The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-21 00:00:00

SINKING OF A GRA VESEND SPEAMER.

ERITH, MONDAY.—Last evening the well-known
Gravesend steamer Meteor, belonging to the Star Steam-
packet Company, was run down by the Sylph, Dublin
screw steam-ship, her passengers and crew having a nar-
row escape of perishing with her. The Meteor was of
iron construction, built by Miller and Ravenhill, of
about 200 tons, and poWer. She left th
Brunswick Pier, at Blackwall,nn Sunday evening, about
20 minutes past 5 o'clock, under the charge of Mr. Hol-
lingsworth, the master, and with between 40 and 50
passengers. The night was rather dark, and a slight
haze hung over the river ; but it was nut so dense as to
offer any serious impediment to the navigation. The
tide was ebbing, which was in favour of the progress of
the Meteor, and the wind was blowing rather fresh from
the eastward. At G o'clock she had gained Halfway
Reach, and, after rounding the point above the Halfway
House, she shaped a course towards the Kent or south
shore, when her crew observed a large sea-going steamer
coming up. As soon as possible after she was sighted,
Mr. Hollingsworth, the master, directed the helm to be
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Sylph, and that she would have gone to the northward.
'essolgtdslllitt'isorahglaotd been observed by those on board the
Tile Meteor was then nearly in mid-channel, with her
head inclined to the Kent side, and the master perceiv-
ing that the Sylph was bearing down upon him, hailed
her to " port her helm." No answer was returned,
when the hands for'ard shouted out, "Port your helm ;
for God's sake put your helm a-port." Still she kept on,
as represented by those belonging to the Meteor, and at
full speed. The Meteor's engines, however, had been
stopped and reversed, but immediately afterwards the
Sylph struck her with tremendous force just above
her larboard paddle-box, completely burying her bows
in the forepart of the Meteor. A most distress-
ing scene immediately ensued. Every one expect-
ing that the vessel would momentarily go down, a des-
perate rush was made to the bows of the Sylph, and in
consequence of her height, the darkness of the evening,
and the confusion that prevailed, many must have fallen
overboard but for the self. possession of the crew. Most
of them were on the forecastle, and seeing the terrified
state of the passengers, they leaped over to the Meteor's
' deck, and by assisting them up as well as they could,
saved many who otherwise would have perished. By far
the most marvellous escape, however, was that of 20 or
30 men and women who were in the forecabin at the
moment of the ship coining in contact, and were not
conscious of the approaching danger until the Sylph's
bow actually bore in upon them, carrying away the
steward's pantry, the companion ladder, and reaching
more than half way across the beam of the vessel, thus
shutting out all escape for them by the cabin door. The
water was pouring through the small side port windows
so fast that several of the passengers were up to their
waists in water. Their cries attracted the attention of
Mr. Hollingsworth, who at once, with the assistance of
his own men and those of the Sylph, tore away the frame
work of the cabin skylights, and by that means sue.
ceeded iu preserving their lives. Several of them were
in a most pitiable condition from the effects of fear and
immersion, and it was with considerable difficulty that
they could be got on board the Sylph. Had the Meteor
separated from the bows of the Sylph, no human power
could have saved them, as theymust have been drowned
in the cabin ; for, as soon as the vessels separated, she
went down head first. The ebb tide providentially had
the effect of keeping her hanging, as it were to the bow
of the Sylph for full ten minutes, and to that circum-
stance may be attributed the saving of every soul on
board. In order to prevent her sinking in midchannel,
and thereby in the way of the navigation of the river,
the engines of the Sylph were put in motion, and the
wrecked steamer, still hanging on, was driven in
towards shallow water, when the Sylph backed out
and the Meteor went down, and, as she settled,
the light in her funnel was just observable above
water. Shortly before she sank the Mars steamer
belonging to the same company, came up from Graves-
end, and the captain hearing the fate of the Meteor,
went alongside the Sylph and took from her the crew
and passengers of the unfortunate vessel, and afterwards
proceeded with them to Blackwall. The account fur-
nished by the officers of the Sylph is somewhat different
to that given by the crew of the Meteor in respect to
the course she was pursuing. The Sylph was under the
charge of the usual Trinity-house pilot, who, with the
captain, Mr. Smith, were on the bridge at the time,
having on the forecastle, on the look-out, the carpenter
and the quarter-master. They saw a white light ahead,
which they concluded to be a vessel riding at anchor,
and great was their surprise when close upon it to find,
as they saw the cabin windows, that she was a steamer
attempting to cross their bows. Their engines were
stopped and reversed, but the distance between the two
was so limited, that it was impossible to stop the way of
the vessel, and they came together as before narrated.
It is quite clear that the Sylph had the lights required
by the Admiralty regulations-- viz., a bright white light
at the foremast head, a green light on the starboard
side, and a red one on the port side, but it would seem
that the rule is not applicable to what are known as
river steamers, those plying from Sheerness, Gravesend,
&e., as they only have a white light on the bow, and
another similar light up the funnel. Vessels lying at
anchor are required by the. Admiralty notice to exhibit a
white light at their masthead, so that, should the white
bow light of a river steamer become obscured, it is quite
possible that the vessel might be mistaken for one riding
at anchor. Were coloured lights shown, however, like
those of sea-going steamers, the probability of such an
error could not occur with ordinary care.
The wreck of the Meteor lies midway between the
Halfway House and the powder magazine on the Kent
shore. At lov3 water her stern wheel is just visible.
Arrangements have been made for raising the vessel,
the Admiralty having granted the use of the dockyard
chain-lighters for the purpose of making the attempt. It
is feared, however, that she is so much damaged that
she will break in two from the weight of the engines, ate.
She is insured, but, we understand, not to the extent
that will cover her loss.