The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-03 00:00:00

THE SUN, LON Dori. v ENING, .JANUARY 3, ISt 8

THE ABANDONMENT OF THE SMYR NA.

OFFICIAL REPORT.

To the Right llonourable the Lords of the Cora
mittee of Privy Council for Trade.

We, the undersigned, Edward Leathes and Robert
Cook Fowler, Esqrs., two of her Majesty's justices
of the peace in and for the county of Suffolk, hav-
ing been applied to, on the 11th day of December'
to hold a formal investigation, under the provisions
of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1854, and of the
Merchant Shipping Act Amendment Act, 1862
into the circumstances attending the abandonment
of the Smyrna (s.s.), of the Port of London, be-
tween one and two o'clock of the afternoon of Dec.
3, about 60 miles E. by S. off Great Yarmouth, in
Norfolk, have the honour to report to your lordships
that, in compliance with such application, and with
the aid of Captains Harris and Baker, nautical as-
sessors, we proceeded on Dec. 13, at the Court-house
in Lowestoft, to make such investigation, and con-
tinued the same on Dec. 14th, 16th, and 17th, and
examined on oath the following witnesses :—George
Richard Penney, chief officer ; George Trott, pilot;
Jesse Hann Harding, second mate ; Chas. Stephens,
third mate ; Aikman Taylor, chief engineer ;
Robert Mitchell, A. 8.; Alfred Jeram, quartermas-
ter; and James Toby, smack owner ; the minutes of
whose testimony we hereunto annex. The Smyrna
was a British screw steamer. She was built at
Hepburn, in the county of Durham, in January,
1864, and registered at the port of London in the
same year. She had two decks, three masts, was
schooner rigged, her framework was of iron, her
registered tonnage 1,624 77-100, gross tonnage
1793, 150 steam horse power, her length from stem
to stern was 299 feet, main breadth 31 feet, and
depth in hold 24 feet 5-10ths. She was the sole
property of William Edward .11PAndrew, of Bond-
court Chambers, Walbrook, City of London, mer-
chant. Her crew consisted of 42 hands, all told,
her master being Frederick Stanley Ewen, who
holds a certificate of competency number 83,966.
He appears also to hold a commission as lieutenant
in the Royal Naval Reserve. There was an insur-
ance on the ship and freight of about £40,000, and
on the cargo of £32,000. The said ship sailed from
Odessa on the sth of November last, laden with
2,000 tons of linseed and 600 bags of rapeseed, con-
signed to Hull. That the abandonment of the said
steamer Smyrna, hereinafter more particularly men-
tioned, happened on the 3d day of December,
between one and two o'clock on that afternoon,
about 60 miles east and by south off Great
Yarmouth, in the county of Norfolk. That the
abandonment appears to have taken place under the
following circumstances :—The Smyrna arrived at
Gibraltar on the 23d November, and left again the
same day. Before reaching the anchorage the ship
had got a considerable list to starboard, caused, as
is supposed, by the linseed shifting, which was
stowed in bulk. After leaving the anchorage it
appears that the ship was trimmed nearly upright
while passing through the Straits. She reached the
Downs safely on the Ist day of December, where
she took on board a North Sea pilot to aid and
assist the master in navigating his ship to Hull, her
port of destination. The pilot, Mr. George Trott,
seems to have had charge of the ship as far as the
course steered was concerned, but the master was
always on the alert and attentive to his duties. On
leaving the Downs the wind was fresh from S.S.W.,
with thick weather. Various courses were shaped
to pass outside the banks, having sighted and passed
the Gabbard Buoy at 4 p.m. At 10 p.m. a cast of
the lead was taken, and, after consulting the chart
with the pilot, it was decided to go outside the Le-
mon and 0 wer, the soundings obtained at 10 p.m.,
26 fathoms, verifying the supposed position. At 11
p.m. on this (Sunday) night the wind shifted sud-
denly from S.S.W. to N.W., in a heavy squall, ac-
companied by hail and sleet. The square sails were
taken in, but in half an hour after, the wind having
lulled, the foresail was again set, also the foretop-
sail reefed. About this time the crew began to
grumble and growl at being called upon to make
and reduce sail, as was considered necessary by the
pilot and the master. About midnight the wind
began to increase, when the foresail was again
taken in, and a cast of the lead taken in 27
fathoms. The fore and aft sails were then set to
keep the ship steady. At about 1 o'clock a.m. the
wind had increased to a heavy gale at the north-
ward. The ?,,f ore and aft sails were taken in, and
the ship kept going as near the wind as possible,
and the engines kept going at nearly full speed. At
two a.m. the ship listed over to starboard, and it
was ascertained that the cargo had shifted, which
caused this list to increase to a dangerous extent.
Shortly after this the steering chains both gave
way. The relieving tackles were hooked, and the
tiller put hard down. After this accident the
steering apparatus was applied to the after wheel,
but very soon after this was in working order a
heavy sea struck the rudder and rendered it use-
less. The tiller was then kept steady by the re-
lieving tackles alone. By eight a.m. on Monday
the ship had become almostunmanageable, inereas-
ing the list to starboard. At this time they set
all after sails and put on all the steam that
could be obtained to endeavour to stay the ship,
but she would not come round. When nearly
head to the wind, in a plunge two heavy seas
came on board over the bows, when the vessel fell
off again on the port tack. Efforts were then
made to wear the ship by settling all the head sails,
but in this endeavour they did not succeed after
two attempts. About this time a man was knocked
down by the sheet of the main trysail ; his leg was
broken and set by the ca' ptain in his cabin. By
noon on this day the ship had settled down to star-
board nearly on her beam ends, and had become
quite unmanageable. The starboard anchor was
then let go to bring her head to wind ; the chain ran
out to the clinch and parted. About this time the
chock in the foretopsail yard gave way, and the
yard flew out to leeward. After a little consulta-
tion it was decided to cast away the foretopmast to
ease the ship, which was done just before they let
go the starboard anchor. After the starboard chain
parted the port anchor was let go, and 75 fathoms
of chain veered out. This chain did not part, nor
did it bring the ship up at the time, but it tended
to keep the ship nearer the wind. During the after-
noon of Monday there were several fishing smacks
near the ship, when the mate suggested to the pilot
the propriety of hoisting a signal of distress, to
which the pilot did not assent, but the ensign was
hoisted Union down by some one, without any
orders, it would appear. Soon after it was hoisted
the master ordered it to be hauled down, but some
of the crew would not allow it to be done, evincing
on this and other occasions a good deal of insubordina-
tion. On Monday afternoon the gale had increased at
the northward to a hurricane, and continued so all
night. They made signals of distress at different
times during Monday night by firing off rockets
and burning blue lights, which were observed by the
smack Star of Hope, which vessel bore down to the
Smyrna, and remained by her all night. The
donkey engine w as also kept going. This was con-
tinued all Tuesday morning up to about noon, when
the crew gaveup bailing, all hands being exhausted.
During the forenoon several smacks had approached
close to the ship, the weather having moderated.
Two of them sent boats, which could not come
alongside, but were veered astern, into which 16 or
17 of the crew got by a lifebuoy and a line. After
this a consultation was held in the cabin by the
master, the pilot, and officers of the ship, and the
engineers ; and it was the opinion of all, excepting
the master himself, that it would be imprudent and
dangerous to remain ou board during the night, as
the ship was lying over with her starboard rail
under water, and the water increasing in the engine
room ; besides, the firemen and ship's company
had decidedly refused to remain on board. Be-
fore dark on Tuesday all hands had left the
Smyrna and got safely on board the smack. The
commander and his party were on board the Cham-
pion Trawler. We may here mention that the master
had met with a serious accident on Monday, injuring
his ribs by falling in a heavy lurch of the ship, which
had incapacitated him from active duty from the
time of the accident. He very properly gave over
charge to the chief mate, requesting him to report
progress to him from tine to time. The Champion
Trawler remained by the Smyrna all night at the
master's request, the weather mederatihz ; at day-

light on Wednesday morning the master and the
portion of the crew who remained with him boarded
the Smyrna, and found the ship had settled down
considerably since the previous evening, and that
she had six or seven feet of water in her. The
Smyrna had four boats, which had all been stove in
on the Monday and Tuesday previous to leaving
the ship. At about noon on this day (Wednesday),
after the master and the small portion of his clew
had got on board the Smyrna, the steamer Sheffield
bore down to them, and, after taking them in tow
and using every endeavour to save the ship, was
obliged to abandon the attempt, as the Smyrna was
quite unmanageable. She would not steer, although
the smacks were made fast astern under sail to assist
in keeping her fair after the Sheffield. On Wednesday
night the master remained on board the Smyrna, with
two or three others, the Champion Trawler keeping
close to the steamer with some of the crew on board.
On Thursday the weather began to get worse, and
the master of the C hampion Trawler, Jas. Toby (who
deserves high commendation for his conduct), ap-
proached close to the Smyrna, and urged upon the
captain the absolute necessity of his leaving the
ship, but he was most reluctant to do so, but at
about 3 p.m. the weather had become much worse,
and the master of the Champion Trawler had hailed
the captain, and told him that he could not remain
any longer as he was short of provisions and water,
and the provisions and water on board the Smyrna
were both submerged. This announcement seems
to have convinced the master of the necessity of
giving up all hopes of saving his ship. He then
made a signal for the smack's boat to be sent, and,
after considerable risk and difficulty, in his crippled
state he was got into the boat, and safely reached
the smack. She then bore away for Lowestoft,
where they landed on Friday, the Smyrna being
finally abandoned. It was brought to the notice of
the court, during this inquiry, that the Smyrna had
been picked up at sea by the steamers Ravens-
bourne and Waterloo, and towed into Brouwers-
haven, on the coast of Holland. In reviewing the
evidence in this case, the court came to the conclu-
sion that, taking into consideration the dangerous
state in which the Smyrna was on Tuesday and
Thursday, the 3d and sth of December,
the master, Mr. Frederick Stanley Ewen,
was quite justified in abandoning his ship on both
occasions. The evidence, moreover, proves that
the captain exerted himself up to the period of his
accident, and although severely injured he evinced
a laudable anxiety to do all he could to save his
ship, although the crew had nearly all left on Tues-
day morning, but the captain did not leave her till
it appeared to all quite hopeless to remain by her.
As to the charge of insobriety which was alleged
from certain statements having been made, but
withdrawn, the court is quite satisfied that there is
no ground whatever for so serious a charge, and
that Capt. Ewen leaves this court completely exo-
nerated. The court cannot conclude this report
whin:it ;remarking upon the construction of the
Smyrna, the ship being nearly ten times her beam
in length, and being an auxiliary steamer, with small
power in proportion to her size. She was a most
dangerous vessel to handle in bad weather, as she
appears to have been a very crank ship, and it will
be seen by the evidence that she became unmanage-
able shortly after the gale commenced. 'We there-
fore, with the concurrence of the nautical assessors,
return to Mr. Ewen his certificate.

EDWARD LEATHES,/
Justices.
A. C. FOWLER,
We concur in this report,
HARRIS,} Nautical Assessors.
H. B. BAKER,

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

Yesterday the Aldershott division, under the
command of Lieut.-General the Hon. Sir James
Yorke Scarlett, K.C.8., was exercised in route
marching. The troops left Camp at nine o'clock.
The Cavalry Brigade, with one battery of Royal
Horse Artillery attached, proceeded acrcss the Long
Valley, over Pondtail-bridge, by Fleetpond, and
'debouched en the Hartford-bridge-road, between
the 32d and 33d milestones. It then took up
a position in the rear of the infantry, awaiting
orders. The remaining two battalions of Royal
Horse Artillery took the same route, and formed
in rear of the cavalry. The Ist and 2d brigades
of infantry, with a field battery attached to each
brigade, marched by Cove and Minley Manor, to
Hartford-bridge Flats. The 68th Light Infantry
marched to Blackwater by Hawley, leaving a sub-
division on picket in Frimley, to watch the road
leading from Bagshot. The remainder of the regi-
ment guarded the bridge over the Blackwater, and
the approaches from London. The programme
supposed an army advancing from the north upon
the camp, and who on arriving at a certain poin
had sent his main body through Blackwater. On
reaching Hartford-bridge Flats he was opposed by
the division from Aldershott, which had made a
flank march to intercept him. This programme
was admirably carried out. The whole of the in-
fantry was under the command of Major-General
Renny, who placed the Ist and 2d brigades and the
field batteries in the most advantageous position to
oppose the advance of the enemy, and the regiments
were furnished with 15 rounds of blank ammunition
per man. The flank march and the skilful disposi-
tions made by the Generals were eminently success-
ful, and the invader was obliged to retire, com-
pletely baffled and discomfited. The troops then
returned to quarters. Major-Gen. Hodge, C. 8.,
having relinquished the command of the Cavalry
Brigade at Aldershott, owing to the expiration of
his period of Staff service, Brigadier-Gen. White,
C. 8., lately commanding the cavalry in the Dublin
district, has been appointed in his place, and as-
sumed command of the Cavalry Brigade at Alder-
shot on the Ist inst.

The 51st (2d Yorkshire) Regiment is ordered to
proceed from Dover to Aldershot on the arrival
from India of the 27th Regiment, and will be quar-
tered in A, B, and C lines, North Camp. The
56th (West Esssex) Regiment, now stationed at
Aldershot, is held in readiness to move to Ireland
about the middle of the present month.
The Duke of Cambridge has granted leave of ab-
sence to Capt. Thompson, 24th Brigade, Royal
Artillery, until the 31st of March, previously to
embarkation, and Lieut. Shortland to the 14th
inst. Excepting under very special circumstances
leaves of absence to officers and furloughs to non-
commissioned officers and men at Chatham have
been stopped, and by order of Gen. Murray no
officer is permitted to be absent from his quarters
beyond a few hours daily.
The spacious range of buildings recently erected
near the Royal Marine establishment, Chatham, for
officers' quarters, having been completed by Messrs.
Foord and Sons, Rochester, the contractors, has
been handed over to the Government, and during
the last few days has been taken possession of by
the officers at head-quarters. The building, which
has an imposing appearance, has been erected at a
cost of upwards of £20,000, exclusive of the site,
which was originally a portion of the storage ground
belonging to the dockyard. In addition to a suit-
able residence in the centre of the block for the
Colonel Second Commandant of the division quar-
ters are provided for four field officers, eight cap-
tains, and a proportion of the subalterns. The plans
for extending the present parade-ground, by the
removal of the existing quarters hitherto occupied
by the subalterns, together with the grand division
and other officers, are now under the consideration
of the Admiralty. Should it be decided to
take down the block of buildings which, since
the erection of the new quarters and barracks, is no
longer required, the parade-ground will be ex-
tended to about double its present length, and
supply a want which has long been experienced at
the Chatham division.

A Royal Marine Department circular has been
received by Colonel Suther, C. 8., commanding the
division at Woolwich, requesting him to detach
Lieutenant-Colonel J. H. Stewart to Queenstown,
to take the command of a newly-formed battalion
of Marines to be raised from the divisions of Wool-
wich, Chatham, and Plymouth, for service on board
her Majesty's steam frigate, 36 guns, Mersey, to
beat about the Cove of Cork until further orders.
Colonel Stewart, who was on leave, was recalled to
headquarters at Woolwich, and, together with a

party of non-commissioned officers of the division,
he took his departure, having been furnished with a
route to proceed, via Bristol. The battalion will
sail in the Himalaye from the rendezvous at Ply-
mouth, and will proceed thence to Queenstown.
One sergeant, one corporal, and 15 privates,
Woolwich division, Royal Marines, were yesterday
told off for service on board her Majesty's iron
storesbip Megxra, commissioned by Navigating
Lieutenant Jabez Loane, and six additional pri-
vates were sent on board the flagship Fisgard, off
the dockyard, the whole of her officers and men
having been paid off and recommissioned for the
ensuing year.

The French man-of-war brig Beaumanoir, 4 guns,
Captain Crudelle, from Cherbourg, is now lying at
the red buoy off the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich,
engaged in shipping 20 tons of ammunition, and
will return to Cherbourg on completion of ship-
ment.

The steam launch employed in the " row-water"
for night duty off the Royal Arsenal and Dockyard
at Woolwich was yesterday fitted with a water-
proof awning, to screen the officers and crew from
the inclemency of the weather. A number of war-
rant officers were yesterday told off for service on
board, and are to take up the night duty according
to the roster.

Some weeks since we stated that Mr. W. Scamp,
the deputy director of engineering and architectural
works to the Admiralty, had requested the Lords
of the Admiralty to relieve him from the duties of
his office, which he has now filled for many years.
We now understand that the Lords Commissioners
of the Treasury have awarded him a retiring al-
lowance equal to the full amount of his salary-
-1900 per annum. At the request of the Lords of
the Admiralty, however, Mr. Scamp will remain at
his post at Somerset-house, conducting the general
duties of the department until the return to Eng-
land of Major Clarke, R.E., the chief of the depart-
ment, from Malta.

The armoured screw corvette Pallas, 6 guns, 600
horse power, Captain Edward H. G. Lambert, ar-
rived at Spithead on Wednesday from Devonport,
with the screw storeship Supply, Staff Commander
Charles Bawden, in tow, from Devonport. The
Pallas remains at Spithead. The Supply has gone
into Portsmouth harbour, and yesterday was being
taken into the steam basin for repairs, when it was
discovered that in her bold were stowed the rifled
guns sent out to Malta some considerable time since
for the Royal Oak. There was but one order that
could be given under the circumstances, and the
Supply was, therefore, backed out again from the
steam basin and sent under the sheer jetty in the
harbour to land her guns there, the Royal Oak be-
ing luckily at the present time at Portsmouth har-
bour under a recommission by Captain Hellyar,
after being out of commission on her return
from the Mediterranean by her old captain, the
lion. G. D. Keane. It is now nearly two years
since these guns were sent from Woolwich for the
Royal O. the ship being then on service in the
Mediterranean.

THE CRADLEY COLLIERY EXPLOSION.

Mr. R. Docker, coroner for the district, attended
at the Maypole Inn, Cradley, on Wednesday, to
pursue the inquiry as to the deaths by the above
occurrence. The present inquest had reference to
nine of the men—John Edwards, William West-
wood, Jesse Thomas Heathcock, Francis Barratt,
Edward Barnbrook, William Burtleton, Daniel
Harl, George Griffiths, and William Gordon. Three
other men died in Staffordshire. Mr. Baker, Go-
vernment inspector of mines, was present. The
coroner said the inquiry on which they were enter-
ing had reference to the deaths of a number of per-
sons. The law required that the death of each of
these persons should be the subject of a separate
and independent inquiry. It was trival, however,
iu cases wh.n.e several deaths occurred from the
same cause, to take the evidence as regardA the
whole of them at the same time, and the verdict in
the first cme ruled the others.

Isaiah Foley, mining surveyor, Cradley, said he
was surveyor to the Homer Hill Colliery. The pro-
prietors were James Evirs Swindell, Charles Swin-
dell, and Frank Evirs. He produced a plan of the
north workings of the colliery.
Edward Foley said he was one of the charter-
masters at the colliery. The other was Isaiah Baker.
He was in the pit at the time of the explosion on
the 11th November. It was about 7.30 a.m. when
it occurred. He was about 70 or 80 yards
from where the men were at work. They were
working in the nine foot or lower part of the
thick coal workings. Ths deceased were all in the
workings when he left them. He was overtaken
by a sudden rush of air. He did not hear any
noise, but he felt himself blown down. He was
for a time unconscious, and on recovering himself
he got up and tried to find his way out. He
groped his way to the botto:n of the shaft, 400
yards off. He communicated with the top of the
shaft. The cage had been blown up 60 or 70
yards, and could not be lowered. Ultimately, a
communication was opened. Soon afterwards he
got to the bottom of the shaft. They were burnt,
part of them. There were 31 men in the north
workings, and nine in the south. All but three
made their way to the bottom of the shaft with-
out asssistance. There were 20 injured. They
were taken up as speedily as possible, and sent to
their respective homes. On its being discovered
that there were three men left in the workings,
some of then went back and brought them
up. Their names were Guest, Edwards, and
Jenkins. Witness stopped till all the men went
out. The morning after the explosion he went
down the pit with Mr. Swindell, jun. They went
into the workings, and found traces of an explosion
of gas. (He pointed out on the plans points where
several doors had been blown out in the cross roads,
and the ventilation consequently cut off.) He found,
on examining the workings, that there had been a
fall of shult. It took place iu the back opening,
where they had discontinued to Work, the coal hav-
ing all been gotten. The back opening was 10 yards
wide and 32 yards long. Shult had fallen before
the 11th November, and on that day an additional
fall took place. Previously to the men beginning
to work, on the morning of the 11th, the workings
had been examined by the " doggy," Edward
Foley, jun. A man named Haden went with him.
Haden was dead. He went down himself soon after
six. He did not examine the pit himself. There
was no indication of gas. The " doggy" reported
that it was all right. The entrance into the back
opening had not been closed up. The shult could
only be examined at the risk of a man's life. Two
men nearly lost their lives that morning in doing so.
He had never known of the presence of gas in the
back opening up to the time of the explosion. (He
pointed out in the plan a spot where gas had occa-
sionally been found while driving the roads.) There
was never more than they could brush out. There
was a fissure where this gas issued from, and if a
quantity of gas accumulated it was probable a fall
of shult would drive it out into the workings. There
was an opportunity for gas to collect at the top of
the back opening ; and although some air passed
round the opening, it did not pass high enough to
carry away the gas.
by Mr. Baker—The " doggy" only bad means to
examine the state of the opening to the length of 25
feet. There were five or six feet above which he
could not examine. It had not been the practice in
that neighbourhood to go up into the shult to exa-
mine for gas.

By Mr. Breakwell—About six weeks before the
11th November some gas was fired by some men
putting a candle up into the back opening. It was
trifling, and did no damage.
John Jenkins was the next witness. The poor
fellow- was carefully wrapped up, and though so
long a time has elapsed since the explosion
he was still so weak that he had to be carried
into the room in a chair. He said he lived at
Quarry Bank. He was a collier, and on the 11th
November was at work in Homer Hill Colliery.
He was at work near the back opening. When the
explosion happened he was removing timber. He
heard a lot of stuff come. It was coals or shult.
This fall drove a lot of gas out of the back opening,
and his candle fired it. He saw it on the candle.
Ha WOA knocked down on to the bottom. Ile was

at work on a slipper. He became insensible for a
time. The choke damp gradually overpowered him.
When he got up he tried to make his way to the
bottom. On his way he became unconscious again,
and did not recollect anything till he found himself
being carried towards the air at the bottom of the
shaft. He was very badly burned about the upper
part of his body. He had worked in the pit three
weeks. It was the custom to examine the pit in the
morning. He never saw any indication of gas in
the pit. The ventilation was abundant. There
were two " sinecks." The one explosion was close
after the other. The second was not fired at his
candle. The ventilation in the mine was always
very good. Where he was at work it had not the
power to come up there.
At this point the inquiry was adjourned till Tues-
day next.