The Sun.
London, England, 1826-11-10 00:00:00

FATAL EXPLOSION.

(From the Leeds falelligeneer.)
On Tuesday last, a most dreadful accident occurred off
Grimsby, on board a Steam Packet. A friend at Hull,
who as soon as he heard of the afflicting circumstance,
took a boat to collect some information on the subject, has
favoured us with the following particulars. So far as our
correspondent's statement extends, its correctness may be
relied on :

rt HTILL, Nov. 7.

" At two o'clock this afternoon, the Graham steam
packet, which usually plies between Hull and Grimsby,
arrived in our roads, towed by the United Kingdom steam
packet, of Glasgow, of upwards of 1,000 tons. A dread-
ful accident occurred on board the former, between eight
and nine o'clock this morning. She had left GriMsby with
passengers for Hull, and, stood iinto.the middle of the Hum-
ber, to take passengers, e. from the, United Kingdom, for
this port and the neighbourhood.&
After they had been alomg,
side about ten minutes, when about one mile and a half
from Grimsby, the pressure of. the steam caused the
boiler to explode with a tremendous noise. At that
moment there were about seventy passengers on board,
about half of whom had been received from the United
Kingdom. Two were killed on the instant, eight or nine
wounded, and numbers swept into the river. Several
were 'afterwards recovered front the water but four are
known to be raisin*, and it is feared this is below the
number actually lost. The two men killed .I have seen
'on board the United Kingdom. One of them is said to be a
Methodist preacher, who preached at. Louth on Sunday
evening., and missed the boat yesterday. Nobody on boar
knew his name. The name of the other man is Willis
Mains, of Scarbro'. He has lately been a seaman on board
the United Kingdom, but left that vessel two days agO,
and being unable to put into Scarbro', be was coming up
here by the Graham. The four persons missing are a man
named Johnson, of Louth, and three others from that
place or Grimsby, named John Blowe, Richard Jennings,
and John Patton., Report says, the engineer of the
Graham had left • the engine under the care of a boy, and
had - gone on board the United Kingdom to look at her
magnificent works. 1 believe, however, this was not the
fact. The Captain told me the engineer was upon the
paddle-box at the time of the explosion, and received some
injury. Amongst those injured are two ladies, one of
them severely ; the other was blown into the water, in
which she remained ten minutes; but was so fir recovered
that she returned in the same boat with me tp Hull. The
Graham appears to be much injured; but I can say no-
thing of the extent of the damage as they would not per-
mit me to go on board."
Our Correspondent has since, communicated to us the
following additional paitieulars, which will be found lid'
of melancholy interest.

HULL, NOV. 8,1826.
Among the passengers on board the United Kingdom,
Which was on her way from London to Scotland, Were the
Earl of Elibank and Col. Howard, (brother-in-law to Sir
Win. Rae, Lord Advocate of Scotland), who commanded
the 23d Dragoons at the battle of Talavera. Those gen-
tlemen, at the moment of the accident, with a gallantly
worthy of their rank, were handing the females from the
United Kingdom to the Graham, and both narrowly
escaped destruction. They were nearly opposite to the
boiler which exploded, and we believe a piece of metal,
nearly I Olbs. in weight, actually passed between them, and
killed the unfortunate man Mellins. Both these gentle
men displayed the greatest coolness and activity during the
whole of this trying occasion. The latter caught an infant
its his arms, which was tinown by its mother in -a state of
despair, from the Graham to the United Kingdom, and
thus the life of the little innocent was miraculously pre-
served.
Several circumstances were peculiarly providential. The'
two vessels were in immediate contact. Had the least
chasm been left between them, in the confusion which ett-.
Many must have fallen in flud baVe 'perished.
circumstance appears scarcely less remarkable. The
broken fragments were driven in a line directly across the
United Kingdom, If they had swept lengthwise along
either vessel, the' loss of life, from the crowded state of the
decks, must have been ten times greater. Too much.
praise cannot be given to Captain Oman, of the United
Kingdom, his passengers, and crew---45 remarkably fine
fellows, for their promptitude and exertion. Capt. Oman,
who is one of the oldest and most scientific steam com-
manders had, most fortunately, bad two boats manned pre
vions to the accident, which were ready to act instanta-
neously. The efficiency of their exertions will be best
estimated, when we state, that of from 34 to 46 persons,
swept into the water, only Nor are known to have pe-
rished. To some. medical gentlemen, passengers on board
Captain Oman's vessel, as well as to several who hurried
from the shore, on.hearing of the accident, great praise is
due for their prompt, and humane attentions. Addresses
Of thanks, have been presented to Captain Oman, from
• the paseengers of both vessels, and we believe they were
richly deserved.
We have heard many gentlemen bear personal testimony
to hia,merits. In less than half an hour every one who
had been wounded or thrown overboard, were put to bed.
(I learn from Captain Oman that the female mentioned
yesterday had been twenty minutes in the water, and was
the last person rescued.). Two or three of the injured
persons are not yet out of danger.
It is some consolation to add, that, as far as we can
learn, the melancholy event has not been the result of mis-
management. Captain Oman states that the Graham was
brought alongside his.vessel in the most seaman-like man-
ner : that as far as he could observe, the conduct of all on
board was quite judicious up to the, time of the explosion ;
and 64 the exertions of the Captain. (Morrison) were
most laiidablz after the nnfortunate catastrophe ; cannot
'learn the name of the man described as a Methodist
preacher. From his linen and other circumstances, I
shotild question his being one, He is a sharp-visaged
man, about 50, with a receding forehead, and the front of
his head entirely bald. His body does not hear many, ex-
ternal marks of injury, and he appears to have been drown..
ed rather than killed by the bursting fragments. The
body of McKim is 'much disfigured ,about the head. The
bodies were brought ashore late laSt night, and inquests
will be holden at our Mansionouse this day., I( is
Mansion-House
somewhat singular, that only one person, among all the
passengers and crew of the United Kingdom, with the ex-
ception of Mellins, who can hardly. be consideredecks as boe-
longing to that vessel, received any injury. The df
the Graham, near the engine, are completely torn
could
p,
Had the passengers been in the cabin, no uries u
save been sustained.
(From the York Chronicle.)
IlLow•Ci-' OF THE GRAHAM STEA.II-PACKET.-- W C iiaye
his week to record in our columns a most melancholy and
rand accident which Declined on the Lincolnshire coast on
Tuesday morning last, an accident the more to be lamen-
ted as it appears to have originated
(pm the
!oiliness and neglect On the part of those e shame ful care-
mployed. As
the United KingdonA steam-packet, was proceeding.utf her
passage from London to Edinbnrgh, and was entering the
ent,
mouth of the limber, she met With very strong curr
sifter
whiCh continued to drive her about for some time,
two unsuccessful attempts to get forward she was obliged
to make towards Grimsby, where she was passed by
tbe
and
61' wham steamer, from the latter place to Hull. It wag
now considered adviseable for the passengers of the Uni-
ted Kingdom thus to gg o on board the Graham to Hull,
anh whilst d Wthis Was groin on, the engineer -df the Graham
event for some purpose on hoard the other vessel, leaving,
Itthei.)4'o4littler
ustir
bweights upon the safety valves which cans
tirst, and the whole blew up with a tretnew
dour ex-slosion. Thp resentedshocking specta-
cleunaed, whilst several IA
Pu le duels amtvattesse i a h
numbers of per-
sons
wounded,
)exe"Prtltiret:el:eerseeemna:lentby op vas.
!) been blown into
tale t.
trte. a d
singers and crew of the United Kingdom in astasting,thof
Several of those in the sea were
picked up, but we regret to
unfortunate ,tufferen,
tirpwned, One ners wee kin
on "y
that five' or six
-7- were
aq. a upwards cif twenty
--