The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-04 00:00:00

THE LATE STEAM-BOAT COL-

LIeION ON THE MERSEY.
The inquest on the bodies of John 'Roche and Patrick
Geoghan was resumed before the Borough Coroner yes-
terday morning. Mr. Harden and Mr. Myers attended,
as before, on behalf of the captain, mate, and owners of
the Sea Nymph ; and Mr. Duncan and Mr. Hassell for
the captain and owners of the Rambler. Fourteen of the
jury answered to their names ; the fifteenth bad met
with an accident, and was unable to attend.
Wm. Daniels, the pilot; W. Jones, sailor;
fireman; J. M‘Gregor, engineer; R. Campbell, ear
penter; and T. Hardigan, pigejobber— who were all
the Rambler at the time of the collision—were examine
on the part of the captain and owners of that vessel,
and gave evidence similar to that detailed on the
previous day, j. Walker,
Samuel Easter was then called.—l am chief mate 0.!
the .Sea Nymph. She is of 350-horse power. She sailed
from the Clarence Dock at twenty minutes past ten
o'clock on Monday night. I looked at my watch passing
through the gates. We were bound for Warren'
point, Newry. We had a general cargo on board,
and from eighty to one hundred deck passengers.
Captain Joseph Thompson is cur commander. The
night was fine and clear. The wind was moderate.
and from the N.W. It was about a three-quarters flood-
tide when we started from the dock. We advertised to
sail at half-past nine, but we were fifty minutes past our
time. The tide carried us up the river, and the was
put hard a-port to bring her head on. We Loa °"^e„
course down the river, outside the vessels at anchor on
the Cheshire shore, and we steel ed North and a little
East. We passed a ship's length and a-half outside ill
coal hulk, which is stationed off the Magazines, a?
from which the New Brighton vessels are supplied wit'
coals. We then made for the Rock Light, which was
about a-half or three quarters of a point on our star-
board bow. I was on the forecastle head ; and, shortly
after passing the coal hulk, I saw a light passing round
the Rock Lighthouse. It proved to be the Rambler;
masthead light. I reported the light to the captain, and
asked him if he saw it. He said, "1 do—all right.
The light shot across from the Lighthouse at a tremen-
dous rate. I did not hear the captain speak, for he vra°
100 feet from me. The next thing I heard was the
blowing off of the steam. The captain was on the
bridge between the paddle-boxes. In about a minuet,
and a halt after I had spoken to the captain, I obaervee.,
the Ramble's starboard bow white light, and then I
knew that it was a steamer. I then called out to the
captain again, and told him that it was best to keep the
helm hard a port. I did not hear him make any answer'
nor do I know whether he heard me or not. I rathef
think he did not, the steam was making such a noise.
then saw the Rambler's red light on her larboard bow'
I could then see the full length of the Rambler's hull'
and that she was flying up to the westward, with her
helm hard a-port. I could also notice our vessel's head
by the Rock light, going off to the eastward, but we had
lost a great deal of our way by this time, We were
only going at the rate of three or four knots an bollf;
I sung out to the captain again that it was hi:Tool". z.
for the vessels to clear in the way they were going., l°
with both helms a-port, they were running fairly i.„11`...°
each other. The captain never answered and in hail
minute afterwards the collision took place. We struck
her nearly stem on on her larboard bow. We were en'
tangled together about half a minute. I then wente/?e;
low, after we got clear of her, to see if we were enal''-„a
water anywhere. I found the stem, the cutwater,
both bows done.
I came up again and told the eaPtaill
he had better run her ashore or into dock, but he w°ll
not do that, but run his bowsprit into the rigging 431 t-toho
Rambler aft. The captain of our vessel then called -
know whether he could render assistance to the R°111;
bler, but whether any or what answer was made I Itn°-
not. We then put back to the Clarence Dock.
b°
By Mr. Harden--I have never seen our captain t
worse for liquor these five years, and I say emphatic° -
that he was sober on Monday night.
L. Hogan, seaman, and J. Hagan, second mate of the
Sea Nymph, corroborated Easter's evidence, after white
the inquiry was adjourned to this day (Tuesday)
Liverpool Times of Tuesday.

CHEAP RAILWAY AND STEW
TRIPS FOR WHITSUNTIDE.
fiv n'
The development of the railway system is rg
and
couraging the extension of cheap railway trips art
marine excursions ; which, although for the most Pre
really afforded to the public at a low
munerative to the railway companies by the in 3020,
numbers of persons they attract. So numerous Pant
been these arrangements, with reference to the Pre' c„.
would annual holiday week of Manchester, that it _rct
copy more space than we can afford, to specify !ill:or
price, er
e_se
all. Suffice it to say, that cheap se
trips have been planned, affording to t"..na
availing themselves of these opportunities to ese'ji,
from Manchester, periods varying from one to
days, for visits to London ; to Liverpool ; to Lythawe,
Blackpool, and Fleetwood; to Alderley, and other plae
on the Birmingham line, &c. The marine cheap trjP,
have been to Glasgow (via Fleetwood and Ardrossae);
to the Isle of Man, from Fleetwood; to Ulverstone, fon'
Fleetwood; besides various excursion trips from Liver'
pool. Besides the cheap trips, •of which eel
any person may avail himself, much has been
done by special contract on the part of the
conductors of Sunday schools with the railway comps'
vies, for special trains at low fares, to convey large bodies
of chldren to various rural spots on the different lines
diverging from Manchester into the North and West a
this county, and into Yorkshire and Cheshire. The swift
boats to Altrincham, Bowdon, and Dunham, have
also been much in request for holiday parties t°
Dunham Park and the neighbourhood, and the variO
omnibuses to places distant a few miles from 111„,
chester, have been filled inside and out both on $l6l
day and yesterday. These various means of transit
rake Manchester during Whitsuntide the scene 0.4,,
extraordinary ebb and flow of population.
.
as our citizens pour out by every iron outlet, and by, the
waterways and roadways, in search of rural enjoyel7ici
—as rapidly as they rush out of this immense
Babylon, " to seek fresh fields and pastures
coon'
rapidly does the influx of visitors from the
so
try for thirty miles round, roll a still larger 1310
tide into this great town. Then the stream'
pours forth every noon towards Kersal Moor, aed
flows back at night, its life-springs almost cner
with the dust of that dustiest spot in
Majesty's dominions, is a scene not without a "`"l4
interest of its own, for the intelligent stranger, I"—,t_
philosopher, the statist, and philanthropist. The brigu"
clear weather, though attended with so much heat,
has contributed much to the enjoyment of this
versal holiday. And well is it, for so industrious
and laborious a community as our's, that there is One
week in the year when, by mutual consent, siol°si
every one ceases from labour, and seeks enjoylnee
with that zest which only labour can WI/
for such a holiday is indeed a luxury rarely, perhell:
too rarely, enjoyed. So far as we can judge, the rig%
ways are promoting greatly both the increased
of country visitors to Manchester, and the raPl4,
spreading of ux of those who prefer some rural lisTio,
or a tour to some distant part of the kingdom, °site
noisy sports of the race-course. Thus, in every °Wog
ways, the railways are mighty agents in prOln°
the holiday enjoyments of the peop
Guardian. le.—Mariche66'