Star.
London, England, 1825-10-24 00:00:00

DREADFUL ACCiDE
DRO NT- SEVENTY PER-
SONS WNED. •

IRON THE GLASGOW COURIER OF SATURDAY.
Yesterday moving, the steamboat Comet, with
basßagers from Invernels and Fort William, vile run
eOA TI off Kempock Point, between Gourock and the
Clauglr Light-house, by the steam-boat Ayr, ontwarck.
b,,und. In rounding the Point the vessels came in
t with such force and violence, that the Comet
„,,,t down almost instantaneously, when above seventy
fersons were, in a moment, precipitated into the deep
FTERNITY ! Ten only are saved, out of above
itoty, which were believed to be on board. Among
tlose escaped is the Master, who was got on shore, but
,ucli An exhausted state, that, at the date of our
lag accounts, he was unable to give any account
hat had taken place, or of the passengers on board.
There is too much reason to dread, that the greater
number of those who have perished are pers ns in the
superior ranks of life.
The Ayr, we learn, had a light nut upon her bow,
•;41t the Comet had none. At. the night, however, was
clear, it is obvious that a bad look-out had been kept
up, And must reprehensible neglect shewn on bode sides.
A)r received such a shock and WAS so much
damaged, that she reached Greenock with much d
in a sinking state. It was blowing fresh, with
a heavy sea. It was also exceedingly cold, and at the
mcment the accident took place, those on the deck of
he. Collet were, it is said, engaged dancing, to which
amusement they were probably induced to resort in
miser to keep themselves warm, there not being suf.
fi:tent accommodation below for the number of pa:-
sespers on board.
Much valuable property had floated ashore yesterday
morning. Every exertion was making t' save and
lodge it in a place of security. Our respected towns-
man, Mr. Andrew R enkine, was particularly active on
the occasion; and, at an early hour in the morning,
Ms. Matsliall, Sheriff, from Greenock, had nesched the
spot, to give his advice and assistance on this distressing
erasion. Twelve dead bodies had been washed ashore
by an early hour this morning ; amongst these were
re° genteelly dressed females, two black servants, and
Mrs:Wright, the widow of the late Archibald Wright,
druggist, of this city. In the pockets of the body of
aGentleman washed ashore, seventy pounds were found.
Amongst those who perished, and whose names we can
state from good authority, is Mr. Graham, of Corpach,
Mr. Macallister, W. S. Edinburgh, and Captain Suther-
land, of the 33d Regiment, and his Lady, who v ere
only five days married. The body of Captain Suther-
14nd, and another passenger, were found in the yawl
this morning. It is supposed she upset after they got
into het. Mrs. Sutherland caught hold of Mr. Coin
A'ex. Andei soil, from Appin (the only cabin-passenger
aho is saved), and for some time clung round him
bt in the struggle with the waves she lost her hold
and perished. While swimming, much exhausted, and
not knowing well in what direction the shore lay, Mr.
Anderson was seized closely by the Engine-man, from
shorn he found it impossible to disengage himself, and
just as they were upon the point of sinking, they fortu-
nately came in contact with the boat's yawl, which
they immediately caught hold of, and, in doing so, she
fortunately righted, when they both clung to her, and
leached the shore in safety, but mush exhausted. It is
reported, that among the sufferers is the Lady of a
Colonel in the army, with a family of seven children,
from Inverness ; a Mr. Campbell, of this city, wi:h a
ycung Gentleman, the only son of Mr. M'Braine, also
of this city. We forbear to state further the repots
elach we have heard of the names of the sufferers,
lust we make mistakes, and wound, without reason,
the feelings of friends at a distance.
Besides Mr. Anderson and the Engine• man already
mentioned, there were saved, viz. Capt. M'lnnes, the
Pilot, the carpenter, a man a steerage passenger from
Fort George, a young girl, and a woman who was
floated ashore safely between two tables, but who un-
fortunately lost her child by the way. The poor man
hum Fort George, and who is arrived in Glasgow, is,
in a state bordering on delirium. To him Mr. Camp-
bell of Corpach clung for a considerable time, when a
wave threw the great coat of the latter over the head of
the former, which compelled him to throw Mr. Camp-
bell off, just as both wete upon the point of sinking.
At the moment the fatal accident took place, we are informed,
upon the authority of Mr. Anderson, just arrived in Glasgow,
that the passengers who were below were in high spirits, amusing
themselves, telling and listening to diverting tales. The first stroke
bit abut the paddle of the Comet. The Captain and pasengers
immediately ran upon deck to see what was wrong, when the next
fatal stroke took place with such force, that the Comet filled, and
in two minutes •vent down head foremost. Mr. Anderson, we
regret to add, states, that the moment this took place the Ayr,
instead of lendieg cheat any assistance, gave her paddles a back
stroke, turned round and went off to Greenock, leaving them to
their tate. if assistance had been rendered, be thinks many e/
the sufferers might have been saved; but in the state of alarm is
which he was, he may have been mistaken.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
/ROM THE GLASGOW CHRONICLE.
It gives us great pain to record one of the most me-
lancholy accidents that ever occurred in this part of the
country. The Comet steam-boat was on her way from
Inverness to Glasgow, with between sixty and seventy
passengers ; of these it was stated that twenty-six
were in the cabin, and yesterday morning, about one
o'clock, while passing the Point of Kempock, she was
struck in the side by the Ayr steam luggage-boat. The
Lands on board the different vessels were prevented
from seeing each other by the headland, till it was too
late to prevent the shock ; and as both were going at
full speed, the crash was tremendous. Ile starboard
bow of the Comet being staved in, she filled with wa-
ter, and almost instantly sunk; and with the exception
of the following persons, the whole passengers were lost :
Sian—Captain Mimics, the Pilot, an Engine-roan,a woman
who lost her child, a young girl, the carpenter, Mr. Colin Alex.
Anderson,
Mr. Cameron, jun. Fort William • and three others.
NA *nor Fns or rue Paxson. Loan.—Captain Sutherland and
his wife, only five days married; Mr. Graham, of Corpach; Mr.
3PAlister, W.S. Edinburgh; and Mrs. Wright.
We have seen a young Gentleman who escaped, and
.have learned from him the following particulars :—The
vessel was about a quarter of a mile from the. shore,
when the accident happened. About half an hour be-
fore several of the passengers were engaged in dancing
upon the deck, but they had almost all gone below.
'The first alarm heard, was from a person hailing,
but from which boat was uncertain. Almost imme-
diately the shock was felt, and everybody ran on deck.
--The water rushed in so rapidly that the engineman
was up to his knees before be reached the deck. They
tried to keep the engine going, thinking she might
live them ashore: but the influx of water was so

Ems that the engine was almost immediately stopped,

. . . .
And in three minutes after the vessel was struck she'
sent to the bottoni.' Miring the short period which
elapsed between the stroke and the sinking of the ves-
sel about thirty people crowded into the yawl before it
was cut loose, and so hastily was this done that the one
end of the boat was some tithe under the water, before
the other end could be lowered, by which means the
boat was upset, and threw them all into the water.
The steam-boat went down bow foremost. The
screams of the drowning people were •most ap-
palling, and cannot be described. They shouted to
those on board the other boat to return to their assist-
ance but without effect ; our informer remained in the
vessel till she sank from beneath his feet, and then swam
as he best could: An engineer held him by the neck,
and nearly drowned him ; fortunately he reached the
overturned boat, which lay keel uppermost, to which the
pilot and another were holding on the other side. He
seized hold of one side of the boat, and the engineman
still clinging to him; and by this additional weight the
boat was righted. The whole four then got in. She
was nearly filled with water, and being without oars,
they were unable to make any exertion to reach
the shore. They remained in this situation for about
twenty-five minutes, when a pilot boat, whom the screams
of the sufferers had alarmed,reached them. but in the struggle to
get in, they nearly upset the pilot-boat, and were brought ashore
clinging to the outside, or held by the hands of the crew of the
Gourock pilot-boat. One old Highlander swam ashore, and a
woman whose child was drowned came safe *slime on some article
of furniture ; she had kept; hold of her child till she perceived it
was dead, and then reluctantly resigned it to the deep. Our.in-
formant considers there would be about seventy people. on boards
of these eleven were sated. When he left by the Greenock mail,
this afternoon, eleven bodies had been drifted on shore.
Besides many respectable people on their way to Edinburgh and
Glasgow, there were, we are lel to believe, several traders pro-
ceeding to Glasgow, to make purchases for the approaching Fort
William fair, and who may naturally be supposed to have had con-
siderable property on their persons.
A pawnger on board the Ayr relates, that he was one of four
cabin passenger% who were all below when the accident hap-
pened. lie had lain down on a sofa undressed, beard a noise for-
ward which alarmed him, and before he had time to disentangle
himself from the clothes he had thrown over h'm, the vesstls
struck with a tremendous crash. On reaching the deck he saw
the Comet drifting from them and wheeling round. There was
light enough of the moon to enable him to distinguish the hills on
either side, and the various objects around. On board the Ayr,
the utmost confusion prevailed.
The Comet was in sight for about three minutes, when a most
appalling shriek arose from the pasengers on bo:ad of her, evidently
crouching to the side nearest the Ayr, and with outstretched arms
imploring help; not a cry reached his ears after the vessel went
down, and in a few moments the river was as unruffled as ever.—
All ou board the Ayr were in the utmost consternation, and it is
much to be feared in clown right stupefaction, with the exception of
two seamen belonging to the Harmony, who, after endeavouring
in vain totally the men belonging to the vessel, lowered the boat
at the stern for the purpose of renderin; wha:ever assistance was
in their power, but at the moment when she reached the water
with one of the men in her, and before the tackles were yet un-
loosed, the steam was unfortunately set on, and boat and man
dragged under the water ; he saved himself, however, by clinging
to the ropes, and providentially for all on board reached the deck,
when he and his companion: had enough to do to keep the vessel
from going down. She was evidently in a sinking state. At the
time of the accident the Ayr had a light at the bow, as well as a
man on the look out.

LOUDON'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF AORICULTURE.—This
long expected Work will positively be published on Tuesday, the
First of November. The delay has chiefly been occasioned by the
Author's anxiety to render the Work u complete as possilde ; and
in this respect it is confidently hoped that the Encyclopaedia of
Agriculture will not fall short of the Encyclopaedia of Gardening.
The Letter-press exceeds 1250 pages, and the Engravings are up-
wards of SOO in number. _ _

Letters from Paris mention that the noted Cacique'
of Poyais has cut and run. After a series of dexterous
intrigues, his Highness the Prince of the Mosquito
Shore had succeeded in getting a vessel at Havre, on
board of which he was very humanely shipping a num-
ber of deluded French families, to whom he had most

bounteously. dealt out extensive tracks of rich and
luxu-
riant lands 7n Poyais,overiowing with milk and honey.
The French police, who are not so delicate, en these
subjects; as we are in England, finding that his High-
t r.e:.3 WAS about to add to the long list of victims he had
already made, sent to arrest him, together with h;s
Secretaries. Two of the latter were secu,e..! ; but his

Highness, being informed by a servant, of what was
passing, had the good luck to escape. His carriages,
it would seem, were seized and sold, a feW days pre-

vious to this event.

A rumour was current in the City on Saturday, that
it has been determined on to appoint immediately a
Minister Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Colombia,
and that Mr. HURTADO, the present Envoy from that
country, will be received in the same rank at the British
Court.— Times.

- -- -- -
At the Beverley Sessions, on Monday last, three
Officers belonging to the Seventh Hussars, pleaded
guilty to an indictment charging them with an assault
on Mr. Dalby of the Beverley Arms Inn, and were
sentenced one to pay a fine of 50/. another 301. and the
third 20/.
Friday, an Inquest was taken at Long Handborough,
Oxfordshire, on view of the body of Maria Whitley,
who was killed by a gun fired by a young man of the
name of John Owen.—The Jury returned a verdict of
Manslaughter against Owen, and the Coroner issued his
warrant for the committal of Owen to the County Jail.
LUDDISM REVIVED.—It is with extreme sorrow
that we have to announce the breaking of two stock-
ing frames at Ruddington, during the night of Sun-
day last ;. one of . which belonged, we understand, to
a manufacturer of this town.—Nottingham Mercury.
CHILD DROPPING--A female child, supposed to be
about three months old, was found in the passage of
No. 7, Little Coram-place, Russell-square, on-the 21st
instant, wrapped in a blanket, and had on a white frock,
white dimity cloak, muslin cap, quilted cotton bonnet,
and pink pinafore. The infant is under the protection,
of the parish of St. George, Bloomsbury, who are
making every inquiry to find out the unnatural mother.
At Durham Sessions, on Wednesday, George Hurls.
pal. and Joseph Addy, were tried for a riot at Sunderland on the
3(1 August, in endeavouring to prevent the seamen from working
a ship out of the river. The riot arose out of the disputes between
the seamen and the ship-owners. The Durham Advertiser con-
tains the trial at great length. Both prisoner* were found Guilty.
The Court sentenced them, George Hudspeth to six, and Josepb
Addy to four months' imprisonment in the House of Correction,
and to be kept to hard labour. John Hall, Turner Wilson, Joseph
Howe, John fonwick, and John Taylor, also charged with being en-
gaged in the riot, and who had severally pleaded guilty, were sen-
tenced—Wilson, Howe, and Hall, to eight, and Feowick and
Taylor to six months' imprisonment, and to be kept to hard labour
in the House of Correction, and to find security for their good
' conduct for six months afterwards.
On Saturday, and for several days previously, indi-
viduals in the City were employed in drawing up and signing re-
quisitions'to the Directors of several of the projected Joint Stock
Companies to refund deposits, which seem to have been advanced
to no purpose. Some Directors, finding that there was no proba-
bility of succeeding in the objects which they had first contem-
plated, returned the whole of the deposits. not even retaining any
thing to pay the expenses which had been fairly incurred.
Mr. PoPt's import and ['sport Guide, comprising
every species of authentic information relative to Shipping, Navi-
gation, and Commerce ; eleventh edition, entirely new modelled
and brought down to the present period ; will be published on the
Ist November, by BALDWIN and Co.