The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-29 00:00:00

THIRD EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, 7 O'CLOCK.

TA T TERSALLS'—This Evening

LIVERPOOL STEEPLECHASE.
20 to 1 agst Mistake (taken)
20 to 1 agst Creole (taken)
25 to 1 agst Accident (taken)
CHESTER CUP.
40 to 1 agst Czar (taken)
TWO THOUSAND.
3 to 1 agst Lord Lyon (taken)
7 to 2 agst Student (taken)
10 to 1 agst Janitor (taken freely)
12 to 1 agst Auguste (taken)
THE DERBY.
100 to 15 agst Rustic (taken)
15 to 2 agst Lord Lyon (taken)
10 to 1 agst Student (taken and offered)
100 to 6 agst Reda n (offered, take 20)
20 to 1 agst Janitor (taken)
20 to 1 agst Auguste (taken)
50 to 1 agst Wolsey (taken)
1000 to 12 agst Lanaret (taken)

The Supposed Murder of a Policeman.

BOW-STREET-THIS DAY.

This afternoon John Daly, John Cahill, and Daniel
Curtis, were again placed at the bar before Mr. Vaughan,
charged with causing the death of Police-constable Wil-
liam Fitzgerald, F 50, whilst in the execution of his duty.
It will be recollected that the deceased policeman, at
the time in question, being on duty in Drury-lane, ar-
rested a man named Daly for being drunk and disor-
derly. On the way to the station they passed through
Broad-court, Long-acre. A crowd of people followed.
Just as the constable and his prisoner reached the en-
trance to the court, Cahill and Curtis cried out to
the man in custody, "Go it, Bob." Instantly Daly
grappled the policeman by his throat, and struggling
they fell heavily. Cahill and Curtis rushed forward and
dragged the prisoner away ; then all three ran off to-
gether. The policeman, Fitzgerald, did not rise from
the ground, but said to those who addressed him, "Don't
touch me—my arm's broken ; send to the station," which
request was complied with, and the injured man
was removed. He was taken to King's College Hospital,
where he died in great pain last Monday morning. Dr.
Conway Evans, senior physician to the hospital,
said that he made a post-mortem examination of
the body of the deceased. The left atm was
discoloured and much swollen, but there was no other
mark of injury. The discoloutation and lividity, how-
ever, would have concealed a bruise. The elbow joint
was dislocated, and the whole of the muscles were in such
a condition that it was evident very great violence had
been used. The main artery was torn asunder. No bone
was fractured. The body was that of a very fat man.
The heart was feeble and in.a state of fatty degeneration.
The liver was also fatty. The immediate cause of death
was failure of the action of the heart consequent on tran-
matic delirium arising from serious surgical injuries. If
the man had not received the injuries he would doubtless
be now alive ; but if his heart, &c., had been sound
the injuries would not have been, in all probability,
fatal.
The prisoners wore again remanded.

WEST INDIA AND PACIFIC MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, Jan. 29.

The Royal Mail Company's steamer Shannon has
arrived here with 76 passengers, a large cargo, and
£208,498 in specie.

The dates from Jamaica are to the 9th inst. The
new Governor, sill Henry Storks, arrived on the
Gth, and took up his residence at Blundell's Hall
Hotel on the 7th ; he was waited on by Mr. Eyre,
General O'Connor, and other officials. On the Bth
the inaugural ceremony took place in Spanish Town
in presence of the officials and a large assemblage of
spectators.

Everything in Kingston, Spanish Town, and
throughout the island was perfectly quiet.
The appointment of Sir Henry Storks has given
great dissatisfaction to the dominant party, and
corresponding satisfaction to their opponents.
Sir Henry Storks personally was well received.

The new Governor will reside at King's House;
Spanish Town. It was believed the Royal Commis-
sion would be held there.

Mr. Roundell, the secretary of the Royal Com-
mission, and Mr. Gorrie, the counsel for Mrs.
Gordon, arrived by the same mail as Sir Henry

Storks.

The local papers continue to discuss the circum-
stances connected with the rebellion, especial;y the
evidence against Mr. Gordon, with great acerbity.
Many political prisoners were to have been tried
by the special commission on the 23d inst., but
it is supposed these arrangements will now be
changed.

There is nothing new from Chili. Every branch
of trade was satisfactory.
The suicide of Admiral Pareja had been con-
firmed.

In Peru all was quiet, and order prevailed.

THE LOSS OF THE LuNDON.
4.-

OFFICIAL INQUIRY THIS DAY.

The official inquiry into the circumstances con

nected with the loss of the Australian steam-ship
London, which foundered in the Bay of Biscay on
the 10th inst., opened this day at the Greenwich

police-court, before Mr. Traill, the magistrate at-
tached to the court, and Captains Harris and
Baker, the nautical assessors appointed by the
Board of Trade.

The court was extremely crowded, and the
greatest interest was manifested in the painful in-
quiry by every person present.
Mr. O'Dowd, the barrister, attended on the part
of the Board of Trade. He said, in his opening
observations, that he was nearly overpowered with
the duty of introducing the tragical circumstances

connected with the loss of the auxiliary steam-ship
London, which foundered on her voyage to Aus-
tralia. He would not attempt a description of the
terrible matters attending that melancholy event,
because the public had been made so painfully
aware of them by the public press. He should, in
the first place, therefore, offer evidence as to the
structure of the ship, and:the material of which the
hull was constructed ; secondly, he should apply
himself to the question as to whether the owners of
the vessel had complied with the provisions of the

Passenger Act, and for that purpose he should call
before them the best evidence it was possible
to obtain. He should call before them gentlemen
of the greatest ability who had examined
vessel at the time she was built in 1864, and also
those who had twice examined the ship in order
that she might obtain her certificate as a passenger
ship. He should, in the next place, address himself
to the cargo and dead weight on board the ship,
which would be found to be 347 tons 4 cwt. 3
quarters, consisting of sheet-iron, shot, nails, rock
and other materials, and a quantity of other articles
which could not be classed as dead weight. The
value of the cargo on board amounted, he was told,
to £127,074. The next thing he should direct the
attention of the Court to was the quantity
of coal actually on board the London. There
were on board the vessel 45 tons of coal re-
maining from her previous voyage; there were
shipped in London 460, less 48 tons expended on
her voyage to Plymouth. Fifty tons were placed
on board at Plymouth, making a gross of 508 tons.
He should call before them the parties actually
engaged in storing the cargo, and every one who
could throw the slightest light on the terrible cala-
mity. The learned gentleman then proceeded to
give the exact details and measurement of the ship,
and then referred to the owners of the vessel, which,
he said, belonged to the Messrs. Wigram 56 shares,
Messrs. Morgan four shares, and her ill-fated com-
mander, Capt. Martin, to the extent of four shares.
The vessel left the London Docks Dec. 29, under the
command of Captain Martin and a Trinity House
pilot. Her draught of water, according to this
pilot, whom he should call, was 19ft. 9in. forward,
and 20ft. 9in. aft. The vessel left Gravesend, after
embarking a portion of her passengers, on the 30th,
and owing to stress of weather she anchored at the
Nore. She got again under weigh on the Ist of
January with her own steam, the wind blowingfrom
the S.W. She went down the Channel against
strong head•winds. On the 3d the weather became
so boisterous that at about two in the afternoon the
pilot decided on taking her to Spithead, and she
anchored on the Motherbank at 4 p.m., and
laid there until the 4th, when she steamed out
the wind being S.W. She arrived at Plymouth on

the sth, and at nine o'clock she was boarded by a
Plymouth pilot, who took her to the Sound, and in
two hours after she was anchored within the break-
water. On the 6th, a short time after midnight,
her anchor was hove off, the weather being mode-
rate, the wind blowing northerly with little or no
sea running, the course steered being S.S.W., and
her speed about eight knots an hour. The Lizard
was sighted about five a.m., when the weather
increased. On the 7th the wind, which was then
westerly increased to violence, which caused the
ship to roll. On the Bth she increased to a
gale, when the captain ordered the fires
to be put out and sails hoisted. On the
9th the wind increased to a strong gale,
when she pitched into much violence. At 7 a.m.
the lifeboat was stove and carried away with all
her gear. At 9 a.m. the sea struck her very vio-
lently, and carried away a. great portion of her stay-
sails and royals. It continued to blow a severe gale,
and on the morning of the 10th the gale was still
I raging, when the captain gave orders to return to
Plymouth to refit. In the course of the morning
the swing masts were secured and the jibboom
cleared from the ship, which was 48 N. 87 W.
At 9 a.m, the sea was then running high and the
wind blowing beyond anything recollected by the
survivors. At about half-past 10 a terrific sea
rose and descended almost perpendicularly over the
engine-room and smashed it in. Every effort was
made to secure the hatchway by the crew and
passengers. At 4 a.m. on the 11th another violent
sea struck the ship and carried off four windows of
her upper or poop cabin. Through the breaches
thus made the sea rushed into the ship with such
violence that the 'tween decks were full of water.
The captain, with the engineer, took soundings, and
finding there were 14ft. of water he gave up all hope
of saving the ship, and communicated the awful in-
telligence to the passengers, who received it with
calmness and resignation. At about 10 a.m. of
the 11th the
,captain ordered the boats to be got
ready, and the starboard pinnace, which was of
iron, was got into the water and lost. At 2
p.m. the ship was rapidly filling. Another boat
was lowered, and some of the crew entered
and sailed for the captain to follow, but, with a true
courage, he preferred remaining with his ship.
Altogether 19 souls entered the boat. T hey then
pushed off from the ship, seeing she must sink, and
after having gone a short distance they saw the
London go down by the stern. The boat drifted
about for 20 hours, when she was picked up by an
Italian vessel and landed at Plymouth on the 16th.
Having referred to the praiseworthy conduct of the
commander of the vessel who saved the boat, and
which had been already substantially acknowledged
by the Board of Trade, he said it was a just and
and merciful thing to deal tenderly with the dead.
Capt. Martin had no foes ; he was a true seaman ;
he met his death like a hero. It did not follow that
because he had perished that no inquiry should be
made into the navigation ; but he was sure that the
Court would deal as tenderly with the dead as the
ends of justice would sanction. He would now pro-
ceed to call the evidence he had to bring before the
Court.

Mr. George Joseph Gladstone was the first witness ex-
amined. He said—l live at Blackwall, and am shipwright
surveyor to the Board of Trade, and senior surveyor for
the port of London. It is a part of my duty to inspect
passenger steam ships occasionally during their construc-
tion. I go over them from time to time. I am bound to
exercise a very strict superintendence. I saw the ship
London while she was building. She was in frame when
I first saw her. She was the property of the Messrs.
Wigram and Sons. The book I hand in contains the
official entry relative to the ship made by myself. I was
over her four different times during her building. She
was constructed of materials, according to my judgment,
of the first quality. She had an angle iron frame, iron
beams, stringer plates, kealson, and plated iron bottom.
She was double rivetted from keel to gunwale. All her
fastenings were sound and good. She had stringer plates
to each deck. She had four bulkheads and four compart-
ments—two before and two abaft the engine. Her
engine hatchway was 12 feet 6 inches by 9 feet 6 inches.
I have no positive recollection of the dimensions of the
engine-room hatch but by measuring the plan I hold in my
hand. I, however, measured the ship when she was new,
and the figures I have given are correct, according to my
recollection. The combings were 16 inches and 5 inches
thick, and they were made of teak. The covering of the
hatchway was a wooden frame, with thick plate glass pro-
tected by a galvanised iron grating. She had three open-
ings
on her upper deck before, main and after hatchway,
a scuttle forward, and a companion aft. Her bunker
shoots were flush with the deck. I considered her en-
gine hatchway cover quite sufficient to protect engines
from bad weather.
Mr. O'Dowd—You considered that the bars of the sky-
light were sufficient to protect the engines from a heavy
sea.

Witness—Yes, with a tarpaulin; corer and battened
down.

Mr. Traill—Don't you think it would bo an additional
protection if something was placed under the glass to
prevent the water entering when the glass was broken ?
Witness—Certainly it would.
Mr. Traill—Would it be in the way at all ?
Witness-•No, not in the least. You could have a board-
ing underneath of glass.
Cross-examined—There were huge ports for the escape
of water from tho upper docks. There were four ports,
two gangways, and five scuppers at each side leading
direct out of the ship. The vessel had a set of tarpaulings
for all the hatchway skylights, a double set of sails, six
life-buoys, and seven boats. Two of the boats wore made
of iron. When they were ready for launching I called
Messrs. Wigram's attention to them. I said I didn't like
iron boats, and suggested that large bags of cork might be
placed under the thwarts to make them more buoyant.
Boats, however, do not come under our supervision. My

suggestions were adopted by the Messrs. Wigram. I saw
the bags of cork placed in the boats. Our report of the
London to the Board of Trade was that she was a sea-
worthy vessel, and fit for any voyage. The certificate
granted by the Board of Trade would be in operation for
six months after date. I surveyed her again in June,
1865. I was of opinion that the London was as fine
a ship as ever left the port of London as to material and
workmanship. There was nothing in her proportions that
in my opinion affected her seaw63lthiness. Sho had as
much beam in proportion to her length as ships of that

class generally have. Her length was atout 7i: times her

breadth. Her height 'tween deck was 7 feet. Her engine-

room was open to the main deck and protected with comb-
ings and rails round.
By Capt. Harris—She had seven stern windows under
her poop deck. They were secured by dead lights. Tho
shutters and dead lights wore made of wood two inches
thick. I cannot say whether they were deal or fir. The
windows were about two feet square. Five were practical
windows and two were shams. The space between the
windows was about a foot. Supposing she was drawing
20 feet 9 aft, the lower part of the windows would be near
8 feet above the water line. Her topmasts were wood, the
lowr part iron. They were regular sort not telesco2ic ones.
I don't tii.i3k the vessel could be said to be over masted.
The after bulk head of the engine room had a covering
which when down wa6 perfectly water tight. The Lon-
don was not fitted with any particular boat lowering ap-
paratus, such as Clifford's. she had the ordinary block
deck. The
ai,n,hdesoLoonnd.
onShise
cheardtifineod
to carry
sheitel.for passengers on
400 passengers.
I should think that the fact of the engine room of a loaded
ship filling with water would be quite sufficient to sink
her. Her rigging was all wire with rope landyards.
Mr. Robert Taplain said—l am engineer surveyor to the
Board of Trade, and I have been so for the last 10 years.
It is part of my duty to examine engines and machinery
of passenger vessels, also the safety valves and fire holes.
I usually make those examinations twice a year of each
ship provided they are within the port of London. Those
examinations are made in order that the necessary declara-
tion can be made to procure the Board of Trade certificate
for the ensuing six months. I have surveyed the engines
and machinery of the London three times, the last time in
December last—l think the 22d. The screw shaft passed
through the after engine-room bulkhead into a leather
washer round it to keep the water from coming through.
There was a sliding door by the side of it. It was properly
fitted, and I believe perfectly watertight. The plates
round the suction pipes were good and sound. I granted
the owners of the London the usual declaration of the
ship's efficiency. Her engines were high and low pressure,
with direct action. I don't think anything could have gone
wrong to cause the engines to admit such a quantity of
water into the engine-room. Everything was in perfect
order. Her engines were 200 horse nominal, and the
boilers loaded 291 b. to the square inch. The fireplaces
were about 4or 5 feet from the skin of the ship. The
working of the engines in this ship would not have bean
impeded had there been a flat covering to the main hatch-
way of the engine-room under the skylight. It would im-

pedo the draught which could be artificially provided for.
I think in this case it would have been advisable to have

had a covering for the engine-room on the main deck.

have never served at sea. She was constructed to carry
370 tons of coal. She consumed 16 cwt. of coal an hour.

Thu engineer gave that item.
Mr. Barber—l am one of the shipwright surveyors to the
Board of Trade for the port of London. I have been so

employed for 10 years. I have been for five years stationed
at Glasgow. I don't know the ship London at all. I have
heard the description given of her engine-room hatchway
by the witness Mr. Gladstone, and I have also seen a sec-

tion and drawing of it. I have thought of and considers
plans for the prevention of water going into the engine_
room. In the Clyde vessels with a full poop they origi-
nally had the engine-room skylight on the upper dock be-
fore the poop—the poop deck has now been prolonged to a
few feet before the engine hatchway, and a watertight bulk-
head has beon carried from the main or upper to the
poop deck, so as to enclose the hatchway. I think the
best way of preventing the water rushing down the
hatchway and extinguishing the fire is the plan just
mentioned. The plan adopted in the navy is a very
gool one I think.

By Captain Barber— The simplest way, I think, would
be to have strong shutters for the engine hatchway,
such as is in use in the navy. I am prepared to say
that the shutters fitted to the engine room are for the
purpose of keeping out water, and not to prevent
skulkers going down when the ship is cleared for action.
I know now of two passenger steamships fitted on the
Clyde principle, the Bellona and the Atalanta, being in
London. I have no experience of shipbuilding in the
Thames.

The inquiry at this point was adjourned until to-

morrow.