The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-24 00:00:00

THE MELANCHOLY LOSS OF LIFE

OFF GREENOCK.
• The recent sad accident on the Clyde by which Mr. E. G.
Ilberry, the superintendent of the locomotive department of
the Greenock Railway, and his cousin, Mr. Bowel, lost their
lives, created the deepest sensation, not only at Greenock,
but at Glasgow and Paisley, where the unfortunate gentle-
men were highly respected. Since the night of the fatal oc-
currence the Lord Provost has been assiduously engaged in
investigating the circumstances of the collision, and sufficient
has been adduced to warrant the arrest of the owner of the
steamer occasioning the loss of life. In addition to the par-
ticulars which have already appeared concerning the catas-
trophe, it appears that the deceased gentlemen left the shore
about a quarter to ten o'clock in a new boat belonging to
Mr. Ilberry, for tLe purpose of enjoying a cigar in the cool of
the evening. It was a beautiful moonlight night, and they
scarcely rowed nut 60 yards when they observed a steamer
bearing up the river, and perceiving her course was direct upon .
them they pulled further out into the channel. Still finding from
tome extraordinary, and as yet unexplained cause, that the
steamer was proceeding towards the boat, notwithstanding
'he had been rowed to a considerable distance from the ori-
ginal po,ition, Mr. Ilberry aad Mr. Bowel called out to those
on board the steamer to port her helm. The facts have been
fully established by the sister of the unfortunate Mr. Ilberry,
who watched the movements of the boat from the window of
her brother's house, and the deplorable scene that afterwards
occurred. It seems that not the least notice was taken of
the cries of the deceased gentlemen. T' ey were pulling with
all their might to get out of the way of the steamer, and so
continued till she came down upon ti,eni at her full speed,
cutting the boat in halves, and killing its unfortunate occu-
pants. The steamer proved to be a new powerful iron one,
not yet named, built by Barr and M'Nab, of Renfrew, and
on the authorities boarding her after the unfortunate occur-
rence, they were surprised at finding no pilot or person acting
in the capacity of captain on board. She was in charge of
Mr. M'Nab, and the excited condition of those on board, and
the reckless way the vessel was stated to have been
travelling, induced the official to arrest the principal,
Mr. M'Nab, who was subsequently liberated .on provid-
ing satisfactory sureties. It is alleged by those
who were on board the steamer, that they called to the gen-
tlenen in the boat to get out of the way—but from their
confused manner, they probably did not understand their
calls, and hence pulled into the danger instead of -out of it.
Be that statement correct or otherwise it has been satisfac-
torily proved that the course of the steamer was contrary to
the rules of the river navigation. The channel where the
accident happened is between three and four miles wide, and
her track should have been more in the centre of the char•
ire'. The vessel was on an experimental trip, and it is as-
serted that she was, at one period of the day, going at the
rate of eighteen miles an hour. The course she took, which
unhappily has led to the shocking affair, can only be ac-
counted for from a desire for testing her capabilities in still
water. Experimentalising, however, at so late an
hoar of the evening, at such remarkably quick speed,
and so near the shore, on a busy river, is fraught
with the greatest danger, and now forms the sub-
ject of a very strict investigation. The Lord Provost
has forwarded the minutes of evidence relating to the cat's.
trophe to the Judge-Advocate at Edinburgh, who will de- •
termine against whom prosecution shall be instituted. The •
funeral of the deceitsea gentlemen took place on Friday, and
seldom has such a mark of respect been witnessed in or near
Greenock. Their remains were followed by thousands.
Amongst the mourners were the Sheriffs, Bellies, and the
principal clergy and gentry of the neighbourhood. Mr.
Howel was the treasurer and secretary to Messrs. Stephen-
son and Mackenzie, the contractors for the new harbours at
Greenock, and was in his 50th year. Mr. Ilberry was a very
promising young men, and wee in his 22d year., .41,64051-0-ely
recently entered into a contract with the Caledonian Com-
pany, on the construction of 75 locomotives and upwards of
300 carriages and trucks. The unfortunate young lady the
sister has sustained a severe shock by the catastrophe she
witnessed, and has since been confined to her bed. It is a
question whether she will survive the calamity.— Glasgow
Herald.