The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-09 00:00:00

WRECK OF THE CITY OF ERIN_

BURGH STEAM-SHIP.

Yesterday morning intelligence of the wreck of this splendid
steam frigate, the property of the General Steam Navigation
Company, commanded by Captain J. G. Hast, was received by
the Directors, at the Company's office in Lombard-street, City.
The City of Edinburgh, it appears, left the Custom-house quay
on Tuesday afternoon for Ostend, having on board, it is said,
between thirty and forty passengers, and a general cargo
After leaving the river Thames, she encountered a heavy gale
from the westward, which lasted the whole clay and night, but,
notwithstanding, her passage was not impeded, and she reached
her destination in perfect safety the following day, and brought
up alongside of Ostend pier to land her passengers, which
was safely effected. At an early hour the following morn-
ing ( Thursday), while the crew were busily employed landing
the cargo, it came on blowing a hurricane, and all of a sudden
the warps that secured her to the pier snapped asunder, and
she drifted out into the centre of the stream. The confusion
that ensued amongst those on board can be imagined when it
is stated that Ostend Harbour, though a fortified seaport of
the Netherlands, is one of the most dangerous on that part of
the coast, and several large vessels have been lost in an at-
terr pt even to enter it. In consequence of the steam not
being up, and her sails being furled, she was completely un-
manageable, and in the course of a few minutes she was hurled
against the stone battlement of the east pier. She swung
round and drifted swiftly away past the pier, and run adiore
about three quarters of a mile eastward of the harbour. Within
an hour after the splendid vessel had struck hundreds
of persons had assembled on the beach to reth'er assist-
ance to get her off, for which purpose measures were
immediately adopted to lighten he*, and in the course of a
surprisingly short time the whole of the cargo was got ashore,
together with her costly furniture, pier glass, and fittings-up;
but to no purpose, although several powerful vessels were en-
gaged in the attempt. Preparations were then made to get
ter machinery, engines, and boilers out of her to further
lighten the vessel for a second attempt ; but night coming on,
the crew and others were compelled to defer any further opera.
tion till the following day. Her aypearance on Ft iday morn-
ing foretold her fate. Her masts and the entire of her rig-
ging had been swept overboard during the night, as had also
her furniture. At high water another desperate attempt was
made to get her afloat but all the powerful assistance that could
be brought into requisition proved utterly impossible, and after
another night's exposure to the heavy seas'and blustering gales
she became a complete wreck. Captain Hast, the commander,
on the day she got on shore, sent information of the disaster to
London, and the Directors, on the receipt of the communica-
tion, ordered one of the Company's large steamers, the Lord
Melville, to proceed instantly to Ostend, arid assist in towing
the ship off; but on her arrival she was found, as before stated,
a wre,A. The City of Edinburgh is said to have cost the
Leith Steam Packet Company, of whom the General Steam
Steam Navigation Company purchased her some few years
since, 30,000/. Her present owners have expended consider.
able sums of money in lengthening her decks and on other im
portant improvements, and she was considered one of the Corn
pany's first-class steam-ships.
MONE

Y MARKET i.nd CITY NEWS.
FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY.
CHRONlCLE.—Anotherilure of a house in the Austin.-
ban trade was announced on Saturday, and a firm in the home
trade, in a moderate business, was at the same time under the
necessity of suspending payments. In other respects, we be-
lieve the engagements, falling due on the 4th of the month,
were generally well provided for. The reports from the country
continue gloomy. We must expect this, at all events, until
after the commercial plans and financial expose of the Govern-
ment are made known.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE GENE

RAL POST-OFFICE.

On Saturday afternoon Mr. Payne, City Coroner, held an
inquest at the Mourning Bush Tavern, St. Martin's-le-Grand,
on the body of Mary Witchell, aged six years. It appeared
from the evidence of Mr. John Gottick, and of City con-
stable 463, that at about a quarter to six on Friday evening
they saw a mail-cart that had been driven in at the Newgate-
street entrance of the Post-office, proceeding at the rate of ten
miles an hour, within the railings round the eastern side of
the esiifice. As the vehicle was traversing the public foot-
path that leads from Foster-lane to the back entrance of the
Post-office, the horse by which it was whirled along knocked
down deceased, who was running across the footpath, and the
near wheel of the ma:l-cart passed over the girl's head,
fractured the skull, and caused instantaneous deatn.
Both these witnesses said the driver of the cart made
no attempt to pull up his horse until he got to the
door o! the general letter-office, about twenty-five yards north
of the footpath on which the child was killed. Craddock, a
constable at the Post-office, and Hammersley, a guard, who
was in the cart at the time of the accident, said the horse was
travelling at no more than eight miles an hour, that both driver
and guard gave notice of danger by hallooing to the persons
crossing the footpath, that the deceased child shot out suddenly
between the horse's feet, that the driver, directly he perceived
the child, endeavoured to pull up, but that he was unable to do
so in time to obviate the occurrence. The cart came from the
receiving-office in the Borough, and a quarter of an hour was
the time allowed to perform that distance. If the driver had
been behind time he would have been reported to his superior.
The Coroner pointed out to the Jury the obligation the driver,
being in the public service, was under to travel at greater
speed than would be necessary in ordinary circumstances.
Besides, he was not driving in a public thoroughfare, unless
the footpath alluded to could be considered as such, and in
addition, the evidence was fairly divided for and against him.
He hoped the Post-office authorities would order the mail-carts
to be driven of an evening into the yard through the north-
western gate in St. Martin's-le-Grand, for then the footpaths,
that at the Newgate-street entrance, and that on which the
accident had taken place, both always crowded towards the
hour of closing the office, would be avoided. Mr. Fortune,
clerk of the works said, no alteration could take place unless
ordered by the Noble Postmaster-General, and that since the
prcsent accident had occurred a suggestion similar to that ex-
pressed by the Coroner had been communicated to his Lord-
ship, who, no doubt, would cause it to be, adopted. Verdict,—
" Accidental Death," the Jury recommending that a little
more caution should, for the future be used by the mail-
cart drivers in coming into the Post-office -yird.