The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-02 00:00:00

TILE ACCIDENT TO THE PRINCE

FREDERICK STEAMER.

The magistrates who presided at the recent in-
vestigation at Dovezinsto the,cireumstanees attend-
ing the fatal accident to the Prince Frederick Wil-
liam, mail steamer, near Calais Harbour, have made
their report to the Board of Trade to the following
effect :

That the official number of the said ship, called
the Prince Frederick William, of the port of Lon-
don, was 19,600, of which James John Pittock was

the master, and which ship belonged to Joseph
George Churchward, of 56, Lombard-street, in
the City of London. 2dly. That the ship sailed
from Dover on the 26th of February, at 20 minutes
before 12 o'clock at night, with the India mails,
the ordinary British mails for the continent, and
37 passengers, and was bound for Calais. 3rdly.
That the.ship arrived at the mouth of Calais har-
bour at about 15 minutes to two o'clock on the
morning of the 27th of February, the wind then
being. W.N.W., blowing strong, and a heavy sea
running. 4th. That it was proved that the usual
and proper signal lights for the mail vessels to
enter the harbour were shown. sth. That when

the said ship had nearly entered the port of Calais,
being at the,time in the proper channel, she tailed
the ground in crossing the bar, which caused her

in some measure to 10-se her steerage way, owing
to which the following sea carried her violently
against the East Pier, and this accident resulted in
the damage of her paddle-wheel, so as to disable
her from moving her engines. She then drifted on
shore about half a cable's length to the eastward of
the East Pier of Calais Harbour. She came broad-
side on, with her head to the eastward, forming a
breakwater, which enabled her crew to get the
starboard quarterboat on shore in safety, with three
of the crew and six of the passengers in her. The
port quarterboat (as appears from the evidence)
must have been damaged at the time she struck the
pier, and it was washed away by the sea about the
time the starboard quarterboat left for the shore.
The tide at this time was making, and shortly after
the starboard quarterboat had left the ship, the
ship altered her position, bringing her head round
to seaward. The crew of the starboard quarterboat
made several attempts to get that boat off again to
the ship, but failed, partly in consequence of the
ship having changed her position, and partly from
other reasons detailed in the evidence. 6th. That
about two hours after the ship grounded. the Calais
lifeboat was towed out of that harbour by the On-
dine mail steamer, and was cast off by herjust outside
the mouth of the harbour. In coming alongside of
the Prince Frederick William, the lifeboat, as ap-
pears from the evidence of one of the crew,
struck violently twice under the steamer's counter,
by which, in our opinion, the lifeboat was in-
jured. She was then moored alongside of the Prince
Frederick William, and seven or eight of the pas-
sengers on board got into her, when, from causes
which are narrated in the evidence, the lifeboat
capsized, and three of the passengers who had- got
on board of her were drowned. About 11 o'clock
the same morning, the tide having receded, the
passengers who had remained on board, and such
of them as regained the steamer, when the lifeboat
capsized, walked on shore. _

Raving maturely considered the statement of the
master, and the voluminous evidence which has
been adduced before us, we are of opinion :
Ist. That the casualty which occurred to the
steam vessel the Prince Frederick William, on the
morning of Feb. 27 last, was not caused by the
wrongful act or default of the master, inasmuch as
it has been proved to our satisfaction that the usual
signal lights were exhibited, authorising him to
enter the harbour.

2d. That with regard to the lamentable loss of
life which subsequently occurred, we are further of
opinion that such loss of life was not caused by the
wrongful act or default of the master of the Prince
Frederick William, and it appears to us to have
arisen from causes beyond the control of himself or
of any of his crew.
We have, therefore, in accordance with the pro-
visions of section 438 of the, Merchant Shipping
Act, 1854, returned to the said James John Pittock
his certificate of competency as master.
LEWIS STRIDE, J.P:
EDWARD FERRAND ASTLEY, J.P.
I concur in the above report,
H. HARRIS, Nautical Assessor.

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