The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-10-30 00:00:00

COLLISION BETWEEN TWO STEAM-BOATS ON

THE HAVRE STATION

We regret to have to announce, that between nine and ten
o'clock on Sunday night, off Dungeness, the Phoenix steamer,
going to, and the Britannia steamer, coming from, Havre,
came into collision, when the Phoenix, being heavily laden,
unfortunately went down. We have the satisfaction, how-
ever, to add, that by the promptitude and exertions of the
captain and seamen of the Britannia, all the passengers and
crew of the Phoenix were saved. We understand the Britan-
nia has received considerable damage. . .

The Britannia, commanded by Captain Stranack, is a
large and powerful steam-ship, belonging to the General
Steam Navigation Company. The Phoenix, commanded by
Captain Lefort, a Frenchman, is the property of a French
company, and was manned by a crew of Englishmen and
foreigners. Both vessels traded regularly between Havre
and London. The Britannia left Havre for London at seven
o'clock on Saturday evening, and the Phoenix got under weigh
from the Tower-stairs soon after nine o'clock on Sunday
morning. The two vessels met at sea, nearly off Dungeness
point, about 8 o'clock on Sunday night. The Britannia was
keeping her course, and she saw the Phoenix approa:hing and
alter her helm. The Britannia at the same time altered her
helm for the purpose of going clear of the Phoenix, which,
however, still kept coming down upon the Britannia. As
soon as the Britannia saw that there was no possibility of
avoiding the Phoenix, the engines were stopped, and the order
given to back astern, but before the latter operation could be
effected, the collision took place, the Britannia striking the
Phoenix just before the paddle-box on the starboard side, the
weakest point of a steam-vessel, and cut her down to the
water's edge. The Phoenix immediately began to fill, and the
boats of both vessels were lowered, and saved the whole of
passengers and crew of the Phoenix, fiho were taken on board
the Britannia, where they were treated with exery kindness,
and brought to London. The Phoenix went down in 35 fa-
thom water, bofore the boats reached the Britannia, and is
irrecoverably lost. Among the cargo were 250 casks of tallow,
15 tons of block tin, bale goods, and other property, worth
at least £15,000, which is now buried in the ocean.
The following account is furnished by the captain of the
Phoenix :

"The Phoenix left London at a quarter past 9 with a cargo of
tallow and other goods. About a quarter past 8, Dungeness
light bearing by the compass distant about three miles, our
course was ordered south-west, and our speed might be 84
or 9 knots an hour, fine weather, the sea smooth, but the
horizon a little hazy. Near the point of Dungeness we saw
several lights of fishing boats, and we steered in a nice man-
ner to avoid them. A few minutes after 9 p.m., we per-
ceived the light of a vessel on the starboard bow, that is to
say, to the windward of us. Orders were given to keep her
away immediately, so as to give her as wide a berth as pos-
sible, and I personally repeated the order to continue to keep
away, not wishing to pass a vessel too close in the night.
" We soon made her out to be a steam-vessel on her lar-
board tack ; but instead of luffing by keeping her to port,
which would have kept her off, she appeared to bear away,
when we were doing the same. We hailed her several times
to luff, and we continued to bear away to leeward, but do
not know whether they tried to do so, and almost imme-
diately the stem of the said vessel struck us abreast the fore
hatchway, about three feet before the main beam on the star-
board side. Our head at this time bore S. or S. by E. The
shock was terrible ; the side of the Phoenix was demolished,
and the Britannia, for we found that was her, came alongside
of us with her larboard side damaged. The paddle-box and
the paddle-box wheel of our larboard side were knocked
away. In a few moments afterwards the Britannia succeeded
in getting clear of us.
" Without confusion, and with the utmost zeal, the crew
immediately took to the pumps, and tried to stop the hole in
the side ; but all their efforts were unavailing. Some minutes
after we had been struck, there was three feet water in the
engine-room ; the pumps worked, but the water gained upon
us very sensibly. It became necessary to lower our boats,
when, together with the Britannia, we succeeded in trans-
porting all our passengers on board that vessel. In the last
boat I embarked the remainder of the crew, who, up to the
last moment conducted themselves with an intelligence, zeal,
and 'obedience, worthy of the highest praise.
" A few moments before quitting the vessel I assured my-
self that no person remained in the cabins. I was the last
person to embark in the boat ; the forepart of the Phoenix
was already immersed up to the foremast. I scarcely had
reached the Britannia when the Phoenix sank, and nothing
appeared on the surface of the water. At that time we were
not more than ten fathoms off. Neither the passengers nor
the crew could save their things, or any part of the cargo.
About twenty minutes past nine p.m. the Britannia struck
us, and at a quarter to ten the Phcenix sank. We were all
received in the Britannia, which also sustained some damage,
nevertheless she continued her voyage to London, and ar-
rived on Monday, the 26th of October, at three quarters
past twelve o'clock."
The passengers of the Phoenix were forty in number, and
they spoke in high terms of the attention paid them on board
the Britannia after the Phoenix went down.