The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-08 00:00:00

Another fearful catastrophe at sea to a transport
ship with detachments of the 27th Regiment on
board, bound to Calcutta, from Queenstown, was
made known yesterday at Lloyd's, through private
accounts received at the Jerusalem Coffee-house,
which, it will be seen, was accompanied with la-
mentable loss of human life. The unfortunate
vessel was the British ship Charlotte, of London,
owned by Mr. Mews, timber-merchant, of Rothehithe, 585 tens burden, and classed in Lloyd's
register as A 1 for 13 years, having been built
in 1844.

" Algoa Bay, Wednesday, Sept. 20.
"The last 24 hours have presented a scene the parallel
to which has never been witnessed in Port Elizabeth. At
a quarter past 5 p.m. yesterday the British ship Char-
lotte, Capt. Affleck, commander, lying iu the bay, made
signal that she had parted au anchor and wanted another.
She was from Queenstown, with detachments of the'27th
Regiment, for Calcutta, and put into the bay two days
previous for fresh supplies and water. The officers of
the regiment on board %%ere C.iptain Stapyltee, Ceptain
Warner, Lieutenant Maguire, Eosign Wiiite, Dr. Kidd,
168 rank and file, 14 women, end 26 children. Her
wants were being supplied by the tank-boat,
.but had
not been completed b.ttore a heavy sea bloke into the
increased
towards with moderate southerly wind, which
towards noon, and being more to the S.E., a sig-
nal was made from the Port office for the Char-
lotte to strike her topgallantinests and yards, and
to be prepared for a gale, which was attended to
immediately. The wind freshened considerably, but
net to such an extent as to cause any anxiety
for the safety of the shipping, although the heavy sea
tolling
el
na,sng stopped all ceturuunicatiou with the shore.
Oa her
that she had parted her anchor the
harbour-master replied no assistance could be sent to her.
la about an hour afterwards she parted from her second
anchor, and !his was observed drifting northward, but
getting all sail on made an attempt to beat out of the bav,
and she stoodout to the eastward, apparently making gejid
way; but, having no. loretoptail bent (her topgallant-
masts being struck), it was impossible to stay her. In this
emergeucyshu beat down towards the bight, andalthoueli
but dimly visible, it was too evident she was losieg*
ground. At 8 o'clock the vessel stood towards the ship-
ping, and again attempted to wear; the wind, however,
by this time had fallen light, and, drifting, she went
ashore on the rucks, exactly opposite the flagstaff at the
end of the Jetty-street. As soon as possible tar-barrels
were collected and lighted, to inspire
,confidence, and
assist in directing operations. Mauby is apparatus was
directly brought down, and under the direction of
Lieutenant Simpson, of her Majesty's steamer Hydra,
a rope was thrown several times over the vessel, but
from some misunderstanding or want of rope the
communication was lost. In the meantime the ship
was fest settling down on the dangerous reef on
which she struck, and it was evident she would speedily
become a wreck. The lifeboat was then prepared,
and, a crew being collected it was pulled through the
breakers, and made its way, under the charge of Capt.
Salmond, to the wreck. On coming alongside it was
found that every one on board was completely paralysed.
or overcome by the calamity. There seven 1 tic e tl •
lifeboat pulled alongside, but there was ao one in a. posi-
tion even to cast a line in it, till at length the boat wt .s
dtivenback and stove amid the dangerous reefs which line
the beach, its crew barely escaping with their li, es. A
moment of terrible anxiety ensued. It was evident to
all assembled that the noble vessel was fast breaking up ;
the masts had gone, and the sea was making a com-
plete breach over her. By the glare of the watchfires
the hull of the wreck could just be observed, and its deck
crowded with groups of people—some half-dressed,
and holding forth in their arms infants and children,
screaming to the crowds of people collected on the
rock, and imploring their help to save them. The ago-
nising cries of the poor creatures announced that the
ship was going to pieces. A great number threw them-
selves overboard ; sore were fortunate enough to reach
the shore, but the majority were drowned. At about
1 o'clock the poop and stern parted from the vessel, and
was carried close in shore. A spar from the mizeninai4
projected over on to the rook, by which several sue-
• .eded in saving themselves by slipping down into the
sr.ns of the people. One account states that all col-
lected on the poop were saved, A great number of
soldiers were clinging to the fore part of the wrack. In
less than half an hour afterwards that portion of it
turned completely over, and every soul that was on it
perished. At daylight not a vestige of the ill-fated vessel
was to be seen where she was wrecked. A mass of
broken masts and timber, entangled in ropes and torn
sails, strewed the beach. Immediately search was then
made for the bodies of those who had perished. During
the morning 23 were found, a portion of whom were
interred in the church-yard before dark, followed by all
the troops in the garrison and a great number of the in-
habitants, All the children who were on board, except-
ing one, were drowned. Most of the women also pe-
rished. On tie survivors being mustered it was ascer-
tained that out of 163 rank and file about 118 were
saved."

Tire following is a list of those kn(wa to be saved, and
,t is trued it includes the whole :

Cabin Passengers.—Mrs. Short, M'Cabe, Steward,
Thomson, and Gillan ; Captains Stapylton and Warner,
Lieutenant Maguire, Ensign White, and Dr. Kidd.
Soldiers.—Brown (2), Smith, 'Welsh, Hinds' Flood,
Donelly, Cout, Collivan, Fitzgibbon, Linch, Forster,
Quiggly, CArr (2), Moran, Willy, Foy, Somers (2),
herde, M'Cabe, Collings, Lego. Bollard, Thomson,
Robertson (2), SPK.ny, Wocds, B .own, Brady (3). Way-
land, Donohue, Do ling, P.stri .k Kenna, Caron,
Wil.iatn Carr, Allridge, Smith, Hobbs, MAtiroc, Clarke,
O'Neal, }lngot, Burk (2), Cooly, ar, CAssady, Mar-
Kingan, M`Brien, lti`Qoarf. Elliot (3), Kenny,
Lindsay, William Thomson, J. Rielly (2), Steward, J.
O'Hara, Gillan. Short, Matthew Busiineid, iirant, R.
Smith, Welsh, Bartell, Fitzsainnionds, Gilbeece, Demp-
sey, Dyer, Ellis, Fair, Fleeney, Ferguson, Henderson,
Kelly, Kernon, Lawlor, Lee, Lennon, Lythe, M'Ma-
nus, M`Solley, Madan, Murrey, O'Hara, Shelton,
Sparks, Taylor, Walker, and IVard.

Of the crew, whiek consisted of 24, only Captain
Aftleck, his son, the first mate, ship's butcher, cook,
steward, and two others were saved.

The total drowned is thus stated :
Rank and fire
Women
Children
Crew

62
11
26
13

Lost ll7
The Charlotte was fully insured at Lloyd's. She had
a general cargo on board.

IVRITTINGTON CLUB.

A very crowded meeting of the members of the above
Literary Institution, was held yesterday evenieg in St.
Martin's Hall, in order to deliberate upon the best
means of carrying on the business of the Club during the
interval that must elapse before the effects of the late
calamitous fire can be repaired. Th• chair was taken by
Mr. Mechi.
The CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, observed
that, although they had met to discuss a great tempo-
rary misfortune, he trusted that through the energetic
action of the members, all that had happened would only
tend to the increased permanent welfare of the Clui.
(Hear, hear.) He had looked at their whole case simply
as a matter of business, and looking at the long term
of their lease, and the improving neighbourhood in
which their premises were situated, he believed that
everything was in their favour, and knowing that union
was strength, it gave him much pleasure to tke the
crowded meeting that had responded to the invitation
of the committee.

TArr then read the special report of the commit-
tee which, after recapitulating the circumstances of the
late fire, stated that the premises were insured by the
Duke of Norfolk for 10,0001., and the club property for
2,5001. There were'n years of the leaseey tto ru
which gave to the club a valuable beneficial interest.
The premises would of course he rebuilt, but the ma':
point for them then to consider was how temporary
accommodation could be provided during the interval.
They had for the present engaged a room at the Norfolk
Hotel, where the members would find an ample stock of
magazines and newspapers. The committee expressed
their regret at the face that Mr. Brace, their secretary,
had been a considerable loser by the fire, and that the
servants had by the same calamity been deprived of all
they possessed. A subscription for their relief had been
opened, and although only two days before the club, a
sum of 401. hod already been collected. (Cheers.)
The report proceeded to reecouunend several tempo.
rary arrangements. With respect to finance, the cow•
initsce had state that at the time of the fire the funds
were in a most satisfactory condition, the last half-year's
subscription having been 7001. against 380/. for the cor-
responding half-year of 1852. The balance hi hand Ivan
small, but the debt was unusually small, most of the
accounts having been paid as they accrued. The coin.
mittee while lamenting the loss the club had sustained
by the fire, believed that it would result in providing for
the members increased accommodation. (Cheers.) -
Mr. GIBSON moved the adoption of the report, with a
warm eulogiurn on the committee for the energy and
promptitude with which they had met the emergency.
On Saturday evening the cluk Was full of members, on
Sunday morning it was burned to the ground, ar,d ou
Monday morning their committee had provided them
saeoccooltaidsuedodthateiorne.s
witliirt.er,ApßouraorNy
olution, which was car-
riedunanimously.

The several stiggestions of the report were then Ft
seriatim, and after a short conversational discussion
uuani►nously agreed to.
Thanks were then given te'the p,..mnittee and nacre•
tary, and
Mr. YAP?, in the absence of Mr. Brace, returned
thanks ter the latter. lie wished it to be known that
to Mr. Brace's exertions the whole of the servants, 14 iu

. _
number, owed their lives on the oceasi, a of the late ire.
It had been erroneously stated that tht-y were saved by
the firemen, but the fact was that Mr. Brace wax tl •
person who had at the risk of his own life given then►
the alarm.
A. vote of thanks to the chairman was then pass ed by
acclamation, and the proceedings terminated.

--
THE PENINSULAR MAILS.—SOUTIIIIIPTON, The reday.
—The above mails left this afternoon by the Peninsular
and Oriental Company's steam ship, Madrid, C.tptatn
Cook. She had besides on hoard fifty-four past ‘engers,
amongst whom are Count Villa Real and Lie, Itensint
Gore. The Madrid's freight consists of 90,5001.
specie, and a very full cargo. The homeward lorti on
of this mail will arrive on or about the 14th inst. by 'the
Peninsular and Oriental Cowpony's Steam-ship, lib's*
Captain C. Boyce.