The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-02-22 00:00:00

back to the scene of the disaster, when, they found the
Queen Victoria had gone down, her masts alone being
visible above water. Twelve or fourteen persons were
clinging to these with all the tenacity of despair. Ralph
and his companions took five off the foremast, and were
proceeding to relieve those upon the mainmast from their
perilous position, when the steward of the Queen Victo-
ria, who was one of them, cried out, " Don't mind us,
my dear fellow, the boats of the Roscommon will pick us
up." On turning round Ralph perceived at a short dis-
tance the Roscommon steamer, the boats of which had
already picked up several persons, and were proceeding as
fast as possible to render further assistance. They soon
arrived at the wreck, and the snow having by this time
ceased, they at once perceived what had happened. The
boats of the Roscommon were lowered without delay,
and proceeded to the wreck, where they took off the men
who were clinging to the mainmast, and rescued others
who were then struggling in the water. A little child was
picked up, its body vet warm ; but all efforts to restore
animation failed. Mr. Ralph and those whom he bad
saved and landed on the rocks were also picked up by the
Roscommon's boats, and the greatest attention was
shown to the sufferers on board that vessel. All of them
had suffered intensely from the wet, cold, and fatigue
which they had endured, and many were reduced to the
lowest stale of mental and physical prostration. About
45 persons were rescued in this manner, of whom 7 were
females, and they were safely landed at Kingstown by the
captain of the Roscommon. The entire number saved
amounts to 53. of whom 20 belonged to the crew.
When the Queen Victoria first struck, about ten or
twelve of the passengers and crew scrambled over her
bows upon the rocks, and eight of them succeeded in ob-
taining a footing. They were afterwards brought by the
police into the town of Howth, and from thence forwarded
by railway to Dublin, where they arrived in a most deplor-
able condition from exhaustion and exposure.
The evidence given at the inquest confirms the fore-
going account of the disaster in all its essential features.
All the witnesses at the inquest concur in stating that the
Bailey Light was not discernible until the vessel had been
backed out into deep water after the collision. To give a
list of the cases of individual affliction from the loss either
of relatives or of property would be to enumerate not
only the survivors from the wreck, but the relatives of the
lost. One poor man, named John Reardon, who had in-
vested a considerable sum in a speculation of cheese, and
was returning from Liverpool to the Dublin market with
it, lost his young wife and infant child. The case of
Roger M'Manus, of Wicklow, is even more painful and
distressing. He held a small farm near Hacketstown,
but the distress of the times having caused him to turn
his thoughts to the United States, lie had saved a sum of
money for the purpose of enabling him to go there. Ac-
cordingly, accompanied by his wife and three children, he
reached here a few days ago, with a view of taking their
departure from this port for America ; but, alas r his little
savings were not sufficient to defray the expenses of the
passage, he was compelled to return to Ireland, and, in a
few hours after his departure, he was an eye-witness of
the death of all his family. When the vessel went down
he bravely battled with the waves for nearly half-ao-hour
in endeavouring to save his wife, who was enceinte, and
had clinging to her bosom her youngest child, but he was
at length compelled to loose his hold of her and allow her
to perish. Every one of the other survivors had his own
tale of suffering and distress to tell.
7. The waybill gives a total of 105 persons as the number
that left Liverpool, but several more went on board with-
out taking tickets, or after the pay-clerk left the vessel.
The list of cabin passengers gives the names of Mr. and
Mrs. Walshe, Mr. Lipman, Mrs. Scott, Miss Arthur, and
three or four whose names are not known.
The sea on Saturday carried the hull about 200 verde
from the shore. It lies on a level bottom, and, should
the weather continue moderate, there is no immediate
likelihood of its breaking up. No more bodies have been,
recovered, nor any property of value. Some boxes have-
been washed away at Bray strand.

TERRIFIC SNOW STORM.

LOSS OF LIFE.-STOPPAGE OF THE MAILS.

The recent severe weather, which has continued for
nearly a week, with all the intensity of an extremely cold
winter, has not been equalled, at least in this country, for'
many years. The wind still prevails from the piercing
quarter of NNE, and there is every indication of the frost
continuing with increased severity. In the course of
Saturday accounts were received at the General Post
Office, St. Martin's-/e-Grand, of a heavy fall of snow
having taken place on Thursday evening and Friday morn.'
ing in almost all parts of the country, which rendered
many of the important lines of railway perfectly impassable.
The mail trains were blocked up, and in several instances
they were not extricated for twelve or more hours, and
even then the bags had to be conveyed by cross-roads to
their destinations. Scarcely a county seems to have es-
caped the storm, and in places where the snow has drifted,
its depth is enormous, such as cuttings and tross-roads,
to the extent of some twenty feet. In the northern dis-
tricts the storm was accompanied by thunder and light-
ning, while the aurora borealis shone luminously in the
heavens, all prognosticating more severe weather. The
fall on Thursday visited the counties bordering on the
eastern and northern coast to such an extent as to cause
an obstruction to all traffic. Stretching from Essex
through Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Dur-
ham, Northumberland, &c., the snow came down
in a general mass. Communications with villages were
cut off, and much mischief arose. In the vicinity of Nor-
wich the fall was very considerable ; the snow lay in the"
streets several feet in depth, and the mail train, which
should have reached that city from London at half-past
two on Friday morning, did not arrive until late in the
afternoon, more than twelve hours behind its time. It
appears that the snow drifted on the Eastern Counties-
line, in the neighbourhood cf Brandon, to a great depth.
After numerous efforts to get along the engine was"
brought to a complete block, the carriages being embedded"
almost half their height in the drift. In this position the
train could not proceed for many hours. Gangs of nave-
gators were procured as soon as possible to cut a passaq,
and it was only after the above detention that the mall
could proceed. The inhabitants of the fen country are
in a most distressing condition. The ground is covered
with several feet of snow, which, obscuring the tracks to
the main roads, renders an attempt to travel very danger-
ous. A respectable baker, named George Lamb, living
in \Vhittlesey, lost his life in that way. He mistook his;
road, fell into a river with his horse and cart, and
was drowned. Several eessels were lost off \Visbeacb
during the snow storm. They were unable to distinguish
their bearings, went ashore and were wrecked.
Throughout Lincolnshire, and far extending into the
Midland Counties, the snow appears to have fallen heireilYo
and, as in other parts, the railways and cross roads-were
for a time impassable. Further northward the fall seems
to have baen more severe, and all communication.with
York by means of its various railways was discovered on
Friday morning to be blocked up by huge driftings „
snow. The mail train, which should leave that city Oa
London at two did not get away until eight o'clock, and
even then could make but small progress. Numerous
gangs of men were employed in clearing the lines."
much inconvenience was occasioned to the traffic..
~
The Hull and Scaeborough line and the Market eigh-
ton line were rendered impassable. Towardsthe weather was, if anything, worse, and
venience has been. experienced in the neighbourhood.
Somei es of the the great Durhaminc
o n
i !
nearn. Newcastleg required four or five
e
Should the frost continue,
the' numerous Beet of colliers in the Lyne rill be frozen
engines
ttraina themaalong.
in. From all parts of the country similar accounts have
been received. The intelligence from the French coast,
announces the snow to be falling fast, and the line of
railway from Calais to Boulogne to be mucheebstructed.