into the docks, in order to take in a cargo
of salt. The captain, Peter Moncrieff, was in a state
of intoxication at the time, and entirely incapable of
managing his vessel. The consequence was that she
drifted down the river with the flood tide, and ran
upon No Man's Land, which is near to Runcorn Gap,
and there capsized upon her larboard side. The cap-
tain and crew abandoned the vessel, where she re-
mained until the next morning (Sunday). Mr. Howarth,
agent to the trustees of the late Duke of Bridgewater.
sent a messenger to Chief Constable Blake, to take
steos for securing the vessel and the property contained
therein. On Mr. Blake arrival's he went into the cabin
and made a search for papers, and secured the ship's
register, as well as other valuable documents. There
was no person on board. Mr. John Smith, Mr. Threl-
fall, Rigby's foreman, and Mr. Blake, finding that no
one would have anything to do with the vessel, employed
about 15 men in order to save as much of the sails and
running rigging as possible. They had scarcely got all
cleared away before the flood time came in' very rapidly,
and carried the vessel along with it, broke both masts
into several pieces, and capsized the hull, carrying it a
considerable distance up the river. The vessel remained
in that position, keel uppermost, until it became high
water, when she again righted. Mr. Smith then employed
two ship carpenters, who scuttled the vessel, and let the
water out, after which she was replanked. He obtained
through Mr. Howarth the assistance of a steam-tug, in
order to tow her to Mr. Anderson's shipyard, where she
now remains. Through the exertions of Mr. Blake and
Mr. John Smith, everything connected with the vessel
was recovered. On inquiry, the vessel is found to belong
to James M`Rae and Andrew Noble, of Aberdeen. She
was built in 1849, and carries 110 tons. It is said that
the conduct of the captain on the occasion was such as
to demand investigation. The captain of the unfortunate
vessel swans the river at Runcorn ferry on the Monday
previous, while intoxicated, rather than wait for a boat.
A boat belonging to a flat picked him up in the middle
of the river, and in all probability, rescued him from a
watery grave.—Liverpool Mercury.
SUFFERINGS -07 A SEALER'S CREW IN THE ARCTIC
REGIONS.—The Banffshire Journal gives a narrative of
the suffering endured by the crew of the Felix sealer of
that port, who being obliged to abandon their vessel on
account of its being stove by an iceberg, to the number
of 26, were forced to take to the four boats without
compass, and almost no stores of clothing, food, or drink.
After passing a miserable night in different situations on
the ice in their wet clothes, the keen frost of the Arctic
zone curdling their blood, and the wild sea raging
around, they succeeded in effecting a junction at one
spot. The second night passed still more drearily, and
a poor lad, James Burns, belonging to Banff, who had
previously sickened from the effects of cold, hunger,
and fatigue, died. James Tours, from Stromness, on
whom these sufferings had also told severely, lingered
till the fourth day, when he too died. Though much de-
pressed by the loss of their comrades, the rest of the crew
yet bore up manfully. Making excursions, they caught
some seals, the raw flesh of which was a dainty morsel
to men in their situation. The third and fourth night
passed without bringing the anxiously looked for relief.
Heart-sick and weary, and almost in despair, on th?fo-
lo wing day a. party pulled out in the boat to a consider-
abletheir
distance to look out for a vessel. Fortunatelyd
joy
they were realised, and with a le."'suppressed
esseof jthye
they beheld not far off a vessel
. dteievidently
y to their
sealing fleet. fleet. Returning
panions, they communicateHtnl7 tehel3 joYful intelligence
when a crew of the strongest, and of those who had
suffered least, being selected and headed by the cap-
tain,‘ Mr. Hay, the boat pushed off, and though not
without much difficulty, succeeded in reaching the
strange vessel. The ship proved to be the Brahmoor of
Hanover, which had been among the seals, and was now
on her way north to tne whale fishing. The master imme-
diately agreed to relieve the poor sufferers. Tho-e in the
boat were taken on board the Brahmoor ; and the mas-
ter of the Felix getting a crew of Hanoverians, put off
for the ice, and picked up the rest of the ship's com-
pany, many of whom were now in a. very famished and
exhausted state. Though thus rescued from imminent
death, the crew of the Felix were not altogether free
from danger. Many of them indeed were much frost-
bitten, and their exhaustion being great their recovery
was slow. One poor fellow, the mate, named Allan,
belonging to Peterhead, died after being taken off the
ice. The frost had taken such effect upon his limbs that
it was found necessary to amputate them, and though
the operation was skilfully performed by the surgeon of
the Brahmoor, yet Allan never rallied, and died shortly
afterwards. It is melancholy to have to add, however,
the wife of the mate (who was the mother-in-law of the
captain) has died, her death being, it is said, caused by
Ithe shock she received by intelligence of the shipwreck
and the loss of her husband.
FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.—On
Thursday afternoon, as the 5.30 down train had reached
within two miles of the Bristol terminus, a man names;
Hugh Knap, a tavern-keeper, but who has also been for
sonic years employed on railways, wits carelessly standing
on the line, when the- buffer of the engine struck him on
the side of the head, threw bins a distance of about eight
yards, and killed him instantly.