The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-31 00:00:00

WRECK OF THE ~ KILLARNEY."

Before giving the fallowing additional particulars relative
to the calamitous wreck of the Killarney steamer, it is mere
justice to state that the charges made against the country
people have been contradicted by Mr. Conway, agent to the
Steam Packet Company. The statement that the vessel had
" an over quantity of pigs on board" has also been formally
contradicted. We now proceed to give an abridgment of the
report furnished by the Cork Constitution of Saturday :
The particulars connected with the loss of this vessel, differ
somewhat from the accounts which we have already furnished,
We regret to say, that the calamity has been greater than was
at first imagined, and that instead of twenty-four no less than
twenty-nine persons have lost their lives.
She left the quay on Friday morning at half-past nine o'clock,
the wind blowing hard from the south-east. She had onboard
seven cabin and thirteen deck passengers, with Captain, mate,
crew, engineers, firemen, steward, stewardess, and cabin-boy,
amounting to 22 persons. After they passed the light-house,
it was blowing, what sailors term "half a gale ;" the vessel,
from the number of pigs on board, dipped rather much, and
having shipped some seas, the passengers became alarmed, and,
with the crew, requested the Captain to put back. With this
the Captain complied, and when they had nearly reached Poor
Head, he put about and returned to Cove.
It was just eight o'clock when the vessel was quitting the
harbour. She stood for Ballycotton, the wind increasing
every moment until it blew a full gale, and the vessel going
very slowly. This continued until midnight, the vessel rolling
dreadfully, the pigs bearing her down to leeward, and every
wave that struck her causing her to dip so deeply that she
shipped several seas. A great quantity of water poured down
into the forehold, the hatches having been left open, as there
were about 300 pigs in it. There were about 350 pigs on
deck, and ii order to lighten the vessel the Captain directed
all hands to exert themselves to throw them overboard. Exert
themselves they did, till four o'clock in the morning ; but
overboard it was impossible to get the pigs—in the language
of one on board, " they clung to the vessel as if they were
destined to be her destruction," and she leaned so much,
that the sailors were unable to attack them with effect. One
man, however, contrived to seize two of them in his arms,,
and throw them over the side. lip to four o'clock ota
Saturday morning, they managed, by means of the air
or engine pumps, to work the hold tolerably cleat
of the water that was shipped, but at that hour somO
small coal got into the pumps and choked them. The water
then rose rapidly until, reaching the level of the fire,
it rushed in and extinguished it. The engines no longer
moved, and all was given up for lost. Even the stout heart
of some of the sailors failed them—they seemed completelil,
paralysed. Many of them, however, held out, nod all thail
man could do the Captain did to encourage and to help the '
The scene in the cabin was not without its interest. Wit i
m
one exception, all was silcoce—we might say, despair. Bu
one voice was to be heard—and that the voice of a woman
The passengers had quitted their beds. They were congregate
in the ladies' cabin, and there, amid the terrors of the stor ,
and the roarings of art ocean that threatened every instant t
engulph them, a lady's voice ascended to heaven for mercy
That lady was Mrs. Lawe. Nothing could exceed the mag •
nanimity of this lamented woman. She endeavoured to cher.:
her companions in misfortune, and some of the sailors wb
went down to the cabin she exhorted not to be daunted, but tq
put their trust in God, who could protect them on the sea as
well as the shore. During the whole time that she was en-
gaged in prayer (the passengers:deck and cabin, assembled
around her) she held one of her husband's hands clasped in
her's, and this she eontinned until, the vessel having neared
the tatal rock, the steward ran down, and called to them to go
on deck—that they were all lost !
While matters proceeded thus in the cabin, the sailors and
some of the deck passengers were engaged in endeavouring
with buckets to lighten the vessel of some of th 7 water in the
hold, and after several hours' hard work they had so far suc-
ceeded as to be able about 12 o'clock on Saturday to get the
steam partly up again. They were at this time utterly igno-
rant of where they were, or whither they were going, for the
hi,' was so dense that no object was visible ; they endeavoured
to keep the vessel's head to the wind, but after some time they
found that they were going to leewerd. The jib-sail was
then set, in order to keep her steady, but no sooner was it run
out than it was blown into ribboas. About three o'clock the
fog cleared away, and they saw land behind them, but what
land it eel they could not tell; one -took it for Pi nor Head—
another for Roche's Tower, and the Captain, we believe, for
Kinsale Head. It was then blowing a complete hurricane ;
the coast was covered with rocks, and they saw that if they
drifted towards it destruction was inevitable. By the Cap-
tain's orders the mainsail was set, and the engine-men were
directed to do their utmost to.get up the steam in order to
keep her off. The steam unfortunately was so weak as to be
of no assistance—it scarcely moved the crank ; and the sail
had to be hauled-down lest it should throw her on her beam
ends. 'I he stay-sail was then tried in the hope that it would
enable them to round the Point, but they could not haul it
cut. Mr. Foster then pointed out a Bay, which he said was
Roberts' Cove, and recommeneld the Captain to run the vi s-
sel in there, as there was a boat harbour in it, and beach her.
The Captain said he did riot think there was a her Lour there,
" bat all events it would be imeosaible to make it. The vessel
w..s all this time drifting nearer the rock on which atte ulti.
mately struck, anal in about an hour after Mr. Foster had
given the recoannendation alluded to, the Captain got the
vess=l round and endeavoured to make for Roberts' Cove.
Just as he had got her before the wind, ho:vev,r; she was
.I,oepc dby a tremendous sea, w Lich carried away the taffrail,
taffrail-rail, the wheel, End the two men who worked it (John
Price tied James Artfell) the companion, the binnacle, and
th • breakwater. Price and Artfell fornratcly caught part of
the riming and were saved, but the sea which did the damage
cirri, d away the bulwarks, tlith some of the steerege passen-
gers who were standing near the funnel, and cleared the deck
of all the pigs that were on it.
I: was whoa the vessel was near the rock, and before she
put abort, that the stewa:d went clown to cell the cabin pa--
sengars on duck, and they were on their way up when the sea
pissed over the vessel. A second sea succeeded almost im-
mediately, and scarcely had Mr. Lawe and Mr. Nicolai
steaped on the quarter deck when they were hurried over-
board. Mr. Lawe was taken iu the " break" of the sea. and
dashed, his head downward, against the paddle-fox, by which
it is supposed his brains must have been beaten cut ; Mr.
Nicelai was taken up, whirled round several times as if in a
whirlpool, and swept away. The se two seas had the effect of
bringing her bead somewhat to a indward again, when a third
pea rapidly succeeded and drove her en the rock. It was C.eti

between four and five o'clock. The first stroke she gave, the
carpenter (James M,.son) jumped on it, as did also a deck pas-
, stinger, but the 1 indieg place was se narrow that there was not
room for both, and the latter fell into the eater and w• s
drowned. After striking, the vessel receded ; she soon struck
ag in, and continued recet;ing and striking for some time, during
whi, 1: s nne of the sailors, the first irate ( G. Rcse), and the Cap-
taM larded. When the latter got on the rock, a rope was thrown
to Lim an to the mate. i hat they might endeavour to keep the ves-
sel to the rock. Most—we believe all=of the sailors and some
of the pa:sengers were saved in this way, only one landing
at a trre. The steward (Michael Sheehan, a native of Cork)
rerambled along the ve,sel to look for Mrs. ,awe. He found
h. ron the deck near the funnel, calm and collected. Hs
brought her to the quarter.gallery (the part of the vessel at
that moment striking), and, looslog' the rope, he handed it to
her and directed her to bold it, and, when the vessel next
struck, to leap into the sea and they would drag her to the
rock. She did so, and was drawn up part of the rock, but
having let go the rope, and the wave returning immediately,
she was carried away when it receded, and never seen again.
Sheehan leaped almost at the same moment with Mrs. Lawe.
and was saved. The last persons that left the vessel were a
sailor. ar:d a women—the latter supposed to he the stewardess.
She appeared to be senseless, and the sailor, who seemed to
have brought her front the cabin, had her in his arms. He
leaped from the vessel, and reached the rock, the woman un-
der one arm. hut the footing was narrow, and the rock was
shelving. He had roam for little more than his toes, and
was obliged to endeavour to hold one with the fingers of one
hand, but the weight of the woman inclining him backwards,
they were carried off in the same manner as Mrs. Lawe. Had
not the sailor endeavoured to save the stewardess, the poor
fellow might unquestionably have saved himself.
As soon as Sheehan loosed the rope to give it to Mrs.
Lawe, the vessel, having nothing to confine her, swung
round, and the next sea that struck her drove her against the
rock : her deck opened, she divided in two, fore and aft, and
all t' at had been unable to quit her in order to reach the rock
perished. In an hour after, with the exception of the engine
and the paddle-wheel, not a vestige of the vessel or of her
machinery was visible.
There were about 25 persons oe the rock. The sailors had
contrived to clamber to the sheltered side, but the situation
of the passengers was pitiable in the extreme. Mr. Foster,
who had on but a shirt and waistcoat, was seated astride on a
projection of the rock, his face towards the sea. Under him
was Mr. Collis, his back to the sea, his toes resting on a
narrow ledge, and his fingers clinging in a crevice. Along-
side the latter, was the engineer, Nl'Carthur; next to whom,
side by side, were Dr. Spolasco, Mary Leary, and Sheehan, the
latter lying on his face and hands, and every sea washing over him.
Over them, were the steward's brother (Ward), the Captain,
the Mate, a boy in care of pigs for the Messrs. Adams, and
the cabin-boy. The persons on the side next the land ob-
serving some ;country people—about eighteen or twenty—
they shouted to them, hoping to attract their attention, but
there was no answer. The probability is that the shout never
reached the land, but they saw the people subsequently de-
scend and carry off some of the pigs that had been washed
ashore. Night then came on. About I I o'clock the wind
rose and blew terrifically, but amid the raging of the storm a
startling shriek was heard. Poor young Foster had lost his
hold, and tumbling headlong immediately past his friend, Mr.
Collis, his neck was heard to crack on the hard rock, and he
tumbled into the sea I
He was not the first, however, that fell. The engineer,
M‘Carthur, some time previously had called to his companions
that he was unable to hold on any longer. He put his
hands into his pockets in order to warm them, but just as he
did so, a sea washed him from his slender footing. As he
passed he made a grasp at Dr. Spolasco. Had he caught
him both must have perished, but he only touched him. He
contrived to catch part of the rock, however, about twenty
feet lower down, by which he held on for some time, every
sea washing over him, and eventually succeeded in regaining
the position he had lost. Soon after Mr. Foster fell, Ward,
who 11", tom dirov, • asleep, was heard to fall—then fol-
lowed_ ' boy—and then, towards morning,
the '
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11

with some difficulty clambered
sheltered side. Some of the
on the cliff and resumed the
followed by a number of the
ladies, and then were put into
tr deliverance which we have al-

lk,l 13.

ready described, and which it would be unnecessary to repeat
here. In the course of the day, worn out by hunger and
fatigue, M'Carthur the engineer, and Jephson the black cook.
died. Here the survivors had to remain until Monday. Their
sufferings it would be impossible to describe, and their agony,
when they saw the attempt to rescue them on Sunday
abandoned—when darkness settled down upon the deep,
and they could no longer distinguish the figures of the
persons on the cliff above them, it would not be easy to
imagine. Their sole sustenance during the two te-
dious days and nights that they were doomed to this
dismal destiny, was a little salt water and the few scraps of
sea-weed that they could gather from one of the bleakest and
most barren rocks on the coast. The number rescued from
the rock was fourteen, one of whom (the carpenter) died soon
after ; two others were lost from the breaking of the rope, and
one (a sailor) was drowned in the attempt to swim ashore.
We omitted to mention the death of Dr. Spolasco's son ; he
was the first that fell from the rock.
When landed they seemed all in a state of collapse. The
respiration was perfect, but all their feet were swollen, and the
circulation was scarcely perceptible.
Mr. Hull, who suggested the plan by means of which their
lives were saved, is, we regret to state, very unwell in conse-
quence of his exertions at the wreck, climbing the cliffs,
throwing slings, &c., on Sunday ; he is confined to his bed.
Many distinguished themselves by their humanity and acti-
vity on the same occasion.

We fear there has been another wreck off the coast, but we
have no further information than that conveyed in the follow-
ing letter addressed to Sir William Daniels:—
" Crosshaven, Jan. 24, 1838.

" Sir—l beg leave to inform you (through Mr. Hull's in-
telligence) that hg has picked up the stern-board of a boat
marked ' Ring, Burke, and Barry,' and that the boat is in pos-
session of some people there, and that several shoes were found
in her.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant,
" HENRY RICH GLYNN, Lt. R.N.
" Captain Sir W. Daniels, &c. &c., Core.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW.
Morning ..—.... 39 ifainutes after 6 1 Evening 6 minutes after 7

ANTI-SPOTTISWOODE SUBSCRIPTION
Subscriptions to defeat the purpose of the Spottiswoode
Confederacy continue to be received at—
Messrs. COCKS and BIDDULPHS, 4.1, Charing-cross.
Messrs. BOUVERIE and Co., 11, Haymarket.
Messrs. PRESCOTT, GROTE and Co., 62, Threadneedle-street.
Messrs. LADBROKE, KINGSCOTE and Co., Bank-buildings.
J. E. HOVENDEN, Chairman of Corn-
mittee of Managment.

British Coffee-house, Jan, 29.

This day, price Is. 6d., with a Preface,
TAO R D BROUGHAM'S SPEECH on
CANADA.

James Ridgway and Sons, Piccadilly.
Also, Is. each,

. LORD BROUGHAM on tile BUSINESS ofPARLIANIENT
I. On IMPRISONMENT for DEBT.
On the CIVIL LIST.

The publication ti Tun SUN NEWSPAPER commenced this day
at 31) minutes past Three o' Clock.

LONDON:
WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 31, 1833

The public have had many proofs of that suspicion
and dislike which the faction, arrogating to itself the
title of " Conservative," entertain towards the youthful
and amiable Sovereign who fills the throne of these li
realms, and her Royal Parent.
,The Duchess of
KENT,, by educating the QUEEN in constitutional
principles, and thus laying the foundation of her glory
in the liberty and happiness of her subjects, may be
said, to have deserved the hatred of a party, whose
constant aim it has been to curtail the liberties, and
destroy the happiness of the people, and who now
feel that, their career is checked. The reason,
therefore, why the has, been made the object of the
' brutal attacks of the Tory press, is obvious enough.
But what short of the most gratuitous and fiendish
malignity can prompt this base and un-English faction
to point their slanderous shafts against the heart
of a Sovereign, whose youth and innocence alone,
had she no other claims on their regard, ought to be
a wall of defence around her !

These remarks have been suggested by an article
in the Times of this morning, in which the frequency
of Lord MELBOURNE'S visits to the Palace is com-
mented upon in a strain worthy of that Journal. That her
MAJESTY's Ministers should he in high favour at Court
is a circumstance not calculated, we can well believe,
to give much satisfaction to the Times and its clique,
especially as the cxclu.;ion of the same Ministers from
all social intercourse with the late KING was so often
charged upon them by the same parties as a
high crime and misdemeanour. But surely it
.were enough to gratify rancour if the vials of
wrath were poured upon the heads of the guilty ser-
vants, and their Royal Mistress allowed to escape
the foulness of the calumnies in which the or-
gans of the party delight to deal. The writer to
whom we hare alluded, in drawing a contrast be-
tween the two Queens, ELIZABETH and VICTORIA,
uses the following expressions :—" She (Elizabeth)
hadtoo much self-respect and cherished too zvi.s.ely
the respect of others, to degrade Lord Bur-
leigh into a Groom of the Chambers, or subject
him to be spoken of—could suck a man have been so
spoken of—as a mere dangler after thefrivnlous cour-
tesies of the drawing-room or budoir. It is enough
.fir the Queen of England to sec her official servants
in the Council-chamber or hall of audience : her Ma-
jesty should there alone listen to them."
Here is a fine specimen of that chivalrous loyalty
which is so often claimed as the exclusive attribute
of Toryism ! Here the Queen of ENGLAND, whom
this organ of party virulence, no longer ago than
yesterday, besmeared with the most fawning and ful-
some flattery, is broadly accused of having no respect
for herself, and no regard to the respect of others. The
assassin, before he gives the stab, smiles in the face of
his victim.

One would have thought that the angry passions
excited in this country, by the undue preference given
to a particular religion, Would have made even the
High Church party doubt whether they should be ex-
tended to the Colonies. Some men, however, will
never learn wisdom from experience, and Sir ROBERT
ID/GUI is now the conspicuous leader of that class.
He regrets that in all the treaties with the French
Canadians a preference was given to their religion,
and thinks the time is arrived when, by the union of
all the British possessions in North America, the Le-
gislature ought to make the Protestant religion promi-
nent—in other words, the established religion of the
country. So that, to the various questions for angry
discussion arising out of the unsettled state of Canada,
he would add another—and one, too, which, in every
country, has been found the most difficult to settle or
compromise. With an unreformed House of Com-
mons, and the party of the true Eldon school in power,
such a plan possibly would have been carried. Their
idea of High Church Supremacy obliterates every
glimmering of common sense, when this topic is brought
under discussion. They close their eyes to the fact
that the great majority of Lower Canada are Catholics—
that the great majority of Upper Canada are Catholics
or Presbyterians—and that, taking in all the five pro-
vinces, the members of the Episcopal English Church
would form an inconsiderable minority. It would be
edifying to hear the Member for Dublin, if Sir
ROBERT INGLis'would make a motion on the subject.

Our attention has been directed to a very clever
pamphlet by Mr. CHARLES CLARK, a Barrister, en-.
titled a " Few More Words upon Canada," in which
the question of the dispute between the Colony and
the Mother-country is very fairly and impartially