The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-02 00:00:00

THE SUN, _LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MAY 2, 1859.

NEARLY 400 LIVES LOST.

(From the Wexford Constitution, April 30)
The weather during the past few days has been of the
most boisterous character, the gales of wind prevailing on
Wednesday and Thursday being so violent as to cause
great apprehension that serious shipping disasters might
result therefrom. This view has been unfortunately borne
out by the occurrences of Thursday and yesterday, and it
now becomes our gainful and melancholy duty to chronicle
the total destruction of a large emigrant ship, and the loss
of upwards of 380 human lives, in our own immediate
neighbourhood. The splendid clipper ship Pomona.. 1, 00
tons burden, of New York, left Liverpool on Wednesday
with a crew of 36 sailors, in addition to the captain, Charles
Merryew, and with passengers for New York, to the num-
ber of about 380. She left the Mersey with a fair and full
breeze, and everything seemed to be going on well up to
a late hour when, almost in a moment, the hopes of the
';ving freight were blighted, the ship struck, and nothing

but death-and desolation lay before them. Many of the
passengers and'a portion of the crew had retired to their
respective berths at an early hour, but a large number,
more cheerfully inclined, had congregated together in the
saloons and were singing and dancing up tc a late hour,
there being both a fiddler and piper on board. As the
night advanced, however, the breeze freshened into a
strong gale, before which the gallant ship flew as it were
towards her destination, and most of the remaining pas-
sengers turned in. By some means, which at present we
have been unable to ascertain with accuracy, the captain,
when nearing Tuskar, seems to have lost his reckoning
and mistaken his position, for a little past midnight the
ship was driven on to a sandbank some seven miles off
Ballyconigar, near to Blackwater, the sea making a
clear breach over her and sweeping her decks. The
passengers rushed in crowds to the deck, most of them
but partially dressed, and many with only their night-
clothes on. For a short time a wild scene of terror
and confusion ensued, which, however, gradually subsided
as the calm orders of the captain were obeyed by the crew,
and something like order was re-established. The pumps
were quickly manned, and it was found that the vessel was
fast making water, but the captain was in hopes that if the
weather moderated he should be able in the morning to land
all his passengers by means of his boats. In this, however,
he was doomed to be disappointed, as the gale continued
with increased fury during the whole of the day. In the
course of the morning an attempt was made to launch the
lifeboats, but they were stove in and their crews drowned.
In this fearful state of suspense they remained until to-
wards evening, when the ship, which had till then remained
firm on the bank, slipped off by the stern into deep water,
and commenced rapidly to fill. The whale boat was then
launched, and a number of the crew and passengers rushed
into her. The captain in the hope of being again driven on
to the bank let go the best bower anchor, but all his exer-
tions were fruitless, and though more than 40 men were
working at the pumps, the water gained upon them so fast
that in less than an hour she sunk. The heart-rending
scenes that must have occurred during that hour are fearful
to think of, but are known only to God, for beyond those in
the boat not a soul was saved. The captain, and first and
second mates remained on the sinking ship, the only officer
in the boat being the third mate, Stephen Kelly, who suc-
ceeded in reaching the shore in company with 18 others of
the crew, and three passengers, five being washed out in
their passage from the vessel.
In the M eantime the intelligence of the dangerous situation
of the vessel had been brought to Wexford by some of the
coast-guards, and steps were immediately taken by William
Coghlan, Esq., the Collector of Customs, to render assistance
if possible, in rescuing so large a number of his fellow crea-
tures from the perilous position in which they were placed.
For this purpose he communicated with Mr. Des ereux,
owner of the steamtug Erin, who generously placed
her at the service of Mr. Coghlan, the captain being direc-
ted to take the Rosslare and another lifeboat in tow at any
moment it was possible to get out of the harbour. For this
purpose steam was kept up for many hours, but it was not
till daylight yesterday morning that the wind moderated
sufficiently to admit of her leaving the river, and then it
was too late—the last sad scene was over, and old and
young, the fair and beautiful as well as the manly and
strong, had met an untimely fate, and perished within sight
of those shores to which they had but a few days before
bidden adieu to find homes and friends in a distant land.
Little of the wreck was to be seen when the steamer arrived
at the spot, only the mizen mast being above water. From
this was taken the colours which were flying when the
vessel went down, the last sad memento of the departed.
On visiting the shore in the neighbourhood of the wreck
at a later hour yesterday nothing whatever was to be seen
of the vessel, very little of which was washed ashore. On
the beach at Ballyconigar, however, were found the lifeless
remains of several of the unfortunate passengers, which
were removed to the boat-house near there to await an in-
quest. One of the first bodies rescued from the waves was
that of a lady, apparently about 40 years of age, who, in
life, must have been a handsome woman, and evidently
moving in a respectable sphere of life Here, however, we
blush to record it, we must notice an act of barbariqm_so_,
gross that it is hardly credible that any person in this age
rof civilisation could be found guilty of it. The body of this
lady when found by the coastguard was stripped of all its
clothes, with the exception of the body-linen, and it was as-
certained that this diabolical act had been committed by one
of the same sex, a woman residing in the village of Black-
water, who had thus desecrated the dead body and made off
with the clothes. On the arrival of the constabulary, how-
ever, a body of whom, under the command of sub-inspector
Strain and head-constable Harding, left here early in
the morning, this brute in human shape was made to
give up her plunder, and it is to be hoped that she will
meet with the just reward such inhuman conduct deserves.
The dress of this unfortunate lady consisted of a black silk
jacket, with small white spots, a black satin skirt, two fine
flannel skirts, linen corset, white cotton stockings, and slip-
pers. Two large and handsome gold ear-rings were also
found with the body, to which was attached an India-rubber
lifebelt. Near to the spot where this body was discovered
there was afterwards found that of a young man, apparently
about 25 years of age, blackhaired, and dressed in black
(with a lifebelt attached) and, according to the statement of
the third mate and some of the sailors, the son of the lady
above-mentioned, who is reported to have been the widow
of an American captain, and to have had with her a daugh-
ter about 16 or 17 years old. The next body come to was
that of a gentleman of middle age, dressed in black, on
whose person was found a silver lever watch, a pocketbook,
containing letters and private memoranda, and some few
pounds in gold and silver, but nothing leading to identifi-
cation. Near to this body was also found that of a male
infant, of about six months old, and that of a young woman
of about 20, partially clothed, with a black stuff and a flan-
nel skirt, black stockings, &c. With the exception of a fine
linen shirt, and a barrel (with " M. Shannon" painted
thereon) containing potatoes and other provisions, evidently
the property of a steerage passenger, nothing else was dis-
covered near this spot—the nearest point to the scene of this
awful catastrophe, and we resumed our search along the
coast towards Wexford. On arriving at Ballyneskar, some
two miles from Blackwater, we were informed that the body
of a young lady had been found there and removed to a
cottage near at hand. On proceeding there we beheld
the remains of a very beautiful young girl, the calm
expression of whose, pallid countenance indicated the
peaceful sleep of innocence rather than an untimely and
violent death. The dress of this poor unfortunate was
of an expensive description, and from the similarity of
features to those of the elderly lady and her son, mentioned
above, there can be little doubt but that she was the
daughter spoken of by the sailors, as being with that lady
on board the Pomona before her loss. n india-rubber

life-belt—inadequate to save the life but sufficient to save
the body from its watery shroud—was also found attached
to these remains, a fact which still more strengthens the
supposition that these three persons were of the same family
—united in death as they had been undivided in life. Here
and at Curracloe to which we next turned our steps, were a
few remnants of the ill-fated ship, a piece of the bulwarks,
portions of sonic spars, and several broken casks and chests.
Here, while gazing with sorrowful melancholy on the roll-
ing waters which raised their white heads like surp!iced
choristers chanting a requiem for the dead, our attention was
drawn to a dark object held in the grasp of the waves, at
one moment dashed forward as though it would be laid at
our feet, and in the next drawn back as if the deep ocean
was loth to give up its dead. After watching for some time
the outline of the human form was more clearly made out,
and we knew that before Ls was the body of another of the
unfortunates who had been called so hastily to their last
account. As if unwilling to render up its prey the waves
played with this remnant of humanity, throwing it forward
and anon sucking it beneath the receding surge, but it
gradually approached the shore where we stood watching
its fate, and was soon near at hand—when, must we tell it
of Wexford men, a dozen of whom, strong and stalwart,
stood around us, not one was there who would step for-
ward to rescue it, unless, as they said "you'll pay us."
Ashamed and indignant at such behaviour, a gentleman
present dashed forward, and wading for some distance with
the help of a constable who came to the spot, he succeded in
bringing to shore the body of an elderly grey-haired woman
whose rigid features told too surely of the bitter struggles of
death through which she had passed. The only articles of
wearing apparel on this poor creature were a chemise and
a night cap, leading to the impression that she must
have met her death while lying in her berth, or at the mo-
ment when she rushed up on deck in frenzied terror. This
was the last body found up to a late hour last evening.
From Curracloe to the Raven Point the shore was strewn
with pieces of the wreck, including doors and panels from
the saloons and cabins, beautifully painted and gilded,
handsome carved chair; and couches, patent life-seats, beds
and bedding, the cabin skylights and other fittings, with
the remains of the two shattered life-boats, first attempted
to be launched.
In conclusion, we cannot withhold a word of praise to
the coastguardsmen and constabulary, who were untiring
in their efforts to recoyer whatever property might be
washed ashore, and decently caring for the relics of such of
the passengers whose bodies had been given up by the
seething and troubled waters.
Francis Harper Esq.,r the agent for Lloyd's, was early at
the scene of the Laste, in company with Wm. Coghlan,
Esq., under whose direction the survivors, all of whom are
more or less suffering from severe personal injuries, were
removed to Wexford, where they will no doubt receive that
Among those saved,
sympathy to which their sufferings so justly entitle them.
he was drowned
there are only three passengers and of the seamen
life-boats of the
pre-
served. there are several who are Irish, a number of the crew
the names of whom we give below—
tnielempionmaotniNa-es.woafs Onethais.wcoeuxnfot.rryd.man naomf tehdei‘sfaiielhoraseloHn
abyoaesil
k n down by Mr. Coghlan, attempt .
inshtihpe. fuotnilearrivingamoavdeextfoorldauthnechtntihme
matetae made the following statement upon oath, which was
in-
debted for a copy
STATEMENT to whose- kindness we are
Pomona,
of
New he was the third , ENT OF THE THIRD MATE.
Stephen Kelly deposed that mate of
the ship
York, of 1,500 tons register,
owned by the D. L. Line, and that he sailed from
pool on the 27th day of April, at 5 a, 1859 with a
ou
crew of 37 hands, including himself b-- 'ln' New , nd to w `fork,
with a cargo of general merchandise, and about 400 passen-
gerssundry by . shipped parties of Liverpool, and con-
signed to sundry parties at New York, Did not know