The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-23 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 23, 1860.

to save others, and who was himself picked up ex-
hausted and insensible, says that in the first mo-
ment all went down together underneath the gig,
but almost immediately afterwards, as it appeared
to him, they rose to the surface. The spray from
the sea was wild and stifling, the water deadly cold,
and for a moment or so of course none could say
what happened. Dr. Watson, who swins as well
as poor Capt. Harrison did, struck out and seized
the younger Lay. While doing so he saw Capt.
Harrison also striking out towards the boat, which
was pitching about keel uppermost, and called to
bim to make for the boat and hold on, to which
Capt. Harrison replied, "All right, all right."
Always cool and collected, no matter what his dan-
ger, Capt. Harrison seized the boat, and made a
desperate attempt to right it. But it was filled with
water, and turned over so completely as to rise
again with the keel uppermost still. Between this
movement of the boat and the fury of the sea, Dr.
Watson was separated from young Lay and the
boat for an interval. After a while, however, he
again succeeded in catching the poor lad and jam-
ming him in between himself and the stern of the
boat, on to which he held with one hand, while
with the other he tried to support Capt. Harrison,
who was buffetting strongly with the waves, by
keeping.h's hand under his arm. In this manner
some minutes passed, and Capt. Harrison seemed
almoA powerless, and to be becoming insensible.
After a short while, however, he again threw
himself on the keel of the boat, and strove to
turn it over. The struggle, however, was like
the first, ineffectual, and seemed to exhaust his
strength, for he relaxed his hold, threw his arms
up, and fell back in the waves, after which Dr.
Watson saw him no more. The last gallant effort of
the captain had, however, again separated Dr. Wat-
son from the boat, and from young Lay, who, be-
fore the doctor could regain his hold of him, went
down, beating the water with his hands as he sank.
Captain Lay, who was holding on to the boat,
shouted loudly for help as he saw his child disap-
pear. Dr. IVatsoa called to them all to hold on, as
a boat was coming. Some of the crew were then
clinging to oars and stretchers, but most of them to
the boat. Ogden could not be seen. It was some
minutes longer before any boats could make their
way to them through the heavy sea, by which time
many had relinquished their hold of the boat or
spars, for the waves were breaking over them and
all were more or less exhausted and insensible be-
fore they were rescued. _ .

Two boats had put off from the Indus, with two
from the docks, and one from a cutter named the
Fawn almost immediately that the accident was
seen. The boats from the docks picked up poor
Captain Harrison, who was floating about a foot
below the surface of the water with his head and
feet doubled together, and bis arm cast loosely over
an oar. When lifted out he had been, it is sup-
posed, about 12 minutes under water, and his body
was perfectly cold and dead—not a sign of anima-
tion could be discovered. He was immediately car-
ried to the shore and placed in one of the new houses
of the docks, where there was a large fire, but
though Dr. Watson, Dr. Chapman, Dr. Wiblin, and
many other medical gentlemen were instantly in
attendance, and every possible method was used to
restore animation for upwards of an hour and a half,
all efforts were fruitless, and he never moved or
gave a sign of life. The body of the younger Lay
was not found till late in the afternoon. Ogden, the
coxwain, was picked up near Capt. Harrison. He,
after a long time, was restored to consciousness, but,
as we have said, sunk and died the same evening
at 8 o'clock.

Thus, in the very prime of life and in the zenith
of his fame as an experienced seaman, died Cap-
tam Harrison. His hardy habits and tempe-
rate life preserved to him all the vigour
and appearance of a young man, while his
strength and activity and his skill as a swimmer
make the manner of his death almost a mystery to
his many friends. During his long life of peril and
exposure he had never seen a danger which he was
not ready to encounter to save a fellow creature, and
during the worst of all the storms he had passed
through, and the most disastrous of the shipwrecks
he had undergone, his skill and courage had never
once deserted him. In his untimely death the
Great Eastern may be said to have sustained a
heavy loss, for the confidence of the public centred
in her commander. To Captain Harrison and one
or tso of the directors is it due, now that the
shortcomings of contractors and the faults of the
directors have been exposed and condemned. In
his death the shareholders lose one of their bist
safeguards and most valued servant, and the mer-
cantile marine its most skilful and most widely
hon )ured representative.
Mrs. Harrison, we deeply regret to say, was last
night in a most precarious state, though every pos-
sible care had been used in breaking the dreadful
news to her the previous day.