The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-24 00:00:00

ceeded to sea from Granton on Friday evening,
the 10th of May last, having on board between 60
and 70 passengers, first and second class. The

correct number is unknown.

She was bound to

Aberdeen, Wick, Kirkwall, and Lerwick, with a
general cargo on board, her draught of water being
about 10ft. Gin. By the testimony of all the wit-
nesses the weather was very foggy at the time of the
vessel leaving Granton, but did not appear to have
caused any alarm either to the commander or offi-

cers, the latter asserting that they had often put to
sea in weather more dense than it was on the night
of the 10th. Nor did the passengers seem to
have considered that it was dangerous to proceed.

On leaving the pier at Granton the wind
was moderate E.N.E. The vessel was kept at about
half speed down the Frith of Forth, nothing having
been seen but one buoy, called the Fairway Buoy,
which was passed close to, continuing on her course
till the master supposed the ship to be about N.E.
by E. from lnchkeith, distant about two miles, this
supposed position being verified by three casts of
the lead, which had been taken at short intervals
before 8 p.m., the soundings obtained being 16, 19,
and 22 fathoms. From this supposed position a
course was shaped E. k N., 28 miles being run
upon this course. The weather by this time
getting more dense gradually, from this a N.E.
by E. E. course was steered, and, by the
master's showing, half a point was allowed
for the ebb tide. After running 10 miles on
this course the master supposed the ship's position
to be about six miles to the east-south-eastward of
the Bell Rock, but in all probability she was much
nearer, or it would be difficult to account for the
ship's close proximity to the land just before she
struck, as the courses steered were, in the opinion
of the Court, safe and judicious. Having the
Bell Rock bearing, as supposed, about W.N.W.,
distant six miles, the ship was hauled up to a N.E.

N. course true, the deviation being allowed
and she was kept upon this course till three a.m.,
the distance run being estimated at 23 miles.
From three a.m. the ship was hauled up to N.E. by
N., upon which course she ran 15 miles, and
the master then supposed the vessel to be nearly
eight miles from the nearest land, and more than
four miles outside of the position in which she must
have been at this time (4.45 a.m.), which fatal error
was corroborated by an incorrect cast of the deep-
sea lead, taken by the certificated chief mate by
orders of the master. It appeared by the evidence
of the mate himself that the deep-sea lead line had
been accidentally cut off by the paddle-wheel on a
former voyage four days previous to this disaster ;
and, although known to the master, by some un-
accountable negligence this line had not been again
marked, which was the special duty of the mate,
under whose charge it was ; and this fact, no doubt,
may have misled the mate in his report of the sound-
ings. The Prince Consort had been steaming at full
speed from about 8 p.m., when off Inchkeith. The
logbook being lost in the vessel, the time could not
be depended upon, as it was given entirely from
memory. At 4.45 a.m., a cast of the lead was
taken, and the soundings supposed to have been
obtained were 36 fathoms, which was reported
to the master, who questioned his mate as to
whether he had allowed for the 20 fathoms
that the line was deficient of, and if he was certain
of his soundings, to which questions the answers
were satisfactory. The ship was stopped to take
these soundings, and, after obtaining them, was
started a-head at half-speed, and the course was
altered to N. E. true. At about 5 a.m., 12 minutes
after the ship had stood on towards the land, the mas-
ter gave orders to the mate to make ready to take an-
other cast of the lead, and had his hand on the tele-
graph preparatory to stopping the ship for that
purpose, when breakers were suddenly seen close to
them on the port bow. In this alarming crisis the
master appears to have acted promptly by stop-
ping the engines and putting the helm hard
a-port ; but, unfortunately, the ship was too close to
the danger, as, after paying off about four points to
the eastward, she struck on the llasman Rocks,
which are a short distance from the Alten Rock,
where she subsequently was totally lost. It was
most fortunate that the Prince Consort struck
where she did, as assistance was close at hand, and
very promptly rendered by the fishermen, whose
boats were ready for launching in-a cove or harbour
just inside of the Ilasman Rocks, these men being
aroused by the steam blowing off, the fog having
become so dense that the vessel herself could
not be seen, though not distant more than
one or two hundred yards. It does not appear
that the ship hung on these rocks more
than a few minutes, but sufficiently long to enable
these fishermen to board her and convey to the
shore two or three boatloads of passengers, and a
pilot in one of the ship's boats, which had been
lowered and filled with passengers. After striking
two or three times heavily, the ship appears to have
swung off these rocks, her head paying right round
off to the S.IV., when she almost immediately struck
on the Alten, and in about half an hour broke in
two pieces, just abaft the engine-room, the fore
part disappearing, and subsequently,the after part
of the vessel slipped off the rock and sunk in
comparatively deep water. The disappearing
of this ill-fated ship did not take place till
all hands had been rescued from their dangerous
position by the praiseworthy exertions of the Com-
mander, his officers and crew, assisted most ably by
the fishermen, who were the means of saving a
large portion of those who were landed, and in all
probability many of them would have lost their
lives but for their prompt asssistance. Though the
ship's boats did their part, those in charge were un-
acquainted with the different small coves on
the coast, more especially as in such thick
weather such landing places could not be dis-
cerned. The villagers in the neigbourhood ren-
dered every assistance to the shipwrecked passen-
gers that was in their power, supplying many of the