The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-29 00:00:00

OCTOBER 29,

1859.

were taken on board. At a quarter to eight on carried over him, and both were pitched on shore for
Tuesday evening were abreast of the Skerries, dis- a moment together. For a time he had given up
tarit about a mile and a half. At this time the wind all hopes of being saved, especially as his repeated
had increased to a heavy gale, and the ship was attempts to fasten hold of the sea-weed were
making little or no, progress through the water: failures. He found himself much bruised and cut
She was driving up with the strength of the tide when he recovered his full consciousness ashore.
and nearing the shore; the steam had no effect, He believed, if he had not been a swimmer, he
but we did all we could to keep the ship off. The . should have been inevitably lost.
maintopsail was lowered, but she still drifted. " A second cabin passenger's account was,
Clewed up the maintopsail, and the hands were that he remained np all night, as he was appre-
sent up to furl it. The wind had now increased hensive all was. not right, He did not feel
considerably, almost blew the sail from the yard, there was any immediate danger until half-past
and it became entangled on the starboard side. It one, but Captain Taylor came down and assured
was difficult to get the sail stowed. At this time them there was no immediate danger, and that
Mr. Bean, the third officer, with several seamen she was righting very easily, and the
steam was
and myself, were trying to make the sail fast, but almost overrunning her anchors. So confident was
could not succeed in accomplishing it. Shortly he that he ordered coffee for himself and the pas-
afterwards orders were given to cock-bill the port sengers, but they never lived to drink it. One of
anchor, and let go. This was done, giving her 75 the mates called the captain, however, on deck,
fathoms of chain. The vessel was steaming the and shortly afterwards they learnt she had parted
whole time. Finding she was dragging, we let go with her port anchor. About two o'clock he went
the starboard anchor; still finding her dragging, on the poop and could see land. The sea was run •
we paid out all the port chain. The vessel was niug tremendously high, and lie could not remain
still steaming, and the wind had now increased to on the poop unless he held by something. He saw
a perfect hurricane. We then went to get the a number jump overboard as the land seemed so
stream anchor up, and while doing so the starboard near, but he only saw one get ashore. He let him-
chain parted. I then felt the ship canting over to Self
clown by a rope on the lee side, and made a
port, and fancied the wind had changed. Orders spring out to clear the masses of people huddled
were then given to cut away the mainmast, which about the shore side of the ship. He had on a life-
was done, and in a few minutes afterwards she belt, but the struggle was so desperate that he had
struck on a bank. The captain gave orders to the not the slightest hopes of being saved. He held
engineer to give her as much steam as he could, to on to a spar, and was ultimately washed on to a
harden her on the bank. It was then about three- rock, where he held on by grasping the seaweed
quarter ebb tide. The place where she struck was until two men came to him, just as another wave was
to the west of Moelfra, eastward of Point Lynas. going to nip him back. The narrator believes if
Heard the captain give orders to starboard the they had commenced operations for saving life
helm, to keep her on the shore, so that the sea earlier, a greater number would have been saved.
would not have so much power on her broadside. All were waiting as patiently as could be, in the
When she became hardened on, the chief officer hope of the tide leaving them, but the tide must
gave me and the boatswain orders to cut the main have been flowing at the time they thought it was
and maintopmast stays, as they were lying across ebbing, unless the storm drove the water that way.
the boat, so that the boat could be cleared in case
.n A third saloon passenger exercised himself as
of need. We did so. The chief boatswain and long as he could in serving the other passengers.
myself were afterwards sitting on a sp A Wave washed him from the poop, and how he got
ar on the
deck-house, the sea at the time making atom plete ashore he is unconscious of, but believes he was left
breach over the ship. I then went for ward to look well in on land.
out, and ascertain whether we were on sand or " John Judge, a steerage passenger, of herculean
rock, when I discovered the land distant about 30 size and strength, stated that he was in the forecas-
yards. I went back, and told the chief officer that tae below, patiently waiting the time for action,
it was land, and he said, 'We will loose the foretop- when the ship snapped asunder, and he was washed
mast staysail, and when the tide makes run her out on the weather side. He saw hundreds of people
up.. I said it would be as well to give her the fore- closed up in the jaws of death around him, but he
sail. It was then getting daylight. I volunteered was enabled to catch a spar, and work his way to
to go ashore with a line to get a hawser ashore, im- shore.
mediately after which I felt the ship striking " Wm. Barton, a rigger of Liverpool, said that he
heavier than ever, supposing it was in consequence and 10 others having taken the Typhoon round to
of the tide making. The sea still broke over her Cardiff, went on board the United Kingdom, tug
with even greater violence than ever. The captain steamer. Meeting the Royal Charter going
was at this time on deck, standing by the steam towards LiVerpool they got on board to work their
telegraph. I told the chief officer again that I was passage home, at 11 o'clock on Tuesday morning,
willing to go ashore with a line and do everything when off Bardsay Island. As evening came on a
in my power to save life. Asked him if he would strong gale from the N.E. sprang up. They
allow me a few minutes to put my lifebelt on, and fetched Point Lynas about 9 o'clock, and hove to
he said of course he would. I afterwards told the for a pilot. They fired rockets and guns, but no
boatswain I was going to try to get a line on shore, pilot came. About 12 o'clock they found them-
and he said it was useless, the sea was running too selves on the lee shore, off Malvery, and still no
high. Afterwards had a small line slung round my pilot, when they let go the port anchor in 15
body, and wished some one to attend to it while I fathoms water. The anchor parted about two
swam ashore. After some hesitation, a man volun- o'clock, when the second anchor was sent down
teered. Just as I was being lowered into the water with 110 fathoms, the port having used 80 fathoms
sonic one called out that there was a line on shore on the starboard. The steam was up, and the
from forward. Upon hearing that I did not go. A vessel was turned with her head to the wind; but
hawser was got on shore and made fast to a rock, she continued to drag stern in ashore, with Point
and with this myself and some of the other seamen Lynas light on the port side. The ship
saved our lives. The hawser was made fast by struck on an iron-bound coast, .in Mal-
several of the inhabitants on shore who came to very, not far from Amlwch. She beat against
render assistance. After the ship struck all the the rocks very heavily, and, after' striking and
passengers were directed to go aft until the hawser dragging about half an hour she parted her star-
could be got properly out, so that as many as possi- board anchor, and she fell right foul close into the
ble might be saved. Shortly after this the vessel land in four fathoms. The tide was ebbing about
parted amidships, and a large number of passen- the last quarter at this time. It was as dark as
gers, standing on the deck where she parted, were pitch they could not see their hands before them.
swept into the sea and drowned. The boats were The boats were all in readiness, but they were in
smashed to pieces by the fury of the gale, and the total ignorance as to what sort of a coast it was,
others could not be lowered, so that none of them and the sea was so rough that no boat could have
could be made available. The passengers saved were lived five minutes in it. Under these circumstances
driven on shore by the force of the waves. 16 of the the boats were given up. They made up a tar-
crew got ashore by the hawser. An endeavour was barrel, ready to set fire to, as a torch, to send
made to get a second hawser ashore to rescue the ashore, to light the coast and let them know what
female passengers, but this could not be accosts- kind of a place it was ; but the ship thumped so
plished. Not a single female passenger was saved. heavily and danger was so imminent that the idea
In three hours after the vessel struck she began to was not carried out. About 6 o'clock, the dawn of
go to pieces. Saw about 70 passengers on the port light, they saw a man on the shore, to whom they
• bow, all anxiously awaiting some means of getting called. He seemed quite bewildered at what he saw
them on shore; but a heavy sea which struck the and ran to fetch assistance. He brought five or six
starboard -bow stove it in, the ship gave a lurch, men to the shore. In the meantime the ship was
and the people were all driven into the sea and rapidly giving way, and a Portuguese sailor, Joseph
drowned. Some of the passengers saved were thrown Rogerson, tied a rope round his waist, and swam
upon the rocks and picked- up by the crew and ashore. By this means a hawser was run and
• others who came to render assistance.' fastened to the rocks, on which a boatswain's chair
" Mr. James Russell, a passenger, belonging to was fastened so that it could be hauled to and from
Scotland, who had been seven years in Australia the ship and shore. The crew got into it, one by
and acquired considerable wealth,was below in his one, and were hauled to land. They commenced
berth when the vessel first struck. He had with landing parties in this way about half-past 6 o'clock,
him his wife and two children, one aged 10 and the and got about a dean ashore, when the ship sud-
other 91- years. He was aroused by hearing a coma- denly parted in two, giving way amidships. The
motion on deck, and a fellow-passenger, Mr. Smith, whole of the passengers' had been kept below by the
saying, Oh, Mr. Russell, we are all gone ; we are captain and officers' advice ; and on the vessel break-
- drifting on shore.' On getting to the deck his worst ing up they were instantly swallowed up along
fears were confirmed, as it appeared evident that with the iron and machinery. As soon as the ship
little, if any, hope of rescue existed.- The sea was struck the masts were cut away, the foretop going
breaking over the ship with tremendous fury, and with the mainmast. He last saw the captain hold-
' the persons on board were running frantically about ing by the rigging on deck, giving orders, with a
the deck in a state of despair. Having brought his spar lashed to him. The riggers had recom-
family from below, he held them together as they mended the cutting away the masts at 10 o'clock
I stood on deck, the waves surging over them at on the Tuesday night, but it was not then
every moment. In a minute or two a surging sea done. The ship broke up at a quarter to seven,
' carried away his wife and two children, and he and not a vestige was left above water. The greatest
o never saw them more. He himself was then washed order and discipline prevailed on boaid,
off the deck towards the shore, but a succeeding "Patrick Devine and Thomas Cunninglianilalso
wave brought him back again. Another sea then riggers belonging to this town, gave similar state-
struck him, and he was driven forward on the ments. The last man saved' came ashore about
' beach, and, as he himself described it, saved by the 8 o'clock. The sea rolled tremendously, and the
I miraculous hand of Proseidence. Mr. Russell had a ship thumped constantly.
• considerable sum of money on board, the produce " Walter Hughes, an apprentice on board, whose
of his enterprise and skill in Australia, and is now, parents reside at No. 1, Toxteth-street, is lying in
• comparatively speaking, penniless. bed at the village of Malvery, near the scene of the
"A passenger says,—' On Tuesday night, when disaster,
suffering from severe crushings and
the gale became so strong, opposite the Skerries, bruises, he is not in a hopeless state. His ac-
' the ladies and many of the passengers became ex- count of his escape is of a marvellous character.
• ceedingly nervous. For his own part, however, he He was standing on the deck amidships when
had such confidence in the captain, officers, and ship, the vessel suddenly parted under his feet. He
particularly as she had gone through such long -was precipitated with the crashing ironwork
6 voyages and was now near home, that he went to deep into the water, but ascended immediately.
bed at 10 o'clock. He could only dose, and was He was then thrown ashore and secured. In
aroused in an hour or two by the fearful storm. He Udine, the tumbling lumber and machinery
knew they could not be going more than a mile an struck against him, and he felt as if he was
hour, for they had been dodging Holyhead all day being killed. -,The slain was torn off his face and
and all evening. He heard a voice in the cabin cry- hands by coming in contact with the rough and
ing out, Come directly, we are all lost ; I will take pointed rocks. He saw just before the ship parted
your child; come along directly.' He knew the three little children, holding each other's hands,
L voice to be that of Capt. Withers, a passenger, who screaming.. They had' fine weather until 6 o'clock
had lost his own vessel in the South Pacific. He on Tuesday evening, and at the time she hugged
jumped out of bed and opened his cabin door, but the shore she was trying to get her head to wind-
all were gone front there, He hastily put on a few ward, but her screw was overpowered by the severe
articles, and ran up on deck. He heard the ship gale, and she was drifted ashore stern foremost.
, bump, bump, heavily, two or three times against Every effort was made to get her head to the sea,
the ground. On going into the general saloon he but the cables parted a little before 12 o'clock, and
found it crowded with ladies and gentlemen in the she struck with her broadside to the rocks.
utmost state of tremour. Families were clinging to "Mr. Councillor Wagstaff, of St. James's-street,
each other, the young children were crying out who was a passenger by the steamer Druid,
piteously, whilst parents were endeavouring to from Bangor yesterday, has kindly furnished us
soothe them with cheering hopes. The Rev. Mr. with the following particulars, which lie ob-
Hodge, a Church of England clergyman, belonging tamed on the spot. Mr. Wagstaffs statement is
to East Retford, instituted a prayer meeting, and aas follows I was at Beaumaris yesterday (Wed-
great number of passengers fervently participated nesday), and heard there was a large vessel on shore
. the service. The ship struck, however, so fear- at Moelfra, about three miler from Dallas-head. I
fully, and the huge waves came down upon her i
went to the Custom-house agent, who confirmed the
with such tremendous force, rushing into the cabins ntelligence, and showed me a communication as
through the skylights, broken by the falling rig- follows The Royal Charter is on shore-400
ging and hatches, that all became absorbed in the passengers drowned.' I and some friends imme-
idea of personal danger. The narrator was ex- diately took a car, and started about one o'clock
i
tremely anxious to know whether danger was m- for the place named. When we reached the spot
mediate, or whether they could wait for the blessip there was very little of the vessel to be seen, but so
of daylight ; but all tried to soothe the ladies and near to the shore had she been stranded that I
children. Capt. Withers came into the cabin, re- could easily pitch a coin on the wreck. The first
marking, Now, ladies, you need not be at all thing I saw was the body of a man lying in a field
afraid; we are on a sandy beach, and imbedded in close by. He was a stout able-bodied man, and
the sand ; we are not ten paces from the shore, and dressed in corduroy trousers and pea jacket. Some
the tide will leave us dry, and in 10 minutes you will sort of a cloth had been thrown over his face. His
be safe.' Dr. Hutch, a Government medical officer, head had been injured and was covered with blood,
also cheered the passengers. Capt. Taylor came and as I got over the style into the field my hands
down afterwards to give encouragement, and made were stained with it. Upon getting to the beach I
a similar representation, which had the effect of found a large number of people, apparently belong-
greatly allaying the excitement. Great order was ing to the locality, with a few of the survivors
consequently kept on board, and perfect discipline. from the wreck. One of the passengers was
At half-past 6 o'clock the bumping went on worse rambling about the shore more like a maniac
than ever, until at last the water came rushing in. than anything else. The poor fellow had lost
When daylight began to peep he was knocked by the wife and child. While standing on the
force of the waves against the ship with great vie- poop with his child in his arms a tremendous sea
lence against the side of the saloon, and the screams washed the young creature front his grasp and his
now were dreadful. It was impossible to know what wife from his side. He then became insensible, and
to do. He, went on deck, but with the greatest dif• could not say how he got on shore ; but on recover-
ficulty maintained his equilibrium. At this time a ing consciousness he found himself clinging to the
great sea came against the broadside, and dividedthe seaweed on a rock. I also spoke to two men—
ship into two, just at the engine-house, as one would Cornish miners—who had been long in Australia.
smash a pipe stump, and the sea washed quite They were returning home with their savings, and
through her. The two parts sleeved.' round, and had lost all but 10 sovereigns. After conversing
became total wrecks. Pat ties were carried down with these men I spoke to William John Ferris, one
with the debris, and as many must have been killed of the surviving passengers, who told me that the
as drowned. Having made up his mind that he ship struck between 2 and 3 o'clock on Wednesday
had best jump overboard on the Ice side, he at- morning, and that those on board 'set the bay on
tempted to descend by a rope, but fell deep into the fire' with signals of distress—that they set off blue
water, which was hero so thickly strewn with tim- lights and rockets, and fired cannons in the hope of
ber, &c., that his head had to open up a passage. obtaining assistance from the shore. We heard it
He was a good swimmer, but ;,is chief service was said that as long as the screw was kept going the
only in allowing him to keep afloat, to seize hold of vessel kept to heranehors, but as soon as it stopped
timber. His senses were nearly knocked out, and she began to drift upon the beach. It was also said
he was repeatedly- thrown ashore, and as often that a coloured man swam on shore with a hawser,
washed back again, until some people on shore which was pointed out to us as the one which the
watched him, and managed to catch him. By this seaman succeeded in bringing to land.
time he was almost worn out and insensible. When " Some of the survivors, it was said, had been
he first came on deck he had a bag of 35 sovereigns, saved by this means, but soon afterwards the ship
but lie lost 25 in the struggle. He saw Captain went to pieces, and the hawser was no longer avail-
Taylor in the excitement, and said Captain, this able. The vessel broke in two at seven o'clock in
is a fearful state of things,' but the captain made the morning.
amidships, and, of course, with the part-
fellow is time about 200 passengers were
no reply. When being drifted ashore he saw a poor sheltering
astride on a large spar, who had on a lifebelt, ing of the ship, the whole of them were engulfed in
but some one clung to him and both were drowned. the sea.
He was momentarily fearing that his brains would "We saw a.portion of the screw of the vessel, and
be knocked out by a large yard that came on the near it was punted out something which was stated
weather side of him ; bat, strange to say, it was , to be the bullion chest, which contained the gold on