The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-02 00:00:00

PRICES OF SLIARES

IN BANKS, ASSURANCE, AND OTHER COM-
PANIES' STOCK.
From the Official List.

PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDIY AND FRIDAY EVENING.

LONDON, FRID.IY, AUGUST 30.

ZOINT.-STOCIL BANKS-

WRECK of the ORION STENMER.

TRIAL OF THE CAPTAIN AND MATES.

The trial of the master and mutes of the Orion steamer,
•,rhich was lost on the coast of Portpstrick in June last,
resumed nu Friday, before the High Court of Justi•
ciary is Edinburgh.

Lawrr nee Ferrier, assiitant.keeprr of the Mull of Gal-
loway lighthowe, and J. B. Scott, keeper of the light-
house, spoke to the fact of a fog having come on upon
the night of the accident,

John Gray, nautical instrument-maker, Liverpool, had
•examined :he compasses of :he Orion on the 3011 of
May, in consequence of Captain Henderson having told
him they were wrong, and found them quite right. The
witness sustained a cross-examination as to the disturb•
ing effects of iron upon the compasses, and stated that
they might sometimes go wrong during a voyage from
local attraction.

S'veral witne3sas wcro called to give further evi-
dence with reference t, the wreck, but nothing new was

Thi:; closed the evidence for the prosecution.
The declaration of Captain Hendm.son, taken at Port-
Po'rick, before Mr. Alexander M‘Neel, sheriff-substitute
Wigtonshire, on the 19th of June, was read. It stated
that on the evening of the wreck the weather was fine,
with north-west wind. 'rho vessel passed th. Mull of
GelLowey about midnight, when the watch was changed
and the second mate was the officer of the watch. There
were two 100k-outs, namely, the man at the helm and
the officer of the watch. Saw theta all at their post be-
fore ho retired to his own room. At the time the
vessel struck he was lying on a sofa in his own cabin
on deck asleep. Did not consider it his duty, in the
state of the weather and position•of the ship, to be on
deck at the time. He was in a state of fatigue, and re-
quired rest. Was aroused by the shock and rushed on
neck, and discovered that the vessel had struck on a
rock. Saw the land, and knew where they were. Thought
that the accident happened by the miscalculation of the
second officer of the distance of the ship from the
land. After the accident he exerted himself as much
as possible to save the lives of the passengers, and as
far as a man and a sailor could do he thought he had
done his duty. One of the boats, the starboard lifeboat,
on being let down, got under the paddle-wheel and was
swamped by the vessel sinking. Did not know how
many boats reached the shore with passengers. There
were some boats came from the shore, and in the gray
of the morning it was difficult to distinguish between
the shore boats and their own. Considered the ship
boats to be in proper order. Went up the rigging as
the ship sank, and remained there as long as the top of
the masts remained above water, and till ho saw all the
passengers clear of the wreck. He was the last to leave
the ship. The shore boats were very cautions in ap-
proaching, for fear of a rush of passengers. lie had
left special instructions to call him if there was any
change of weather. It was the usual practice of the
commanders of the other vessels on the line to give such
instructions in similar circumstances. Ho was not
called, but was aroused by the shock of the vessel.
When the ship struck he stripped himself, in order to
swim ashore; and he was almost naked when taken off
the wreck.

The declaration of John Williams, the second mate,
taken also at Portpatrick, was then read. Ile stated
that he was on the deck a few minutes after midnight, to
take his turn of the watch. The master remained on the
deck till half-past twelve, and on leaving said, " John,
if it becomes anyway thick or hazy, mind give me a call."
When the vessel was off the pier of Portpatrick it sud-
denly became thick. Could see the pier quite distinctly
at first, but when declarant saw the fog coming on he
gave orders to John Kelly, who was at the helm, to keep
the vessel north by west a half point off from the land.
Was going to call the master, accordinc, to his instruc-
tions, when the vessel struck. Could' not understand
how the accident occurred, unless the current had swept
the vessel inshore against the helm. It was not un-
usual, on this part of the coast, for the master to go to
his room for an hour or so. Declarant kept the vessel
near the shore for the purpose of shunning the tide. The
master gave him no order to do so on this occasion. Re-
mained on board till the ship went down, and was hayed
from the rigging.

The Solicitor-General withdrew the charge against
the first mate, Lang!ands.
The jury having returned a verdict of not guilty
against Ltnglands, he left the bit, and shook hands with
the captain, as well as several friends in court.