The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-09 00:00:00

I WRECK OF TB CATHERINE:ADAMSON ,

WITH- A LOSS OF 21 LIVES.

. _
Early on Saturday morning, Oct. 24, Sydney
was thrown into a state of considerable ,Arc4tement
and alarm. The lo3s of the ill-fated Dunbar, with
so many familiar friends and acquaintances gone in
her total wreck, but nine weeks previously, was still
fresh to memory and most melancholy to contem-
plate. And now the Catherine Adamson, the
queen ship of _Anglo-colonial vessels, is lost also.
We call her the "queen ship" because she .has
beaten all other sailing vessels in her -run home.
She left this port on the 26th of last March, and
landed her mail on the 68th day,. The time from
leaving Sydney on that occasion until her return
and fatal disaster was less than seven months. She
was on her third voyage, an Aberdeen clipper, of
886 tons, and was commanded from her launoh by
Captain Stuart,- a man of great energy and perse-
verance, and who, we regret to. hear, has lost by
this catastrophe the hard earnings of a busy and
industrious life.

The following is an account of this sad affair :
The Catherine Adamson, Aberdeen clipper, 886
tons, was commanded by Capt. Stuart. About 9
, p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28, she was off the Heads, and
signalled for a pilot. It was then a moonlight night,
sea moderate, and the wind blew down the harbour.
Hawkes, the pilot who took charge, endeavoured.
.to beat in, bat the ship worked badly, and missed
' stays off the Inner North Head. The anchors were
let go, and blue lights burnt, which were seen from
the steamer Williams, as she entered the Heade,
about midnight. Captain Creer made an attempt
to take the ship in tow, but a bard squall and
heavy swell setting in from the southward com-
pelled him to cast of the warp, and the vessel struck.
The life-boat was not lowered (the gig having pre-
viously reached the steamer), and Captain Stuart
went away in her, promising to return or get the
Williams to approach nearer ; this, however, he
did not accomplish, the boat being swamped soon
after reaching the steamer, which then bore away
to the opposite side of the harbour, to fetch boats
from the pilot station, her own being useless. On
her return, the ill-fated Catherine Adamson was
nearly broken up, and all souls on board, number-
ing 21, had perished.
The passengers lost were Messrs. Loathes (brother
to the Secretary of the Liverpool and London In-
surance Company), Sydney, Ramsay, the Rev.
Jacob Jones, and two servants, with 15 of the crew,
including the second officer and pilot, Hawkes.
The Rev. Mr. Sbaw, Mr. Blair, Mr. Wilson, and
two servants were saved, as were Captain Stuart
and the chief officer. The value of the cargo was
estimated at 79,0001.

• The Rev. Jacob Jones, a Congregational minister,
had accepted an invitation in connection with the
New South Wales Home Missionary Society. He
was pastor of the Independent church at Melk-
sham, near Bath, and for six years was a student
at Spring-hill College, Birmingham.
Mr. Ramsay was the second brother of Mr.
Robert Ramsay, of Darling Downs.
Mr. Pilot Hawkes, we regret to say, has left a
widow and four children. He arrived in this colony
the 26th Sept., 1838, as chief officer of the Lady
Fitzherbert. Afterwards he commanded several
English and colonial vessels, and finally, for the
last four or five years, has filled with considerable
credit one of the posts of pilot at the Sydney Heads.
A coroner's jury, after a protracted inquiry, have
returned the following verdict :—" That the deaths
of the persons named in this inquiry were caused
by an error in judgment displayed by the late Mr.
Pilot Hawkes in attempting to bring the . ship
Catherine Adamson into harbour during the un-
favourable state of the weather at the time, and
that through that error the lives were lost. The
jury would remark that it is their impression that
the late Mr. Pilot Hawkes's boat's crew should not
have left the ship when they did without the orders
of the employer, thereby rendering themselves
censurable. They also think that some further
efforts should have been made with the lifeboat
to save, if possible, more lives of the late passengers
and crew, It is with great pleasure that the jury
now avail themselves of this opportunity of expres-
sing their high sense of the very praiseworthy
manner in which both Captain Creer, of the
steamer Williams, and Mr. Pilot Robson acted in
rendering their services to aid the Cathez ins
Adamson with crew and passengers in distress. "--•
Sydney p aper.

THE LATE DEATH OCCASIONED BY AN
INFURIATED BULL IN THE CITY.

MANSLAUGHTER AGAINST THE LIVERY
STABLE KEEPER.
Last night Mr. William Payne, the coroner, re-
sumed and concluded an inquest at St. Bartholo-
mew's Hospital, on the body of James Besant, one
of the persons who died from injuries received from
an infuriated bull on the 18th ult., whilst being
driven through the City. At the former sitting of
the jury several witnesses stated that the bull ran
into a livery-stable in Stonecutter-street, and if it
had been allowed to remain until a conveyance was
sent for, no harm would have happened ; but that,
in spite of all remonstrances, Mr. Child, jun., son
of the proprietor of the premises, would insist upon
the bull being driven out, and by beating it him-
self with a stick, assisted by his man, the animal
was driven out, and that it afterwards committed
the injuries of which this man died. It able in-
jured other persons. The jury then thought that
as very serious charges bad been brought against
Mr. Child, he should have an opportunity of hear-
ing them, and making any statement he chose to
rebut them, and the inquiry was adjourned for that
purpose.
Last night, on the assembling of the jury, a
member of the Common Council and resident in the
ward was present to watch the case on the part of
the widow of the deceased.
The Coroner having ascertained that Mr. Child
was in attendance, said he would read over the
evidence which had been given, so that Mr. Child,
if he thought fit, could put any questions to the
witnesses as he proceeded.
When the evidence of Mr. Fletcher, the master
drover, was read over to him,
The Coroner said it appeared that only one man
was sent with those four bulls, and as the law re-
quired that one drover should go in front of the
cattle, and another behind, he wanted to know bow
it was that that provision of the act of Parliament
had not been complied with.
Mr. Fletcher said he was not aware of any such
law. His licence allowed 10 oxen to be driven by
one man, and here were only four.
James Callaghan was then called on behalf of
Mr. Child. He said he was in Mr. Child's stable,
in Stonecutter-street, when this bull came in. He
was standing at the further end `of the ride. The
bull entered at one side and went round on the
other and tossed up some harness. Mr. Child,
jun., was close to the entrance of the ride at the
time. There were no policemen there that he saw.
He ran inside the stable, and the bull went out.
He saw no attempt to stop him. He heard no
conversation between the police and Mr. Child.
By the Jury—He saw no one strike the bull dur-
ing any part of the time. Ho did not lose sight of
the bull at all, although he was there for ten
minutes. There was no altercation between Mr.
Child and the policemen. He did not see the bull
go out of the large gates.
Other evidence having been given,
The Coroner then summed up the evidence to the
jury, and explained to them that if a person turned
a bull out of a place, and that bull committed such
injuries as to cause death, that person must be re-
sponsible ; but if they thought he only did so
to prevent injury to persons On his own premises,
he had a perfect right to do so ; and although some
injury might afterwards ensue, it would be for
them to consider whether the case was anything
beyond an accident.
The jury retired, and after a time they won't to
view the stable and premises. On their return,
after a short consultation, they returned a verdict
of "Manslaughter against John Child."
The Coroner asked him if he bad any friends who
would be bail for him, or he should have to send
him to Newgate.
Two of the jury here offered themselves as bail
for him and, having been accepted, Mr. Child was
liberatk:d.
The inquisition was then signed, and the pro-
ceedings terminated.

TILE NEW DIVORCE BILL AND TILE
DIOCESE OF OXFORD.

The following letter has been sent to every surro-
gate of the C.nsistory Court of the Bishop of Oxford
by Mr. Davenport, registrar of the diocese
Diocesan Registry, Oxford,
Dec. 30, 1857.

" Reverend Sir, —The Act of Parliament of last
session to amend the laws relating to divorce and
matrimonial causes in England, will come into ope-
ration on the 11th proximo ; and I am desired by
the Chancellor of the Diocese to inform you that
after conference with the Lord Bishop on the ~subj-
ect, the Chancellor requests you wiwillreceive Fe°
iollowing as an instruction from him in the ex
of your office of surrogate.
d a decree for a dis-
to any person who has obtains
provisions of the
the
" That you do not grant' Hoene°
under(
solution of marriage the case may be) of
dor wife as .
act, if the husban be still alive.—l have the
such divorced Pers°7l our faithful servant,
for marriage
honour to be, rev. sir, ?-
' JOHN la, pAv arir on ."