The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-06 00:00:00

The Foundering of the S

Ihip London.

Yesterday, at the Greenwich Police-court, the
official inquiry instituted by the Board of Trade,
into the melancholy circumstances attendant on the
loss of the ship London, in the Bay of Biscay, on
the 11th of January, was resumed before Mr.
Traill, the stipendiarymagistrate, and Capt. Harris,
and Capt. Baker, the two nautical assessors.
Mr. O'Dowd continued to conduct the case on
behalf of the Board of Trade ; Mr. W. M. Hitch- I
cock was present on behalf of Mr. Cutting, whose
daughter was a passenger on board the vessel ; Mr.
C. Wigram, of the firm of Messrs. Wigram and
Son, chief owners of ,the ship, was again in attend-
ance.

The first witness examined on this, the seventh
day of the inquiry, was—
Daniel Thomas Smith, of the Bull's Head, High-
street, Shadwell, who was examined by Mr. O'Dowd
and said—l was boatswain's mate on board the
London on her last voyage. I have been 17 years
at sea, chiefly on foreign voyages. When we left
Plymouth the weather was very fine, and so it con-
tinued till Sunday, the 7th, when the wind fresh-
ened and increased in violence till Monday, and
then it blew half a gale from the SW. We were
going under steam, head to wind.
To Captain Harris—lt was treble-reefed-topsail
weather.
Mr. O'Dowd At six p.m., it blew a gale, and
we were under mizeiastaysail, foretopsail, maintop-
mast staysail, and reefed spanker. We were on the
starboard tack. About eight o'clock the maintop-
sail was carried away. Nothing more of conse-
quence occurred till Tuesday morning, when at
nine o'clock, the jibboom was carried away, and at
the same time the vessel pitched and further carried
away the foretopmast, foretopgallantmast, and main-
royal mast. No injury was done to the ship by this
loss. The jibboom went overboard on the starboard
side, and the masts hung, down abaft. We tried to
cut away the wreck of the masts, but only partially
succeeded. We got ropes and secured the foretop-
mast to the foremast ; the mainroyal was left hang-
ing, but not in a situation to do harm. In the after-
noon of the following day (Wednesday), we got
in the jibboom, which had been floating alongside
all night. We tried to get the jibboom in on Tues-
day, but we did not succeed till Wednesday even-
ing. After we got it on board we lashed it to the
after part of the rigging on the port side. We lashed
it to ring bolts. The flying jibboom was got in
shortly afterwards, and lashed by the after hatch-
way on the port side. The length of the piece of
flying jibboom that was on board was about 25ft.,
and passed the engine room hatchway. The cir-
cumference was 28 or 30 inches. I lashed the after
end of the flying jibboom myself. I took five turns
with a 2i-inch rope, and fastened it to the after
stanchions of the staircase of the after hatchway. I
did not see the vessel's head turned. Ido not know
when she was turned round. I saw the flying jib-
boom the same evening quite safe. I did not see it
loose at all. I did not at any time see it sweeping
and striking against the combings of the engine-
room skylight.
Mr. O'Dowd—l have a statement here taken
down from you by the clerk, from which it appears
that you said you saw the flying jibboom flying
about on the deck, and striking against the comb-
ings.