The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-27 00:00:00

IrtnlyAr

HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, Jan. 26.

The Queen drove out yesterday afternoon, ac,
companied by Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice.
The other members of the Itoyal Family walked
in the grounds.

THE GALE,

THE WRECKS UPON THE GOWER COAST.

In our impression of Saturday we gave the brief
particulars of one of the most disastrous catastro-
phes which had occurred in this district within the
memory of man. The spot where it took place is
on the wild aud rocky coast of the Peninsula of
Gower, at the extreme end of the county of Gla-
morgan, and for many miles it is strewed with
wreck aud portions of cargo. The cause of this
disaster is somewhat singular. On Wednesday
no less than 19 vessels, chiefly brigs, brigantines,
and schooners engaged in the near continental and
coasting trades, took advantage of the exceedingly
fine night, and left Llanelly with the hope of beat-
ing down channel. During high tide there was
but little wind, but it having been blowing half a
gale from the west for several hours previously, the
sea is described as running 'mountains high' over the
bar at the mouth of the Burry river. There was not
sufficient water over the bar to float vessels across,
and, notwithstanding the united and strenuous exer-
tions of the crew and the pilots, the vessels took the
ground, where they were completely at the mercy of
the waves, and in a short time became either partial
or total wrecks, being driven high upon the oppo-
site sands. In consequence of the length of the
sands upon which the wrecks and bodies are cast
up, extending some 14 or 15 miles, the exact extent
of the loss of life has not yet been ascertained.
Nineteen vessels left the port of Llanelly on the
night in question ; 42 of the crews of these vessels
are known to have been saved, and 52 others are
supposed to have perished. Five or six hands are
supposed to be the average crew on board the ves-
sels which have thus been wrecked. The vessels
lie in all conceivable positions and state of wreck.
One vessel, which left Llanelly with 143 tons of tin
plates, is completely imbedded in the sands, so far
settling down as to be scarcely perceptible. Other
vessels are broken up most effectually, and nothing
can prevent others from being broken up and totally
destroyed. We need scarcely say that this disas-
trous catastrophe has created a mournful sensation
throughout the entire district and in the adja-
cent ports of Swansea, Llanelly, and Neath, &c.
Many of the unfortunate mariners belonged to the
port of and: the neighbouring places, and
their being wrecked within sight of their own homes
and within an hour or two after leaving, renders it
still more distressing. There is a lightship and look-
out in Broughton-bay, but the sea was running so
high at the time that no boat could possibly have
lived had any attempted to reach the vessels.

Disasters to shipping are also reported from vari-
ous parts of the coast. At Plymouth many vessels
have put in for shelter. Two vessels belonging to
that port have been wrecked—the Majesty, Capt.
Gaswell, in Penberth Cove ; and the Juno, Capt.
Green, which foundered off the Land's End. Both
crews were saved. From Ramsgate the wreck of
the Briton's Pride, of Falmouth, is reported. She
struck on the South Brake. The crew were rescued
by the lifeboat. The Graces, of Whitby, has foun-
dered on the Kentish Knocksand, the crew aban-
doning her ; and the Intelligent, a French vessel,
which had also been abandoned, has been brought
into Ramsgate harbour. The smack Clipper, of
Great Yarmouth, was rescued by the lifeboat sta-
tioned at that port just as she was drifting on
Scroby Sands. At Shields, the gale being off shore,
no wrecks took place, but anxiety is felt for the
safety of the colliers which sailed a few days pre-
viously.

TRIAL OF SIR CULLING EARDLEY FOR

BIGAMY.

Sir Culling Eardley was placed at the bar of the
Central Criminal Court this day to take his trial
for feloniously intermarrying with Mary Elizabeth
Allen, at the district church of St. George's,
Hanover-square, his wife Emily Florence Magee,
to whom he had been previously married at New
York, in the United States of America, being
alive.

Mr. Giffard, Q.C., was specially retained to pro-
secute, with Mr. Green and Mr. Benjamin. Mr.
Montague Williams was the counsel for the de-
fendant.

This case appeared to create considerable interest
on account of the position of the defendant, and
the circumstances connected with the charge•
Evidence was adduced to show that on
the 12th of December, 1859, the de-
fendant, being then Mr. Eardley, married
Miss Emily Florence Magee, at New York, and
continued to live with that lady for some time after-
wards, when a separation took place. In the first
instance Sir Culling Eardley, the father of the de-
fendant, was ignorant of the fact of the marriage
having taken place, but when he became aware
of the fact that his son had married a
lady of position and respectability, he at
once acknowledged her as his daughter,
and made a settlement of £1,500 a year upon
her. After the defendant came to the title 1)1
the death of his father, he seemed to have induced
the prisoner to procure a reconciliation with his wife,
but she refused to live with him again, and in Sept.,
1867, the defendant contracted a second marriage
with a lady named Allen, at St. George's Churcb•
Hanover-square. The marriage was advertised in
the 7 intes, and the father of the defendant's first
wife immediately commenced the present proseen"
tion.

Mr. De Tracy Gould, a member of the American
bar, practising in England, proved that the mar-
riage in America was a perfectly legal ceremony
In answer to questions put to him in cross-exami-
nation, be said that, according to the law of Ame-
rica, it was not even necessary that the ceremony
should be performed by a clergyman, or in a church,
or that any witnesses should be present to render
iG
valid.
Evidence having been given of the second mar'
riage,
Mr..M. Williams proceeded to address the jai
for the defendant, and he said that the answer he
was instructed to make to the charge in his behalf
was, that at the time he contracted the secona
marriage he believed that the first marriage W
not legally contracted, and that it was not binding
upon him. He urged upon the jury the considera"
tion of the fact that the second wife, ob°
was the party really injured, had nothing to do
with the prosecution, and there was nothing t°
show that the defendant had been actuated by wet**
cenary motives in relation to the second naarringeli
He submitted that if the jury should be of opinie„
that the defendant really did not believe that hew °:
committing an offence at the time he married the
second lady, they would be justified in acquitting
him.
The Recorder, in summing up the case to tiro
jury, said that he really did not see any answer la
the charge, or any facts in the case that wellio
justify them in coming to the conclusion that
defendant had not committed the offence imputed
to him.
The jury, after a very short deliberation, returned
a verdict of guilty. had
The Recorder inquired if the defendant
obtained any money with his second wife ? he
Mr. M. Williams said he was informed that
did not. • %or'
Mr. Giffard said he was sorry to inform his the
ship that the information he had received upon
subject was of a totally different character. ,__t in
The Recorder, in passing sentence, said tn;lo..
the absence of any information as to the cl_ the
stances connected with the second marring! i
Court must deal with the case a'_ool.•
stood. The defendant bad deliberately '-'tbat
muted a very grave offence, and ne,_e_
per'
was calculated to do serious injury tonoto•
son who was the victim of it. There did andpear to be any extenuation for his cotichl.e.,,t' 110
the sentence he felt bound to pass upon hour for
that he be imprisoned and kept to hard lnu"
18 maths.