The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-02-23 00:00:00

A FEW THOUGHTS BY A THINKING MAN.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
am just returned from the meeting in Clayton-
square,
and if you have no objection 1 will be your " think-
ing man for this one day only.
" I think," if Mr. Baring, our clever Chancellor of the
Exchequer, had been there, he would, after seeing the hands
held up, in passing the resolution, been inclined to take the
tax off soap.

ithink" two of the speakers told falsehoods, when they
said the meeting consisted of about 12,000 persons.
" I think" a friend and myself measured the ground
outside the mob, and it measured about 35 yards by 25 yards,
but the whole might have stood in about 20 by 20 yards, if
they had stood six persons to the yard, which is generally
computed.
" I think," that reckoning the most, and far more than
there really was, say 35 by 25 yards, and six persons to the
square yard, there would obe about 1)250 ; and reckoning
more correctly, say 20 b nly y
20 yards, there would be about,
what there was, 2100.
" I think," also, that if the persons, friends to the passing
of Lord Morpeth's bill, bad stood uncovered, and others
against it had remained covered, there would have been far
the greater proportion covered ; there certainly was not one-
halt favourable to the meeting.
" I think" the speakers thought it much easier to abuse
the Rev. H. M'Neile than rebut his arguments.
" I think." if a stranger had visited the meeting, he
would have thought it was called to pass a vote of censure
on Mr. M•Neile, and not called about the passing of Lord
Morpeth's bill.
" I think" Sir Joshua Walmsley told an untruth, or a
" genteel invention," when he said 7 or 8000 persons had
signed their petition, and nearly all this morning.
" I think" they were hawking the petition up and down
the dock side on Friday, getting it signed, and signing it for
those who could not write.—l remain, your obedient servant,
20th Feb., 1841. A THINKING MAN.

LIM••••.4..11

Queen Adelaide's Church, nt Malta, for which her Ma-
jesty gave XlO,OOO, is advancing fast to completion : her
Majesty is going to endow a bishopric there.
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION OF GAS AT STOCKPORT.—An ex-
plosion of gas, of a very alarming nature, occurred in the
manufactory of Mr. Charles Axon, of Heaton-lane, Stock-
port, yesterday evening. It appears that a leak had taken
place in the service-pipe which supplies the mill with gas ;
and on some of the handsgoing down with a light to the
lower story, where the pipe enters the mill, a considerable
quantity of gas having escaped,. a most terrific explosion im-
mediately took place. so loud was the report that it was
heard all over the town, and for near a mile beyond it, and
the utmost consternation was excited in all parts of Stock-
port, some attributing the report to an earthquake, and all
being seized with an undefined sort of alarm and apprehen-
sion. The building, which is four stories high, was shaken
in a most violent manner ;. nearly every window was shat-
tered to atoms ; all the lights were extinguished ; a great
deal of the machinery was disarranged ; and the effect was
described, by the bands who were at work in the upper
stories, as similar to their being suddenly lifted up about two
or three feet, and then thrown down again. So far as we
have heard, no lives were lost, nor has any serious injury
been sustained by the hands in the mill, except by one boy,
who was severely hurt. The shock was felt, more or less, in
all the buildings near to the spot.—Manchester Courier' of
Saturday.

AWFUL SHIPWRECK BY COLLISION IN THE

IRISH CHANNEL.

INSTANTANEOUS SINKING OF THE "GOVERNOR FEN-
NER," WITH ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-TWO SOULS
ON BOARD

We have the melancholy duty to furnish a narrative of a
calamity at sea, more awfully sudden and disastrous in its
results than any we have had to record since the commence-
ment of our editorial labours—not even excepting the dread-
ful losses by the storm of the 6th and 7th of January—the
instantaneous sinking, off Holyhead, of a large ship, in con-
sequence of collision with a steamer in the night, with at least
one hundred and thirty-two souls on board, two only of
whom, the captain and mate, were saved—the whole of the
others, men, women, and children, the greater part of whom
were in their beds, being at one fell swoop, hurried from the
slumber of this life into the eternal sleep of death.
The news of the disaster reached this port on Sunday
forenoon, by the steam-vessel with which the ship came in
contact, and which, being in a shattered condition, with heren-
gines rendered unfit for use, was towed into port, from a spot a
short distance from the scene of the fatality, by the Graneuille,
a steamer from Drogheda, belonging to the Drogheda
company. The intelligence rapidly spread in the neighbour-
hood of the docks, and excited a painful interest amongst all
who heard it—and (it may well be believed) shocked the feel-
ings of no inconsiderable number of individuals, relatives or
acquaintances of some of the unfortunate beings who had but
recently taken leave of them in health and spirits, and had,
now met a watery grave, beyond even the hope of their re-
mains being recovered for the performance of the last sad
rites of humanity.

As an event- accompanied by so great a loss of life
naturally leads the public mind to an enquiry into the
cause of the collision, and the possible attachment of
blame to one or other of the navigators of the respec-
tive vessels, and as that cause will probably, from the
nature of the circumstance, never be accurately ascertained,
the only impartial course we can adopt, without imputing
blame to either of the officers or crews, is to furnish the details
we have been enabled to obtain of the loss from the parties
themselves. These are, in our opinion, by no means incon-
sistent with the supposition that no wilful neglect is attribu-
table to the one or to the other—particularly as such neglect
would equally jeopardize both vessels ; and we cannot, there-
fore, but incline to the supposition that the calamity arose
from one of those unforeseen accidents which human foresight
cannot always avert. It appears that the ship, on seeing the
steamer approaching, put her helm a-port, according to the
established rules of navigation when vessels approximate each
other. Whether the steamer did the same, which might (if
done in time) have prevented.the collision, does not clearly
appear. The ship, however, had no light up, and ran on
board of her; and as the night was dark and drizzly, the
most justifiable conclusion seems to be that both got too near
each other before theelanger was sufficiently apparent to em-
ploy effectually the usual means to avoid collision. In pro-
secuting further enquiry into the subject the public, too,
should bear in mind the fact that each party will naturally
endeavour to exculpate themselves, and that on one side we
have but the captain and mate of the ship ; the former was
part owner of the vessel, the latter lost his wife by the disaster,
and both were at their posts in the hour of danger. On the
other side we have as witnesses the whole of the passengers
of the steamer who happened to be on deck, happily none of
whom were lost or injured. With these introductory remarks
we submit the following particulars, to which the public (be-
fore they pronounce their verdict) will doubtless give due and
unbiassed consideration which the serious nature of the sub-
ject demands.
We twice applied yesterday at the office of Mr. P. W.
Byrne, American passenger agent, for a list of the unfortu-
nate passengers on board, and were twice refused, on,the
ground that lie would himself write to the relations of the
parties, and that he would not supply it. We had no inten-
tion of undertaking the painful task of writing to any of the
friends of the deceased ; but we have a duty to perform to the
public, in furnishing the names of those who perished, and
we cannot account for Mr. P. Byrne's refusal to accommo-
date us. The public will, of course, make their own deduc-
tions from the fact. All we shall say is, that Mr. Byrne's
refusal will not, in our opinion, add anything to the respect-
ability of the class of traffickers to which Mr. P. Byrne be-
longs, or to the confidence which the public may attach to
them as agents. Through the politeness of Lieut. Lowe, of
her Majesty's Emigration Office, in Union-street, where a re-
gister of all emigrants is kept, we readily obtained the following
list, and have appended such particulars as we have gathered
from authentic sources elsewhere, of the condition in life
of several of the ill-fated parties. It should be remarked,
that notwithstanding the frequent repetition of the occupation
" labourer," the passengers generally were superior in cir-
cumstances to the usual run of similarly numerous bodies of
emigrants, many of them being respectable farmers and
tradespeople, and a few in easy circumstances; the name
" labourer" being for the most part technical, some desig-
nation being required in law.

PASSENGERS,

William Toms, aged 40; Philip Duffy, 28; and James Tay-
lor, 30, farmers. Benjamin Whitehead, 27; Patrick Gibney,
19 ; John Ashworth, 29 ; James Needham, 33 ; Henry Rya',
34; John Sinclair, 22; Patrick Halley, 36; David Boyd, 24;
Bernard M'Evoy, 23; Thos. Garside, 28; Emanuel Hague,
33 ; John France, 26; Robert Miller, 32 ; James Johnson,
50; John Chiswell, 21; Stephen Kavanagh, 35 ; John M'El-
roy, 26 ; Gordon M'Elroy, 22 ; Patrick Doyle, 18 ; Patrick
Egan, 26; William Corgan, l 3; Henry Watts, 27;
Quayle, 32; John Quayle, 20; Patrick M'Veigh, 31 ; John
M'Evoy, 24; George Twells, 32; John Stokes, 22; John
Reilly, 28 ; Josh. Scholfield, 35 ; Edward Redmond, 30 ;
Richard Faller, 24 ; Andrew Mercer, 23 ; John Kelly, 21 ;
Patrick M'Nally, 2G ; Owen Finnalty, 30 ; William Fitzpa-
trick, 30 ; Philip Tully, 24 ; Dennis Brennan, 26 ; Michael
Murphy, 28 ; John Maher, 23 ; Charles Feeny, 27 ; John
Ryan, 28; James Dolan, 22; Patrick Burke, 30; George
Burgess, 35 ; Abram Wilkinson, 30; Join M'lntyre, 30 ;
John Kelly, 30; and Patt M'Avoy, 24, labourers. Michael
M'Corrtxick, 36, and Henry Wodd.—Mrs. Ryal and infant,
30 ; Elizabeth Ryal, 6 ; Mrs. Halley and infant, 30 ; Mrs.
Boyd, 21; Mrs. Miller, 26; Ellen Quayle, 17; Jane Quayle,
16 ; Mary Ann Quayle, 15 ; Mary M'Veigh, 20 ; Mrs. Red-
mond and infant, 30 ; Joseph Redmond, 4 ; Mrs. M`Nally,
22 ; Mary Tinnan, 26, spinster ; Mrs. Fitzpatrick and in-
fant, 28 ; James Fitzpatrick, 4 ; Jane Fitzpatrick, 50 ; Mary
Tully, 20;. Catherine Grandy and infant, 24-; Margaret
Feeny, 21; Sarah Ryan, 16 ; and Mrs. M`lntyre, 26.

RECAPITULATION
52 Male adults.
3 Ditto children.
18 Female adults.
1 Ditto child.
4 infants.

78 Souls ; equal 711 adults.
Several other passengers, making, it is said, 107 in all
were taken on board after the above list was handed in.

It appears from the Captain's certificate, dated the 18th
instant, and deposited at the same office, that there were on
board twenty-three casks, containing 6,050 gallons of water,
for the supply of the passengers and crew.
The greater number of passengers were Irish. The fol-
lowing are a few particulars of their condition and pursuits :

Mr: Henry Woods was from the neighbourhood of Lan-
caster, in which place he has a wife, and some relatives in,
we learn, the iron trade. He was a fine young man, and
embarked merely with a view of visiting the United States,
and returning with an early vessel to his native country. He
had considerable property on hoard, in clothes and money.
He had taken a berth in the steerage, but preferring better
accommodations in the cabin, he had a few hours before the
disaster paid the captain an additional sum for the use of a
state room, which was being prepared for him when the
steamer came in sight. He was asleep when the collision
took place. There was another genteel young man, whose
name we have not obtained.

A young man, Mr. John Sinclair, (not in the list,) from
the neighbourhood of London, nephew to Mr. Cooper, of
Lord-street, in this town, was amongst those who perished.
He had purposed going out in the Siddons line-ship, but did
not arrive till she was under weigh.

William Thorns, a house carpenter, was on board. His
wife accompanied him to Liverpool, and saw him on board.
Amongst those on board was also a respectable person
named Lynch.

The family of the Quayles (four in number) were from the
north of Ireland. The head of them had before been in Ame-
rica.

Wm. Fitzpatrick, an agricultural labourer, had his wife,
and another female, and two children (one of them an infant)
with him.

Philip Tully, who had with him his wife, (both young peo-
ple) and a child, had been previously five years in Boston.
Mr. Johnson, from the county of Hereford, a practical
farmer, had also before been in America, where, we learn, he
was in possession of about 200 acres of land.
Collins, one of the crew, sailed a few weeks ago in the ship
Robert Berm, which came into collision with a schooner in
the channel. He escaped. He re-embarked in the Gover-
nor Fenner, and was lost in her contact with the Nottingham.
David Boyd, in the list, (and his wife, not in the list) be-
sides Bernard WA.voy, in the list, were of the same party.
There were nine young men--mechanics, from Oldham,
who took each a steerage passage. Owing to the respecta-
bility of their appearance, they were, after embarkation, ad-
mitted, without additional cost, into the second cabin.
There were also on board a family of the name of Rey-
nolds, of England, from a district near Oldham, consisting of
the father, mother, and two children. The passenger named
Scholfield was with them.

John Kelly (in the list), had with him his sister Sarah,
lot, it appears, in the list), _ _

Catharine MOrgan and hvan Morgan, who had embarked,
[eft the vessel before she proceeded to sea.

'We are politely favoured by Messrs. Powell and Travaskiss,
shipping-masters, with the following list of