The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-03 00:00:00

WRECK OF TEE ROYAL CITA.RT.ER.

OFFICIAL REPORT TO THE BOARD OF
TRA.DE.

The Committee of Privy Council for Trade have
received the following report from Mr. Mansfield,
the Magistrate of Liverpool, and Captain Harris,
nautical assessor, who held the late inquiry at
Liverpool relative to the wreck of the Royal

Charter steamship :
"My Lords,—ln accordance with the instruc-
tions which I received from the Board of Trade, I
have, with the assistance of Capt. Harris, nautical
assessor, held an inquiry into the circumstances at-
tending the loss of the auxiliary steam clipper ship
Royal Charter. The ship was originally ordered to
be built by Messrs. Moore, of this town. The
builder was Mr. Cram, of Chester, and the keel was
laid at Sandy Croft, on the River Dee. Before any
considerable progress had been made in her con-
struction, the firm of Messrs. Gibbs, Bright, and
Co., who are managers for and now represent the
Australian Steam Navigation Company—the regis-
tered owners of the Royal Charter—took her off
the hands of Messrs. Moore. At or about this time
Mr. Cram failed, and the further progress of the
shipbuilding was conducted by Messrs. Bright and
Co. on their own account. Some changes were made
to fit the vessel for the purpose which was ultima-
lely attained ; an addition was made to her length
at either end, and the original specification was
departed from in other respects. It is not material
to dwell upon this part of her history at any great
length, as, at the time of her transfer to Messrs.
Gibbs, Bright, and Co., her keel only was laid and
a portion of the frame set up. Nearly all the mate-
rial had been provided by Mr. Cram, and was on
the premises ; this, after an examination by the
builders employed by Messrs. Gibbs, Bright, and
Co., was used in the construction of the vessel. A
portion of this iron, recovered with great difficulty
and expense from the wreck, has been produced
before and tested by the Liverpool corporation
machine. It is decidedly above the average strength
of iron plating used for shipbuilding, and the aver-
age strength assigned by Mr. Fairbairn for good
Staffordshire plate. When the ship was completed
it was necessary to launch her diagonally, owing
to the shallowness of the water at Sandy Croft.
During this operation she stuck fast °ether ways,
and great efforts were necessary to get her afloat.
It does not, however, appear that she received any
injury at this time. In proceeding down the Dee
she took the ground off Flint, and here her keel and
the adjoining portions amidships received serious
injury, so as to necessitate extensive repairs in the
graving dock at Liverpool. There is some discre-
pancy in the evidence, but it is probable that on
this occasion she was strengthened by the addition
of two bilge keelsons, having been originally con-
structed with a keelson and two sister keelsons. Of
her rigging it is sufficient to say that her masts and
spars seem to have been amply sufficient, and,
though very large, not out of proportion to the
size of the vessel. Her tackle seems to have been
generally good, and her heavy sails were of " No. 1
and No. 2" canvas—the quality of stormsails in
ordinary ships. The ground tackle seems likewise
to have been free from objection. She carried two
bower anchors and a sheet anchor of requisite size,
and all of Trotman's model. She was provided with
300 fathoms of chain cable of full 21in. in diameter,
tested by the maker, Mr. Woods, of Chester, to 72
tons. From the performance of this cable imme-.
diately previous to the loss of the ship, it is rea-
sonable to suppose that the material and workman-
ship were good. Her engines, which worked a
two-fan screw, were of nominal 200-horse power,
and were able to propel the vessel in dead water at
the rate of about eight knots an hour. Upon pro-
ceeding upon her first voyage she was very heavily
ballasted, as her builders apprehended she would
ha crank, owing to her narrow beam. In the Bay
of Biscay, however, she encountered very rough
weather, and put back to Plymouth. Here she was
examined by the Emigration Officers and Survey-
ors, who recommended some trifling repairs to ob-
viate her making water, as it was supposed, through
her deck. These, however, had nothing to do with
the seaworthiness of the ship.
" In accordance. also, with their recommendation,
she was lightened of 400 tons of ballast, the result
of which was that her sailing properties improved,
and she was enabled to stay and wear with facility.
I am assured by the witnesses who have subse-
quently made voyages in her that she was far from
being defective in this respect, regard being had to
the greater time necessarily requisite to bring a
long vessel hand. Upon her returning from her
first voyage it was observed by the surveyor of the
LiverpodUnderwriters' Association that some of
the paint had cracked at the joining of the butts
outside amidships, and that in those places there
were streaks of rust. This, he stated, was invari-
ably the case with long iron vessels on their return
from a voyage. It does not, however, appear that
wooden ships, after encountering heavy weather,
are free from an analogous indication of a strain in
their butts. Some suspicion, however, seems to have
acted upon the minds of the owners ; and, with a
view to giving her additional longitudinal strength•
ening, a massive stringer, the greater part of the
length of the ship, was introduced on either side
between decks.
"After this, nothing further of any importance
as regards the strengthening of the ship seems to
have- been done.
" It may be proper, at this point, to state that,
from the evidence, I have arrived at the conclusion
that the Royal Charter was, at the least, fully
equal in strength to the average of ships of her class
built at the same date (1855). Whether this be
sufficient is a question which in reality does not arise
in the present inquiry. Even if it did, I should
hesitate to generalise from an isolated instance, on
very imperfect evidence, and where so much is left
to conjecture. A much wider induction is neces-
sarily applied to the subject by underwriters in the
ordinary course of their business; and to those of
the public who may be ignorant of the fact it may
be of interest to learn that, ccrteris paribus, there is
no difference in the premium paid for insuring
wooden or iron vessels of the same class.
" Upon her last voyage the Royal Charter, after
an unusually quick passage from Melbourne, arrived
off Queenstown on the 24th of October. She pro-
teeded up Channel, and passed the Tuskar Light
about 4 a.m. on the 25th. About half-past 4 or 5
p.m. she was abreast of Holyhead. Up to that
time the weather had been fine, with a light breeze
ahead. A change then took place, and it became
hazy over the land. The vessel proceeded on her
course, rounding the Sherries at 6 or half-past 6
p.m. Point Lynas Light was in sight at a quarter
to 7 p.m., at a distance of six or seven miles on the
starboard bow. At 8 p.m. the wind was from N.E.
to E.N.E.; veering and blowing very hard, and had
been increasing in strength from the time the ship
passed Holyhead. She was heading at this time
about E. by S. At a quarter to 9 Captain Taylor
gave orders to starboard the helm, to which the
quartermaster at the wheel:said, The helm is star-
board already.' At a quarter to 9 orders were
given to take a cast of the lead. In a quarter of
an hour they first succeeded in getting soundings
with the hand-lead in 18 fathoms. Tne screw pro-
peller was at work, but the ship notwithstanding
was drifting rapidly to leeward, as denoted by the
lead. Shortly after this soundings were again taken
in 15 fathoms, and about half-past 10 p.m. an attempt
was made to stay the ship. This appears to have
failed, for shortly afterwards the port anchor was let
go, and 100 fathoms of chain cable paid out. At 11 15
p.m. the starboard anchor was let go with 70 fathoms
of chain. The two anchors brought the ship up.
At 1.30 a'm. of the 26th the port chain parted out-
side the hawse hole. Orders were then given to
get up the stream anchor, which weighed only 15cwt.,
and was stowed in the after orlop. The sheet anchor
of 50cwt. was stowed in the fore hatchway. It
took about an hour to get up the stream anchor,
and when this was done, at about 2.30 a.m., the
starboard cable parted. About 3 or 3.30 a.m. the
ship took the ground ; her heel seems to have
struck first, and her head canted round to the west-
ward, broadside on to the wind and sea. It ap-
pears that the screw stopped when the ship struck.
The mainmast was then cut away; it fell abeam,
and not in the direction of the screw. The fore-
mast was also cut away, but did not fall till the
ship was washed upon the rocks, about five a.m., or
two hours after she first struck.
About 7.30 to 8 a.m. the vessel parted amidships,
and a melancholy loss of life ensued. Such is the
narrative afforded by the few survivors of the loss
of the Royal Charter.
In reviewing the evidence before me, it is my
painful duty to notice the apparent want of prepa-
ration to encounter stormy weather
chown by the
Royal Charter in her course up Channel.- She came
up Channel with her skysa r'
fn
il mast on e liaend yard
in
across. It is true that the weather was'morning, and there might have been no indicationse
of the coming hurricane; but, it is certain that in
such a dangerous sea, and at a time of year when
storms may le expected, the stanchest merchant
ship would be only prudent in making all snug
aloft, and the best equipped man-of-war would in-
fallibly do so.
"I have no evidence before me to show whether
the barometer gave any indication of the approach-
ing gale. There were two, if not three, of these
instruments- on board. If they had been noticed,
they would in all probability have suggested cau-
tion. At 5 p.m. there were two courses open. The
Royal Charter was close to Holyhead, and might
have run there for refuge, or she might have put her
head to the westward, and kept the Irish Channel
open. At 6 p.m. the Skerries were rounded, and
the wind increased to a gale. At 9 pm. the wind