The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-16 00:00:00

FATAL BOAT ACCIDENT.

Intelligence was received yesterday (Wednesday)
at Bristol, of a terrible boat accident, by which
from 10 to 16 persons were unhappily deprived of
life, having occurred off Watchet, a pretty little
watering place, which, from its seclusion, is not
much resorted to, on the Somersetshire coast. The
particulars which have yet come to hand are of a
meagre description, and the excitement which it
has given rise to is painfully increased by the un-
certainty which prevails as to the exact number of
the sufferers, and of which of the many families who
are concerned they are members. The only details
which have yet reached us are these :—A steam
packet, named the Neath Abbey, was advertised for
a Whitsuntide holiday excursion to Minehead and
Watchet, and the weather proving particularly
favourable for out-of-door amusements, a large
number of persons availed themselves of the oppor-
tunity which it offered. The packet, when she left
Bristol, was crowded with persons of both sexes,
all ages, and of different grades in life. The coast
slopes out so gently at Watchet that vessels of any
burthen cannot run in near to the shore, and pas-
sengers have to be landed and re-embarked by
means of boats. The landing had been effected
safely, and the passengers bad had some hours of
enjoyment when the time arrived for rejoining the
ship. Four boats, all of them well filled, were put
off from the beach, and after they had stood out
for some distance, it was found that two of them
were unseaworthy, and made water very fast.
The persons who were in one of them succeeded in
getting to a sort of reef which lies off some distance
from the beach, and were thus enabled to keep
above water until boats could be put off to their
rescue. The second, in which there were from 12
to 16 persons, was less fortunate. The poor crea-
tures were Observed frantically waving their hands
and making other signs of distress, and their
screams could be heard both from the vessel and
the shore. Boats were lowered from the Neath
Abbey steam packet with all possible despatch, but
before they could reach the leaky boat, which was
half a mile from them, she sank with all that were
in her. It is known that one person was picked up
alive, and that three dead bodies had been recovered,
but beyond that all is as yet matter of uncertainty,
the general impression being that all, or nearly all,
must have perished. The Neath Abbey was ex-
pected at Bristol last night, and would no doubt
bring reliable particulars of the catastrophe, re-
specting which the most intense anxiety prevails.

ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
BRISTOL, Thursday Morn in g.—Additional
information has been received in this city of this
melancholy occurrence. It was supposed on,
Tuesday that 12 or 14
.persons, who were missing.,
had perished ; but it is now ascertained that six
persons have lost their lives. It appears that no
boats had been provided at Watchet to convey the
excursionists on board the steamer, but there were
several boats on the beach, and some of these were
put into requisition to make the passage from the
shore to the steamer. One or two parties had
reached the steamer in safety when the fearful
occurrence took place. The ill-fated boat was
about half a mile from the shore when suddenly a
heavy swell took her broadside, and in an instant
she capsized, turned bottom up, and men, women,
and children were seen clutching, tossing, and gasp-
ing in a struggling group, amid the foaming tide,
which was then coming in very fast. Strong and
quick did the men in the second boat pull towards
them, but one by one the heads disappeared below
the surface of the sea, and when at last the boat
reached the spot, almost all of them had sunk. One
of th,; men in the boat, however, managed to seize a
woman by the hair of her head just as she was
sinking, and she is now in a fair way of recovery.
The bodies of two men, apparently watermen, were
also dragged into the boat, but all efforts to restore
animation in either case proved ineffectual. A
second respectably-dressed female was rescued, and
has shown signs of consciousness, but is still in a

lingering state, and fears are entertained of her
recovery. Just as one of the men in the boat leaned
forward within a yard of another sinking woman
to catch her by the hair of her head, she flung up
her arms and sank. The passengers in the
sinking boat included a young woman, with an
infant in her arms. When the boat cap-
sized, she was seen floating, upheld by
her clothing, with the child clasped to her breast,
and as she was carried away by the tide she raised
up the baby in her arms, as if to implore help on
its behalf. No help reached her, though, it is said,
a sailor on board the Neath-Abbey plunged into the
sea to save her, but was not successful. The fol-
lowing parties have been saved :—Messrs. Wed-
lake, Larkham, Short, E. Edwards, Greenslade,
and the Misses Mogg and Case. Lost:—Mr. Lewis
and wife, Messrs. Samuel Venn, Henry Larkham,
jun., and George Mogg ; and Miss Sarah Seymour.
Mr. Ashford, the coroner for West Somerset, will
open an inquest on the bodies this day (Thursday).