The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-06 00:00:00

THE COLLISION IN TilE CHANNEL•

FOLKESTONE, Tuesday Evening. —A t 10 o'clock ked anthis
morning Mr. East, the borough coroner,
in-
quiry at the Guildhall touchingthpeasdesaert,hg:r oPf,
and l‘r.aGbeooy.
Summers, aged 19, seaman, a
male
(names not known) who perished in te wreck
of the
l
Josephine Willis. The lad was apparently il
between 7
and 8 years of age, and his right leg had been amputated
just above the knee.
Kester Clayton, e
hief officer of the Josephine Willis,
was the first witness examined.L —ee ship was on a 'voy-
age from London to Auckland, New Zealand. On Satur-
day morning last, about half-past 7 o'clock, she left the
St. Katharine Docks, London, and was towed down to
Gravesend by a tug-boat. On Sunday morning, about 7
o'clock, we left Gravesend, towed by the steam-tug, till
we were near the east buoy off the Margate Sand. The
tug then left us in the afternoon, and we sailed on through
the Downs and ran down the Channel with the wind
about S.E. or S.S.E. Our pilot landed at Deal about 5
o'clock'on Sunday afternoon. At 6 p.m. we passed the
South Foreland, and at 10 minutes to 8 p.m. the Folke-
stone Pier-bead Light bore about N. by W., distant
about 5 miles. We hove the log at this time, and the
ship was going about seven knots. At 8 p.m. a light
was reported ahead. I went forward and saw it, and
then returned to the poop. It was a white light, and I
soon afterwards saw the red light lower down, and
shortly afterwards the green light, by which I knew the
vessel ahead was a steamer. I then put the helm
a-starboard ; while standing on the poop I kept her green
light open. In about three minutes after I had put the
helm a-starboard the steamer struck us just before the
main rigging on the starboard side. She came bow upon
us. She was a screw steamer. Just as the steamer
was striking us, the captain of the Josephine Willis
came on deck and took the command, and I obeyed his
orders. We had courses, topsails, topgallant sails, and
flying jib set. After we were struck, we endeavoured
to haul the mainsail up, but our vessel filled so fast that
we had no time to do it. When we found the steamer

was nearing us,' two or three men fcrward, and I, from
the polp, hailed her as loudly as we were able, but the
stea-ner must Fare ported her helm or I believe we
should have gone clear of her. Soon after having struck
us, the engines of the steamer were reversed, and she
backed. There was a nice fresh breeze. It was clear
overhead, but rather hazy on the water. We all did
the best we could to get the boats down to endeavour
to save the passengers. We had four boats. The
starboard was stove in lowering, but some persons
were taken in her to the steamer. The life-boat was
capable of taking 40 persons in her, but there was ne
time to get them into her, as 10 minutes after being
struck the vessel heeled over to the port sale.
By the Coroner—l think Mr. and Mrs. Ray were
taken in the starboard boat. Most of the passengers bad
turned in. We had aboat 66 passengers and a crew
of 40.

Coroner—Did the steamer remain by the ship ?
Witness—She backed astern out of the ship, and went
astern about half a mile. After she bad been on her
beam-ends I got up into the rigging, and a boat came
and took me off. Twenty-five altogether were taken on
board the steamer, chiefly the crew. I know these five
One boat came from the steamer. The
life-boat conveyed some passengers. Most of the pss.
eenifere were below ; they comprised men, women, awl
children.

John Sheen, a seaman on board the Josephine Willis,
was next called. lle said—On Sunday evening, about
10 minute: past 6, I went on the topgallant forecastle,
on the look out. I had my orders from the boatswain.
The ship was then to the westward of the South Fore-
!and, but she had not got to Dover. The weather was
fine, and we were going at the rate of about six knots.
We had braced our yards in. The wind was S.S.E.
About 20 m:nu:es or a quarter to 8, I first saw a light
ahead, and could not make it out. Ido not know
what course she was ale rim:, but I saw the Folkeston
Pier-head Light. I should say we were six or seven
miles off. Cannot say how it bore. When I first saw
the white light it was right ahead. I reported it to the
chief mate, wl!co came forward. The second mate fol-
lowed him in two or three minutes. I soon afterwards
saw the green light, and then the red light, and I knew
it then to be a steamer. She was approaching us
rapidly, and our helm was put a starboard. When her
helm was put a-etarboard the ship came up in the wind,
and her sails began to shake. There was about 12 of
us on the forecastle, and we called out to the steamer as
loudly as we could. We did not see any person on the
br;dge or on the fcrecastle of the steamer on the look-
out.

Coroner—De you think the steamer altered her
oour.:e ?

Witness—Yee, she put her helm a-port, the wrong
way, and she came into us. It was that which brought
her in contact with us. We were struck on the fore
part of the tirtin rigging, on the starboard side.

Coroner—What diytar,ce do you think you could see
a man on the look-cut on such a night ?

Witness—About three or four ship's length. It was
starlight. After the steam-boat came into the ship all
hands who were on the forecastle went aft to clear the
starboard lonaf. away. We put two female passengers,
two rna!e passengers, and some four or five boys into the
heat, but she got stove in being lowered, and we re-
moved the passengers into the port life-boat. There were
c►,ree of the ship's company in the boat, and she was
rowed to the steamer, which was about a mile and a
half to the eastward of the ship. Ours was the first
boat that reached the steamer. Our second mate, who
was in the boat, said to the captain, " Are you going to
render any assistance to the ship ?" The captain replied,
" Ye-, I have got a boat alongside with two hands in
her." The mate said, "Two hands are no use ; they
could save no lives." The boat, however, went to the
ship, and saved the chief mate, four or five passengers,
the carpenter, and, I think, two of tke ship's company.
We all asked the captain of the steamer if he was going
back with the steamer, but he did not do so, and still
allowed her to drift up with the tide. She was not
steaming. I did hot go on board the steamer. When
I asked the captain to go back, he said he must first
lighten his vessel forward and pump the ship. After
we put passengers on board from the lifeboat, I heard
an order given for her to go ahead, which she did slowly.
The steamer did not come back. We asked him to put
back several times, and he seemed annoyed at us and
used bad language. We were about an hour alongside
the ship in the life-boat, and when a lugger came up
they told us to go back with them and save life. /
Peter Patterson, boatswain on board the Mangertaa
steamer, was next examined, and gave similar evidence.
Mr. Henry Gray Ray was next called—l was a pase
senger ou board the Josephine Willis. On Sunday even.
ing I was on deck about 8 o'clock, when I beard a man
report a light on the starboard bow. I saw the light;
it was a white light. I then saw a red light, and abc.itt
a minute after a green light.
Coroner—Did you hear any order given on board the
ship when the light was seen?
Witness—Yes, I heard the order given to luff. I
can't say decidedly who gave the order. There wire
two officers on deck. I was on the poop. When tke
light was reported ahead I looked for the Josephine
Willis's light, and I could see the reflexion of it on the
bowsprit. I left the ship in one of the boats, with sly
wift', another woman, the doctor, the second mate, Jtos.
Smith, and two or three others.

Coroner—How long before the collision took pl:too
did you bear any bailing from your ship?

Witness—About a minute and a-half. The ves:isis
came in ecntact about four or five minutes after I fi tsst
saw the steamer's light. The captain of the Josephi n e
Willis was admirably cool and collected in giving lass
orders, but the confusion was so great that they cm ill
not be attended to. He directed the mainsail to be
hauled up, and the passengers to come up from bet wet
and go aft.
Coroner—Was the steamer long about the ship t
Witness—Perhaps about 5 minutes, or it might bet a
little longer. We were about half au hour getting to the
steamer, and I asked the captain as to whether he cons i-
, dered his ship in a sinking state. He said that he nrai:t
remove some of the cargo aft, and I went below to al r-
siw.t. The life-boat remained alongside some time. I
should state that the boat in which I left was in a lent sy,
sinking condition, and when about 200 yards from th e
steamer we hailed the life-boat, and we put the ladiie.s
into her and then got in ourselves and towed our b 4 olt
after us. After I got on board the steamer, and wh il!e
the life-boat was alongside, I asked the boatswain of
the Josephine Willis why he did not go back to t b e
wreck with the life-boat and endeavour to save some IA
the passengers. He replied that he was afraid of 4i s
brat being drawn down by the sinking of the ship ; he
also said that he thought the steamer was in a sinki
state, and that he ought to stay by to render assistants e
to those on board. I said, "If that is the case, ther r
will be a rush," ants asked him to pass his boat asters;,
and put a rope over the stern for the people to escape
by.
At this stage of the proceedings it was proposed tq
adjourn the inquiry, in order to procure the evidence e f
other passengers. That was accordingly agreed upon,
and the investigation was adjourned for a week.
The bodies of three female passengers and a chilli
have been picked up and taken into Walmer.
NEWS.—(This Day.)