The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-15 00:00:00

TEE ROYAL MAIL PACKET TYNE

ASHORE.

ENCOMBE, DORSET, WEDNESDAY,

This sequestrated nook of the south-west coast, has
become the scene of very painful excitement within the
last few hours, consequent upon the stranding of the
Tyne, Capt. Valler, 2,134 tons, one of the finest and
latest built ships belonging to the fleet of the Royal
West India Mail Company, which now lies "high and
dry" between two ledges of rockstone immediately bc-
a sat 11 the cliffs, and not nose than 400 yards from the
shore in this hay.
The Tyne left Lisbon on Friday last, and experienced
heavy seas and hazy weather throughout, her homeward
run. On Monday it was found impossible to take an
observation owing to the dense state of the atmosphere.
Soundings were made every two hours, and the results
so far agreed with the charts and the supposed course of
the ship, that no anxiety was felt on this head. After
dinner the passengers, to the number of 53, assembled in
the saloon, and passed an unanimous vote of thanks to
Capt. Valler for the admirable manncrin which the voyage
had been so far performed. The weather continuing very
thick, and the captain's reckoning showing
that the ship
Was enteriog the Channel, before 6 o'clock the engines
were " slowed" and kept at half speed. At 20 minutes
after 11 o'clock the Portland Lights were sighted N.E.
and E., supposed distant 15 miles, and the course of the
ship was altered to the westward. Mr. White, the chief
officer, had the watch up to midnight, at which hour he
asked Captain Valler whetht r he ,hould remain on deck
during the next watch. Captain Valler said, as he
should not himself leave the deck, it would be unneces-
sary for both to remain, whereupon Mr. White turned
in and Mr. Wright and Mr. Hey, the third and fifth
officers, succeeded him. At midnight the Portland
Lights bore N.E., and at one o'clock on Tuesday morn-
ing N.N.E. 2 E. At ten minutes after two o'clock they
bore N.N.W. 4- W., distant about 8 miles, and half an
hour subsequently the lights " dipped." The haze still
continuing, Captain Vallerremained on deck, personally
directing the course of the ship, and watching the opera-
tion of the lead which was kept going every two hours.
At 40 minutes past 3 o'clock the weather being still
"-thick, and the fog ircreasmg, Captain "Waller left the
deck for a few moments to examine his chart. He had
completed his examination, and was in the act of going
from his cabin to the engine-room to desire the engineer
on watch to stop the engines until daybreak, when he
heard the voice of the third officer calling out, " Hard-
a-sort." Captain Valler's first impulse was that a vessel
might be crossing the ship's course, but hastily running
up on to the deck he at once saw breakers on the port
bow, and rushing to the engine-room skylight he called
out to the engineer to " stop her." Before the engines
had ceased oscillating the ship struck heavily forward,
and the dreadful truth became apparent that the vessel
was ashore. A strong westersy swell was running at this
time, and the ship bumped heavily several times. The
passengers rushed up on deck in a state of great terror,
and all was confusion for a few moments, until Captain
Valler, who maintained his presence of mind in a remark-
able manner, succeeded in persuading them that there
was no imminent danger. The position of the ship was
at this time unknown, and it wag not until some
moments after she had struck that Captain Valler
observed looming through the haze the dark outline of
the Encombe cliffs, with St. Alban's bluff headland
on the starboard bow. The worst apprehensions were
now realised, and guns were fired and blue lights sent
up as signals of distress to the adjoining coast.
Meantime, Captain Yeller used every endeavour to
get the ship afloat again. The topsail and foresail
were set, and by dint of great exertion the vessel's
bead was got round. For a moment there appeared
a prospect of her coming off, but although she swung
completely round, and got her head to sea, she held fast
by her keel on She ledge where she had struck, and all
attempts to move her failed. It is believed that, but for
the bursting of one of the steam pipes at the critical
moment Capt. Yeller gave the order to "Go ahead,"
by which the engines were rendered powerless, the ship
would have floated.

The signals of distress having been observed by the
coast-guard men of the Hill Bottom station, Bath, the
chief boatman, at once launched a cutter and took com-
mand of a gallett crew, who put off to render what assist
ance they could. On nearing the vessel it was found
exceedingly difficult to board her, owing to the heavy
ground swell which prevailed ; but, atter seve-al at
tempts, Bath succeeded in climbing up the ship's side.
His counsel was most useful at this moment. Captain
Yeller, in order to appease the anxiety of his passengers,
who were all desirous to leave the ship, had commenced
getting his boats clear, and would probably have made
an attempt to put them ashore, had not Bath assured
him, from his knowledge of the coast, that it would be
impossible to do so with any degree of safety in the then
state of the tide, which was ebbing fast, with heavy
breakers on shore.

The attempt to land was therefore given up, but the
life-boats were manned and lowered, and kept in readi.
ness, with grapnels down, at a short distance from the
ship.
Lieut. Fuge, R.N., Admiralty agent in charge of the
mails, was the first to go ashore. He was accompanied
by Capt. Otway, commander of her Majesty's
ship Siren, who was among the passengers in the Tyne.
The danger of attempting to leave the ship was fully
exemplified by the disembarkation of these gentlemen.
Lieut. Fuge sustained some severe contusions, and it is
stated that his servant's arm was fractured. They got
the light portion of tf e mails into their boat, and after
clearing the ship made their way some distance along
the coast, landing about nine o'clock at Chapman's Pool,
on the Encombe estate, where they were received by
Mr. Jackson, bailiff in charge of the young Earl of
Eldon's estate, by whom they were forwarded on to the
Wareham station of the South-Western Railway en
route for London.
As the tide flowed the sea rose and made complete
breaches over the ship, notwithstanding which, the crew,
encouraged by Capt. Valler, worked manfully in getting
up hawsers and preparing to put out anchors.
Intelligence of the catastrophe having spread rapidly
on shore, many hundreds of country people flocked to
the coast. Among the earliest i;o be informed was Mr.
Farrer, uncle and resident guardian of the young Eari
of Eldon, who happened to be at Encombe, the family
seat, which is not more than a mile from the spot where
the ship struck. Mr. Farrer immediately addressed a
letter to Capt. Valler, offering all the accommodation
which Encombe would afford to himself and the passen-
gers when they could get ashore. This letter he de-
spatched by two brothers named Tatehell, boatmen in
the service of the family, who, after conveying their
boat rcun'l a point of the coast which it would have
been impossible to weather afloat, launched them-‘elves
off the each of Encombe Bay, and gallantly rowed out
to the ship. This boat was the next to return, conveying
ashore Dr. Aciend, the celebrated Oxford physician, and
another of the passengers, both of whom proceeded on
to Encombe.

At 11 o'clock, a six-oared galley and a four-oared gig,
belonging to the coast-guard men stationed at Kiaitne-
ridge, put off to the wreck to render assistance. Before
reaching the ship, the four-oared boat was struck by a
tremendous cross-sea and swamped, ali hands being cast
adrift. The boats belonging to the Tyne, and dying off
that ship in readiness to convey her passengers ashore,
of once put off to their assistance, and atter much diffi-
culty three of the men were rescued, but the fourth,
William Light, was drowned. This poor fellow has left
a widow and one child.
After noon the weather moderated, and the disem-
barkation of passengers was commenced. There were
only three ladies on board besides the stewardess—one
Spanish lady, from Buenos Ayres, with three children ;
Mies Parkes, niece of Mr. Lilley, American consul at
Pernambuco, who was also a passenger ; and a Brazilian
lady. These, as a matter of course, were sent ashore in the
first life-boat ; and it is due to them to state that
throughout the long and trying period which they Jeers
compelled to remain on board, from the moment the ship
struck until they were taken off, their conduct was re•
markable for the presence of mind and firmness it exhi-
bited. The disembarkation of passengers was safely
completed during the afternoon, and as fast as they
landed they were taken either to Escombe or to Mr.
Jackson's residence, and forwarded therefrom to Ware.
ham.

At half-past 4 a'clock Capt. Valler had a consultation
with Mr. White, the first officer, and Mr. Sapsley, the
has to the propriety of landing the crew.
cltie:•asco engineer,nsidered, under all the circumstances, most
advisable that this should be done, as in the event of
bad weather coming on during the night it would be
difficult to answer for the consequences. In bumping
upon the ledge after the vessel struck, she had unship
ped her rudder, and injured her sternpost to such an
extent that several of the iron plates had started beneath
the low water line, and at flood tide the water reached
the platform of the engine room. Thus injured, and
with a sea breaking over her, the ship would have been
scarcely tenable had the weather proved bad; and it was
therefore determined to leave her for the night. All
hands were piped, and before 5 o'clock 111 souls, com-
posing the crew and servants of the Tyne, were safely
landed on the beach, the captain being the last over the
ship's side. Previously to leaving the ship all the specie
and jewels on board were landed and conveyed, in charge
of the purser, to Encombe, whither the crew and ser-
vants also proceeded, many of them in a very exhausted
state from long exposure to the cold, without refresh-
ment of any kind.
Before Capt. Valley left the beach he observed a small
steamer in the offing steering for the bay from the direc-
tion of Southampton. In the belief that Capt. Vincent,
chief superintendent of the company, might be on board,
he awaited the ve3sel's approach, and shortly after five
o'clock that gallant officer landed in a small boat which

put off from the steamer. As the sea was running high,
Captain Vincent agreed with Captain Valler that it
would not be prudent to go on board Tait night, and he
therefore came on with the officers of the Tyne to En-
combe, where they arrived about six o'clock, and were
received by Mr. Farrer and the Ladies Scott with a cor-
diality most grateful after the exposure and trials they
had undergone during the preceding 12 hours.
It would probably be more gratifying to the noble
young ladies who played so kind and hospitable a part,
as well as to their guardian, if the fact of their recep-
tion of some dozen or fourteen officers at their own table,
and the comfortable housing for the night of nearly 200
wen, were passed over matter or duty • but it is