The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-02 00:00:00

LATEST PA RTIC UL ARS.
The City of Dublin Steam-packet Company's ship
Royal Adelaide, Captain John Batty, plying between
the ports of Cork and London, left the former city on
Wednesday afternoon with a full cargo of goods and,
it is said, about 250 passengers,jouehed off Plymouth
on Thursday evening, left that port for London on
Friday morning at three o'clock, and- was totally lost
on the Tongue Sand, off Margate, at eleven o'clock
on Saturday night, when there is too much reason
to fear every soul on board perished.
The. Royal Adelaide was due at the Dublin, Bel-
fast, and Cork steam-wharf, Lower East Smithfield,
on Saturday evening, but, as a strong head wind
prevailed against all vessels coming up Channel, her
absence, up to midnight, caused very little anxiety.
When morning came, and there were still no tidings
of the missing vessel,
Mr. Davidson, the com-
pany's manager at the wharf, felt some uneasiness,
but, as it was supposed that an accident to her
machinery might have partly disabled her, and
thus caused the delay, 'she was confidently
looked for every hour during the day up to four
o'clock, when the first intimation of the terrible
catastrophe reached London. The bearer of the
melancholy intelligence was William Coe, a river
pilot, in the service of the company, who was in
waiting at Gravesend to take charge of the Royal
Adelaide from that place to the Pool. About two
o'clock on Sunday, one Charles Gillman, a Deal pilot,
who had that morning brought -a large barque up
Channel, which was then lying at anchor off Graves-
end, saw Coe on the pier-head, and asked him what
ship he was waiting for. Coe replied that he had
been expecting the Royal Adelaide since the previous
evening, and was very anxious on the subject of her
non-arrival. Gillman then informed him that on
Saturday evening, shortly after he had taken charge
of the barque, a large black steamer, without
figurehead, and having a great many passengers on
deck, passed his ship steaming up Channel. The
sea was running very high, and he could not
make out the name of the steamer, but
she bore every resemblance to the boats of the
Dublin Company. At 11 o'clock the same night,
shortly after having passed the Tongue lightship,
when about 15 miles from the coast of Margate, as
Gillman informed Coe, his barque passed a large
steamer about three-quarters of a mile distant, from
which signals of distress were fired in rapid succes-
sion. The steamer, from her position, was evidently
on the sand, but as the wind blew a perfect gale,
Gillman said it was quite impossible to render any
assistance. They threw up rockets in reply to the
signals, in the hope that they might be observed
from the shore, but as the night was very dark and
hazy, he believed there was too much reason to fear
they had never been seen. The description of the
vessel given by Gillman corresponding exactly with
that of the Royal Adelaide, especially the absence of
of any figurehead to the ship, a peculiarity which
marks nearly the whole fleet of steamers belonging
to this company, Coe felt satisfied that his worst an-
ticipations were realised, and that the unfortunate
ship wrecked on the sand was no other than that for
which he had been so anxiously looking. He imme-
diately came on to London with Gillman, and com-
municated the sad intelligence to the company's
manager, Mr. Davidson.
Yesterday morning the company received corrobo-
rative intelligence from Captain Manning, master of
the Malcolm Brown, screw-steamer, which arrived
off the Tower on Sunday evening from Guernsey
and Jersey. Captain Manning reports, that about
half-past nine o'clock on Sunday morning, when off
the North Foreland, about 12 miles from shore and
between two and three from the Tongue lightship,
ho observed the wreck of a large steamer on the
Tongue Sand. The weather was very stormy, the
wind blowing almost a gale from S.S.A., so that they
could only approach within three-quarters of a mile
of the spot where the wreck lay. From this point,
they perceived that the masts and funnel were-gone,
and everything upon dock swept clean away. Not a
soul could be seen on board. The stern of the vessel
was apparently gone, and it was evident she was fast
breaking up. The framework of both paddle-boxes
was standing, and the stanchions of the bulwarks, but
the boards were gone. They endeavoured to discover
the name of the vessel, but could not. They, how-
ever, observed that she was painted black, and had no
figurehead. Captain Manning further stated that the
wreck bore all the appearance of having taken place a
very few hours previously.
The Duke of Cornwall, Captain Higgins, another
steamer belonging to the same company, and plying
between London and Dublin, arrived in the River at
2 o'clock yesterday, and reports having passed the
wreck at 8 o'clock yesterday morning. The vessel
had then entirely broken up, and the framework of
her machinery was the only portion visible above
water.

The Roscommon screw-steamer, cattle-laden, from
Holland, also arrived in the River yesterday after-
noun, and reports having passed the wreck, and ob-
served several articles bearing the private mark of the
London and Dublin Steam-packet Company floating
over the Tongue Sand.
The latest intelligence on the subject of the wreck
reached the company's offices by electric telegraph at
4 o'clock yesterday. It comes from Lloyd's agent at
Margate, who states that the wreck is now covered at
high water. Two bodies, supposed to be those of
Passengers on board the ill-fated ship, had been washed
ashore about half-au-hour previous to the date of his
dispatch (half-past 3 o'clock).
The precise spot where the vessel was wrecked is
about two or three cables' length south-west from the
Lower Tongue buoy near the entrance of the Prince's
and Queen's Channels. As far as can be ascertained
fromcaAvndld eewhere
t Adelaide
eds che
Coe
beenmhsapt nraunr
cie
aboutskl o nsc
she
oeaf
would.
at t, het s p
have
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appearsv se
e nhbt
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fih.therna,
,nd
ed tdeep
pe wreckthewßpaol
tylaei
place
r es.
The Tongue sands are several miles long, running E.
during
navigationTThe Royal
gR aol
yeasat
itribestehitsimpeosrtiirexoefeetdhinegClyhadnittn,
lat.nd its
by S. and W.N.W. A very heavy sea always exists
Adelaide was
between
ofl4o.4hooOrsaanpdo.vsvoeor
tons burden, and had two ingine
each, supplied by three boilers. Her breadth of main-
beam was 28 feet, and over all 47 feet, with a lofty
poop on deck. Her paddle-wheels were 24 feet in
diameter. She had a " gammon and knee stem" (no
figurehead), and was rigged as a first-class steamer,
at which rate she was ranked at Lloyd's. She was
built about fourteen years ago by Messrs. Thomas,
and William Wilson, of Liverpool.
John Batty,
Adelaide was commanded by Captain
of Cork, who has been in the service of
the Dublin Steam•packet Company upwards of
twenty years, during a great portion of which time
he has commanded ships on the London and Dublin
and London and Cork stations. He was considered
one of the most experienced sailors in the service, and
f his ship devolved upon him until he
solewas
eboemsidmeasnadmoan of no ordinary attainments. The
arrived off Gravesend, when the river pilot took
charge. Captain Batty was universally beloved and
respected, ani his fate is deeply regretted. He has left
a family of young children. His wife died suddenly
about six months ago.
Themeero mates,rcrs captain, consisted of
two engineers, two coal-
before the mast, a
steward and stewardess, and a cook. The name of
ealmebßrite
yi
l
,rmerly, l
y
fo attached
.
coal-
trimmers, six onein
firemen, addition
carpenter,s t the
men
He was the
son the fiofr sat
ne
engineerngi ee r woafs
il lei
to the firm of Messrs. Fawcett and Co., of Liverpool.
He was himself an exceedingly ingenious and clever
man, in proof of which it may be mentioned that he
himself constructed a diving-bell, which be always
carried on board his ship, and made use of as occasion
required. The name of the carpenter was Handy
Turner. The names of the rest of the crew are not
some
known, no record of them being kept in London.
As to the number of passengers on board at the
time of the wreck no certain clue Can
be obtained
until intelligence reaches London from the company's
agent at Plymouth, where a great many of the deck
passengers frequently land. By the advicea which
have been received from Cork there appears to have
been a greater number than usual shipped in Ireland,
but until it is known how many landed at Plymouth
on Thursday evening no correct estimate of the num-
ber lost can be formed. The majority of the passen-
gers brought by this route are of
the poorest class,
and in some voyages nearly 300 are brought over.
The Dublin Steam-packet Company own a fleet of
about 25 ships. Mr. Charles Wye Williams, of Dub-
lin, is the managing director, and the chief busine,a
of the company is carried on in Ireland, the offices
in London having only the character of agencies
The Royal Adelaide is said to be fully underwritten
at Lloyd's.

The melancholy event caused much excitement in
the city yesterday afternoon, and the greatest anxiety
was manifested to obtain authentic information on
the subject.

0,0- reporter has to aelcnowle3 the courtesy (X
Davi,i,on and the other comp,lly,
for the readiness with which they furnished him with
every information in- their power relative to the me-
lancholy catastrophe.