The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-26 00:00:00

Melancholy Occurrence at Sea.

About three months ago a barque named the
Ruby, 551 tons register, commanded by Captain
Merrill, arrived .in Cork harbour leaky, and with
other damoge. She had a cargo of iron from St.
Petersburg, for Boston. On her arrivai the cargo
was discharged into the stores of Messrs. Brown
and Craig's docks, Passage West, with the objett of
having the vessel repaired. An estimate of the cost
of the repairs, the ship's carpenter having refused to
work under 7s. 6d. a day, was furnished to the
owners, and they finding that the repairs could be
done cheaper in Livlerpool, had the vessel towed into
one of the docks there. The Ruby ,was repaired,
and towed back to this harbour on Nov. 1. 'The
cargo was re-shipped, and the vessel left the harbour
on Nov. 16forher destinatioii. From the time of her
departure the most unfavourable weather was expe-
rienced, particularly about the Ist of the present
month. On the 6th, :7th, and Bth, a terrific
gale blew from the southward, accompanied
by exceedingly turbulent seas, the decks of
the ship being repeatedly swept, which ren-
dered it very dangerous to remain there.
On the Bth inst., at noon; the ship was 1,500 miles
to the westward of this coast, and the captain, his
first and second mate, were standing near the wheel
on the starboard side of the deck house, when a
tremendous sea struck the ship, sweeping away the
deckhouse, together with the captain, his first mate,
whose name was Thompson, and the man at the
wheel. The second mate bad a most providential
escape, he being dashed against. the bulwarks, just
at a part where the deck-house did not project.
Both his legs were broken, and he was badly in-
jured about the body. The weather was very thick
at the time, and nothing was seen of those washed
overboard after it occurred. The crew state that
from the violence with which the unfortunate men
were dashed against the bulwarks they must have
been instantly killed, and that at the time of the
occurrence no boat could live in the sea. The deck-
house contained all the ship's papers, chronometer,
binnacle compasses, and signal flags.; in fact every-
thing for navigating the ship was in it, and all was
carried away. The mate was so badly injured that
he was utterly unable to take charge of the ship, but
acting on occasional suggestions from him, the
boatswain succeeded in bringing back the ship as
far as Cape Clear. Here, on Wednesday, they
sighted a vessel, and, having no other means of
signalling her,, they hoisted a table-cloth on the
mainmast. The vessel, which proved to be a Rus-
sian barque named the Petrie, from Falmouth, came
to, and the captain being informed of the circum-
stances, at the, request of the man in charge, put
his chief mate, John Hermann, Youghal, on board
the Ruby, to take her to a port. The vessel ar-
rived in the harbour yesterday (Friday) in charge

ii.MNIIIIIWIN

of Hermann. The Ruby is much damaged. She
belongs to a Boston merchant, and his agent has
been communicated with in Liverpool, but 'a hat
hat
will be done with the ship is not yet decided. Cap-
tain Merrill had many friends in Queenstown, and
the intelligence of his loss was received by them
with very great regret.—Cork Examiner.