The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-11 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE TAY.

On Saturday at the GreenwichPilice-court, inves.
tigation, under the Merchants' Shipping Act, was com-
menced before Mr. Trail!, -the magistrate, re.pecting the
loss of the Royal Mail steam-ship Tay, *Lich went
ashore in the Gulf of Mexico, near Cape Roxo, on the
morning of the 30th August last. Mr. Traill was assisted
by Capt. Robertson, R.N., Surveyor-General of the Ma.
rine Department of the Board of Trade. Mr. Cumber-
land, from the office of the scliciter to the Customs, and
Mr. Neale attended to arrange the evidence. Mr. Bird,
of Cardiff, appeared on behalf of his relative, Capt. Strutt,
the commander of the Tay, and Mr. Crowder for the
company. There were also several of the officials of the
company preeent.

Mr. Cumberland having briefly stated the nature of
the proceedings,
-Capt. Wm. Strutt entered upon a statement respecting
his nautical services under'the company fora period of
18 years from July, 1344, as midshipman, third officer,
second officer, and commander. Daring the whole of his
service at sea be had never met with any mishap until'
the loss of the Tay, to the command of which he was
appointed in May last. He then stated that 'they left
Havannah -on the 25th of August, and described the
course pursued thenceetill the morning when the vessel
stranded. He also put in the night order-book, in which
the order of course was entered, He left-that deck at
about-11 o'clock the night before the ship struck; leaving
directions bow the vessel was to be steered ;'returned at
a quarter to 2, and remained till the ship struck at ten
minutes past 5. After the chief officer came on deck
at 4 o'clock, witness dozed off. on one of the seats, and
dreamed that the vessel had struck just as it occurred
aftserwards. He started up. It was then a qbarter to
5. Went forward to the forecastle, where the chief
officer was. The first glimpse of daylight was then
showing. Witness noticed something on the horizon,
and then ran to get his glass. The vessel struck almost
immediately. The witness described the various steps
taken after the vessel bad stranded, the despatch of
the mails to Tampico, &c.. Witness attributed the
disaster to the influence of an extraordinary- ,current
running southward, the said current having, been caused
by a heavy hurricane which it was subsequently tearaed
had blown on the 27th and 28th of August, on the north
side of Cuba. Such a hurricane paSsing from 'S.E. or
E.S.E. would produce what. was known as "storm-
wave," which latter, preceded .by a large body of water,
would continue its course until it broke upon some
shore, however distant. The Tay, passing a dangerous
part of the coast exactly at the time the
,"storm-wave"
was approaChing, felt the effects of its current without
warning, and just struck in time to experience.the disas-
trous effects of the wave itself.

Mr. W. T. Rawer, third officer, Mr. Herbert, second
officer, and other witnesses, also Lieut. Stewart, R.N.,
dmiralty officer in charge of the mails on board the
Tay, having - been examined, and expressed a similar -
opinion iptrinr-the-tamsc-3ttri6Veteerikeftran the
:Izkquiry•taas adjourned.
. _ .
ThQinqcdry into the lola ofthe Royal Mail steamer
Tay was resumed yesterday morning, at the Greenwich
Police Court, before Mr. Trail, the magistrate, and Cap-
tain Robertson, R.N.

Mr. Macintosh, the first officer, Mr. Herbert, the se-
cond officer, and Mr. Rawles, the third officer, wer., re-
examined at some length as to the practice of taking the
ship's rate. They stated that 'they were principally
guided by the number of the revolutions of the engne
and not the log. It was hove at times, but not
regularly.
Captain William Vincent, the company's marine,super-
intendent at Southampton, said that he had no doubt
that the hurricane which had bun represented to have
raged near Havannah would have the effect ; fated. by
Capt. Strutt on the current on the coast between Vera
Cruz and Tampico. A gale at Havarmah would pro-
bably produce this current. It could not have been de-
' tected by the captain except by stopping the shin dead
and casting the lead. The course N. by W. 4W. was
the proper course from Vera Cruz to .Tampico, until
they neared Lobos. It, would have,heen more prudent
had the Tay's course not have been altered until she had
run two hours more. Should have felt it ueeaVal yt'
have used the common log every hour after leaving Vera
Ciez. When the ship had to run a given distance it
was usual to use the patent log, so as to confirm their
calculations. Knew Captain Strutt to be a careful
officer.
Captain Liott, one of the managers of the company,
said the disuse of the log was a strong act of -disobe-
dience of the company's regulation. The company had
never permitted the working. of the .ship by the rate
opinion
cw)huilcdh.nt ho
te
been ga nceuerra
tser vHe tebeenotoffir
teaeirn4eodfatshterownagtcolpi
as to whether the•lead ought 'not to have been used ac-
cording
taiton
Robertson said that wag only where t
the company's -regulattoni.
lain entertained a doubt. In this instance Captain Strutt
had a strong belief that he was much further off ,the
land than he was ; indeed 20 miles from the land.
After some further unimportant remarks, the inquiry
closed.
The court remarked that they were satisfied as to the
existence of the current spoken of, but it would be a
matter of consideration for their report to the Board of
Trade. whether. the captain had observed the asual. segu-
lations and precautions in navigating the ship.

We have to announce the death of Lieut.-General Sir
,j. Holt, X.C.8.,- Colonel of the 2d (or Queen'B) Royal
Regiment, which appointment is rendered vacant by his
demise. Sir. J. Holt's death will, coupled with those of
Lerd Hardiuge and the late Gen: .Tortee, create a vacancy
in the list of general officers, by which Cel. Greaves, late
on the staff in Ireland, becomes a Major-Gen.ral ;'Lieut.
Colonel Alves, of the Depot at Preston, Colonel ; and
Major Hickey, of the 69th Foot, Lietat.-Colonel.
SERVICES OF LIFE BOATEL—RA.IIB(4B,TE, Nov. 6.-01,
the 4th inst., at 10.15 p.m., the light vessels fired alarm
guns with rocket signals, and being as.' usual all ready,
the steamer Aid, and the Northumberlvani life-beat, be-
longing to the Ramsgate Royal Harbour Trust, were_ at
..
sea in exactly 11 minutes. They procees led to the Gall
Light-Vessel for instructions, and then Mode way in. the
direction pointed out to them. They skirted thewirel;
of the shoal, but saw no signal of distress or vessel.
about
replying the lugger Charlotte Ann, of R. ineePteegth
replYing that they had seen nothing. m. At
till 2 a.m,, and returned to the harbor Er at 2
_.E ,
Capt.
daybreak, an increasing gale blowing from S
e &rig at pr.
Martin, the harbour master, observed a ldasrg
the shore. He
Choi-, with her sails adrift, riving towards
her,
and offered
advised the Ramsgate boatmen to ' Chet' er4t2ol
e,e37about
tand
them assistance. Five men left u I'n was tim-
th,ei Tall., in distress?' , The
bar laden, .made the signal for
he
'Lae e
a waterlegge& The
talasesmo
oanssai assistance. .
had Fbi
ovier
dmed.e n' le ft iengsoeseti,roVil
egn bwosait,
crew had abandoned her on t
st 'Lae e drifted Off imme-
tide fiewing rapidly,
k- ~ beerily on the Sand-
diately,
she shoals,. and was Me
tv trs e„
er• bour steamer, however, with
with Flat'. The Royal ...ear .
1 ; fie of her, and had her
sl'on a onge
additional help, wa
sthe tide toe El falling, dragged her off
and with Et 130:igamas; gala have been driven over
in tow, and althoughad,
there should be water
Harbour, .
signal that they
into a proper roads
having reached
haze having cleare nd anriliored her in safety, tin
enough to ; bring her into the Royal
while the G all Light vessel made the
Meal-ad the crew 'on board, the poorfellows
the light vess lin the brig's boat. The
d away, the harbour master discerned
upon the'off part of the Goodwin, and
a schooner on share
was.msanrsa .
rn• the life-boat . a second time, and
at 7.2°.a.f itie steamer, on their way to the santle. . Oa
in t.Fow : e e a
th wreck they had the satisfaction to find that
reaclun
lugger Charlotte Ann had taken out the 'crew,. and
the
had also the schoener's boat in tow. This vessel was the
Tartar, of Yarmouth, laden with grain, bound to Water-
She bad got on shore the shoal at about 3.30
lord.
on , unobservo in the dark haze, and on heir g disco-
vered was fast teßioming a total wreck. The clews of
1 brith vessels were- landed here ; and at high water the
harbour master bri4- the satisfaction of mooring the wa-
ter-logged vesselslft a, berth to discharge a valuable cargo.
of 300 tons of Dapt4ic pipe staves. • She is a new brig,
the Leopoldine, of 02erto, and was thus saved eit?te yii:,)iy.
the exertions of thtVificer3 and mea rent
bonr to her rescue. Mee harbeurcomilii 1,3.
fr°r4"lifela a a
i°lltormr. an e t la- r
and steamers are now again in reatiine4
1.
start. 'el,lucli credit is . due to .the Ramsgatessteamer
their
Trtist ter -their liberality in allowing , 1 _
-out lariats, withouLdistinciti
distress ; but what the_ :soup,
\
to owners, to TO-st
°II
'iurgently deinande is a
d kept constantly afloat
steamer, with her fires Tie
d exclusively to the preserva.
'a the Downs, and devoted
)- 12 of human life and property.
el.