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

11,.;-1E SUN, LONDON SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 29, 1859.

ahead, but the vessel had now great way on her,
and could not be easily stoppedon what seemed her
road to destruction. Just as the screw began to tell
an immense mass of wreck wood fouled it and
brought the machinery to a dead stand. Not a
second could be lost in waiting till it cleared, so the
steam was at once turned into the paddle engines,
which were driven round at great speed, though the
floats got hurt among the mass of wreck, and the
great ironwork of the wheels was bent in many
places. To avoid this and the serious damage it
might occasion, the screw was set to work again
the instant it was freed, but it was seldom able to
revolve more than a few moments without becom-

ing jammed again, when the paddles were again
resorted to. But for the Great Eastern's double

engines very little could have been done. The an-
chor which was let go "bit" at once, and as much
scope was given to the cable as dare be let out
When the vessel had driven back so far and the
lee shore loomed so close astern. Still, for a time,
the position contiued dangerous in the extreme, as,
in spite of both wind and steam, the great ship lay
open to the sea rolling dangerously for such a place,
and making way as if nothing would hold her. At
last she brought up, though she seemed to make
desperate efforts to break from the grip of hew new
holdfast—tugging and rolling to her chain as
though she would pull up a mountain. Fortu-
nately both chains and anchor held fast, as they
did before in heavy weather at Portland, when two
screw colliers, each with 800 tons of coals on board,
two brigs, two dummies, and a large galliottall
hung on to the Great Eastern, riding at the same
single chain and anchor. After one or two more in-
effectual efforts to break away, her head at last
swung round, and she rode lightly to the gale as
before, In this last struggle some of the links of the
chain cable were actually dragged cut one-third
longer, and one which passed under the sharp bows
of the vessel was bent nearly double. The cable on
the port bow was then hove in, when it was found
that the shank of the anchor, after bending con-
siderably, had been torn in half about a foot below
the crown, showing good anchor and holding
ground both.
From this time (about 12 o'clock) the glass began
to rise fast, and the worst of the gale was over,
though it.still came down occasionally in wild and
heavy gusts, rendering every precaution necessary
in the way of full steam power, for with such a ship
and such a sea none knew what next might happen.
Soon after one o'clock two schooners came upon
the coast ; one with good way on her stood right
down upon what remained of the breakwater, un-
aware of the fact that much of it had been swept
away, and that the head which they ran for was far
inside a dangerous reef of breakwater debris, on
which
:even the Great Eastern herself would be
beaten to pieces in an hour. Fortunately, both
vessels saw their danger when almost on the
breakers, and. one weathered safely round the
awful shoal. The second, in trying to recover her-
self, lost way and drove too much in shore, and for
the next two hours had to struggle with the gale,
poised between life and death, and hundreds look-
ing on at the unequal contest with breathless inte-
rest, but unable to aid in any way.
Happily for the little ship and all on board, she
fought a successful, though arduous battle. One
minute she seemed carrying on well, and hope beat
high DS with her little rags of sail she faced the
storm, and, all hid with foam, broke doggedly
through the great antagonists which rose around
on all sides. Another minute, and, reeling over
under the effects of a tremendous wave, she fell off
before the wind and again drove rapidly towards
the dismantled breakwater, over which the sea was
now roaring in a succession of cataracts. Twice did
she seem overpowered, amid these fearful breakers,
and yet again emerged, her little black hull rising
sharp and clear above the line of foam. Her utter
destruction appeared almost impossible to avert,
and Captain Harrison had ordered 12 hands to be
ready for lowering• away in one of Gladstone's
boats, in order that no effort might be spared to
save those on board, when the little vessel made
another effort, aided by a momentary lull, stood
further out to sea, weathered the dreadful reef,
and reached the harbour. From this time out
the gale continued to decrease in violence,
so that in the afternoon the Great Eastern
again screwed ahead, and dropped a second anchor
more under the lee of the breakwater, and rode se-
cure. Then, and then only, was Captain Harrison
enabled to leave the deck, and take that rest which
was so much needed after his labour and long
anxiety.
In the evening the wind went round to the north-
west, and then, sheltered by the breakwater, the
Great Eastern rested quietly, though still with all
steam ready. To-day ('Thursday) the weather is fine
and mild, and steamers were again able to come
alongside. On shore the gale appears to have done
considerable damage, and, as we are informed,
chimneys were blown down and houses unroofed at
Holyhead. Part of the line between Bangor and
c.i. way hag been col rt plot° ly wn rd. away by t
dash of the sea, and the engineering triumphs of
the late Robert Stephenson have been laid waste in
hideous gaps. At these places the surf seems to
have swept in with awful violence, carrying before
it both the sea wall and the outer line of rails.
Thus at present the long railway trip to Holyhead
is diversified by having to dismount and continue
the journey by coach round the steep headland of
Penmaenmawr. The company have done their ut-
most to remedy a disaster which was no f ult of
theirs; but the mountains of North Wales afford
but few facilities for remedying mishaps of any kind
so the primitive inhabitants of these districts are
occasionally refreshed by the sight of first-class pas-
sengers struggling up a mountain road under a heap
of carpet-bags, or looking with anxious excitement
after their luggage, which comes after them in carts.
It has been many years since any easterly gale has
ever done such mischief. The place where passen-
gers to London re-enter the train is about three
miles beyond Conway, and if the officials there
showed a little more alacrity the company would
be saved some blame and the public unnecessary
delay.
Among the valleys and mountain passes of North
Wales the gale appears to have raged with dread-
ful fury. Trees have been uprooted, rocks set roll-
ing down the sides of the mountains, and cottages
unroofed or entirely destroyed.
Tuesday or Wednesday next is the date at present
fixed for the departure of the Great Eastern for
Southampton ; the latter is most likely to be the
day, as the tides will then suit better for taking the
vessel through Spithead, and up to her moorings in
Southampton Water. The spot selected for her
winter berth is about half a mile distant from the
new military hospital at Netley, and some two and
a-half miles from the town of Southampton.
The moorings which are being laid are chains of
41 inches square, and, of course, of the best con-
struction. The vessel rides to a swivel on what is
termed a " bull ring," the mooring chain being laid
in the form of a cross, up and down and across the
stream. The chains going up and down are secured
by two iron mooring lumps of eight tons each, with
two shackles of three tons more, backed by two an-
chors of 98cwt. each without the stock. Those across
the stream, where no tide way is to be dreaded, are
secured with anchors. Light as the Great Eastern
rides, she must be well secured to rest safe iii' a
strong tide way.
It has been stated repeatedly that it was by a de-
cision of the Board of Directors that it was an-
nounced that the Great Eastern should leave Eng-
land for America on the 27th inst., and that this
sudden change of destination from the United States
to Southampton argues great infirmity of purpose
on the part of the directory. We believe that no
Board resolution was ever passed that she should
leave on the 27th. It was merely hoped that she
would be able to leave this month, and the idea was
given up for the very best of all reasons—namely,
that when the company' surveyors and arbitrators
came to inspect the ship they at once emphatically
declared that she was not in a fit state to cross the
Atlantic. In the face of such a declaration there
was, of course, no alternative but to postpone the
sailing sine die. That this decision was a wise one
none can doubt, and it is sincerely to be hoped that
no divisions in the councils of the directory may
arise to set aside a resolution which is not only prudent,
but actually necessary. Many may quastion the
propriety of having a body of directors to manage
the affairs of a single ship, and nothing but the
most perfect unanimity on all matters concerning
the welfare of the undertaking will reconcile the
public to such administration: As regards the ac-
tual departure of the Great Eastern for America it
will make very little difference if the directors
decided that she should start for the United States
on this day week, for the whole question as to the
date of sailing now rests with the Board of Trade.
Until their requirements have been complied with no
passenger certificate will be given, and the precau-
tionary measures which they insist on are only
likely to be completed at Southampton, and cannot
possibly be done in less than two months at the
earliest. Fire hose have yet to be , fitted to the
auxiliary engines aft, more sails have yet to be
bent, spare spars, extra boats, and feed pumps to
the engines have all to be completed. The fixing
of the wheel and tiller chains must be altered, cast-
iron stanchions placed amidships bencath the iron
upper-deck, and sonic apparatus or another devised
fur warming the saloons. The cold on board the
vessel during the last few days has been very
severe, though, of course, a mere trifle to what
must have been endured if the Great Eastern had
started for America this winter. In fact, it is not
too much to say that without some means of in-
creasing the temperature in the forecastle and be-
tween decks scarcely any officers or men could have
been found hardy enough to venture across the
Atlantic at this season of the year. American

gentlemen best acquainted with the feeling which
prevails in. the United States with regard to the
Great Eastern think that any voyage there now
must prove a perfect failure for showing the
vessel, while, on the other hand, they are as
confident that if the ship starts for New York in
the spring she must realize between 600,000 dols. and
700,000 dols. clear of all expenses. How far this
estimate may or may not be etaggerated we cannot
take upon ourselves to say; but there must, doubt-
less, be a wide and most important margin between
the receipts if taken this winter and those which
may be fairly expected next year. But in real truth,
as we have said, these speculations are quite beside
the question, when the plain fact remains that the
ship should not leave England till thoroughly com-
pleted, which at present she most certainly is not.
It is said that the berth chosen for her at Southamp-
ton is a perfectly safe one, and it is beyond a doubt
that that port offers such facilities for completing the
vessel as makes it imperative she should go there at
once. A great many rumours are afloat as to a pro-
gramme of winter voyages, but for this we believe
nothing definite has been settled. It is just possible
that before leaving England the Great Eastern may
visit Glasgow and Kingstown, but beyond suchmere
plausible conjectures nothing whatever is known or
determined on.

On leaving this port on Tuesday or Wednes
day the course will be made under easy steam
for the Scilly Islands, and a very general hope is
entertained that Captain Harrison will give them
a sufficiently wide berth to enable the Great
Eastern to try her power a little way down Chan-
nel, where at this time of the year a sea will cer-
tainly be met with. If such a route is adopted the
question as to the speed of the ship may be fairly
settled. It can never be tried in smooth water. In
justice to the captain, the shareholders, and the
contracting engineers, both engines should be tested
to their utmost speed, together and separately.
Until this is done, and the number of revolutions,
indicated horse-power and consumption of coal
carefully registered, no one can form a correct
estimate of what the Great Eastern is capable of
doing. If either screw or paddle machinery is at all
wrong, the sooner the fault is found the better. It
will never do to find out in a trial trip in the
centre of the Atlantic that the piston or air-pump
rods of the paddle engines are too weak, or that the
screw boilers do not generate sufficient steam to
drive the propeller at 45. We by no means intend
to say that such faults will be discovered,
but merely that it is as well that all matters
of this kind should be placed beyond a
doubt. As we have before pointed out the
Great Eastern is not in good trim for testing
speed. Her paddles have too little immersion,
and she ought to be a couple of feet more down
by the stern to put her screw blades fairly under
water. On ordinary voyages she must start with
at least 3,000 or 4,000 more tons of coal than is

yet on board, and this, with cargo, will bring
her down some five or six feet deeper than her
present trim. It must not, however, be forgotten
that with a deeper immersion there will be greater
bulk to drive, so that on the whole the gain in
rate of speed cannot be anything greatly beyond
what was attained during the late trial trip.
Her present displacement of water is a little over
a million cubic feet, to propel which through the
sea her nominal horse-power is only 2,600, or at
the rate of about one-horse power for every 7-1
tons.

It is most important that the daily consumption
of coal at full and easy steaming should be ascer-
tained as soon as possible, in order to afford a basis
from which the future expenses of the ship may be
calculated. As far as could be seen during the run
round from Portland, it appears very probable that
her average will not fall short of 300 tons a-day. It
is not easy, however, to tell off-hand the amount of
fuel required daily for a vessel which, when all her
machinery is at work has no less than 118 furnaces
blazing away together. Taking it at 300 tons the
consumption is very small when compared not only
with the power developed, but with the consump-
tion of other fast sea-going steamers. 300 tons a
day is only at the rate of 21 cwt. per horse-power,
whereas the Persia consumes no less than 180 daily,
or at the rate of 4 cwt. per horse-power. For the
Great Eastern to consume at the same rate in pro-
portion to horse-power with the Persia, she would
have to burn upwards of 600 tons a day, and be only
capable of carrying fuel for a 20 days' run instead
of as now for a voyage to Australia of from 36 to
38 days. If the Great Eastern makes a long stretch
out to sea in going round to Southampton; so as to
get within scope of the swell of the Atlantic, a
very fair estimate of her consumption in a heavy
sea way can be formed, but till the test of driving
her head on to a south-westerly gale is applied, the
estimate of her cost in fuel must be more or less
conjectured.
While at Southampton the ship will be thrown
open to visitors, though at the same time the work
of fitting for sea will be diligently pursued. Up to
the proac.nt, In stpi to of all thatiaaa latoly been done,
an immense amount of work remains to be accom-
plished during the winter.

THE LOSS OF THE ROYAL CHARTER,

LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY,

No further intelligence of importance has been
received from Moelfra, the scene of the wreck.
Measures have been adopted by the authorities for
the protection of the property of the owners of the
vessel and cargo, and of the passengers, and also to
take care of the bodies as they are cast ashore. At
4 o'clock an order is given to clear the beach of
those who are led to the spot by motives of plunder
or curiosity by a strong force of coastguardsmen
and detachments of the military. With the ex-
ception of two, who were unable to leave owing to
injuries received, all the survivors arrived in Liver-
pool last night. It is stated that one of the crew of
the Royal Charter at the time she struck rushed to
the store-room and broke all the bottles containing
spirits, fearing that his fellow-seamen might intoxi-
cate themselves. Many of the crew on the day after
the wreck expressed themselves to the effect that
the sad event appeared as though it had been a
dream. •

On the landing-stage, and at the office of Messrs.
Gibbs, Bright, and Co., some affecting scenes have
taken place among the relatives of those who were
on board the Royal Chador.

There appears some probability of another gale
to-night.
The following is an amended list of the saloon
passengers, as far as can be ascertained :
Saved—W. H. Morse, F. Gundy, and H.C.Taylor.
Lost—Mr., Mrs., and two Misses Fowler, and
one servant ; Mr., Mrs., and Master Murray ; Mr.
Tweedale, Mr. and Mrs. Grove, Mr. Molyneux,
Rev. Mr. Hodge, of New Zealand, Mrs. Foster,
Mrs. Fenwick and six children, Mrs. Halton, Dr.
Hatch, Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard, two children and
servant, Mrs. Beams, J. S. Henry, La Fargol, Mrs.
Woodruff and child, Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins and five
eons, Mr. and Mrs. Davies, two daughters and two
sons, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce, child and servant, Mr.
M'George, Capt. Withers, 11. C. Taylor's daughter
and nurse.

List of Saloon Passengers landed at Queenstown :
Mr. Gardner, Mr. M'Evoy, Mrs. Nahmur and child.
The following statements are published in the
local papers :

" Numerous people in Liverpool had relatives on
board. Dr. Churton had a son among the passen-
gers. A on of Mr. Walton, of the Theatre Royal,
was an assistant steward.

" The captain succumbed to a sailor's fate.
He was seen on deck from nine o'clock, exerting
himself to make all right, until he was exhausted.
Time after time was he knodked down by wave
and spar, and had to hold on by a rope. He
was seen giving orders on deck, with a spar lashed
to him, so that he might be prepared to float: He
was again seen struggling in the water, laying
hold of a yard-arm, and it every now and then
being washed from his grip. On recovering his
spar by a determined:effort,he in two occasions cried
out cheerfully, "There is hope yet." After this he
and Mr. Bowie, the second officer, were seen on
the lee side of the ship, struggling to reach the
shore, when a boat fell from the davits and struck
them both on the head, after -which they were seen
no more. One incident i 3 related, that when the
captain had been struck prestrate on deck, ex-
hausted, he saw the water steal a child from its
mother's arms—a Jewess—and dash it about the
deck. He cried out to the chief officer, Mr.
Stevens, to give a hand there, and to lash_the child
by a rope, no doubt expecting at that time that
help would soon be available. Not a superior offi-
cer was saved, neither a female nor child.
"The following is thenarrative of the boatswain's
mate, John Suaicar, which is given nearly in his
own language:—
" ' On Monday we left Queenstown in the after-
noon, after putting some passengers on board the
pilot-boat Petrel who desired to be landed. We
proceeded on with calm weather and water smooth.
We made Ballycotton light at half-past 7 p.m., and
Youghal light, on the Irish east, at half-past 8.
Reached the Mcnai light ate, trade the Nook light
in half an hour, and sighted Toskar at about half-
past 11. On Tuesday morning saw Bardsey, at
which time the wind began tokeshen. The wind
heading, we took in the square sails; and at 10
a.m., the wind increasing, took it all the fore and
aft sails. In the afternoon made Holyhead at half-
past 1, and at half-past 4 were right ahead of Holy-
head harbour. Could see the steamship Great
Eastern. Off Bardsey the steam-tug United King-
domnl el sNr-isgpga
epie.sr,s ,aasslkvien gwiefre weg
07 : give a free passage to
came alongside, and handed on board some
tug was not going until sh
1
aft
o Liverpool, and the
a tow, The riggers ,

were taken on board. At a quarter to eight on
Tuesday evening were abreast of the Sherries, dis-

,ant about a mile and a half. At this time the wind

had increased to a heavy gale, and the ship was
making, little or no progress through the water.
She was driving up with the strength of the tide
and nearing the shore ; the steam had no effect,
but we did all we could to keep the ship off. The
maintopsail was lowered, but she still drifted.
Clewed up the maintopsail, and the hands were
sent up to furl it. The wind had now increased
considerably, almost blew the sail from the yard,
and it became entangled on the starboard side. It
was difficult to get the sail stowed. At this time
Mr. Bean, the third officer, with several seamen
and myself, were trying to make the sail fast, but
could not succeed in accomplishing it. Shortly
afterwards orders were given to cock-bill the port
anchor, and let go. This was done, giving her 75
fathoms of chain. The vessel was steaming the
whole time. Finding she was dragging, we let go
the starboard anchor; still finding her dragging,
we paid out all the port chain. The vessel was
still steaming, and the wind had now increased to
a perfect hurricane. We then .went, to get the
stream anchor up, and while doing so the starboard
chain parted. I then felt the ship canting over to
port, and fancied the wind had changed. Orders
were then given to cut away the mainmast, which
was done, and in a few minutes afterwards she
struck on a bank. The captain gave orders to the
engineer to give her as much steam as he could, to

harden her on the bank. It was then about three-
quarter ebb tide. The place where she struck was
to the west of Moelfra, eastward of Point Lynas.
Heard the captain give orders to starboard the
helm, to keep her on the shore, so that the sea
would not have so much power on her broadside.
When she became hardened on, the chief officer
gave me and the boatswain orders to cut the main
and maintopmast stays, as they were lying across
the boat, so that the boat could be cleared in case
of need. We did so. The chief boatswain and
myself were afterwards sitting on a spar on the
deck-house, the sea at the time making a complete
breach over the ship. I then went forward to look
out, and ascertain whether we were on sand or
rock, when, I discovered the land. distant about 30
yards. I went back, and told the chief officer that
it was land, and he said, We will loose the foretop-
mast staysail, and when the tide makes run her
up. I said it would be as well to give her the fore-
sail. It was then getting daylight. I volunteered
to go ashore with a line to get a hawser ashore, im-
mediately after which I felt the ship striking
heavier than ever, supposing it was in consequence
of the tide making. The sea still broke over her
with even greater violence than ever. The captain
was at this time on deck, standing by the steam
telegraph. I told the chief officer again that I was
willing to go ashore with a line and do everything
in my power to save life. Asked him if he would
allow 'me a few minutes to put my lifebelt on, and
he said of course he would. I afterwards told the
boatswain I was going to try to get a line on shore,
and he said it was useless, the sea was running too
high. Afterwards had a small line slung round my
body, and wished some one to attend to it while I
swam ashore. After some hesitation, a man volun-
teered. Just as I was being lowered into the water
some one called out that there was a line on shore
from forward. Upon hearing that I did not go. A
hawser was got on shore and made fast to a rock,
and with this myself and some of the other seamen
saved our lives. The hawser was made fast by
several of the inhabitants on shore who came to
render assistance. After the ship struck all the
passengers were directed to go aft until the hawser
could be got properly out, so that as many as possi-
ble might be saved. Shortly after this the vessel
parted amidships, and a large number of passen-
gers, standing on the deck where she parted, were
swept into the sea-and drowned. The boats were
smashed to pieces by the fury of the gale, and the
others could not be lowered, so that none of them
could be made available. The passengers saved were
driven on shore by the force of the waves. 16 of the
crew got ashore by the haWser. Au endeavour was
made to get a second hawser ashore to rescue the
female passengers, but this could not be accom-
plished. Not a single female passenger was saved.
In three hours after the vessel struck she began to
go to pieces. Saw about 70 passengers on the port
bow, all anxiously awaiting some means of getting
them on shore ; but a heavy sea which struck the
starboard bow stove it in, the ship gave a lurch,
and the people were all driven into the sea and
drowned. Some of the passengers saved were thrown
upon the rocks and picked up by the crew and
others who came to render assistance.'
" Mr. James Russell, a passenger, belonging to
Scotland, who had been seven years in Australia
and acquired considerable wealth,was below in his
berth when the vessel first struck. He had with
him his wife and two children, one aged 10 and.the
other 21 years. He was aroused by hearing a com-
motion on deck, and a fellow-passenger, Mr. Smith,
-saying, ' Oh, Mr. Russell, we are all gone ; we are
drifting on shorc.' On getting to the deck his worst
fears were confirmed, as it appeared evident that
little, if any, hope of rescue existed. The sea was
breaking over the ship with tremendous fury, and
the persons on board were running frantically about
the deck in a state of despair. Having brought his
family from below, he held them together as they
stood on deck, the waves surging over them at
every moment. In a minute or two a surging sea
carried away his wife and two children, and he
never saw them more. He himself was then washed
off the deck towards the shore, but a succeeding
wave brought him back again. Another sea then
struck him, and he was driven forward on the
beach, and, as he himself described it, saved by the
miraculous hand of Providence. Mr. Russell had a
considerable sum of money on board, the produce
of his enterprise and skill in Australia, and is now,
comparatively speaking, penniless.
"A passenger says,—' On Tuesday night, when
the gale became so strong, opposite the Skerries,
the ladies and many of the passengers became ex-
ceedingly nervous. Fpr his own part, however, he
i had such confidence n the captain, officers, and ship,
particularly as she had gone through such long
voyages and was now near home, that he went to
bed at 10 o'clock. He could only dose, and was
aroused in an hour or two by the fearful storm. He
knew they could not be going more than a mile an
hour, for they had been dodging Holyhead all day
and all evening. He heard a voice in the cabin cry-
ing out, Come directly, we are all lost ; I will take
your child; come along directly.' He knew the
voice to be that of Capt. Withers, a passenger, who
had lost his own vessel in the South Pacific.. He
jumped out of bed and opened his cabin door, but
all were gone from there. He hastily put on a few
articles, and ran up on deck. He heard the ship
bump, bump, heavily, two or three times against
the ground. On going into the general saloon he
found it crowded with ladies and gentlemen in the
utmost state of tremour. Families were chnging to
each other, the young children were crying out
piteously, whilst parents were endeavouring to
soothe them with cheering hopes. The Rev. Mr.
Hodge, a Church of England clergyman, belonging
to East Retford, instituted a prayer meeting, and a
great number of passengers fervently participated
in the service. The ship struck, however, so fear-
fully, and the huge waves came down upon her
with such tremendous force, rushing into the cabins
through the skylights, broken by the falling rig-
ging and batches, that all became absorbed in the
idea of personal danger. The narrator was ex-
tremely anxious to know whether danger was im-
mediate, or whether they could wait for the blessing
of daylight; but all tried to soothe the ladies and
children. Capt. Withers came into the cabin, re-
marking, Now, ladies, you need not be at all
afraid; we arc on a sandy beach, and imbedded in
the sand ; we are not ten paces from the shore, and
the tide will leave us dry, and in 10 minutes you will
be safe.' Dr. Hutch, a Government medical officer,
also cheered the passengers. Capt. Taylor came
down afterwards to give encouragement, and made
a similar representation, which had the effect of
greatly allaying the excitement. Great order was
consequently kept on board, and perfect discipline.
At half-past 5 o'clock the bumping went on
worse
than ever, until at last the water came rushing in.
When day liglit began to peep he was knocked by the
force of the waves against the ship with great vio-
lence against the side of the saloon, and the screams
now were dreadful. It was impossible to know what
to do. He went on deck, but with the greatest dd•
ficulty maintained his equilibrium. At this time a
great sea came against the broadside, and divided the
ship into two, just at the engine-house, as one would
smash a pipe stump, and the sea washed quite
through her. The two parts slowed' round, and'
became total wrecks. Pam ties were carried down
with the debris, and as many must have been killed
as drowned. Having made up his mind that he
had best jump overboard on the lee side, he at-
tempted to descend by a rope, but fell deep into the
water, which was here so thickly strewn with tins-
her, &c., that his head had to open up a passage.
He was a good switnmer, but its chief service was
only in allowing him to keep afloat, to seize hold of
timber. His senses were nearly knocked out, and
he was repeatedly thrown ashore, and as often
washed back again, until some people on shore
watched him, and managed to catch him. By this
time he was almost worn out and insensible. When
he first came on deck he had a bag of 35 sovereigns,
but he lost 25 in the struggle. He saw Captain
Taylor in the excitement, and said Captain, this
is a fearful state of things,' but the captain made
no reply. When being drifted ashore be saw a poor
fellow astride on a large spar, who had on a lifebelt,
but some one clung to him and both were drowned.
He was momentarily fearing that his brains would
be knocked out by a large yard that came on the
weather side of him; bat, strange to say, it was

carried over him, and both were pitched on shore for
a moment together. For a time he had given up
all hopes of being saved, especially as his repeated
attempts to fasten hold of the sea-weed were
failures. He found himself much bruised and cut
when he recovered his full consciousness ashore.
He believed, if he had not been a swimmer, he
should have been inevitably lost.
" A second cabin passenger's account was,
that he remained up all night, as he was appre-
hensive all was not right. He did not feel
there was any immediate danger until half-past
one, but Captain Taylor came down and assured
them there was no immediate danger, and that
she was righting very easily, and the steam was
almost overrunning her anchors. So confident was
he that he ordered coffee for himself and the pas-
sengers, but they never lived to drink it. One of
the mates called the captain, however, on deck,
and shortly afterwards they learnt she had parted
with her port anchor. About two o'clock he went
on the poop and could see land. The sea was run.
ning tremendously high, and he could not remain
on the poop unless he held by something. He saw
a number jump overboard as the land seemed so
near, but he only saw one get ashore. He let him-
self down by a rope on the lee side, and made a
spring out to clear the masses of people huddled
about the shore side of the ship. He had on a life-
belt, but the struggle was so desperate that he had
not the slightest hopes of being saved. He held
on to a spar, and was ultimately washed on to a
rock, where he held on by, grasping the seaweed
until two men came to him, just as another wave was
going to nip him back. The narrator believes if
they had commenced operations for saving life
earlier, a greater number would have been saved.
All were waiting as patiently as could be, in the
hope of the tide leaving them, but the tide must
have been flowing at the time they thought it was
ebbing, unless the storm drove the water that way.
" A third saloon passenger exercised himself as
long as he could in serving the other passengers.
A wave washed him from the poop, and how he got
ashore he is unconscious of, but believes he was left
well in on land.

" John Judge, a steerage passenger, of herculean
size and strength, stated that he was in the forecas-
tle below, patiently waiting the time for action,
when the ship snapped asunder, and he was washed
out on the weather side. He saw hundreds of people
closed up in the jaws of death around him, but he
was enabled to catch a spar, and work his way to
shore.

" Wm. Barton, a rigger of Liverpool, said that he
and 10 others having taken the Typhoon round to
Cardiff, went on board the United Kingdom, tug
steamer. Meeting the Royal Charter going
towards Liverpool they got on board to work their
passage home, at 11 o'clock on Tuesday morning,
when off Bardsay Island. As evening came on a
strong gale from the N.E. sprang up. They
fetched Point Lynas about 9 o'clock, and hove to
for a pilot. They fired rockets and guns, but no
pilot came. About 12 o'clock they found them-
selves on the lee shore, off Malvery, and still no
pilot, when they let go the port anchor in 15
fathoms water. The anchor parted about two
o'clock, when the second anchor was sent down
with 110 fathoms, the 'port having used 80 fathoms
on the starboard. The steam was up, and the
vessel was turned with her head to the wind ; but
she continued to drag stern in ashore, with Point
Lynas light on the port side. The ship
struck on an iron-bound coast, in Mal-
very, not far from Amlwch. She beat against
the rocks very heavily, and, after striking and
dragging about half an hour she parted her star-
board anchor, and she fell right foul close into the
land in four fathoms. The tide was ebbing about
the last quarter at this time. It was as dark as
pitch ; they could not see their hands before them.
The boats were all in readiness, but they were in
total ignorance as to what sort of a coast it was,
and the sea was so rough that no boat could have
lived five minutes in it. Under these circumstances
the boats were given up. They made up a tar-
barrel, ready to set fire to, as a torch, to send
ashore, to light the coast and let them know what
kind of a place it was ; but the ship thumped so
heavily and danger was so imminent that the idea
was not carried out. About 6 o'clock, the dawn of
light, they saw a man on the shore, to whom they
called. He seemed quite bewildered at what he saw
and ran to fetch assistance. He brought five or six
men to the shore. In the meantime the ship was
rapidly giving way, and a Portuguese sailor, Joseph
Rogerson, tied a rope round his waist, and swam
ashore. By this means a hawser was run and
fastened to the rocks, on which a boatswain's chair
was fastened so that it could be hauled to and from
the ship and shore. The crew got into it, one by
one, and were hauled to land. They commenced
landing parties in this way about half-past 6 o'clock,
and got about a dozen ashore, when the ship sud-
denly parted in two, giving way amidships. The
whole of the passengers had been kept below by the
captain and officers' advice ; and on the vessel break-
ing up they were instantly swallowed up along
with the iron and machinery. As soon as the ship
struck the masts were cut away, the foretop going
with the mainmast. He last saw the captain hold-
ing by the rigging on deck, giving orders, with a
spar lashed to him. The riggers had recom-
mended the cutting away the masts at 10 o'clock
on the Tuesday night, but it was not then
done. The ship broke up at a quarter to seven,
and not a vestige was left above water. The greatest
order and discipline prevailed on board.
" Patrick Devine and Thomas Cunningham,:also
riggers belonging to this town, gave similar state-
meats. The last man saved came ashore about
8 o'clock. The sea rolled tremendously, and the
ship thumped constantly.
Walter Hughes, an apprentice on board, whose
parents reside at No. 1, Toxtetli-street, is lying in
bed at the village of Malvery, near the scene of the
disaster, suffering from severe crushings and
bruises, he is not in a hopeless state. His ac-
count of his escape is of a marvellous character.
He was standing on the deck amidships when
the vessel suddenly parted under his feet. He
was precipitated with the crashing ironwork
deep into the water, but ascended immediately.
He was then thrown ashore and secured. In
falling, the tumbling lumber and machinery
struck against him, and he felt as if he was
being killed. The skin was torn off his face and
hands by coming in contact with the rough and
pointed rocks. He saw just before the ship parted
three little children, holding each other's hands,
screaming. They had fine weather until 6 o'clock
on Tuesday evening, and at the time she hugged
the shore she was trying to get her head to wind•
ward, but her screw was overpowered by the severe
gale, and she was drifted ashore stern foremost.
Every effort was made to get her head to the sea,
but the cables parted a little before 12 o'clock, and
she struck with her broadside to the rocks.
" Mr. Councillor Wagstaff, of St. James's-street,
who was a. passenger by the steamer Druid,
from Bangor yesterday, has kindly furnished us
with the following particulars, which he ob-
tained on the spot. Mr. Wagstaffs statement is
as follows I was at Beaumaris yesterday (Wed-
nesday), and heard there was a large vessel on shore
at Moelfra, about three miler from Dullas-head. I
went to the Custom-house agent, who confirmed the
intelligence, and showed me a communication as
follows :—' The Royal Charter is on shore-400
passengers drowned.' I and some friends imme-
diately took a car, and started about one o'clock
for the place named. When we reached the spot
there was very little of the vessel to be seen, but so
near to the shore had she been stranded that I
could easily pitch a coin on the wreck. The first
thing I saw was the body of a man lying in a field
close by. He was a stout able-bodied man, and
dressed in corduroy trousers and pea jacket. Some
sort of a cloth had been thrown over his face. His
head had been injured and was covered with blood,
and as I got over the style into the field my hands
were stained with it. Upon getting to the beach I
found a large number of people, apparently belong-
ing to the locality, with a few of the survivors
from the wreck. One of the passengers was
rambling about the shore more like a maniac
than anything else. The poor fellow had lost
wife and child. While standing on the
poop with his child in his arms a tremendous sea
washed the young creature from his grasp and his
wife from his side. He then became insensible, and
could not say how he got on shore ; but on recover-
ing consciousness he found himself clinging to the
seaweed on a rock. I also spoke to two men—
Cornish miners—who had been long in Australia.
They were returning home with their savings, and
had lost all but 10 sovereigns. After conversing
with these men I spoke to William John Ferris, one
of the surviving passengers, who told me that the
ship struck between 2 and 3 o'clock on Wednesday
morning, and that those on board ' set the bay on
fire' with signals of distress—that they set off blue
lights and rockets, and fired cannons in the hope of
obtaining assistance from the shore. We heard it
said that as long as the screw was kept going the
vessel kept to her anchors, but as soon as it stopped
she began to drift upon the beach. It was also said
that a coloured man swam on shore with a hawser,
Avhich was pointed out to us as the one which the
seaman succeeded in bringing to land.
" Some of the survivors, it was said, had been
saved by this means, but soon afterwards the ship
went to pieces, and the hawser was no longer avail-
able. The vessel broke in two at seven o'clock in
the morning. At this time about 200 passengers were
sheltering amidships, and, of course, with the Part-
in; of the ship, the whole of them were engulfed in
the sea.
" We saw a.portion of the screw of the vessel, and
near it was pointed out something which was stated
kinecl the gold on
to be the bullion chest, which con