The Sun.
London, England, 1841-09-11 00:00:00

reucc :

" Branxbolm, Sept. 1, 1841

" In 5u.211 a case of disaster as has recently befallen
the Solway steamer, on her passage between Bel-
fast and Port
.Carlisle, the public must feel. a natural
anxiety, and have certainly an interest in knowing
whether, or to what extent, it may have been
chargeable to mismanagement. No reluctance an in-
dividual may feel to the discharge of a disagree-.
able duty should prevent him affording the public
any information by which the truth in such a case may
be thoroughly sifted. I sincerely hope that the influ-
ential and public-spirited people of Belfast are sufficiently
alive to the interests and prosperity of the port, as well
as to higher considerations, to insist On an investigation
being instituted, by which all blame will either be dis-
proved or a suitable exposure be made.
"It is not always the case, where such accidents oc-
cur, that the means of instituting an investigation exist.
Sometimes the calamity is too fatal to leave a single ves-
tige of evidence by which the cause of the catastrophe
can even be conjectured. It is happily otherwise in the
present instance, in which, although all but fatal to up-
wards of 200 human beings, by the interposition of a
gracious Providence, not a single individual has been
lost. As a passenger, thankful to record my own de
liver:thee, I-do not see how I can better discharge-the
duty which devolves upon me, than through the medium
of your columns to solicit the attention of the public to
the following statement :
" The Solway sailed from Belfast at three o'clock, P.m.,
on Tuesday, the 24th ult., with a north-westerly wind.
We had not left the port very long when the wind veered
round to the south, and was accompanied with a gentle
rain. About the time we made the coast of Scotland the
rain became occasionally heavier, and the wind blew
rather a fresh breeze, not, however, such as to cause much
commotion in the water, or to occasion alarm even to the
most timid person accustomed to travel by sea. I assert
this as one who has sailed a good deal in my day; although
of course I do not pretend to any thing like nautical ex-
perience. The night being very dark, and it being impos-
sible, as I understood, to observe the buoys at a certain
point in the Solway Frith, the steamer was kept at what is
termed half-speed, in order that she might not arrive before
they would become distinguishable. The day began to dawn
about a quarter past three in the morning, and as nearly
as I could ascertain, the vessel had struck the ground
violently about a quarter before four o'clock. Although
I remained on deck almost the whole night, lam not
aware that hefOre the vessel had struck the lead was ever
hove; but when that was done, immediately after, it was
to my utter horror that I heard quarter less three.'
" The propriety of unburdening the ship by throw-
ing overboard all the cattle that could be conveniently
got at, was at this time suggested to the Captain, but
it was not urgently pressed upon him, in considera-
tion of the earnest entreaties of Mr. Jackson, of Mo-
naghan, to whom most of the cattle on the deck be-
lono-ed, and who-begged, if possible, to be spared what
woulde be to• him a ruinous loss of p‘roperty. The
Captain at this time endeavoured to soothe the alarm
of the passengers who happened to be near him by
assuring them that no danger was to be apprehended.
The vessel, however, continued to strike the ground with
greater violence every succeeding wave.' She was at the
same time leaking very much, and evidently fast
sinking in the water. It soon became apparent that
to afford any chance of preserving human life the
cattle must be sacrificed ; and when the propriety of
this expedient was again pointed out to the captain, he
now readily acquiesced, remarking that it was all that
could be done. But after this had been determined upon,
it is impossible to conceive the difficulty ensuing from the
crowded state of the vessel of putting it into execution.
The cattle were literally wedged in with each other on the
deck; so much so, in fact, that the passengers had been
seen going from one part of the vessel to another by walk.
ingon their backs. For this reason, before the gangway
could be cleared, a very considerable interval had elapsed.
There was no want of hands, indeed, on board, for
the hinder part of the ship was crowded with Irish
reapers; hut, in the extremity of their terror, their ener-
gies seemed to be utterly paralysed, and no persuasion
could induce many of them to lend a helping hand. Had
it not been for some young gentlemen, cabin passengers,
who exerted themselves to the utmost in forcing the
cattle overboard, this attempt to save our lives must have
proved abortive, many of the ship's crew being otherwise
and necessarily occupied when these efforts were making.
Although the vessel was thus at length relieved ofabout
160 cattle, she still seemed to be in imminent danger of
sinking of going to pieces, and the only remaining chance
of safety seemed to be in running her as much ashore as
possible, in the as the tide had begun to ebb,•she
might be left to sink in shallow water, were assistance
might reach us before the tide had again begun to flow. At
this dine we might be three miles distant from the shore.
The course was suggested by a gallant old seaman from
Annan, who now took the helm, and whose conduct and
demeanour were beyond all praise. Though not uncon-
scious of his own perilous situation, by his intrepid beha-
viour he contributed greatly to cheer the sinking spirits
of those arounl him. The machinery by this time being
much damaged, the vessel full of water, and the fires ex-
tinguished, very little progress had been made towards
the shore, when she stuck fast aground.
" In this situation, and the tide still ebbing, our hopes
of preservation, seemed now to depend on our obtaining
assistance as speedily as possible from the land. The
Captain, with this view, despatched one of the boats
ashore, with orders to the mate to spare no expense in
'procuring the means of our safe conveyance to land.
No assistance,. was to be had, and hopes, sanguine for a
moment, received, a painful check when we saw the boat
returning unaccompanied.
" With a boat 'capable of holding from 12 to 14 per-
sons,. in addition to her crew, our only remaining re-
source was to endeavour to land so immense a crowd
of passengers by successive boat-loads. It was felt
at first that the multitude on board might render
this a somewhat hazardous experiment, since they
Could hardly be expected to exercise the patience which
so tedious a means of safety required. By adopting
every precaution, however, by which a simultaneous
rush to the boat might be prevented, we had the happi-
ness to see the first cargo unshipped without accident,
They Were immediately despatched, with orders to
the sailors to put them down as soon as the water
was sufficiently shallow to admit of their wading to
land. It was neck deep, I believe, with some of
them when they took the water, and they might
wade nearly a mile before they reached land. After two
boat-loads had been safely got on shore in this tedious
manner, it was discovered that the depth at the ship's
side was not more than 41 feet. With much persuasion
some of the passengers were now induced to get into the
sea and to make their way to the shore hand in hand.
The example was soon followed, and in a short time all
but the females had left the ship. These last were now
conveyed out of the deep water in the boat.
" Soon after all the passengers had been safely landed
the tide receded so far as to leave the vessel high and

dry on land. Had this been anticipated, much anxiety
might have been spared ; but nobody on board knew
that such would be the case, and I found nobody on
shore who seemed to be better informed in regard to the
nature of the tides."

(Colonel Napier here enters into statements and alle-
gations as to the probable cause of the accident ; but, as
these might prejudge the case, if submitted to legal in-
vestigation, we must omit that part of his letter.)
" I am not aware whether it is the intention of any of
the other passengers to make their sentiments public, as I
myself have felt it my duty to do; but surely those indivi-
duals who have incurred so great a loss of property will
be inclined to look for some compensation at the hands of
those by whom their loss has been occasioned. I can only
assure them that, having urged them to the sacrifice of
their cattle, I will cheerfully incur any inconvenience to
enable them to obtain the redress to which I conceive
them to be entitled.

" THOMAS E. NAPLER."