The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-24 00:00:00

THE GREAT BRITAIN.
BRISTOL, FRIDAY.

CAPT. HOSKEN'S REPORT TO THE DIRECTORS
OF THE GREAT WESTERN STEAM-SHIP
COMPANY.

Great Britain steam-ship, Oct. 13, 1846.
Gentlemen,—Captain Claxton's letter will have put
you in possession of the leading facts relating to the
stranding of this ship, but I feel called on to give you an
account of the sad disaster more in detail, both for
your satisfaction and that of the proprietors, as well as
in my own justification. It is possible you may have
expected this before, but from the 22d ult. to the middle
of last week, my whole time and energies were
devoted, in the first instance to the attempt to get the
ship off, and then in trying to stop a heavy leak near
the stern, both, I grieve to say, ineffectual. During that
time my occupation was as much in the water as out of
it; the few spare hours I had I found absolutely neces-
sary for rest, and Captain Claxton can tell you how
much I required it when he was here; I was, therefore,
totally unfitted to give you this statement until now.
Our pilot left a little inside the Bell Buoy, about one
o'clock, and it was about ten minutes past one when we
were fairly under weigh abreast it; all plain sail was set,
with a fine breeze from the S.E., at times S.S.E.; I
determined to go by the North Channel in con-
sequence, as the wind was certain to be south-
westerly in the South Channel, after passing Holy-
head; and I have frequently taken the North Channel
before, and think it the best under those circumstances,
indeed I would take it in preference were all things
equal. My reasons are, in thick weather (and I have
gone out of the North Channel in a fog), you meet one
vessel in that channel to twenty in the south ; indeed,
with the first of a south-wester, one to fifty. You
cheat the tides, and have less against and more for you.
You get clear of the land in much less time. Yuu
shorten the distance to New York a little, and you get a
great advantage by being north, as the set of the Atlan-
tic generally is to the southward, indeed almost invari-
ably, and a slant of wind sometimes, as the wind hangs
more to the northward than it does farther south; on the
whole, it is my opinion that a day is saved in the passage
by going through the North Channel, when the season
for the meeting field ice is over, and the ice-bergs drift
to the southward.
The log was hove regularly, and gave a speed of 101
to 11 knots per hour, and I ascertained from the first
officer, Mr. Hedger, by direct inquiry, that the line and
glass were correct : 11 knots, with the ship deep, is as
much as could be fairly expected. At about half-past
five I caught a glimpse of the Isle of Man, but what
part of the Island exactly, or how far off, I could not de-
cidedly say, as it was then getting dark, and the weather
becoming thick.' Immediately after, or about six o'clock,
it came on to rain and blow harder, and the
weather very thick, and it threatened, to be, as it proved,
as vile a night as could be experienced. I have no
doubt this would be corroborated by any one at tea on
that night. (The " Sea Nymph " would not start from
Warren Point, a most unusual. thing.) About seven
o'clock I remarked to the first and second officers
(both of whom were with me on the forecastle, looking
out, where I had been, and continued there and at the
compass, with.the exception of from five to ten minutes,
from half-past five to the time the ship struck.) that we
must be well up with the Calf, and that I might safely
allow her 101 knots per hour since leaving the Bell
Buoy; soon after this, I told the filet officer to shorten
sail at eight o'clock, take in top gallant sails, two reefs
in foretop sail, one in the main, and haul the foresail
up, as I should alter the course to N. by E. (which is
higher than the North Channel course), and go easy
all night, feeling sure the ship was past the island.
The course was altered at eight, and sail shortened
accordingly ; at about a quarter pact eight I was
standing by the wheel, watching the steerage while reef-
ing, when the officer looking out on the forecastle re-
ported a light on the port, or larboard bow; I said,
immediately, it must be a vessel's light; the light was
lost sight of in the thick weather for a short time:and
again showed itself as a revolving light. I immediately
kept the ship off her former course, N.W. by N.,
exclaiming, " How is it possible she has not run
her distance ; what can have held her back ?"
taking the light for one of the Calf of Man lights, and
supposing the other hidden by the thick weather, which
is often the case, as many seamen well know. I have
been cruising on that station in a man-of war, some
years since, and frequently have seen but one light. I
then continued by the compass watching the hearing of
the light, and trying with a glass to make out the
s, coed light, but a glass on that night was useless, from
the continued rain; I could not help thinking we must
be past the Island, at the same time there was a re-
volving light occasionally before my eyes to tell me we
were not past it, and I dil as I believe most sailors in
my situation would have done (not knowing there was
any other re velving light in the direction we bad been
running from the Bell Buoy, as my chart, new, and
dated 1816, does not show any light on St. John's
Point), stood on until I got the rght bearing for round-
ing the Hen and Chicken rocks, lying off the Calf of
Man. I then hauled the ship up to north gradually, and
to N. B. ultimately, when I was surprised to find, on
inquiring the time, that it was a quarter past nine; I
ran down fora moment to look at my chart, and back
again to the helm, when I heard a loud hail from the
forecastle, and at the same moment I saw what ap-
peared and proved shoal water alongside. I instantly
sung, out hard a port—stop her ; this was done. I
ordered a back turn, braced the yards by, and shifted
the helm, all without effect. Tne sea b .gan to break
over us, and the engineer toll me ho could not move the
engines ; this made our else for the time hopeless, as it
was near high water on a spring tide. I then ordered
an anchor to be got clear - the sky -lights, hatch-
ways, companions, &e., to be secured ; the boats to
be looked to, to be ready in Cad,' of need. I ..vei.t below
to assure the passengers that I bdieverl there was on
danger of loss of life, provided they did as I wished
them, namely, remain quiet until daylight sh,:uld show
us where we were, and what was best to be d ; I also
consulted my chart, but could not make out to my own
satisfaction clearly where we. were, but b heved we were
not far from Ariglass, rear Gun Island, and that the
light in sight was that of the South Rock ; and at day-
break, when the Coast Guard people and others come elf,
I would not believe we were in Dundram Bay, and that
there was a light on St. Doha's Point, for some time.
The ship was forging ahead with the sea, and I was
afraid to let en anchor go, lest it midit go through her
bottom, and do more harm than good besides
the further the ship went the greater chance there
was of saving everybody. Towards daybreak it
moderated, and I immediately lowered one of our life-
beats, and commenced landing the passengers, the ladies
first. The tide soon ebbed out to the ship, and the pas-
sengers got on shore in a variety of ways—by ropes, by
carts, on men's shoulders, &c. ; and then their luggage,
only one or two packages of which have, I believe, been
lost. There was a great rush among the poorer people
for jobs, for which they took good care to be
well paid, but no ill-treatment to any of the passen-
gers has come to my knowledge. The Coast
Guard, with Captain Fisher at their head, gave every
possible assistance. Lieut. Morris. the officer in charge
of the station, was early oe heard, and did all he could
do to help us. Also Hugh Purdy, chief boatman, who
was among the first persons on board, and answered the
signals we made in the course of the night very
promptly. I cannot say sufficient for the great kind-
ness we all experienced from Lady Matilda Mont-
goTery, who gave shelter on ler her own roof
to several cf the paisengere, and ohta;re d shelter fur
many more in the cottages of the peasantry around.
Captain Despard, a magistrate, was also here t arly

and of great assistance in s'curing the passengers'
luggage in the Coast Guard Wa•chhuuse, and settling
disputes as to amount for carriage, Sec. &c. The
constabulary force, under Mr. Janns, were here as
soon as possible, and afforded valuable assistance, which
they have continued until very recently. There
aro many others in the neighbourhood who have
offered assistance, and I may say generally that all has
been done for us that could be done anywhere, under
our trying circumstances. Our thanks are particularly
due to Sir James Dombraine, the inspector-t.,eneral of
Coast Guard, who, en hearing of the disaster, sent two
boats' crews (eight men), with the mate of the
Royal George, revenue cruiser, to our assistance. Mr.
Brown, the chief mate, proved a valuable and efficient
officer, end we are indebted to him for good service, as
' well as to his party of men, whose assistance we found
most valuable in the boats. I also feel much gratified
in being able to say that Mr. Hedger, the chief, and the
whole of the officers and crew, behaved themselves in the
most exemplary manner during all their very hard work,
and conducted themselves with the same spirit and obe-
dience to orders that could be shown by any men in the
most ordinary routine of duty.
I need not go into the failure of all our attempts to
get the ship afloat, this you know from Captain Claxton,
and my letters. I must remark that it is clear there
must have been a westerly set, which placed the ship
more than a mile and a half an ht ur ahead of what the
log gave ; this is clear from the distance run from Liver.

pool (Coburg Dock Gate), to where we are ; about
120 miles in 9i hours gives 12i knots per
hour; the log grave rather less than 11 knots, and this set
also prevented our seeing the Calf of Man Lights as
we passed more to the S.W. than we ought to have done
by the course steered, which I find to be the same
(N.W. by N.) as steered by the regular trading steamers
between Liverpool and the ports near this. I must
also observe that I cannot attach any blame to the com-
passes or steerage. I tried the compasses a day or
two after we got here, and found them correct to a
of a point ; in fact, I take the whole blame, if there be
any, to myself, for it is I alone who had anything to do
with the navigation of this ship, or any other I have
ever commanded.

Overwhelmed by the occurrence, mortified at the issue
of our great effort, it is still not without confidence that
I leave my case in your hands, first claiming permission
to look back on the occurrences of the past fifteen years,
and more particularly to the time I have been connected

with your company.
In the year 1931, I first commanded a ship; one of the
Falmouth Post-office packets, and in 1832 I commanded
another Falmouth packet; in both those I kept my own
reckoning, although I had officers there for that express
purpose. From 1832 to 1837 I commanded merchant

sailing vessels in a foreign trade, and a steamer in the
coasting trade; those vessels I navigated myself of
course. In 1837 I took command of your ship the Great
Western, and that good ship I navigated, entirely my-
self, sixty-four times to and from New York, for which
I obtained your high opinion and the offer of the com-
mand of the Great Britain, as well as a complimentary
letter, and a valuable present from the Underwriters
at Lloyd's, " for nautical skill and seamanship." During
that time the numerous presents and testimonials
from passengers, I am sure, were given for
the care with which I navigated your ship
Principally, and the whole credit formerly, or discredit
now, s ail my own; but I feel a firm conviction that
you, gentlemen, will acquit me of blame in this impor-
tant matter, and, if so, I trust will publicly declare
70114 1. hollet sashimi:ma °piaci% to that effect. That