Star.
London, England, 1831-08-25 00:00:00

ROT HSAY CASTLE STEAM-PACKET.

[From the North ll'ates Chronic:el
The Rothsey Castle had on board upwards of 1:0 pas-
sengers. From the time she left the Mersey, the progress
of the Rotbsay Castle was slow, having to contend with a
heavy sea, and a strong wind nearly right a-head, so that
It does not appear she at any time made beyond from three
to four knots an hour, as it was betwixt nine and ten at
might ere she neared the Great Orm's Head. When off
the Heed the sea got very rough and the wind right ahead,
which made the vessel strain very much, and take in water
through her seams and It the axles of the paddles, so as to
make it even then ankle deep in the engine room.
The pump was now set a-going,but with very little effect,
and was in a short time choked by the ashes from the engine
fire, which had mingled with the water, and considerable
time was of course lest in getting the pump again in a
working state. Meanwhile the water appears to have been
rapidly gaining in the engine.rootn, so much so that when
fresh coal was required for the fire' according to the testi-
mony of the surviving fireman, he could not throw on a
shovelful of coal without deluging the fire with an quid
quantity of water. By this means the Are got low, and the
steam power cobeequently diminished so much as to have
very little effect a pro,telling the vessel, whose progress now
did not exceed one mile an hour. Indeed, we were infotmed
by some of the survivors, that about tan minutes twfoft the
vessel struck, the motion of tbe peddles alma entirely kr
about five minutes, and then went on again.
At midnight, by the testimony of the man at the wheel,
the vessel had got far enough to windward of the sand
called the Dutchman's Bank, and abreast of the tower on
Preetholm Island, when, owing to the temporary stoppage
of the engine. she lost way, at which time eke was labour.
ing heavily and making much water. The steersman bad
the helm a-port when the vessel struck with her stern
the bank. The Captain, who appears to have bees below
11 when the vessel lust way, now came up upon the peep, and
ordered the steersman to starboard his helm, alleging that
be would otherwise ten her upon the causeway on the other
aide. This was done. and the vessel coneequently brought
with her bead to the bank. Immediately afterwards the
engines were reversed, with the view of getting her into
deeper water, but owing to the want of Aufficient power
the attempt proved ineffectual. The jib was then hoisted.
but in vain, and after repeatedly striking and draggles along
the edge of the bank for about half • mile, st e came broad.
side on the b.uk, about ha f-past le, and there remained.
beyond the reach of Duman exertion to remove her.
A mountainous sea kept beating agaiost and Ova bee,
which frequently raised her in part glom the bank, and in-
stantly made the part so raised t:ike *gam with tremendous
violence on the same The neo: n had by this time gone
dime, the sky was ov.rcast with heavy clouds over-bead,
and herwath the pitchy wi.ves appeared as if yawning for
the prey which they were soon to engulf.
Very lawn after the 'axe, had got with her broadside to
the bank the after tackle ni 114 chimney broke loose, but
wait again secured by great exertion. ' In a few minutes it
gave way again, at:d with the next heavy shock of the sea
the chimney came down, bringing with it the mainmast, and
both falling in a slanting &maws, athwart the deck to the
weather side.
What number of individuals were k.lied or thrown over
by the shock shut the chimney and mot fill is unknown ;
but soon after, about out o'clock, 10 or 12 persona were
writhed off the deck boo the deep. ins rudder was next
uie.hipped, and the boa. having filhrd wi.h water, teethe !rent
the painter, and went adrift.
A ger.tieniart's carriage, on which three persons were
seined, was washed overboard, and two individual. taking
• hold of the twos drum belonging to the band ci!' music. leaped
with it from the paddle-box tent the een ; they both pt rim:cc
close to'the vessel. llauy persons stripped uff :heir cletehM;
in order to swim, and several threw themselves into the tea
with a form from the quartet.deek, but all perished predily.
The bulwarks on the weather side. behind which from 12 tu
20 persons sought shelter, were mat washed away. and all
who clung to then buried in the deep. Betwixt a quarter'
and half-past one, the weather paddle box, on a!iout
which between 30 Lund 40 persons were placed, was carried
of by a tremendous sea, in which every WC of those Ledivi.
duals is belie ed to have perished.
Before two o'clock the v.-esel Milks in the mideltij.s, an
became a total wreck. The male (leek burst up to moil
direction, and the quarter deck. or poop, which was of new
workmanship, and raimti shout three feet above time main
deck, was parted time the hull by the force of 1.4 ace
There were at that moment six men, s woman, mel a boy en
the quarter-deck, ahicti after parting wa. held by a one
of the ship's tackle, until Mr. June., a Liverpool pilot, who
was on board as a paeseng,r, with great joutnputode rut the
tackle with his knife, and then the quarter deck dihiteil c!car
of the wreck, whereby his own lute, and lifts ut the
other individuals upon it, were presert. el.
At the time the quarter deck Boated from the huU theft
remained probably from 30 to .'ti persons upon the wreck,
of whom some threw thenteelves into the water, lashed t.
' planks, others were washed overboard ; about II clang to
the fallen mainmast, 3 aseeod.ti the tocetuast, which seal re-
tained hs upright position, and two or three more slum' to
the lower part of it. Of all these not *heft tees appear ft
haft beets saved.
No one of the survivors could give ye any infeemadell As
to the moment when, and the precise enamel' here CiPudyt
Atkinson was lost. As long is the slightest poselleilitY of

Whig his vessel remitted, he was seen and heard in every.
direction ; but abet the time the quarter-deck parted, or •
rather earlier, he was lost sight of.
When the quarter deck paned front the vrreek thaw were •
spas it six as., one roman. and • boy, and ihey shortly al-
terwseds picked up another man, who was drifting lust upon
' a plane. They then commenced paddling with pieces of
timber, and two men held up betwixt them a petticnst, as a
substitute for a mil, in hopes of gaining the Usmarvonshire
shore. Shortly after daybreak they observed people upon
the land, to whom they shouted ; but the distance was too
great for their voices to be heard. and they continued to drift
before the wind, with the sea washing over them tamest
every minute, until half past seven in the morning, when
t'aey were seen and picked up by Vse Beaumaris life-boat, in
a state of complete exhaustion. They had been first observed
by Mr. W. Walker, 'ha: walking on Beaumaris Gras, a
little af.er day-break, and he immediately procured the boat
and crew, and went to their assistance.
The escape of Mr. Rdward Jones, of Bangor, was truly
miraculous. He could not swim ; but hawing found a small.
'keg on board, he fastened it with a pilaf of Tope to his body,
and placed himself upon the gentleman'. carriage on deck,
along with two others. Shortly afterwards the carriage was
washed overboard, and he and his companions thrown with
great violence into the water. The keg shifted from his
breast, end gut under his left arm, en that it was with great
difficulty he could keep his head hove water. The carriage
was now floating part hien, and he laid hod of one of the
wheels with his right hand ; but the carries • aeon sunk. At
that moment be observed a mart ( Nlr. Duckworth, of Bury);
seated on a board, about the size of a room door. within a
fee( yards of him. Mr. Jones immediately relinquished his
keg, and although he had never before attempted to swim,
made a few resolute strokes, and succeeded in gaining the
board, on one end of which he rested, and Mr. Duckworth
en the other. Their mutual weight brought the board so
much under water, that it was with difficulty they could kaep•
their beads up to breathe, and both were rapidly exh.:usting,
when .Ur. Duckworth contrived to undress himself, and quit.
led the board with the intention of swimming to the shore,
aid succeeded in the attempt. Mr. Jones now got fairly upon
tie hoard, and pet his feet through a hole io the centre, h Id-
dg with his bads by the sides. In this posture he kept afloat
/until nearly eight o'clock, when he was picked up by Mr. Wil-
liamson, in tbe schooner Campadora's boat, so clove to the
breakers off the Great Orm's Head, that had the boat been vivo
minutes later, she could have rendered him no maistanee.

In the course of Thursday and Friday, six bodies were
picked up on the Carauvonshire coast, betwixt C.nway
and Aber ; but them still remain about 80 who have not
been found.

We consider it only just to Mr. 'Watson, the proprietor
of the liothsay Castle, to insert the following letter a‘d
certificate: