The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-18 00:00:00

OFFICIAL INQUIRY INTO THE WRECK

OF THE ROYAL CHARTER.

LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY.

This inquiry was resumed this morning, at one
o'clock, in the Crown Court, St. George's Hal), be-
fore Mr. Mansfield and Captain Harris, R.N.

The following evidence was given on Wednesday
evening, after our despatch left.
William Henry smith, collector of customs and
receiver of wrecks at Beaumaris, was called. He had
visited the wreck of the Royal Charter in the cha-
racter of receiver. He had received information of
the loss of the vessel at 12 o'clock on Wednesday
morning, and he was on the spot at two, having
had to travel 14 miles from Beaumaris. He visited
the wreck on Sunday last at four o'clock. The ap-
pearance of the wreck had then altered very much.
When he first saw the ship on the morning of the
26th ult. she was lying with her head to the west-
ward, and very much broken, and she appeared to
have parted amidships. A portion of the stern
frame was standing, and the starboard davit was
visible. Large masses of wreck were thrown
on the sides of the rocks. He was etr-
abled to walk on those pieces of wreck. The stone
ballast of the vessel was thrown out. He saw
two iron bulkheads standing by the engine-room.
Iron beams were also cast ashore, and were driven
under loose blocks of stone weighing from seven to
ten tons. These stones were driven up to high-
water mark. There were some hides under stones
four or five tons weight. Having taken soundings
since the wreck, witness was of opinion that the
vessel struck amidships on a rock, as the tide was
flowing. Witness had been employed at many
wrecks, but he had never before witnessed such
complete destruction as in the case of the Royal
Charter. At dead low water, spring tides, a person
might step upon the fore part of the wreck from
the rocks. In his opinion, no lifeboat, on the morn-
ing of the wreck, could have been made available,
owing to the heavy sea. He had been six years
collector of customs at Beaumaris, and could speak
from his own personal knowledge of the bravery
and daring of the boatmen on that coast. Every
exertion had been used to recover the bodies and to
save property. The owners of the ship had afforded
him every facility, and he had heard Capt. Martin,
marine superintendent of Messrs. Gibbs, Bright,
and Co., offer £5 for a boat to go out to recover
bodies. The opinion of witness was that many
bodies were buried in the sand and covered over
with large stones. In one instance they had been
obliged to remove a large stone to recover the body
of a child.
The inquiry at six o'clock was further adjourned
to one o'clock to-day.
On entering court this morning Mr. Mansfield
stated that he had just received a letter from the
secretary of a Druid Lodge, called the Sons of
Friendship, No. 631, enclosing a guinea for the
• fund being raised for the benefit of the survivors of
the wreck.
James Russell was called and examined—He said
I was a passenger on board the Royal Charter.
My wife and two children accompanied 'me. I re-
member when we were off Holyhead. I was on
deck when the vessel was passing Holyhead. She
was between two and three miles from Holyhead.
The wind was ahead. It was blowing a little fresh.
I did not succeed in string any of my family.
I saw Captain Taylor very frequently during the
voyage. I was examined before the coroner, when
certain questions were put to me touching Captain
Taylor's conduct. From my observations I never
saw Capt. Taylor in an improper state during the
whole voyage. I was washed overboard and washed
up upon the rocks. It was after the vessel broke
in two that I was washed overboard. I saw the
vessel break in two. I went into my cabin at eight
o'clock in the evening, and did not come out till two
o'clock in the morning. I did not know it was
blowing so hard. I felt that it was blowing fresh.
I heard Capt. Johnson say in the forenoon that by
the appearance of the weather it would blow hard.
I heard Capt. Adams also state something to the
same effect in the afternoon. I met Capt. Adams,
and he took me by the hand and said there was
great danger, and I then resolved to go on desk.
There were others on deck, four of whom I was
intimately acquainted with. This was at two
o'clock. The vessel served as a sort of breakwater,
and on the lee side the sea was calmer. My opinion
is that if more people had come on deck there would
have been a greater chance of a larger number
being saved. There were at least 200 passengers in
the saloon when I left It.
By Mr. Aspinall—The wind began to freshen
after eight o'clock.
Mr. Aspinall said there was a document which
he thought in justice to the person who wrote it,
ought to be put in. It was within the knowledge
of the Court that some suggestions had been thrown
. out on a previous occasion, but which had been ut-
terly refuted, about the state of Captain Taylor.
One of the gentlemen on board was a Mr. Brad-
bury, who was still lying very ill at Moelfre, and
whose attention had been called to the statement
that was made in the papers. He wrote the letter
which he (Mr. Aspinall) was about toput in, without
any communication with anybody, and forwarded
it to Mr. Smith, who had handed it to him.
The letter was to the effect that having seen
the statement in the papers with reference to the
state of Captain Taylor at the time of the wreck,
he begged to say positively that he never made such
a statement, and if he did, it must have been in a
state of unconsciousness, arising from his accident
and illness. He never saw Captain Taylor in a
state of intoxication during the whole of the voyage.
Several depositions were also put in signed by
Mr. Bradbury, one of which was to the effect that
the storm and sea were so violent that it was im-
possible to save the ship, or do more than was done,
in his opinion.
Samuel Edward Gapper being sworn—l was a
second-class passenger. I agree with the evidence
of the other passengers, with the exception as to
the state of the wind between Queenstown and
Holyhead. It was a light breeze.
By Mr. Aspinall—Some of the passengers wanted
to go near Holyhead to see the Great Eastern, but
the captain declined to go any nearer.
To Captain Harris—l was intimately acquainted
with Capt. Taylor. I saw him that evening, at
about eight o'clock. Capt. Adams and I had some
conversation about the weather that evening. Mr.
Kroom came down and tapped Capt. Adams on the
shoulder, and said Capt. Taylor wished to speak to
him immediately in 'the saloon. That was between
two and three o'clock. Capt. Adams went away
immediately, and I waited till he came back, and
then I asked him to say in a few words what was
the extent of the danger. I was not afraid, but I wished
to know. He replied, looking me in the face, that if it
were possible to sing the " White squall" it could
be now done with feeling. I asked him if we should
go on shore ? He said " I have no doubt we shall
have to swim for it," making the motion with his
arms at the same time, " before we get there;"
About 10 he heard Captain Adams say that he had
had a conversation with Captain Taylor and Cap-
tain Withers with respect to the weather. The
screw ceased for a short time after the starboard
anchor was let go, and then it did not cease again
till after she struck upon the sand. I did not come
on deck till after she broke in two. I lowered my-
self from the poop by a rope and got on a topsail-
yard. I was anxious to save a lady who was in
company with me, and I lowered her down first on
the topsail-yard. I then lowered myself down.
There was a boom lying beyond the ship, and I
thought if I reached that I would get some way to
the rocks. I got on the boom, but a tremendous
sea came and washed me over. The lady was lost.
I received some injuries in the arm. More might
have been saved if they had the courage to attempt
to save themselves. I received every kindness at
Moelfre from the inhabitants.
By Mr. Aspinall—Just at the moment when the
ladies were sent for ,to be taken on shore, the
ship broke in two. It was about an hour and
a half after that that I let myself down into
the sea. There was a hope that the ladies might
be passed on shore by some of the boats, and the
ladies were ordered to put as many of their clothes
on as possible, as the vessel might break up. All
the officers of the ship behaved in a manner much
better than could have been expected under such
circumstances.

Joseph Rogers was next examined—l was an
able seaman on board the Royal Charter. Between
four
and live o'clock on the afternoon of the day
of the wreck, it was my watch. Boatswain Smith
called me to go down below to stow the small sail.
The sails unbent were the mizen maintopgallant
staysails. I came on deck again at eight o'clock.
I was sitting aft the engine-mom when I was
called to reef maintop
mast staysail, about nine
"'clock. It was
hauled down again in about ten
minutes afterwards. About Aalledb out half-past ten o'clock
the watch was
to put the shid about.
I went aft to haul in the spanker-sheet on the
port side. After the maintopsail was set they
robing-
poles clewed it up again. They went up aloft to f
he
- sails, and the wind was so strong that the
orblin t
poles were brokenn. I was nearly pitched off the
yard! I came down and said " I could not furl the
sail," and Mr. Stephens told me to go back again,
and make it fast to the yardarm. Shortly after this
the port anchor was let go, and after that the star-
board anchor was let go. When both the chains
parted we cut away the masts, and she went ashore.
Captain Taylor gave me an order to clear away the
port lifeboat. The mizenstay being cut away came
down by the run, and fell upon the lifeboat. When
the ship struck upon the rocks I was on the forecastle,
and asked the boatswain's mate what:he was going
to do ; and ho said, "Go you ashore, and I will go
too." I went inside the forecastle,
.and found a
" chap" with a line, and he said, " Are you going I