The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-18 00:00:00

TILE WRECK OF THE POMONA.

The following incidents connected with the
wreck of the ill-fated American ship Pomona are
supplied by the Wexford Constitution :—" On Sa-
turday last a steamtug and lighters arrived here
from Liverpool with the necessary diving apparatus
for the purpose of saving a portion of the cargo from
the wreck of the Pomona at the Blackwater Bank.
They commenced proceedings on Tuesday,the divers
first clearing away the rigging, &c., impeding
access to the hatchways. Since then they have
been successfully engaged in bringing up various
articles belonging to the ship. On Wedne:day
morning the diver sent down came across three
bodies, which he disentangled from the wreck, and
they floated to the surface, but we are sorry to add,
with a gross carelessness of the commonest rights
of humanity, they were allowed to be washed out
to sea, the only step taken by the crew of the tug
being to tear off the pocket from one of the bodies
(a female), as they said, in order to identify the
body, which at the same time they were so reckless
of preserving. The pocket was found to contain
the sum of 6s. 6d. and a passenger's ticket, which
showed the unfortunate deceased to have been a
native of the county of Cork, named Mary O'Brien,
aged 18. The above information having been con-
veyed by Capt. Newton, in charge for the owners,
to Mr. Coghlan, the collector of customs, that gen-
tleman, with his usual promptitude and vigilance,
immediately despatched several tide waiters to the
spot, to be at hand and secure all property belong-
ing to the unfortunate emigrants that might be
brought up, and to see that proper respect was paid
to their remains. On Thursday evening and yester-
day he also sent down several dozen 'coffins for the
reception of the dead, which will be brought to
Wexford, in order that a proper register may be
kept of everything found upon them likely to lead
to identification. A very large number of persons
have written to the collector, forwarding particu-
lars respecting their relatives and friends who were
on board the Pomona when she left Liverpool,
almost every one of which mentioned that the de-
ceased had with them large sums of money—a
further reason why every precaution should be
taken to save and restore to their friends whatever
may be found belonging to them. The body of the
young man who was stated by some of the sailors
to have been the son of Mrs. Paxton, it has since
been ascertained was that of the steward, named
Blair, the remains of Mrs. Paxton's son, a youth of
16, not having been found. From a letter received
from Liverpool, it would appear that Mrs. Paxton
had only two children with her, a son named
William, and a daughter, aged 13, named Ann.
It is said that she had upwards of £lOO in her
possession at the time she embarked, but there
was only found in her pocket, when rescued
from the hands of the depraved creature who stripped
her body, about £5 and a letter of credit on a New
York firm for 300 dols. (£64). In addition to this,
however, there has been recovered a small box be-
longing to the unfortunate lady, containing, among
other property, a quantity of silver plate, forming
part of tea, dinner, and. dessert service. Her gold
watch, having Thomas Paxton' engraved on the
case, and a coral necklace, with the initials S. P.'
on the silver snap, were found in her pocket. At
the Oulart Petty Sessions, on Tuesday last, Ann
Kirwin, the woman who stripped the body of Mrs.
Paxton, tied Thomas Kirwin, her husband, both
residing at Ballyconigar, near to Blackwater, were
each sentenced to six months'hard labour for having
in their possession property belonging
to that lady,
and which had been taken from her body while on
the strand. Besides the above these parties are liable
to a prosecution under a section of the Merchant
Shipping Act of 18.54, which imposes a penalty of
£5O on offences of this nature, in addition to what-
I ever other punishment may be imposed upon them,"