The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 16, 1859.

OFFICIAL INQUIRY INTO THE LOSS
OF THE ROYAL CHARTER.

LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY.
A public inquiry into the loss of the Royal
Charter, hold under the orders of the Board of
Trade, opened to-day i 4 St. George's-ball before Mr.
J. S. Mansfield, stipendiary magistrate, and Captain
Harris, R.N.
Mr. O'Dowd conducted the case for the Board
of Trade ; Mr. J. B. Aspinall represented Messrs.
Gibbs, Bright, and Co., the owners of the Royal
Charter.

Mr. O'Dowd, .in opening the case, said though
he had acted in a similar capacity upon many other
occasions during t'lle last four years, never in his
experience, - and he ventured to say that never
within the memory of man, had any event occurred
so distressing in its character, or so lamentable for
the extent of its sacrifices and losses, as the event
which they were met to investigate. - He then
read the description of the vessel from the register,
and afterwards a description of her steam power
'from 1)r. Scoresby's narrative of the passage he
made in the vessel for scientific purposes. Ho
then proceeded to state that she was commanded by
Captain Taylor, a gentleman of the highest respec-
tability; her crew consisted of 112 persons ; her
cargo, of wool, sheepskins, and a large quantity of
gold, was consigned to -Messrs. Gibbs, Bright, and
Co. She also carried 375 passengers or thereabouts,
but it was impossible to ascertain the Precise num-

ber. He then stated the nature of the evidence to
be brought forward, and said two questions sug-
gested themselves from the mode in which this ship
broke up. The fact of an iron vessel shivering to
atoms in this rapid and complete way would cer-
tainly indicate to those not versed in nautical science
a deficiency in strength, if not positive weakness.
He had suggested this in a communication to Mr.
Tyndall Bright. who denied that there was any
ground for such a conclusion.

The first witness called was David Strongman,
whose evidence was as follows :—I was quartermas-
ter on board the Royal Charter for about two years.
We sailed from Melbourne on the 25th August last,
and arrived at Queenstown on the 24th October,
having made a very rapid passage. We landed 13
passengers in the Petrel lifeboat at that port. We
had a very fine passage up the Channel as far as
Holyhead, which we reached about half-past 4
o'clock, on Tuesday, the 25th October, the wind then
being from the S.E. I came on deck at 4 o'clock,
when it was very thick. We kept about five miles
off Holyhead. When we came to Bardsey we took
in some riggers. I went below at 6 o'clock to get
my supper, and returned to the deck in about three-
quarters of an hour. It was dark at a little after 6
o'clock. Saw Point Lynas light about a quarter to
7 o'clock. I then went below again, where I rc-
niained till 8 o'clock. Cannot tell what distance we
were off the light, but should say -it would be-about
six or seven miles. It was then broad upon the star-
board bow, but I did not take the bearings by com-
pass, nor did I know the position of the head of the
vessel. My next watch commenced at 8 o'clock,
when I relieved John Hudson. The wind then
was N.E., and was blowing very hard. It be-
gan to freshen after we left Holyhead, and con-
tinued to blow strong. I did not see Cap-
tain Taylor on deck at S o'clock, but' observed him
there about a quarter to 9, when he ordered the
man at the wheel to starboard the 'helm. The man
replied she was hard a-starboard. That was after
9 o clock. About half an hour afterwards the cap •
tain ordered me to heave the lead, and I took the
hand lead line, and after some difficulty sounded 18
fathoms. We had no sail on then, but the spanker-
was going, and the screw was also going all this
time. The vessel was then steering E.S.E. I did
not ,hear any course given, but having occasion to
pass the compass I noticed how the vessel was
heading. Some time after 10 o'clock soundings
were taken again, and we then got about 16
fathoms. At that time the vessel was drifting very
fast, and it was difficult to take soundings. It was
then blowing very strong. Capt. Taylor was on
deck during this time. At 8 o'clock he ordered us
to loose the lower maintopsail. I reported the
soundings to him myself. The maintopsail was set
as ordered; that and the spanker were the only
sails which were set at this time. After reporting
the second soundings to the captain, he ordered both
anchors to be prepared for letting go. It would be
al:lout 11 o'clock when the maintopsail was set, and
after that we attempted to stay the vessel, but did
not succeed. .The captain also ordered the foreyard
and crossjack yards to be squared. The setting of
the maintopsail had no effect upon the helm, which
kept hard a-starboard, and she had no steering
way. The squareyard and crossjack yard were
braced to, but still she. did not stay. • Capt. Taylor
then ordered the chief officer to try to wear, but
being engaged with the lead I did not see whether
it was done, but I saw the captain and chief officer
consulting about wearing the ship. At the third cast
of the lead I got 151 fathoms. That was after the
ship was brought up. The wind was increasing
then. Capt. Taylor told the chief mate to let go the
port anchor, and the starboard anchor in about a
quarter of an hour afterwards. The vessel dragged
the port anchor a little, but it appeared to bring
her head a little to,the wind. I felt the wind more
ahead, though I did not go forward to see how
the cable was. Before the second anchor was
let go the master told me to get the deep
sea. lead up, in order to try whether the vessel was
drifting. 'I put the deep sea lead on the hand lead
line, which was 21 fathoms in length. I used that
line, because I was told to do so by the master. When
the deep sea lead was hove the vessel was dragging
her anchor a little. When the starboard anchor was
let go she ceased to drag. It would be about half-
past 11 then. At 20 minutes to 12 I was relieved.
The vessel appeared to bring up after the second
anchor was let go. I went to the wheel a little after
12, and the helm was still hard a-starboard. When
relieved at the wheel I went forward on the port
bridge, and took hold of the line to see if she was
drifting, but she appeared then to be holding fast.
Rockets and blue lights were burning, and guns
firing all the time from 8 to 12 o'clock. When I
found that the vessel was not dragging I went into
the forecastle, where I remained about a quarter of
an hour. After that I went on to the port bridge.
The vessel still held fast. I returned again to the
forecastle, and shortly afterwards she parted her
port chain. It would then be about half-past 1 or
2 o'clock. There was a very heavy sea at the time,
and she made a very heavy pitch on parting her
port chain. Her head was S.E. by half E. when I
went to the helm. After the second anchor was let
go-the maintopsail was stowed up. There was then
a heavy sea from the N.E. I heard that the poet-
chain parted near the hawser pipe, but do not know
it of my own knowledge. When the port-chain
parted orders were given to get the stream anchor
out of the after hold. There was a sheet anchor on
board. The stream anchor was got up on deck, but
before we could bend the cable to it the starboard
chain broke. The vessel then turned her head to the
westward and went ashore. She struck the sand
first. This would be about 3 or half-past 3 o'clock.
Heard orders given to clear away the boats, and
the carpenter at the same tine got his axes to cut
away the masts. The mainmast was cut away about
half an hour after the vessel went ashore ; it fell
over on the port side. The lee-rigging was cut away
afterwards. The screw worked up to the time the
vessel was struck, but stopped before the mast was
cut away. It had a two-bladed fan. The wreck, I
think went clear of the screw. When the vessel,
touched the sand the sea struck her very heavily,
and she went on the sand violently. She was
broadside on to the sea when she struck. She struck
first about the badge part of the poop. She was
pretty upright then, and the sea made a clear breach
over the starboard side, just as if she had been a
breakwater, and carried everything away on the
side. Captain Taylor was struck by the sea several
.
times, and I picked him up twice. The captain told
me, to take the lead, and see what water there was
4. inside, and I found about 31 fathoms at the break
of the poop, and about 2 forward. This was before
the vessel struck on the rock, and after she struck
on the sand. I did not report the soundings to the
captain. I then went into the forecastle, and never
went aft again. About half an hour afterwards the
ship struck on the rock. Several of the crew and
passengers were in the forecastle with me. Orders
were given to get out the boats, but I don't think
any men were told off for the purpose. The life-
boats were ready for swinging. Just before day-
light we struck on the rocks, and Joseph Rogers, a
Maltese, swam ashore, carrying a hawser with him.
A boatswain's chair was made fast to the hawser,
and several; including myself, got ashore by this
means. There was a good deal of scrambling to
get the chance of going ashore, as the ship was fast
breaking up. I was on board when the vessel broke
in two, and was helping to haul the line backwards
ds. The poop went down altogether before
nlaleaffwl
t°trheaship. She parted at the inain hatchway first,
and then lengthways. There were a good many peo-
ple on shore, but I did not see any lifeboat put- off
or any Coastguards. (It was stated that the Coast-
guard station was six miles off.) The yew} broke

up in abo'ut three quarters of an hour after touch-
ing the rocks. Cannot say what part of the ship
struck the rocks first.

By Mr. Aspinall--it was getting daylight when
she struck first. It was broad daylight when I
landed. There was a tremendous sea on the rocks.
I did not see any persons swept off the forecastle
before I landed. I never saw such a hurricane
before.

By Captain Harris-=I was on deck when the
Tuscar Light was passed. It was then very calm.
The light sails were the only ones carried to my
knowledge. Never heard that any of the cables
parted in the chain locker. When the anchor was
let out, the cables run freely for all I know.
The witness was then dismissed.

(The Court was still sitting when our parcel was
despatched.

It appears by a letter received from Moelfre, of
the 14th inst., that the body of another man had
been picked up at that place. In one of the pockets
the sum of 6s. 2d. was found, together with a knife
and a key. There were no marks upon his cloth-
ing that would lead to identification. Two more
male bodies had also been cast ashore at Redwharf
Bay, on one of which was a Guernsey frock, marked
" L. and A. N. Co. ( Liverpool and Australian Navi-
gation Company), which leaves no doubt that he
was one of the crew. A little boy was also reported
as having been washed ashore near the bay in
question. The divers had picked. up a nugget and
a 25.-piece yeterday. They have also succeeded
in raising / 3nitots of gold, and 68 tiles of Copper.

7118 NAVY.

The Victoria.was placed in No. 7 dock, at Ports-
mouth, yesterday.
The Vulcan, having taken in her complement of
coal, has berthed alongside the Bellerophon hulk in
Portsmouth harbour.

The Implawble was brought alongside the
Dockyard, Devonport, on Monday, to be fitted as a
training ship.
The paddlewheel steamsloop Virago, 6, Com-
mander Dunn, steamed from Hamoaze into Ply-
mouth Sound on Monday, and was appointed to
sail yesterday (Tuesday) for Sheerness.
The screw steam gun vessel Flying Fish, 6, Com-
mander Hope, steamed from Plymouth Sound into
Hamoaze, on Monday, and went alongside the coal
depot.
The gunboat Weazel, Lieut. Howorth, having
carried away her starboard bilge piece on Sunday,
off tho Royal William Victualling-yard, was taken
into dock at Keyham, Plymouth, on Monday.
Tho screw steamsloop Encounter, 14, Captarn
Roderick Dew, and the gunboats Bouncer, Lieut.
A. M. 0 xen, and Snap, Lieut. C. Butler, sailed
from Plymouth on Monday, for
,China.
Her Majesty's screw steam-vessel Wrangler is
now lying off the Royal Arsenal Pier, Woolwich,
for the purpose of receiving specimens of Sir Wm.
Armstrong's rifled ordnance of various calibre, and
gun-carriages recently manufactured at the Royal
Carriage Department, from designs by Col. Tulloch,
.superintendent of the establishment, Major Clark,
R.A., Sir W. Armstrong, and others, with a view
to the introduction of the Armstrong gun generally
into the royal navy. The Wrangler on leaving
Woolwich will proceed to the North Sea, where a
series of experiments will be carried out under the
direction of several naval and military officers.
We have authority to give full contradiction to
the statement in 2'lts Sun of Monday that there
lave been repeated biekerings and mtsunderstand-
ings between the commander of her Majesty's ship
Trident and his officers and crew.,

The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—William H. Baxter, as•
sist.-surg., to the Artillery Division of the Royal
Marines ; and Charles Hetherington, second class
assist,-engineer of Inflexible, promoted.

THE AEMY.

GENERAL ORDER.

HORSE GUARDS, S.W., Nov. 9.
His Royal Highness the Geneial Commanding-
in-Chief, having had occasion lately to remark on
the unequal estimate of crime and allotment of
punishment by Courts-martial, especially as regards
corporal punishment, has taken this important sub-
ject under his anxious consideration, with a view
to amendment and correction. With this object he
has decided upon establishing a classification of
soldiers, for the purpose of maintaining a dibtinction
between the classes as regards liability to corporal
punishment.

All men on entering the army will be placed in
the first class, and will not, except for agqravated
mutinous conduct, be liable to corporal punishment.
They will continue in the first class unless they
should incur degradation into the second class by
the commission of certain crimes hereafter specified.
For this purpose his Royal Highness has further
decided on classifying the offences committed by
soldiers under two distinct heads. Crimes under
the Ist head are to be-the following:—
Absence from parade.
Drunkenness.
Riotous conduct in the streets.
Absence without leave from tattoo.
Preferring frivolous complaints.
Disrespect to non-commissioned officers.
Striking a comrade.
Absence without leave, as defined by 51st Art.
of War.

Escaping from confinement.
Insubordination.
Making away with necessaries.
Falsely imputing improper conduct to a superior.
Sleeping on post, depending on the circumstances
and nature of the service.
Crimes under the 2d head aro to be the follow-
ing :

Desertion.
Mutinous conduct.
Aggravated cases of insubordination and violence.
Drunkenness on duty or on line of march.
Embezzling public money.
Stealing from a comrade.
Theft.
Designedly maiming.
Repeated acts of making away with necessaries,
arms, Accoutrements, ammunition, &c.
. Other disgraceful acts showing vicious or unna-
tural propensities, indecent assaults.
No man guilty of offences under the Ist head is
to be subject to corporal punishment, except during
time of war, when the army is in the field.
Men guilty of offences under the 2d head, being
crimes of a very serious description, will, if in the
second class, be liable to corporal punishment. If,
however, they are in the first class, they will, toge-
ther with their other punishment, not being corpo-
ral punishment, be disrated, and passed into the
second class, when they will thenceforth, on the
repetition of crimes under the 2d head, be liable to
corporal punishment, as having degraded them-
selves by their own bad conduct.
Uninterrupted good conduct for a year will how-
ever, again restore the soldier from the second to
•the first class, as proving a desire for reformation
and amendment.

Though thus classified, it does not follow that all
men under the second class are to be condemned to
corporal punishment.
Each case is to be decided upon its own merits,
and corporal punishment as much avoided as pos-
sible; but a man who by misconduct has placed
himself in the second class is liable thereafter to
corporal punishment, whereas the man in the first
class is not liable to such punishment, except in the
case of aggravated mutinous conduct, when severity
must at once be resorted to to repress more serious
mischief resulting from such conduct.
His Royal Highness trusts that the above classi-
fication will greatly simplify to the officers of the
army the method of dealing with crime ; will deter
the evil-disposed from committing offences, justly
subjecting them to severe punishment, which,
though necessary to maintain discipline, should be
restricted as much as possible ; and will give con-
fidence to the good soldier by securing to him, on
entering her Majesty's service an immunity from
degrading punishment, which immunity it will be
in his power to preserve to the day when his en-
gagement shall expire.
By command of his Royal Highness the
General Commanding-in-Chief,
G. A. WETHERALL, Adjutant-General

A circular memorandum, dated Horse Guards,
Nov. 12, has been received by the several colonels
commanding the hattalions at Chatham garrison,
intimating that the General Commanding-in-Chief
has decide that the leather leggings ordered to be
worn by the troops belonging to the British regi-
ments are to be issued to the depots of all those
regiments now serving in India, in common with
the troops at home.
The course pursued by the military authorities
at Chatham, acting under the orders received from
the Government, in setting at liberty in the public
streets of that town insane soldiers discharged from
the lunatic hospital at Fort Pitt, as detailed in The
Sun of yesterday, has met with determined oppo-
sition on the part of the officials of the parish in
which Fort Pitt is situate. In consequence of the
parish authorities having declined to receive in any
way the insane soldiers, the military officials gave
notice they would be set at liberty ; the Govern-
ment have decided on taking legal proceedings
against them, under the Lunacy Act, to recover the
penalties to which, it is alleged, they have rendered
themselves liable, and notice to that effect was yes-
terday given them. The parish authorities have
determined to defend the actions, in order that it
may be decided by the courts of law whether the
Government are justified in the extraordinary
course they have adopted in setting at liberty luna-
tics in the public streets, an offence which has been
held to be indictable.

Orders were yesterday received at the Royal
Engineers' establishment, Chatham, directing the
detachment of Royal Engineers, ready for some
time past to proceed to China for the purpose of
augmenting the Bth and 10th companies, to leave
head-quarters this morning for Woolwich, where
they aro to join 250 non-commissione& officers and
men of the Royal Artillery, and both proceed to
Portsmouth touether, the Simoom, in which they
embark for. China, having been declared ready for
sea. The Royal Engineers will take out with them
a large supply of all kinds of engineering stores
and implements to be used in sapping and mining
and siege operations. The detachment is also ac-
companied by a party of photographers, provided
with the best instruments used in photography,
for taking views of the defences, earthworks, &e.
Several of the Royal Engineers have also been in-
structed in laying down and working the electric