The Sun.
London, England, 1847-11-18 00:00:00

NEW CLUB.—THE LONDON LOSS
A OF THE PACKET-SHIP
TLIEN.EUM,
A Provisional Committee less been formed for the purpose of estab- STEPHEN WHITNEY.
lishing• a SUPERIOR CLUB and LITERARY INSTITUTION in
(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
the City, to be situated as nearly as possible to the Royal Exchange.
It has been determined at present to limit the number of Members LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY.
to One Thousand. The Entrance-fee 11. Is., and Subscription 21. 2s.
lunittally. Gentlemen desirous of joining the Institution mil be By advices received from Cork this morning we
furnished with full detailed particulars, on applying to the Solicitors,
Messrs. Devonshire and Wilson, 29, Austin-friars, Old Broad-street, have further intelligence respecting the above-named
between the hours of One and Two o'clock r CI. ONLY, and to the Se- fated vessel. The following details are given in the
cretary, Mr. John Whitehead, jun., at thus temporary Offices of the
Club, No. 15, Old Broad.stree:, between the hours of Six and Eight letter of a correspondent of one of the Cork papers,
o'clock In the Evening.
Published on Monday evening last
JOHN WHITEHEAD, jun., Hon. Sec.
"It becomes ray melancholy duty to furnish you
with the particulars of one of the most disastrous
shipwrecks which has ever occurred on this, or, per-
haps, any other, coast—involving a sacrifice of human
life, which it is truly fearful to contemplate, and
under circumstances of the most extraordinary cha-
racter. The ship Stephen Whitney sailed from New
York on the 18th of October last, bound for Liver-
pool, having on board, including passengers and
crew, one hundred and ten persons. During the
passage the weather was all that could be desired.
The ship had apparently made a fair average passage,
and everything promised a fortunate termination to
the voyage. Up to Tuesday last nothing worth re-
cording occurred; but on Wednesday the weather
set in thick and hazy, and in consequence the Com-
mander deemed it advisable to heave to—that is, to
stop the progress of the vessel. The sounding line
was then thrown overboard, and it was ascertained
that the vessel rode in upwards of fifty fathoms of
water. After some technical instructions regarding
the management of the ship—which will be found
more distinctly referred to in a document supplied
by the. mate of the unfortunate vessel—had been
delivered to the crew, and acted upon, the vessel
continued to make easy way until about eight
o'clock on Wednesday evening, when the land was
seen immediately ahead. Owing to the courage and
.perseverance of the crew, the ship was, with very
great difficulty, brought off this point, which. was
subsequently ascertained to have been Crookhaven.
During all this time the weather continued intensely
dull and hazy, rendering it quite impossible for even
the keenest eye to descry the land which lay in
treacherous contiguity. When the vessel had been
relieved from off the land, a light was distinctly seen,
which, after a brief consultation, was supposed to be
the Old Head of Kinsale, and measures were accord-
ingly adopted for making the harbour of Cork. In
this fatal error, which supposed the light on Rock
Island, near Crookhaven, to be that of the Old Head,
the disastrous results that ensued would appear to be,
in a considerable degree, attributable. The light on
Rock Island, as I have been informed, has been but
very recently erected ; and, from all that I could as-
certain, the responsible persons on board appeared to
be ignorant of its existence. Whether such igno-
rance involved a culpable neglect, will probably be a
matter for future investigation. The ship was again
hauled off the land, and, believing she had sufficient
offing, a course was steered in relation to the supposed
position of the Old Head, which, under the cir-
cumstances, was considered to be the correct one.
They kept on in this course until a quarter
to ten o'clock, when the land was signalled
immediately ahead, and orders were promptly given
to bring her round; but the tremendous surf which
beat upon the rocks issued a sterner command,. and
it was evident the ill-fated ship was doomed. A
brief moment only ensued, and one terrific crash
followed, which instantly consigned numbere to
eternity. This single encounter stove in the entire
side of the vessel ; and in less than half an hour
there was not two planks together, nor a single ar-
ticle of any description that conld afford the means
of escape to either passenger or sailor. Unlike the
greater number of disastrous occurrences, where a
respite of even a few hours affords the unhappy
sufferers some means or probability of escape, the
victims on this occasion were instantly hurled into
eternity without a moment's thought or preparation.
In less than ten minutes, out of one hundred and
ten human beings, full of life and hope, enjoying the
glad anticipation of meeting friends, relatives, and
homes, ninety-two had ceased to exist. Through
the mercy of Providence, eighteen individuals were
rescued from the destruction which overwhelmed
their associates—and, in many instances, their es-
cape was effected with little assistance from their
()an strength or activity. Such was the sudilen•
ness of the calamity such the fearful havoc
which a few minutes created—that almost all on
board were stupified with horror and amazement,
and rendered totally inactive by the appalling
catastrophe. The survivors, bruised and naked,
without shoe or stocking, jacket or waistcoat,-scrain-
bled up the rock, which overhung the sea to the
height of nearly sixty feet, and after searching about
for some time, arrived at two miserable huts, the
only human tenements on the island. Here they
learned for the first time that they had struck on the
western point of West Calf Island, situated in the
channel between the village of Skull and Cape Clear
Island, and lying about four miles inside the cape.
The two families who reside upon the island were
totally ignorant of the melancholy circumstance, until
the distressed and worn-out mariners entered their
wretched cabins for the purpose of craving shelter for
the night.
" To give you even an imperfect idea of the sud-
denness of the occurrence and its results, I may men-
tion one circumstance, which I learned from the mate,
who appeared to be a respectable and highly intelli-
gent seaman. At half-past nine o'clock, on Wednes-
day night, he was chief officer of the Stephen Whit-
ney, entrusted with a responsible position, and in
command of an efficient crew; at ten o'clock he was
shivering, almost naked, over a few sods of turf in a
wretched cabin, with the few miserable men who haii
escaped. As he himself expressed it, it was a change
so sudden, so unexpected, and so calamitous, that he
found it totally impossible to realise it.
" The Coast Guard authorities were apprised on
Thursday of the circumstance, and on the evening of
that day the entire of the crew were brought off the
island in a large boat belonging to Mr. Bannon, an
excise officer. Several of them appeared to be quite
exhausted from the cold and exposure to the weather,
and two of them had to be conveyed to the village I
of Skull. At an early hour on Thursday morning
the news was circulated amongst the country people,
and shortly after hundreds of small craft of every de-
scription
were seen proceeding towards the scene of I
the wreck. The absence of every vestige of the
unfortunate vessel sadly disappointed the expecta-
tions of the people, who had to content themselves
with picking up whatever floated into sight, instead
of, as they anticipated, selecting whatever they thought
fit to appropriate.
" The cargo, as nearly as the mate could form an
idea, consisted of about 10,000 bushels of corn, 1,000
bales of cotton, 100 boxes of cheese, 400 barrels of
rosin, 20 boxes of clocks, and other articles which may
be comprised in a general cargo.
" It may be proper to mention here that the point
on which the ill-fated vessel was driven ashore is one
of the most dangerous on the entire coast—the rock
rises perpendicularly to the height of over fifty feet
high, and at all seasons of the year, the swell is
terrific. On the day after the wreck occurred,
the Goverment vessel Badger passed through the
channel for the purpose of ascertaining whether it
was possible to save any portion of the wreck or
cargo ; but the slightest portion by which she could
be recognised, was nowhere to be seen. In the words
of one of the officers, it apppeared, 'as if the ship had
been ground in a mill, or as if a number of carpen-
ters were employed for months for the mere purpose
of chipping her into fragments of some three or four
feet in length.'
" From some of the sailors, I ascertained the names
of the survivors, both passengers and crew, and en
imperfect list of some twenty or twenty-five of the
cabin and steerage passengers.
" The survivors among the crew are—
" Thomas Allen, a native of Connecticut, first mate
of the vessel ; James D. Mackey, third mate ; William
Johnson, a native of Yorkshire ; Joseph Miller, an
American, steward of the vessel; John Hatheway,
an American • David Ferguson, a native of Glasgow;
William Smith of Baltimore, U.S. • Henry Hume,
Fife, Scotland; Daniel Greaves, Johnstone, Scotland;
Thomas Jackson, Boston, U.S.; John Pearson, New
York ; George Prince, New York ; James Saunders,
an American; Adolphus Jackson, New York.
"The rassengers who escaped were :—Edward
Ekin, a native of Movil, county Donegal ; James
M`Glaskey, of Fenny, Derry; Joseph Butler, city of
Dublin ; and Patrick Peterson, Roscrea, county Tip-
perary.
" A most affecting incident characterised the rescue
of the last-named passenger. Peterson, who is a boy
about thirteen years old, was accompanied by his
father, and on the night of the wreck all his anxiety
appeared to be directed to the rescue of his father. On
reaching the rock, and finding his father was not
there, he rushed towards the water for the purpose of
putting an end to his existence, as he said it was
useless for him to live after his father; but he was
with difficulty prevented from putting his purpose
into execution. As far as I could learn, the greater
portion of the passengers were persons returning to
Ireland from America: but any further particulars
regarding them it was impossible to make out. There
was no record of their names on board the ship ; for
on coming on board at New York, the agent called
over the names of the steerage passengers who were
authorised to sail in the vessel, and no list or memo-
randums of them was-kept on board.

" The crew remain still in the village of Skull, in a
state of great destitution, arising from the want of
clothes, and the absence of sufficient accommodation.
The American Consul at Cove, Mr. Murphy, was
• written to by Mr. Limerick on the receipt of the
distressing intelligence, and it was expected that he
would arrive there on to-day or to-morrow. The
only thing to be effected by Mr. Murphy's presence
will be the relief of the distressed seamen, by render-
ing them assistance in providing clothes, and enabling
them to proceed to Liverpool, where they are anxious
to arrive. As for the ship and cargo, every fragment
of both has long since disappeared ; and the only
portions saved are a few damaged bales of cotton,
and two or three boxes of cheese, which are in pos-
session of the officers of the Coast Guard service.
" In conclusion, I may mention a somewhat sin-
gular circumstance regarding the results of this un-
fortunate catastrophe. Though the ship went on shore
on Wednesday evening, the slightest information of
the circumstance was not known in Skibbereen, a dis-
tance of only fifteen miles, until a late hour on Fri-
day evening, and then it was circulated as a rumour
of rather a doubtful character."

A Fox IN CHARLOTTE•SQUARE.--A rare and ex-
citing scene was exhibited lately in Charlotte-square, the
principal actor being a stray fox. It appears that on
Sunday week the domestic servants of a gentleman,
residing on the west side of Charlotte-square, were
alarmed by the crash of one of the kitchen window
panes, and the entrance of a strange-looking animal,
which turned out to bet a large and beautiful fox, boast-
ing the possession of a splendid brush. •A scream of
terror being the only thing that hailed poor reynard, he
immediately turned tail, and made exit by bolting
through another pane. Nothing daunted by so un-
generous a reception, be popped into the next hoase in
precisely the same unceremonious way, leaping through
the window into the kitchen, where, with proverbial sa-
gacity, he no doubt judged a grateful refection could be
most readily supplied. Again, however, he excited
great consternation, and the servants ran out to the
streets, frightened beyond measure. Meanwhile the
sagacious stranger wended his way through several
rooms and lobbies, then sprung through a window to the
back area, and over three high garden walls, when
spying a back door open, he entered, walked up stairs,
and presented himself in the kitchen. Some male ser-
vants being there, a spirited chase immediately com-
menced, and reynard, finding himself hard pressed in a
room with the door shut, made for the window, but it
was too strong for him. The fire-place was the only
remaining resource, and up the vent he twice essayed,
but was as often hauled down again. Though bleeding
and terrified, and beset by such odds, he would not yield,
and a regular fight ensued, in the course of which he
might b.? seen jumping over the heads of his pursuers,
bouncing from corner to corner, snapping every noose
that was thrown round his neck, alike baffling every in-
genious contrivance for his entanglement and the blows
of his combatants, till at last a heavy rug having been
thrown upon him he was held fast, and, like most of his
fraternity, yielded to the unequal combat of c.verwhelm
ing numbers. Poor reynard's skin is now being stuffed,
to commemorate his own domestic achievements and
starred bravery.—Caledonian Mercury.
A CURE FOR THE POTATOES.--A correspondent
of the Limerick Chronicle writes as follows:---"I am
convinced from practical experience that manure is the
principal generator of the disease in the potato, and
from that conviction I would advise every potato grower
to raise his tubers for his own planting upon a piece of
good ground, well worked, but taking care to give no
gross food, either vegetable or animal. It is obvious
that the vitality of the plant is impaired by the blind
kindness of nursing it off Its legs, and feeding it above
its strength; and I contend that the likeliest method of
claiming that vitality is to giro the
plant less to do for a
time, and study a little closer its natural habits, until
you get rid of-the disease.. Can any one tell me if they
have seen this parasitical fungstic disease in the root
or branch of a potato which bad been entirely deprived
of manure? or has any one seen the disease in the bo. s,
where the gross particles of the manure aro absorbed,
and held by capillary attraction in the poor spungy
moss? lam sure any one must have obeerved the dif-
ference of flavour of the starred potato from the one
which is grossly fed, the former is a ball of nutritious
fl cur, when the other is a tasteless fungus."
RUMOURED RESIGNATION.—A report has been pre-
valent, during the last tew dayi, that Sir G. 11. Smyth,
Bart., contemplates an early resignation of his seat in
Parliament; preferring, at his advanced period of life,
the comforts of retirement to the bustling and harassing
engagements of a legislator. We cannot vouch for the
accuracy of the report, arid only refer to it for the sake
of keeping the attention of the electors awake, that they
ma be prep.,red to act on an emergency should they be
called upon suddenly to elect another representative in
y
Parliament.—Essex Mei cury.