The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-01 00:00:00

FRIGHTFUL DISASTER, AND LOSS OF

THIRTY-TWO LIVES.

A. LIVERPOOL VESSEL BLOWN UP BY GUN-
POWDER OFF THE ISLE OF MAN.

The Mona's Herald, of Wednesday last, gives the
particulars of the stranding and subsequent explosion,
by gunpowder, of the brig Lily, of 180 tons. The
vessel in question is owned by Messrs. Hatton and
Cookson, of Mersey-street, in this town, and left the
Mersey yesterday week, under the command of Captain
John Owens, for the south-west coast of Africa. The
cargo consisted of about fifty tons of gunpowder, twenty
puncheons of rum, a quantity of arms, and some bale
goods, containing articles for barter on the coast. The
vessel was beating about the channel till Monday morn-
ing last, when she was driven by the violence of the
storm to the Sound of the Calf of Man. The sea was
running mountains high at the time, and, despite
all the efforts of the crew, about eleven o'clock the Lily
was stove on Kit terland island, which lies between the
island of the Calf of Man and the mainland of the Isle of
Man. With a desperate effort most of the crew (13 in
number) reached the rocks by the aid of boats. The waves
beat furiously upon the wreck and the rocks. Captain
Owens and three of the crew got on the ledge of a rock,
from which two of the seamen sprang to the land ; but
the captain, in attempting to do the same, was drowned.
The cook and two lads also met with a watery grave. The
carpenter was killed by the mast falling upon him. Thus
five of the crew were lost.

Early on Tuesday morning, . Mr. Enos Lace, grocer
and shipbroker of Port St. Mary, being sub-agent for
Lloyd, repaired to the wreck with 31 men, to see what
could be saved. At a quarter before eight a violent
shock was felt throughout the southern district of the
island ; and a sheet of fire and pillar of smoke were seen
to be hurled into the air, hundreds of feet high, from the
wreck. It seems that a large portion of the powder was
placed so high in the vessel that it did not get wet by
the waves breaking on it. The explosion dashed the
vessel to atoms, arid blew to broken fragments some 30
human beings ! I3ut one individual near the fatal scene
escaped to tell the story, James Kelly, who is still alive,
although one cheel c and ear are taken off, and he is other-
wise much contuse d. Hopes, however, are entertained
of his recovery.
Among those who perished were Enos Lace, William
Lawson, William 'Taubman, Edward Qualtrough, John
Collister, John Collister, 2nd, Samuel Collister, William
Watterson, George Costane, Hugh Couen, Thos. Turn-
bull, Thomas Colilister, John Watterson, William Ker-
mode, Edward Gale, Edward Watterson, Henry Gale,
John Gell, Charles Clugston, Robert Collister, Thomas
Witted, Thomas Nelson, John Fell, Daniel Lace, Thos.
Hugeon, William Cowley, and Thomas Cubbon, all of
Port St. Mary. Jcihn Creggs, chief constable of Castle-
town, John Wright:,, constable of the same place, and
another, name unknown. Many of the deceased were
the active and energetic men of business of Port St.
Mary, and were engaged in the fishing and other nauti-
cal pursuits. Thirty-two men (besides the five of crew
that were lost on 111:c.nday) were killed, leaving twenty-
three widows and seventy-three fatherless children.
The explosion Waa heard in Douglas, and was sup-
posed, by many peii ions, to have been an earthquake.
Fragments of the wreck were thrown as far as the Red
Gap, near Castletcra being a distance of six miles.
Portions of the vesisel and cargo, consisting of chain-
links, portions of gum barrels, swords, caps, fragments
of wreck, shirts, Sm.., have also been picked up in va-
rious parts of the p arish of Rushen. Some pieces of
burning cotton were actually found at Poolvash, near
Balladaole, at least s ix miles off.
Mr. Boardman, aq gent for Lloyd's, of Douglas, and
brother of Mr. Boar' Iman, of the Sailors' Home at this
port, was engaged in rendering assistance to a vessel off
Langness, or he won ld no doubt have been amongst the
sufferers.
No vestige of the, vessel remains ; but fragments of
wood, iron, copper, ;guns, and parts of human bodies are
strewed around the c ountry for miles.
A man of Craig N eish (name unknown) got terribly
hurt by falling from the rocks in an effort to lend aid to
the sufferers.

A sailor of the n ame of Fanning got a compound
fracture of the leg it t the wreck, on Monday, and lies
disabled at the hotel in Port St. Mary.
It is not probable that the cause of the explosion will
ever be correctly aso ertained, but it is supposed that the
powder was fired by a light from the pipe of some of the
men who were sraol, .ing on board the vessel.
A correspondent an Douglas writes as follows :
" We have had. of it share of disasters ; and one portion
of our island, especially, has been plunged into the
depths of ' mommi ng, and lamentation, and woe.' I
allude to the disailter at Ketterland, between the Calf of
Man and the maialta,nd, where thirty of our fellow-crea-
tures have been hurled into eternity in a moment, and
without a moment' s warning, by the explosion of no less
than fifty tons of gunpowder, in the wreck of a ship from
your port to the Co ast of Africa ; by which calamity no
fewer than twenty-three women are reduced to widow-
hood, deprived of -their means of support, and, alas, bur-
dened with the support of 72 fatherless children, who are
left without a father or, I may say, a friend. Alas for
these bereaved cones : who can refuse to shed a tear over
their helpless con d ition, or sympathise with them in their
bereavement 1 l'Alis day my mind has been engaged in
devising means to help them.
"The island, with its authorities, its humane and be-
nevolent sons and daughters—and who will say that
they are not so ?—and ye moneyed men of Liverpool,
who roll in affluence, and whose dignity at this hour is
supported by the exertion of such men as these bereaved
ones' fathers, must come forward and lend a helping
hand in this distressing emergency.
"I propose that a subscription be opened at once in
the island ; that the governor, the bishop. and all leading
officials be of the committee; and that her Majesty be
implored to extend to her suffering sisters of Mona and
their helpless ones: a share of her gracious compassion, if
only to aid their cause in other quarters ; and that trust-
worthy and efficient agents be found to canvass the ship-
owners and merchants of all the leading seaports of the
kingdom in aid of these unfortunate children of deep
distress and commiseration.
"This should be done instanter, before human
sympathy is dried up, and while the harrowing de-
tails are before the eyes of a British people, and when
I use that word I mean a generous and sympathising
people, whose ears are ever open, and whose hearts
feel for distress in any clime and of any colour."
After offering to give 51. towards the subscription, the
writer proceeds, "I will be happy to give a month's
service in canvassing subscriptions, if none more suitable
can be found, free of all cost, travelling expenses alone
excepted."
We sincerely trust that the excellent suggestion of our
correspondent may be at once adopted. The people of
the Isle of Man who have to work for their living are,
generally, in very humble circumstances, and Port St.
Mary is one of the poorest fishing villages in the island.
The widows and children must indeed be in the most
distressed condition, and we feel persuaded an appeal to
the benevolent will not be made in vain. We shall be
glad to receive subscriptions in aid of the families of the
sufferers.—From the Liverpool Mercury of Friday.

RAILWAY RETURNS.

TRAFFIC RETURNS FOR THE PAST WEEK.