The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-18 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE QUEEN VICTORIA STEAMER,

INQUEST ON FOUR OF THE SUFFERERS.
The remains of two females aged respectively about
thirty and forty-five years of age, and of two male chil-
dren, having been washed ashore at How th on Monday
evening, they were conveyed to Kingstown by the Nep-
tune steamer to await a coroner's inquest, it having been
considered most convenient to hold the inquiry into the
mysterious loss of this ill-fated vessel in the board room
of the police office in that town. At twelve o'clock, on
Wednesday, Mr. Davis, county coroner was in attend-
ance, and swore a respectable jury.
The coroner and the jury then proceeded to view the
bodies, which were lying in a large yard close to the ter-
minus of the railway. The remains of the two women
and one of the chiidren were not identified, but those
of the other child, John Reardon, were pointed out
by its father, a dealer from Nottingham, who appeared
to be suffering from the deepest emotion, the poor man
having lost his wife and three children in the wreck.
There were also in attendance several of the passengers
who had the good fortune to escape with their lives ; but
it is deeply to be deplored that ten of them, including a
young female but recently married, and whose husband
was one of the many who met a watery grave, are at
present in the most destitute condition, and are solely
dependent upon the bounty of a few humane and chari-
table persons who subscribed a small sum to keep them
from further suffering or actual starvation, an their pro-
perty and clothes having gone down with the wreck.
The jury then returned to the police-station where
Mr. J. A. Curran, with Mr. C. Fitzgerald as agent, ap-
peared for the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company.
Mr. Howell, the secretary, and Mr. Gray, the agent of
the Chester and Holyhead Company, were also present
during the proCeedings, together with several clergymen
and resident gentry. The body of the court was densely
crowded.

The first witness examined was John Reardon, of
Nottingham, the father of one of the children who
had been drowned, upon whose body the inquest
was held. He gave his evidence in a low melan-
choly tone of voice. He said—l am a dealer. I have
seen those bodies ; one of them is the body of my
child, John Reardon. He was a year and nine months
old. I saw him alive last about two o'clock on Tuesday
morning. I left Liverpool at half-past two o'clock on
last Monday, on board the steamer Queen Victoria, for
Dublin. My wife, child, and brother accompanied me.
I cannot say how many passengers were on board. I was
in bed when the boat struck. That was about two or
half-past two o'clock. There were two very violent
shocks. I and some others got up and dressed ourselves
partly, and went upon deck. I then saw a large rock,
very high, and the fore part of the vessel on it. I could
not say that the lower part of the rock on which the
vessel was was dry. I heard an order given to back the
vessel. The vessel was then backed off the rock into
deep floating water. The ship, as soon as she was
backed into deep water, commenced sinking. She
was about five minutes on the rock. After I went on
deck I was standing on the quarter-deck. When the ves-
sel commenced to sink, the captain ordered all hands on
deck, but before he did so, he ordered the vessel to
be steered towards the rock. She was in deep
water at the time. He immediately ordered the boats
to be lowered. The boats at that time were un-
covered. The boats were not in the position for lower-
ing. When the boats were lowered several people
jumped into them. There was a great deal of
scrambling to get in. I escaped by swimming to the rock.
I had to swim about 100 yards. The child who is now
dead was on my knee when the water swept me off the
vessel. I thought to get back to the vessel to my wife
and child, but the waves struck me in the face and pre-
vented me. The sea was perfectly calm.. Had it not
been calm I could never have reached the shore, and not
a soul could have been saved. There was a little snow
falling at the time. I believe my wife is lost. I cannot
say anything about the vessel's striking, as I was in the
cabin at the time. When the vessel struck, and was fast
on the rock, if the captain had allowed the people
to walk on the rocks, I believe both passengers and crew
would have been saved, and it is also very likely that
the vessel and cargo could have also been saved.
Mr. Curran—That is only your opinion.
Witness—l am quite certain the passengers could all
have been saved.
To a Juror—The captain, I believe, was on deck. I
heard some persons exclaim, " Let us step on the rock,"
but I do not know who they were speaking to.
To Mr. Curran—l was not near the captain at the
time. It was not foggy. I could see the rock ,quite
plain. It was very high. I do not believe the water
was washing the rock. It was under the lighthouse
I got ashore, about 100 yards from the place where the
vessel struck.
To a Juror—The fore part of the vessel was on the
rock. I heard the captain say "Back her." The ropes
of the boats were all tangled, and they had to be cut.
Seven, besides myself, swam to the place where I got on
the rocks.
To a Coroner—l saw three or four sailors on deck ; I
did not notice that any of them were drunk.
Examination continued—l observed the boats before
the vessel struck. The boats were in an improper posi-
tion for lowering ; those on the quarter-deck rested on
the deck. I consider that all boats should be slung. I
think the boats at the paddle-box were in slings.
To Mr. Curran—The boats that were on the quarter-
deck were slung on the davits, although resting on the
deck.
To the Coroner—l cannot say who ordered the vessel
to be backed. After several evolutions, she went out
into deep water. I think we went out too far, much
farther than I liked. She then commenced to sink in
the bow ; she was then turned round again to the land,
and her bow pointed to the Bailey Light.
Matthew Maguire, another passenger, deposed—l
came from Liverpool. I was lately superintendent of
police for Howden, near Hull. • I was a deck passenger
on board the Queen Victoria, on Monday last. I passed
the greater part of the night in the cook-house. When
the accident happened it was between two and three
o'clock on Tuesday morning. I was then at the bow ;
it was snowing a little at the time ; there was no person
between the paddle-boxes and the bow of the vessel but
myself. I was standing there about 10 minutes before
the vessel struck. When I passed the paddle-box I ob-
served something like a black cloud before the vessel. I
thought it was too low for a cloud, and was just consi-
dering it was the land, when I heard some one (I think,
from his size, he was the mate, but am not sure), on the
bridge between the two paddle-boxes cry out twice,
" Stop her, stop her." The vessel was immediately
stopped. She was then going at the rate of about ten
knots an hour. I then saw the snow on the sides of the
rocks, which were perpendicular, and perceived at once
she was too close to them to be saved from being smashed
to pieces. I seized hold of the top-gallant forecastle, and
I received a shock when the vessel first struck that
loosened my hold. She fell back after the first shock,
but pitched on to the rock a second time. I then knew
that it was the bottom of the vessel, under the bows,
that was injured. The snow was on the sides of the
rocks. I cannot say there was any standing room on the
rock. If there were, I would have jumped on to it.
There was no look-out from the bow of the vessel. The
mate, I believe, was in his proper place on the bridge.
If the mate had not stopped the engines when he did, we
must have been smashed to pieces. The snow was not
very heavy. It was clearing off. I could not see the
Bailey light, but I could see the Kish lights plainly. I
saw the light when we backed out, and it was an ex-
ceedingly brilliant one. I did not look in the direction
of the light before the vessel struck.
To Mr. Curran—The bow of the vessel was raised
when we struck. It would have been more judicious to
have let the vessel stay where it was. If that had been
done, the vessel and cargo might have been saved.
To the Coroner—l did not see any of the sailors
drunk.
To a Juror—l do not know who said "Back her ;" it
was all confusion. When she struck I did not see the
captain on the deck. I think it was the mate who was
on the bridge, but I am not certain.
To the Coroner—l do not think the lead was heaved
at all.

A Juror here remarked that the course was so well
known that there was no occasion for heaving the lead.
Mr. Curran—There is something very extraordinary
about this light. The witness said he saw something
black, but was not able to see any light.
The Coroner said that lights in foggy weather were of
little use, except a bell was attached to them.
Charles Ralph, of Wicklow, a seafaring man, who
exerted himself in the most exemplary manner during
the frightful catastrophe, was the next witness examined.
He said—l am a sailor, and was in the Revenue service
for a short time. I have been at sea, and in the Coast
Guard boats since I was a boy. I was on board the
Queen Victoria on Monday. I was a deck passenger,
and was " forard," with my arm on the starboard anchor,
before she struck. It was very thick at the time—l
mean there was a snow storm. I knew we were very
near the Bailey, and was looking for the light. 'I
was close up to the topgallant forecastle. I saw the
Kish light for a long time broad on our larboard
bow. It was a very fine night before it commenced to
snow. It was snowing very heavily over the Bailey at
the time. I was looking out for the Bailey light, and '
could not see it. I am sure the light was obscured by the
thickness of the atmosphere. From the place where we ,
were we could have seen the light if the weather was
clear. I thought we were steering clear in between the
Kish and the Bailey. An accident happened on board
to a young man a short time before the vessel struck.
I saw another young man who was walking on the deck
on the 100k-out. I did not see two men on the bows on
the look-out. In sailing vessels we always had a man
looking out in the forward part of the vessel, but then in
those vessels there is no bridge. I did not see any per-
sons on the 100k-out at the bows of the Queen Victoria
before she struck. Ido not think the speed was slack-
ened before the order was given to stop her. I did not
see the lead thrown. I think they should have had men
on the bows, and that the speed should have been slack-
ened, particularly in thick weather, if they supposed
they were near land. I attribute their not seeing the
light at the Bailey to the snow, which was falling heavily
over the light at the time,
Mr. Curran—Do you think they should have slack-
ened their speed if they were in their proper course.
Witness—l think they should have slackened the].r
speed when they saw the Kish light, and knew they
were approaching the land, the weather being so very
thick.

The Coroner said that as it would be perfectly impos-
sible to get through all the evidence in one day, he would
suggest, it being then five o'clock, that the inquiry should
be adjourned either to the next day, or to some other
occasion, when it would be convenient for all the wit-
nesses to attend. At the same time, however, if there
were any of the passengers present who wished to make
any remark, he was willing to hear them.
Campbell, the celebrated diver, who is in the employ.
ment of the Ballast-office, was sent tollowth, and it

wa3 hoped he would have been enabled to make eade: