The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-25 00:00:00

" MR. YARDLEY'S REPORT.

"Thames Police•ceurt, Feb. 20.
" My Lords,—l beg to state that, pursuant to the
instructions contained in your lordships' letter, dated
the 6th inst., assisted by Commander Robinson, R.N.,
acting as assessor, I have mad inquiry respecting the
loss of the Josephine Willis on the night of the 3d inst.,
and to report as follows :
" The Josephine Willis was a British ship of 786 tons
register, whicb, manned by a crew of 40, including all
hands, and carrying 70 passengers, sailed from the port
of London, bound for Auckland, Nei? Zealand, on the
2d inst.

" Immediately before departure she was surveyed
and in every particular approved by an authorised
emigration neut. About six p.m. on the 3d she
passed the South Foreland ; the wind was south-east,
the sky was clear and starlight ; the atmosphere hazy
on the water and horizon. Soon after passing the
South Foreland the wind changed to south•south-
eaa. The collision which led to the lose of the ship
happened a few minutes after eight p.s.r., the direction of
the wind and the state of the atmesphfre being then at
last stated. Tire ship's ceurso was W.S.W., the regu-
lar channel course to clear Dungeness. The rate of
sailing—all plain sail being set—was seven knots. Folke-
stonebore N. by W., 43 miles distant. The town lights
and harbeur light were indistinctly visible. The chief
officer, Kester Clayton, was on deck in command. The
master was below ; two men were fel. ward on the look-
out. One of the look-out men sow reported a light a-
head on the starboard bow withal.' fhe chief officer
ran forward from the poop and observed a bright light
a-head, and, mistaking this for Dungeness light, ordered
the helm to be starboarded, so as in his judgment to
bring the ship a point to port, and steadied the helm.
After a time he saw a red light on the starboard bow,
according to his statement, as much as four points, and
very shortly afterwards a green light also. As soon as
the red light and bright light were visible, they were
known to proceed frem a steamer. The green light being in
sight, and all the lights being visible, showed that the
steamer was coming directly on the sailing ship ; but,
according to the chief officer's evidence, the direction was
abaft the stern of the ship (see vol. 1, p. 102) ; the ships
being now very near, the steamer's helm being hard-a-
port, that of the ship, by order of the chief officer, e as
put hard-a-starboaid, in order to ease the blow. The
steamer struck the ship stem on, just before the main-
rigging. The steamer was the Mangerton, of 363 tons
register, commanded by Bourchier, trading between
Limerick and London, worked by a screw cf 130-horse
power, with a crew of 25, carrying ow that voyage about
40 passengers, 25 of whom were women and six or seven
children. At the time of the accident the deck was in
the temporary command of the boatswain, stationed or
the bridge, who was acting second mate, and assisting
in the captain's watch. There was a look-out for-
ward, and at o another on the bridge, and a very
experienced seaman at the helm. The captain was
justifiably below for a short time, with the first
mate, for the purpose of consulting the chart, to be
prepared in the event of not obtaining the assistants
of a pilot. The steamer was proceeding in a course E.
by N. 1 N., under easy steam, at about eight knots.
Seven or eight minutes before the collision a bright light
I was seen at an, apparent distance of a mile to a mile and
a haf, about a point and a half on the port bow. After
a few minutes this vanished, when the helm was put
a-port. The light again became visible, and also the
sails of a large ship, when the helm was put hard a-port
and the collision took place as above described. Im-
mediately before the collision thet engine was stopped,
and immediately afterwards backed. The bowsprit of
the steamer being foul of the main rigging the ships were
not got apart under 10 minutes. I will now venture to
express my opinion as to the causes of this disaster. This
I do with the greatest diffidence, inasmuch as the question
involves considerable nautical knowledge. It may safely
be said that if the chief officer of the Josephine Willis had
not mistaken the nature of the bright light which he saw,
and if he had followed literally the ' rule of the road,' as
prescribed by section 296 of the Merchant Shipping Act,
this accident would heve been avoider'. Considering the
haziness of the atmosphere, this mistake, notwithstand-
ing the disparity of the distance., seems excusable.
Having starboarded his helm upon the assumption that
the light seen was that of Dungeness, the red light and
soon afterwards the green light were visible. In fact,
the three lights were together visible, and so as to seem
to indicate that, by pursuing her then course, the ship
would have easily cleared the steamer if the latter, in
stead of porting, had starboarded her helm .Ti is brings
me to what I conceive to be another cause of the acci-
dent—viz., the deficient light on board the Josephine
Willis. This light was placed on the bowsprit, and con-
sisted of a lamp with three panes, each showing a differ-
ent light, the centre one being bright, and the others
red and green respectively. This undoubtedly is not
such a light as ought to be shown when danger in im-
minent. It, however, unfortunately happens that it had
received the sanction and approval of the emigration
agent who inspected :the ship, and was thus calculated
to mislead the commander of the ship into a confidence
i
of its efficiency. Moreover, it appears that there s au
ambiguity in the Admiralty directions on the subject of
ships' lights, one clause mentioning bright white lights,'
another bright lights.' I think that it will appear from
the evidence that the lights of the steamer were seen
before that of the Josephine Willis; and that of the latter
the coloured sides were imperceptible. The officer in
command of the latter ship having confidence in his light
would probably assume that it was visible as soon as the
others, and that the commander of the steame /would
shape his course according to that of his own ship. An_
• other concurring case I suggest with great diffidence is
ii the order given on board the oteeiner t'o port the helm

instead of the contrary order. If these causes all con-
curred in producing the accident, we cannot conclude
that it was solely caased by the blameful conduct of any
one in particular. After the collision the Mamzertou pro-
ceeded a short distance from the Josephine Willie and lay
to. Her commander, notwithstanding the urgent request
of his passengers that he would proceed for safety towards
the shore, expressed a determination to remain to assist
the damaged ship. He, however, had reason to fear that
his own ship was in considerable danger, and was com-
pelled to devote all his attention to her Falety. Two of
the boats of the Mangerton were lowered, not without
difficulty, on account of the improper manner in shish
they were stowed and secured ; and when in the water
were found wanting in plugs and tholes. One of them,
maimed by two Passengers of the Mangerton (very young
seamen named Newham and Anderson), proceeded to the
Josephine Willis and rescued seven of her crew and pas-
sengers. The effect of the collision on the Josephine Willis
was a breach on her starboard side, which allowed the
water to rush in and throw the ship on her beam ends.
Proceedings were immediately taken to lower the boats ;
one, the lifeboat, was successfully lowered. This also
wanted its plug. Another quarter boat was partially store
in the lowering, but it was not rendered quite useless.
There seem to have been raved in these two boats 26 of
the crew tad passengers. The lifeboat, with a portion of
the ship's crew, after having placed her passengers in
the Margeit lay off for nearly two hours, within
hearing of the cries of 40 persons clinging to the
wreck, without an effort being made to afford relief. The
chief officer was taken on board the Mangerton, where
he remained without making an effort to succour the
crew and passengers of his ship either by his own exer-
tions or by commands or entreaties. It is true, he was at
first benumbed from immersion, but from this he soon
recovered. The second officer showed equal apathy and
want of feeling. A Deal lugger, commanded by the wit-
ness Pearson, rescued 7—all that remained on the
wreck. 69 perished, of whom 57 were passengers, and
12, including the commander, of the crew.
" I have the honour to be, my Lords,
"Your obedient servant
" E. YARDLEY."