The Sun.
London, England, 1853-06-29 00:00:00

SHOCKING ACCIDENTS AT PORTSMOUTH.

AMPHION, 34, SCREW, CAPT. CHARLES G. E. PATET.
—A most frightful accident occurred on Monday evening
on board this ship. The facts are these :—At 6 p.m. a
general signal was made to strike topmasts, and send
down lower yards. In the execution of this order, in
lowering the maintopmast, the iron hook of the top
block broke. The block fell on deck, and struck down
two seamen, severely scalping one, and breaking the
ribs of the other. At this moment Captain Patey was
stooping over the men, when the iron hook (weighing at
least 141 b.) struck him on the top of the head, and laid
him senseless on the deck. An immediate signal was
made to the flag-ship for medical assistance, and the
Sprightly, Master Commander Allen was instantly
ordered to get up steam and proceed to Spithead with
the surgeon of the Victory ; previous to this, however,
the surgeons of the squadron, with praiseworthy en-
deavours, although blowing a gale of wind, hastened
on board the Arophion to render every assistance in
their power. Upwards of twelve of these gentle-
' men were speedily alongside. The case at first
looked hopeless ; in fact it was reported that Captain
j Patey was killed, as he was' perfectly insensible ;
at `three a.m. this morning a partial consciousness
returned, and he recognised his most distressed and
amiable wife, who was on board at the time of the
accident. A telegraphic message was sent off to London,
to the family surgeon, Mr. Brendon, of Highgate, and to
Mr. Paget of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, residing at
Henrietta-street. Both gentlemen hastened down by
and got on board by eight o'clock,
_and were per-
fectly satisfied with the treatment adopted by the naval
surgeons. Early this morning the Sprightly was again
ordered to bring Captain Patey and the wounded men
to Haslar Hospital. She went out of harbour at 10
a.m., and after some difficulty, owing to the tremen-
dous sea, succeeded in getting alongside the Amphion.
The greatest care and attention were paid in getting
Capt. Patey from the ship to the Sprightly, as well as the
wounded men. All was exceedingly well accomplished ;
and the captain in his cot laid gently on the skylight
cover, with an awning rigged over the gaff, which was
lowered for that purpose, Mrs. Patey being lowered in a
chair, and attending to her wounded husband. The
surgeon of the Amphion, Mr. Buchan, as well as the
assistant-surgeon, Dr. Colter, attended the removal
ashore. The Sprightly arrived in harbour at 1.40 p.m.
It is impossible to foretell the result of this melancholy
accident—it is enough to say that at this moment Capt.
Patey is sensibie, and that he will have the best of me-
dical treatment. The Amphion was commissioned at
Sheerness about six months since. The names of the
wounded men are James Stewart and W. Connell.
EDINBURGH., 58, SCREW, CAPTAIN HEWLETT.—We
fear there is but little hope left for the unfortunate offi-
cers missing from the above ship, which we noticed in
our yesterday's journal—Lieut. Lambert and Assistant
j Surgeon Merrey. Nothing has been heard of them, and
we too much fear they have met with a watery grave, in
their anxiety to get on boarkand in trusting themselves
to the care of young and inexperienced watermen. They
were " reported" yesterday as " missing," and were last
seen, we are informed, in Bath-square, Portsmouth, on
Sunday night, about to go off to Spithead to join their
ship. Fragments of a wherry and spars floated ashore
yesterday morning, and were picked up by the Coast-
guard on duty at the Southsea Castle station, but up to
this time we have not heard of the bodies having been
picked up.
On Sunday evening two men, named Miller and Cox,
were drowned at Spithead by the upsetting of their
boat.