The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-28 00:00:00

LATEST PARTICULARS.

MOELFRE BAY, Munsuity. EVENING.
It is my very painful duty to record the total wreck of
the screw steam-ship Royal Charter, Captain Taylor, which
took place at from 3 to 4 o'clock on the morning of Wed-
nesday at Moelfre, a rugged portiou:of the Anglesea coast,
and about midway between Almwch and Puffin Island.
The ill-fated vessel sailed from Melbourne on the 26th of
August, having on board 388 passengers, of whom 63 occu-
pied the saloon, and a crew, including officers, of 112 per-
sons. While the ship was passing Queenstown on Mon-
day morning, 13 of the passengers landed in a pilot boat.
On Tuesday morning, at 11 o'clock, the Royal Charter spoke
the steam-tug United Kingdom, which, instead of return-
ing to port with riggers who had been assisting in the work-
ing of a ship to Cardiff, transferred 11 of the riggers to the
Royal Charter, Captain Taylor having kindly agreed to
take them to Liverpool ; so that there were on board at the
time of the wreck 498 souls, and of these only 39 were
saved.

The loss of life on this sad occasion was 459 persons.
The Royal Charter had on board a large amount of specie
on freight, the exact amount of which cannot be ascer-
tained, as all the ship's papers have been lost, but it
was variously estimated by the surviving passengers
and crew at from £500,000 to £BOO,OOO. One of
the saloon passengers, who was drowned, was stated to have
had in his possession gold to the value of £lO,OOO. She had
only a moderate cargo, princir ally of wool and skins. From
the time of leaving Port Philip Heads till her arrival off
the Irish coast the passage was in the higtest degree fa.
vourable ; she was only once in danger, and then from an
iceberg. After passing Queenstown thewind veered round to
E,N.E., blowing strong. On Tuesday night it blew a gale,
and continued to increase in violence, till at length, on the
morning of the fatal disaster, it blew a perfect hurricane.
Arriving off Point Lynas at 6 p.m. on Tuesday evening,
signal rockets were for several hours thrown up, in the hope
of attracting a:pilot, but nono made their appearance. Capt.
Taylor, finding that his ship was making leeway, and gra-
dually drifting towards the shore, let go the anchors, but
such was the violence of the wind and the heavy cross sea
prevailing, that the chains parted. Notwithstanding that
the engines were worked at their full power, the captain
was unable to work to windward, and the unfortunate ves-
sel struck the rocks stern first in four fathoms water. UP
to this period (about 3 a.m.) not the slightest alarm wag
evinced among the passengers, a large portion of whom
were women and children ; the most perfect discipline and
order prevailed. The masts and rigging were cut adrift,
but caused no relief, as the ship continued to thump on the
sharp pointed rocks with fearful rapidity. Shortly after
she struck, the ship was thrown broadside on, perfect],
upright upon the shelving stony beach, the head and
stern lying due east and west, the former not being
more than 20 yards from a projecting rock. At this junc-
ture one of the crew, a Portuguese, named Joseph Rogers,
nobly volunteered to struggle through the heavy surf and
convey a rope on shore. Though it was not believed by ant
one that danger was imminent, the captain gave- the order
and Rogers ably fulfilled his duty. A strong hawser wee
then passed and secured on shore, and to this was rigged a
" boatswain's chair." At 5 o'clock the ship laboured and
bumped to such an extent that the ladies and children ex-
hibited the greatest anxiety and fear; they crowded, toge-
ther in the after part of the saloon, and the Rev. Mr. Hodge,
of East Retford, a clergyman of the Church of England,
offered up a prayer ; but his exhortations were interrupted
by the violent thumping of the vessel on the rocks, and the
heavy seas which came dashing into the cabin. The scene
in the saloon was of the most heartrending description;
children and parents, husbands and wives, were clinging
to each other in affectionate embrace. Captain Wither!
and Captain Taylor came down and tried to allay
their
fears by assuring them that there was 110 immediate
danger. Scarcely had their words been uttered before a
succession of tremendous waves swung her about on the
reeks, and she divided amidships, engulfing all on board.
Shortly afterwards she also parted at the forehatch, throw-
ing a large number of persons into the sea. Many were
killed by the breaking up of the ship. Several of the
crew saved themselves by means of the hawser to the
shore, while the remainder were hurled upon the reeks
by the waves; all the officers perished. Capt. Taylor
was the last man seen alive on board. He had lashed his
body to a spar and was drowned. Mr. Stevens, the chief
officer, was killed by some of the falling rigging. Several of
the more fortunate passengers received severe injuries whale
struggling for life. With the exception of a portion of the
midship bulkhead, which appears a few feet above the
water, there is scarcely a vestige of the Royal Charter
.re-
maining. The bullion chest, which was substantially built
of iron and secured to the framing of the ship, is supposed
to have been shattered, from the fact of a gold box having
been picked up with the address of a leading banking firill
upon it.

About 250 sovereigns and a quantity of notes have been
picked up among the rocks.

At least 30 bodies which have been cast ashore are lying
in the adjacent church; most of them are frightfully mutt"
lated. Wm. Hughes, the only apprentice saved, states
that when the vessel parted ho was in the waist, and was
precipitated among the machinery, which was hurled to
and fro by the action of the waves. Ho gave himself up
for lost, when a wave lifted him clear of the ship and landed
him in an unconscious state. The survivors during their
stay at the scene of the wreck were very kindly treated.
Two ladies made themselves conspicuous by their attention
to the sufferers.

It is stated that all the boats were in perfect readiness for
lowering had circumstances permitted.
The following is a list of the passengers saved:—
W. Moss, Thomas Gundry, H. Carew Taylor, Babe*

I


-ON.E7 ITIARKET AND CITY NEW e.

CITY, Two o'CLocK.
The Foreign and Colonial Produce Markets
during the last few days have shown rather more
activity; prices, however, have in some instances
slightly given way. At the public sales of tea a
decline of d. per lb. took place on the inferior
qualities. Sugars were in fair request at about
late values; but coffee, rice, and spices have each
shown slight symptoms of depression. For fruit
there has been a steady demand. At the drug
sales previous prices were realised in most articles.
Salpetre was inactive, and tallow dull, P.Y.C.
to the end of the year being quoted 595. 6d. to 595.
9d. per cwt.
Letters from Liverpool report that the Cotton
Market yesterday closed with increased animation,
and prices advanced Id. to Id. per lb. About
16,000 bales were sold. In Railway Shares the
transactions were limited, and quotations tended
downwards.
There were no bullion operations of importance
at the Bank of England yesterday.
A call of £2 per share, amounting to £400,000,
is due to-day on the Great Indian Peninsula, New,
Railway Shares.
An active demand for money is still reported in
the discount market, and at the Bank of England
a fair amount of busines is now transacted. Full
rates, consequently, prevail, very few bills being
negotiated under the minimum charged at that
establishment.
The half-yearly meeting of the Great Indian
Peninsula Railway Company took place to-day,
Mr. Hamilton in the chair. The gross receipts
of the half year amounted to £87,606 13s. 3d., and
the,, expenses to £39,091 Bs. lid., leaving a net pr
o-
nt of £48,515 4s. 4d., or an increase of £23,424 12s.
16d• compared - with the corresponding period
of 1858. The permanent way and works
bad been maintained in good condition. The
chairman regretted that the progress of the
remaining
works had not been as rapid as was
expected ; but it was still satisfactory as to the
Probability of a considerable further length being
Opened during the next year. By the statement of
receipts and expenditure it appeared that the ac-
'•e:rintleirtes on with
ith the Government stood as follows :
paid-up capital to June 30, 1859,
J.7°,679 7s. 5d.; net revenue of opened lines to
mune 30, 1859, £181,698 108. 11d. ; total, £578,980
168' 6d. The report was adopted.
°r Pu
Continued quietude is apparent in the market
blic Securities, owing to the limited opera-
tions for investment and on speculation, but the
flarket has exhibited more firmness, Consols hay-
l_nt? risen to 95-1
t 96, being an improvement of per
upon n• This movement has created a favourable effect
in the other departments of the Stock Exchange,
which indications of buoyancy are also reported.
at ePew Threes and the Reduced are rather firmer,
; and Exchequer Bills at 28s. to 31s.
India
; daintato
ditto Stock has advanced to 222 and 224 ;
103': New is steady at 102; 1031- ; and the Scrip at
Loan
Debentures (1858) are heavy at
receded to (1859) at 961. Bank Stock has
For • 225'
elgn Securities the transactions have been
f
iinto_te(ll and prices remain without any change o
ittrt 'Lance' Turkish 6 per Cents. are 771 781;
0 •ik,
."eNv, 661 67k; and the 4 per Cents. have
and receded, tn ,„
4v3 ; Mexican is steady at 211 to 22 ;
heaviartlinian, 86. ;
; Russian 3 per Cents. are
voced atot
160721! Brazilian 5 per Cents. have ad-
The arr
raenthi angernents for the settlement of the half.
sLY account are now in progress in the Rail-
exifib.nare Market, and prices during the morning
iteid a downward tendency. North-Western,
5s ; an,ancl and North Eastern (Berwick), 'declined
Emote a Lancashire and Yorkshire, and South-
rn, 10s. Caledonians and Eastern Counties
is ve improved about ss. More firmness however
11°W Perceptible
The transacti •
, ,
i ons in the Foreign and Colonial un-
tigs aktigshave been on a limited scale. Great
br xentbo
g declined to 6.7.7 7, and Lombardo
971 111-• Great Indian Peninsula improved to
but East Indian declined to 101 1001. Grand
Artink f
Grea Ho Canada have receded to 381 Mt, and
Y estern of Canada New Shares to 8:.
o Xo•
the„_r Int Stock Bank and Miscellaneous Shares
decline uW scarcely any enquiry. Bank of London
58. ; Oriental Bank improved ss. ; South Ad as
nstr •
alia,n
Man' Land were steady at 361 and Van Die-
' Land declined to 131 141.

8 44k soc “l'in FUNDS THIS DAY LT k
220
ONE O'CLOCK.
a „,,Per Cent, Reduced Annuities 941 A a 1,1--t k,ent. Consols Annuities - 4i $ 6
147. 3Yer Cent Annuities
'l4 6tock
2231 4 2
Ditto
103 i 2k
Ditto to, 1859, 5 per Cent.
103
Ditto Loan Scrip, 5 per cent
1" I)ebentures, 1858 961
961
bitt Ditto, 1859
par
Dtf°l3oilds, £l,OOO
cl - ' under Ll,OOO
kick le for Account (Nov. 8)
e,e,llequer Bills, £l,OOO, lid
28 31 27
1,4 sizall, 10.

Ili.
h 'utS OF FOREIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK.
.
i,
ihte,z4,-Lan 5 per Cent.
S
617tano A_C
pcoerunetent.
22
.‘sgi
8,.
uli .. I ~
86 i
Skim an, 0 Per Cent
1,,,811 3 per Cent —
Tti7t.t9 New Deferred, 3 per Cent.
1;401 6 per Cent.
771. 3
Ditto
New Loan
thtto Guaranteed, 4 per Cent.
• Dividends on the above payable in London.
Consols, TWO O'CLOCK.
Money 951 6
Ditto Account (Noy.) 95& 6