The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-20 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE EUROPA

The following official copies of the &positions, taken
at Gibraltar, by the survivors from the Europa, have
been sent to us for publication :
City, Garrison, and Territory of Gibraltar.
Lieutenant and Adjutant Archibald Weir saith, —That he is
a lieutenant adjutant of the 6th Dragoons. About 10 p.m. on
the night of the st May the steward of the Europa came to
the cabin which I occupied, and informed me that the ship
was on fire. I immediately went on to the quarter-deck and
asked Colonel Moore if he had any orders to give. Ilia reply
was, that ho had not got any orders to give, except to keep
the men quiet and prevent them from getting into the boats.
Dr. M‘Griggor and myself endeavoured to do so, but the boats,
I believe, were lowered by some of the crew. This might
have been about 20 minutes after I had heard the alarm of
fire. I never saw the gig go away, but when the colonel de-
sired me to prevent the men from taking the boats I disco-.
vered she was gone. I consider that my men were obed cut
to orders until they saw the boats lowered and pulling away
from the ship, when they endeavoured to 'get into them. I
left the ship, having been pushed into the boat with Lieut.
Black, Dr. M'Griggor,. Cornet Timson, and the second mate,
several soldiers and crew, with a woman, amounting iu num-
ber to 27. I heard that one of the crew 4ut the boat adrift
to prevent her from swamping. After drifting about for
about an'hour.we were taken in tow by the Admiralty agent's
gig, in which were the first and third mate, the clerk, and
two-of the ship's crew. We got on board the Kennet Kings-
ford schooner about midnight. I h6ard Mr. Black urge the
captain of the schooner to tun down to the wreck, but he
said he was afraid of the fire and of her blowing up. I also
asked the man to go down to her, and at the same time inquired
what had become of the boats. The first mate replied, that.
they had gone adrift. I do not know how that happened,
and was astonished to hear it, and expressed my astonish-
ment, as they might have been used in saving the people on
the wreck. We remained 'in the schooner until taken on
board her Majesty's ship Tribune. I know nothing of the
origin of the fire, but heard Private Nugent say that one of
the seamen's berths was on fire the previous day, and I re-
ported the circumstance to Capt. Carnegie.
A. WEIR, Lieutenant and Adjutant,
6th Dragoons.

Taken and sworn before us—
S. PAGET, J.P.
G. GREY, J.P.

City, Garrison, and Territory of Gibraltar.
George Nugent, private 6th Dragoons, saith —That I am
a private in the tith Dragoons. I assisted in putting a
fire out in one of the seamen's berths at 11 o'clock a.m. of
the morning of the 31st of May. I am not certain whether
it was on the morning or the day before the fire. The fire
consisted of the!burning of a pair of woollen stockings which
were
,ignited by a pipe, but extinguished' immediately with
two tins of water.

GEORGE NUGENT.

Taken and sworn before us—
S. PAGET, J.P.
G. GREY, J.P.

AN EXPLANATION BY THE CHIEF MATE OF THE STATE-
MENTS MADE BY LIEUTENANT BLACK, MR. GARDNER
(MASTER), AND LIEUTENANT AND ADJUTANT WEIR,

WHICH WERE READ TO HIM.

Joseph Ginder (chief mate) states,--When I came aft on
the poop for priming for a gun, I found that the powder
canisters had been removed from where I left them. The
quarter boats had been lowered, and there was great confu-
sion among the troops and seamen, several of whom were en-
deavouring to lower the stern boat. There were about four
or five men in the boat at this time lowering the starboard
side, and I looked over the stern and saw that the gripe was
not cast off ; the starboard tackle was then let go, and the
stern of the boat fell in the water. By the sudden jerk of the
boat falling I was pitched into her, but endeavoured to reach
the deck of the ship by climbing up the tackle, but could not
do it, as when I was about to catch hold of the bumpkin my
hand slipped, and I fell in the water a second time. The bow
tackle was then cut or let go ; we were then adrift, and the
boat half-full of water. The ship was going about four knots
through the water. We had nothing but a pair of slippers
with which to bale the water out of the boat. I picked up a
boat with Lieutenant Black and 26 men, and towed them to
the Kennet Kingsford schooner. The reason for my not re-
turning to the burning vessel was that the boats were cast
adrift by some person on board the schooner.
JOSEPH GINDER.

Taken before us—
S. PAGET, J.P.
G. Ga', J.P.

City, Garrison, and Territory of Gibraltar.
Lieutenant John Riedy Black, saith,—That as near as I can
recollect, about 10 o'clock of the evening of the 31st, I had
just gone to bed, when I heard the alarm of fire. I immedi-
ately got up, ran below to the main deck, where I found the
second mate busy with the hose, and the soldiers passing water
along in the buckets. Both the master and chief mate were
busy in the fore peak, where the fire had originated, trying to
extinguish the fire, but so rapid was the progress of the fire
that they were obliged to come on deck. The master then
came to me and told me there was no chance of saving the
ship. I then thought that the best thing I could do was
to see about the boats, when both soldiers and sailors leaped
into the quarter-boats, and they were under no coutrol what-
ever. I heard the master distinctly say that these men would
no doubt be a!1 drowned I then looked over the stern, and
found my gig gone. About 10 minute;, and about 20 from
the first alarm, there as a boat on the skids, abaft the main-
mast, weighing, about Iwo tons, and which was too heavy to
be got overboard ; there was also another boat on the star-
board side of the quarterdeck, which we turned up, and,
with a great deal of difficulty, we lifted it up on the poop
rail, when I got into it, and was launched overbo ,rd with
the intention of preventing confusion and hanging on
astern. Tho second mate was also in this boat, and
hailed the master to send him some oars, as there were none
in the boat ; but this the master refused to do, and said,
" But if we send you oars you will leave us." Both quarter-
boats had left the ship full of men, and were out of sight,
the night being dark, with wind and rain. In the boat in
which I was we picked up 26 persons, but had no opportu-
nity of picking up others. In this boat the officers were
the adjutant, the surgeon, the cornet, and the second
mate. We were then let go from the ship, and in this
state, without oars, we were left to the mercy of the waves.
In consequence of seeing a light to windward, we all shouted
aloud, when the agent's gig came alongside and took us in
tow. I found in my gig the chief officer, the third officer, and
'the clerk ; Mr. Ginder, the first officer ; Mr. Stokes, the third
officer; and Mr. Noble, the clerk—there being but five per-
sons in all in this boat. She was a 24-feet boat. I should
have had no difficulty in taking 14 men more in her. We
were a mile from the ship when my gig came up with us. I
saw Colonel Moore several times on the poop and quarter-
deck during the fire. He appeared very cool and collected.
The flames were so violent that all discipline was at an end.
Had my gig remained alongside the ship many more men, in
my opinion, might have been saved. We were picked up by
the schooner Kennet Kingsford, with two other boats, making
in all 49 persons. I requested the captain of the schooner to
go down to the wreck and try to save some more men, but
this he refused, stating that he was afraid of the sparks from
the fire ; I being still under the impression that there were
several hands on the hen-coops and floating spars.
J. R. BLACK.

Taken and sworn before us—
G. Gas; J. P.
S. PAGET, J. P.

City, Garrison, and Territory of Gibraltar.
William Gardiner saith,—That I was master of the transport
'Europa. At 10 p.m., on the night of the 31st ult., the colonel
and myself were sitting by the cabin table, when the alarm of
fire was given; and I immediately ran below, and found fire
blazing in the store-room in the front peak. I went inside the
store-room myself, and, with the chief mate, I threw water on
the fire, which was passed tons by the soldiers. The fire had com-
plete hold of the ship, and our efforts wore in vain. Finding I
could not put out the fire, I went on dock, and told Lieut.
Black, the Admiralty agent, that it was impossible to save the
ship ; but in order to save lives we bore up for a bark and a
brig. I then went on the poop, and gave the necessary orders,
which were obeyed, and directed the seamen to clear away,
but not to lower the boats. At this time the chief mate was
clearing out the magazine, and the second mato superintend-
ing the force pump below. The soldiers at that time appeared
to be alarmed, and some of them attempted to get into the
boats. They were immediately ordered back by the colonel
and myself, which the men obeyed. To prevent the men from
doing so again we called the adjutant, who was there, and de-
sired him not to allow any soldiers in the boats, as they would
be lost. I them with the intention of going below again,
went with Col. Moore to see whether the force pump was used
with any effect. We had got on the quarter-deck from the
poop, when I heard by the sound that both quarter boats
were lowered. I immediately ran to the mizen rigging close
to the boats' davits, and observed to Dr. M'Griggor, who was
standing there, that those men were certainly lest. Imme-
diately afterwards I looked aft, and saw that the wheel was
deserted., and went there myself. I heard the lowering of the
Admiralty agent's boat, she being let go by the run. At that
time I had no idea what was in the boat. She appeared to get
away from the ship instantly, and I had no opportunity of
calling her back, as she disappeared so quickly. Col. Moore
was standing by me at the time. Judging by what the other
boats carried, I think this one could have taken 14 mon, I
de not recollect seeing the third mate and clerk at all. I
called for them at different times, but cannot say they heard
me. The first mate, with the boatswain, exerted themselves
in getting the powder out of the magazine. The last time I
saw the chief mate he was on the poop, clearing away a
gun by my orders, with the idea of making a signal.
The magazine was in the after part of the ship, and
the powder from which had been removed to the poop
peck. After tho gig was lowered and gone I called out to the
chief mate and ship's company ; the second mate answered
me with two mon. I asked them where the chief mato was,
and the second mate replied he did not know. He then with
the greatest exertions got the spare quarterboat, stowed on
the skids of the quarterdeck, on to the poop. Communica-
tion with the gangway was then cut off. She was then
launched off the poop into the water by the men, Mr. Black
and the cornet being the only people in her. Mr. Black,
from his age, would otherwise have been unable to get into
the boat. She was then dropped astern by a rope's end.
The second matetheu came to me, and told mo it was the last
opportunity to get away from the ship, and asked me to go
with him. I gave him permission, but refused to go myself,
as I was still steering the ship. Colonel Moore was standing
by me all the time. I pointed out to him that this might be
the last opportunity, but did not urge him myself to go, but
heard some of his own men do so. The colonel replied that
ho would do as I did, and asked what I intended to do. I
replied, that we would save the men if possible, by setting
down to the vessels to leeward, but while ono remained by
the wreck I would not desert her, there being between 20
and 30 souls still on board, and one woman among them.
The last boat, with the Admiralty agent, left about half-past
11 o'clock, the colonel having replied to any last remark by
saying " Do what you can for us, and I will stick by you to
the last." His men then said, " All the officers are gone,
and you, being an old man, ought to go also." He replied,
" I don't care, although they are all gone I will not leave
you." When the boat with the Admiralty agent dropped
astern the second mate then got into her, and asked me
to hand down a couple of oars. I refused, but told
him to hang on astern, fearing that if I did so they
would then leave the ship, especially as I hoped this
boat would be useful in removing the men to the ships
for which we were steering; this reason I gave to
the second mate. At this moment the boat was cast adrift
by Dor ripsiii Oh !No Waco tiro going about