The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-12 00:00:00

THE OCEAN MONARCH.

During the past week upwards of fifteen bodies have
been cast ashore in the neighbourhood of Blackpool,
Lytham, and Norbreck, together with charred timbers
and plink, evidently the wreck of the ill fated Ocean
MoLarch. On Wednesday the wind, which had pre-
viously been veering from south-east to south, changed
to west, which will account for the bodies being restored
to land in this direction. The bodies washed up at
Blackpool were seven in number, namely, four women
and three men, and we give the following particulars,
which may be the means of leading to the identification
of the bodies .

Ist. A portly lady, apparently about 30 years of age,
of middle stature, with Rub= hair. She had on a
mourning large plaid cotton dress, and round her neck
an elastic guard, attached to which is a small camphor
bag. She appears to have been a married lady, as there
was on the third finger of her left hand a gold wedding
ring, also a gold hoop, in which was set a pink coloured
stone or piece of glass, stamped on the inside with the
initials " J. C."

2d. This deceased is of slender make, having on her
head a Dunstable bonnet, and a dress of blue hail-
showered print, blue cotton skirt or top petticoat, and
red flannel under-petticoat; and a reff 'and white-woollen
plaid.shawl. Under her dress she had on a man's waist-
coat made of worsted cloth, with a small red flower on a
light ground, and small metal buttons. On the wedding
finger was a gold ring marked on the inside with the
initials "G. W." Round her neck was a double row of
coral neck-beads with a gold clasp, and her arms ap-
peared much scorched. This woman had been thrown
into premature confinement, and was partly delivered of
a child, which was brought with her on shore. She ap-
peared to be about 43 years of age.
The third woman was tall and slender, having a fine
head of auburn-coloured hair. Her dress was a dark
claret, made of Orleans cloth, fitted up to the neck.
Under her dress she wore a white skirt and white flan-
nel petticoat; she had also on a pair of white socks.
Round her neck was some black tape, attached to which
were two apparently common box keys.
The fourth was a girl, apparently about 7 or 8 years
of age, having on a green plaid overcoat, open at the
front, light blue socks, and a pair of new ankle-strap
shoes.

The following are some particulars respecting the men
cast on shore:—

Ist. An aged man, with bald head, without upper gar-
ments, having on a linen shirt, plain at the breast, with
horn buttons at the neck and wrists. He had on two
pairs of woollen cloth trousers, made of fine cloth, the
colour of the under pair being light blue, and of the top
(which buttoned up in front) black; brown knitted
worsted stockings. Height, 5 feet 9or 9 inches.
2d. This was evidently the body of a sailor, having
on a blue flannel shirt, a pair of blue pilot cloth trou-
sers, and a pair of sailor's boots. Round his body he
wore a leathern belt, in which was a sheath containing
a whittle knife. He appeared about 30 years of age,
and had black long hair. In his pocket was a small
box key.

3d. The body of a boy, apparently about 7 years of
age, having on a jacket and trousers made of drab cot-
ton cord, each knee of which was patched with a dark
coloured material of the same description.
In addition to the above seven (two of which were
cast up near South Shore), four bodies, all women, were
washed up near Norbreck. The following are a few parti-
culars respecting these :—ln one of the women's pockets
was found a scent-bottle, a coloured bead purse contain-
ing 165., one wedding, and two ornamental rings ; a
silver watch, black braid watch-guard and ribband, and
small gold watch-key and gold chain, five keys and one
lock. On the person of this deceased was a pair of light
clue jean stays, a purple silk dress, white petticoat trim-
aied4asith laeecaiiii a good pair of cloth boots. In the
pocket of another (who was attired in a brown silk
dress, and-appeared about thirty-five years of age) was
found 31. in gold, one shilling, three coipbs (including
one tortoisehell comb for the back hair), a penknife with
pearl handle, a purse, and a wrist-cuff. The body of a
third seemed to be that of a young person about fourteen
years of age. Two of the above had on plaid dresses,
and one a fine bonnet with veil attached. Three out of
the four, we understand, were interred yesterday after-
noon at Bispham. The other body will be kept until
to-day or to-morrow, as it is expected it will be owned
by some of the relatives. From the articles found in
her pocket her name is supposed to be Elizabeth Steele.
Six bodies have been cast upon the Lytham coast—.
three women, one man, and two boys. In the pocket of
one of the women was found a passenger's ticket, issued
from the packet-office of Messrs. Harden and Co., with
theth
the names of James Mantagh, Mrs. Mantagh and in-
fant, and Jane Mantagh written on it. In the pocket of
another was found a dark rosary of beads and a, crucifix.
1
The last named was about 30 years of age. here was
nothing particular about the dress of the man. The
boys, both about the same age, 16, were
dressed in
plain frockcoats and trousers. Their bodies were in-
terred at Lytham church on Saturday afternoon.
A body has also been washed ashore on the Fleet-
wood coast, and, should the westerly breezes continue,
there is little doubt many more will be washed up in the
same vicinities.
A correspondent, whose letter is dated Heysham
Tower, near Lancaster, writes as follows:—" A dead
body has been washed up near to my house, per-
fectly naked. I suspected, from a paragraph in the
Illustrated London News of the 21 of September, that
it might prove to be that of a young man who was
missing, named Coombes, who was lost from the Ocean
Monarch. I have had it examined by the Mayor
of Lancaster, a highly respectable medical man, and his
opinion is that the marks of violence had been caused
after death by the beating of the body upon the rocks.
Another body has been picked up clothed in black, and
from a letter and book found in one of the pockets it ap•
pears to be a person of the name of John Curly, who has
a brother and sister named James and Catherine Fallon,
Roxbury, Massachusetts, America. There was a card
in his pocket of Michael Ryan, 9, Dublin-court, Carlton-
street, Liverpool, apparently a lodging-house. 'The
letter is dated Roxbury, July 14, 1818, and the Liver-
pool postmark is August 2, 1848. His clothes are care-
fully preserved; they are not in good condition. Ac-
cording to the Act of Parliament 48 George 111., c. 75,
both these bodies will be decently interred in the church-
yard of this parish, and the necessary expenses charged
to the county.
" If you will give publicity to this in your widely ex-
tended journal the relations will know (hat the remains
of these poor persons has been properly cared for."

__—
NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, MONDAY. The Devastation steam-
sloop, six guns and four hundred horse power, Com-
mander R. C. Mitchell, arrived this morning at
Spithead from the Cape of Good Hope station,
which she left on the 2d of July, at which time the
llavannah, Eurydice, Hercules, Arab, and Seringapatam
were in Simon's Bay. The President (flag-ship) was
daily expected from the Mauritius. The Devastation
arrived at St. Helena on the 26th of July. No men-of-
war were there, but several prizes had arrived, captured
on the coast of Africa, among them the steamer
(mentioned last week), prize to the Penelope, empty.
The Devastation sailed from Ascension on the 2d
August. The only man-of-war there at that time was
the Tortoise store and guardship, Captain and Gover-
nor Hutton. The island was in a very flourishing
state, water in abundance, the turtle-ponds well sup-
plied, and vegetation thriving most encouragingly.
Before they left, the west coast of Africa was tolerably
healthy, the squadron being actively employed in cruizing
some distance off the land. The Devastation left Ma-
deira on the 2d inst., having touched there for coals. No
British man-of-war was there, but three American, one the
Charleston frigate, bearing the Commodore; the Amazon
corvette, and the Porpoise brig. The Commodore was liv-
ing on shore recruiting his health, which had been very
much shaken. Captains Jervoise and Miller, of the
Royal Engineers, came from the Cape ; also Assistant-
Surgeon Thompson, of the 7th Dragoon Guards, from
the Cape ; 40 of the Ist St. Helena Regiment volunteers
fur other regiments ; women and children, invalids from
the squadron ; a quantity of condemned stores from the
Cape-dockyard ; and the steam machinery of the Snap
tender from Ascension (formerly a slave prise to the
Penelope) the Commodore having made a sailer of her.
The Devastation was stationed on the west coast of
Africa during the early part of her present commission,
but was ordered to the Cape; on her arrival there she was
ordered home. While on the coast she was very fortu-
nate in taking many slavers, being a powerful steamer,
and a good look out constantly kept—one was the cele-
brated Tres Amigos. Her station was in the Bights, 18
months, coaling at Fernando Po several times. She has
had three commanders during this short commission
(two years and a-half ), two of whom died from the
effects of the climate. Sho is in the highest possible
state of efficiency, as regards her crew and discipline,
which First Lieutenant Godfrey deserves the credit of ;
but in a very bad state as regards her machines and hull.
She was inspected this afternoon by the Commander-in-
Chief, and passed a highly creditable muster. She is
ordered into harbour to be dismantled and paid off. Her
mails (from the Cape, St. Helena, Ascension, and Ma-
deira) were forwarded to town by the mid-day mail from
this port to-day.
The Hecate steam-sloop, Commander Moorman, was
taken into the steam-basin to-day, to have her refit more
rapidly completed. The Phoenix, one of the advanced
squadron, followed her into the basin.
The Driver steam-sloop, Commander C. R. Johnson,
another of the advanced steam squadron, came into the
harbour this morning to be paid off.
Upon the subject of the advanced steam squadron we
were precluded at the time it was established, by a pres-
sure of political and continental matter, from properly
explaining its character, which may not be out of place
now, nor of less interest than war. The Admiralty