The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-07 00:00:00

Fatal Collision on the Thames.

Wednesday afternoon an inquiry was opened before Mr.
Richards, deputy-coroner for Middlesex at the Town of
Ramsgate Tavern; high-street, Wapping, into the circum-
stances attending the death of George Roe, a lighterman,
on Monday last, when the skiff which the deceased and a
man named Carr were navigating was run down by the
Woolwich passenger steamvessel Doris, both men being
drowned.

Mr. Geo. Fry, solicitor to the Woolwich Steam Packet
Company, and Mr. W. R. Jackson, a director, were present
to watch the proceedings on behalf of the company ; and
Mr. Jolly, boat builder, and well acquainted with the navi-
gation of the river, was chosen as foreman of the jury.
Henry W. Marshall identified the body of the deceased
as that of his brother-in-law, George Roe, aged 45. He had
left a widow and four children.

Samuel Hill, of 2, Regent's-road, Burdett-road, Bow, said
he was an out-door officer of customs, and between the hours
of land 2 o'clock on the afternoon of Monday, the 3d inst.,
he was standing on the barge off London-wharf, between
the Tunnel-pier and London-bridge, when he saw the
_Doris steamvessel going up the river, in the middle of the
stream, at the ordinary rate of speed. He then saw a skiff
with two men, one of whom was lowing, coming down the
river, and at that time the skiff was meeting the steamer
at about six yards distance. The tide was about three-
quarter. ebb running strong down the middle of the river.
He saw the deceased pulling the left hand sculfto get clear
of the steamer ; before he could do so the steamer struck
the skiff about 4 feet from her stern and nearly cut her in
two. The skiff remained fixed on the stem of the steamer
for a minute, and was then swung round by the force of
the tide under the paddle-box of the steamer, and imme-
diately capsized. When he first saw the vessels there was
one man on the bridge of the steamer and another at the
wheel, and the man with the deceased was sitting at the
stern of the skiff. When the skiff struck the paddle of the
steamer the engines of the latter were reversed.
By the Coroner—lt did not appear that either the de-
ceased or the other man on board the skiff could see the
steamer coming up. His attention was first called to them
by hearing a shout ; but whether it came from the steamer
or tho skiff he could not say, The skiff was laden with
cases of stores. The river was not crowded at the time ;
there was plenty of room for vessels to pass. In his opi-
nion the steamer was in fault, as her course ought to have
been altered, and that was not done, as far as he could see.
The Coroner—But when you first saw the vessels they
wore within six yards of each other; and, as your attention
was chiefly confined to the skiff, you could scarcely know
whether the course of the steamer was altered or not.

By Mr. Fry—He could not say whether the skiff shot
suddenly out from between the tiers of vessels just before
she met the steamer. The steamer might have changed
her course—it should have borne off to the left.
The Coroner—There are regulations laid down on these
points, but they cannot always be carried strictly out; much
depends on circumstances.
The witness then expressed an opinion that the steamer
should have ported helm, but the foreman having expressed
an opinion that such a course would have been improper,
the witness candidly confessed that ho'did not understand
the nautical terms used.
Mr. Fry said the directors of the company wore most
anxious for a full investigation. He had a largo number
of witnesses to call, many of them passengers on board the
steamer, who resided in London and had not been commu-
nicated with. He, therefore, asked for an adjournment of
the case.
The inquiry was then adjourned.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—ONE SHILLING DAT.—Yes-
terday the admissions on payment were 6,890 ditto by
season tickets, 1,994; total, 8,884.