The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-09-18 00:00:00

WRECK OF THE FORFARSHIRE STEAMER.

LOSS OF FORTY LIVES.

• (From the Newcastle Journal.)
We have this week to place on record the mournful details
of one of the most calamitous events that has ever occurred
in connexion with transit by steam on this difficUlt and dan-
gerous coast. Early on Saturday, the intelligence reached
as that the Forfarshire steamer, from Hull to Dundee, had
been wrecked on the Fern Islands, and that nearly the whole
of the passengers on board had perished. The accouut pro-
duced the deepest sensation in the town, but beyond this me-
lancholy fact few particulars could be obtained. From in-
quiries made on the spat, we are now enabled to publish the
following authentic account of the sad and mournful event.
The Forfarshire Steamer, a vessel of about 300 tons bur-
den, under the command of Air. John Humble, formerly
master of the Neptune of this port, sailed from Hull, on her
voyage to Dundee, on the evening of Wednesday the fifth
instant, about half-past six o'clock, along with the Pegasus
and lnnisfail for Leith. Previous to leaving Hull the boilers
had been examined, and a small leak closed up; but when
off Flamboro' Head, the leakage re-appeared, and con-
tinued for about six hours, not however to any extent, as the
pumps were able to keep the vessel quite dry. The engine-
man, Allan Stewart, who furnished these particulars, also
states that he had frequently seen the boiler as bad as it was
on this occasion. The fireman, Daniel Donavan, however,
represents the leakage as considerable, so great that two of
the fires were extinguished, but were re-lighted after the
boilers had been partially repaired. This person in his ex-
amination before the coroner, Stephen Reed, Esq., on Tues-
day, stated that he considered the vessel to be in so dangerons
a state lion) this cause, that he would have given all he pos-
sessed to have been -put on shore, and would have swain
ashore if he had been able. James Keely and Thomas Bu-
chanan corroborated the evidence of Donovan, as to the state
of the boiler, they having been engaged by the master and
mate to pump water into it. The progress of the vessel was
of course retarded, and three steam vessels passed her before
she had proceeded far. The unusual bustle on board the
Forfarshire, inconsequence of the state of the boilers, at-
tracted the notice of several of the passengers, and Airs.
Dawson, a steerage passenger, who is one of the survivors,
states that even before the vessel left-Hull, so strong was her
impression, from indications on board, that " all was not
right," that if her husband, who is a glassman, triad come
down to the packet in time she would have returned with
him on shore. The testimony of these witnesses render the
fact of the inefficient state of the boilers of the Forfarshire
perfectly obvious. Great responsibility rests somewhere;
but we hasten to relate the progress of the nsonrnful catas-
trophe.

In this inefficient state the vessel, with about sixty indi-
went from the kind .embraces of relatiVes and friedirs—" the
glorious main expanding o'er the view"—and in a'few short
hours the gurgling waters rolled over their frail bark and
swept them to a grave " unknelled, uncoffined, and un-
known." The vessel proceeded on her voyage, and passed
through the "Fairway," between the Fern Islands and the
land, about six o'clock on Thursday evening. She entered
Berwick bay about. eight o'clock on the saute evening, the
sea running high, and the wind blowing strong from the
NNE. From the motion of the vessel the leak increased to
such a degree that the firemen could not keep the fires burn-
ing. Two men were then employed to pump water into the
boilers, but it escaped from the leak as fast as they pumped
it in. About ten o'clock she bore up off St. Abb's bead, the
storm still raging with unabated fury. The engines soon
after became entirely useless, and the engine man reported
that they would not work. There being great danger of
drifting ashore, the sails'Were hoisted fore and aft, and the
vessel got about in order to get her before the wind, and
keeps her off the land. No attempt was made to anchor.
The vessel soon became unmanageable, and the tide setting
strung to the south, she Qroceeded in that direction. It rained
heavily during the whole time, and the fog was so dense that
it became impossible to tell the situation of the vessel. At
length breakers were discovered close to leeward, and the
Fern lights, which about the same period became visible, re-
lieved all doubt as to the imminent danger of all on board.
An attempt was made to run the vessel between the Fern
Islands, but she refused to answer her helm, and at three
o'clock on Friday morning she struck with tremendous force
against the outer or Long-stone island.
A portion of the crew, intent only on self-preservation, had
lowered the larboard quarter boat down, and left the ship.
Amongst them was the first mate, James Duncan, who has
since published his own version of the affair, which we find
it contradicted by the evidence of some of the witnesses on
the inquest, and reflects small credit on himself as a seaman.
The stroke of the vessel on the rock was regarded as the sig-
nal ofdeath. The master lost all self-possession, and his wife,
who was on board with him, sought in cries of anguish and
despair the protection which alas he could not extend. The
cries of ferrales on deck mingled with the roaring of the ocean
and the screams of the wild fowl disturbed from their resting
place, whilst the men, clinging to the vessel, awaited in si-
lence their inevitable fate. Most of the cabin passengers
were below, and many of them asleep in their berths. As soon
as the vessel struck, the steward ran down and gave an alarm,
but one passenger only, namely, Mr. Rutbven Ritchie, Hill
of Rut h ven, Perthshire, was saved. On being awoke he arose
instantly and seizing his trowsers rushed upon deck • from
whence, observing the sailors leaping into the boat, he with
an extraordinary effort by means of a rope swung himself into
it, and was thus miraculously preserved. The uncle and aunt
of this gentleman made a desperate effort to get into the boat
just as it was leaving the wreck, and in endeavouring to leap
on board, fell into the sea and perished in his sight. He had
nothing on ad the time he was in the boat, but a shirt and a
pair of trowsers ; and his employment whilst in it was baling
out the water with a pair of shoes for a howskelly. The escape
of the boat was remarkable. There was only one outlet by
which it could escape being dashed by the breakers against
the island, and that outlet was taken without the parties being
aware of it. The boat's crew passed' through the mighty cur-
rent uninjured, and after being exposed in an open boat all
night were picked up about eight o'clock on Saturday morn-
ing by a Montrose sioor, and carried into Shields. Mr. Ritchie
had fortunately some sovereigns in the pockets of his trowsers
which he brought out of the cabin, and these enabled him to
procure clothes soon after being landed. The following is a
list of the crew and passengers brought into Shields; John
Marton, second mate, James Hill, Alexander Murray, Robert
Fox, Allan Stewart, engineer, James Hall, coal-trimmer,
David Grant, Rut hven Ritchie, farmer, and James Duncan,
first mate. Mr. Ritchie proceeded to 13ainburgh to enquire
into the fate of his fellow passengers; and theme he went to
Edinburgh on his way home, to communicate the melan-
choly intelligence to his friends. The mate and some othe r
of the crew reached Dundee on Tuesday. Let us now return
to those who were left upon the wreck.
The vessel struck aft the paddle boxes, and not above three
minutes after the few survivors had rushed upon deck, a second
shock separated her into two parts—the stern, quarter-deck,
and cabin, being instantly carried away with all upon them
through a tremendous current called the Piper Gut, which is
dangerous even in temperate Weather, running between the
islands at the rapidity of six miles au hour, anti in tempestu-
ous weather becomes terrific, whilst the tore part of the vessel
remained fast on the rock. The Captain stuck to the wreck,
till washed overboard with his wife in his arms, and both were
drowned.

The situation of the few passengers who remained nn the
fore part of the vessel was perilous in the extreme. Placed
on a small sock, surrounded by the sea which threatened to
engulph them, and their companions having but just before
been swept away from them, they were clinging to life whilst
all hope of relief was sinking within them, and crying tur
help whilst the tempestuous. billows drowned their feeble
shrieks and defied at their puny efforts to escape. Their
cries, however, were not unheard. Their shouts of distress
fell upon the ear of Miss Grace Horsley Darling, who, with
her father, Mr. William Darling, occupies the outer Fern
Light-house. She awakened her parent, and at day-break
he launched his boat and prepared to proceed to their rescue.
The state of the tide and of the weather was such as to ren-
der any attempt to reach the wreck extremely dangerons;-
and the father, oho bad never before known the quailings of
fear, was loath in such a tremendous gale to rush, as he con-
sidered, on certain death. After watching the wreck for
some time, they discovered, from some movement, that living
beings were still clinging to it, and the gallant female, who
partook of her father's generous sympathy, as she acknow-
ledged the relationship of flesh and blood, with matchless in-
trepidity seized the oar and entered the boat. This was
enough, the gallant parent followed, and, with the assistance
of the fair sailor, conducted the frail skiff over the foaming.
billow to the spot where the wreck appeared. By a danger-
ous and desperate effort the father was landed on the•rock,
and the frail coble, to preserve it from beingdashed to pieces,
was rapidly rowed back amosig the awful abyss of waters,
and kept afloat by the skilfulness and dexterity of this noble-
minded young. woman. At length the whole of the survivors,
consisting of five of the crew and four of the deck passengers,
were taken from the wreck, and conveyed to the lighthouse,
where the same tender hand administered to their wants,
and anxiously for three days and three nights waited on the
sufferers, and soothed their afflictions. By the assistance of
the crew, they were enabled to bring the coble and its bur-
then to the Long-stone Island. It is impossible to speak
in too high terms of this unparalleled act of bravery and dis-
interestedness. The cloud of evening would to some have
precluded the remotest hope of rendering assistance if ever
so inclined; and the breaking forth of morning over the
ocean foam, tossed high in wild confusion, whilst the ele-
ments in fierce contention rolled their tempestuous fury over
land and sea, would have presented a barrier apparently in-
surmountable by human energy. There was no hope of re-
ward to stimulate to brave exertion—no encouraging plaudit
to awaken emulation. =Danger presenteditself in a thousand
different forms on every hand—there the current running
with fearful impetuosity, or the eddy whirling and engulph-
ing all within its reach—mountains of water bursting in wild
confusion, or the tempest sweeping the spray from the billow
as it rolled it along. From her isolated abode this intrepid
woman rushed forth under the promptings of humanity, and
hastened through the scene of desolation and danger, re-
gardless of her own life that she might save the life of others.
This perilous achievement—unexamnled in the feats of fe-
male fortitude—was witnessed by the survivors in silent
wonder, and down the weather-beaten cheek of an old sea-
man stole the big round tear when he beheld from the wreck
the noble exertions of a young female of slender appearance,
buffetting the storm and pet-Ming her life for their preserva-
tion. The main land could not be reached, front the state-of
the weather, till Sunday, and during the whole of this time
the attentions of the heroine were indefatigable. Mr. Dar-
ling has lived on the island for some years, and has on many
occasions been instrumental in saving life and property when
precautionary measures were unavailable. The names of the
individuals saved from the wreck of the Forfarshire, by Mr.
Darling and his daughter, are—John Kidd, fireman, of Dun-
dee; Jonathan Ticket, cook, of Hull; John Macqueen, coal
trimmer, Dundee; John Tullock, carpenter, Dundee; John
Nicholson; fireman, Dundee, of the crew. D. Donovan,
fireman, and free passenger, of Dundee; James Keely,
weaver. Dundee; Thomas Buchanan, baker, Dundee; Mrs.
Dawson, bound to Dundee, passengers. The entire number
saved is eighteen, of_ whom thirteen belonged to the vessel,
and five were passengers. The remainder of those on board
perished.
The wreck of the steamer was seen from North Sunder-
land on Friday morning about six o'clock, when signals
were hoisted and guns fired immediately, but men could nut
-be found to go off in the life boat. After some delay seven
persons volunteered their services, and set out in a four-oared
coble. The boat shipped several seas in the course of her
perilous voyage, and on their way they spoke the Liverpool,
steam vessel of London, going north, and requested the Cap-
tain to proceed to the wreck, offering. at the same time to
pilot the vessel, as they could easily have done, to within a
few yards of the lee of the rock in seven fathoms water. Tbe
Captain however declined, and the men in the coble after
much exertion succeeded in reaching the wreck. They found
three,bodies; one of them dressed in black, apparently about
-10 years of age, who, from papers found on his person is sup-
posed to be the Rev. John Robb. of Dunkeld The other
two were brother an,d sister, the tiny eleven, the girl eight
years of age, and children of Mrs. Dawson, who was saved
by the exertions of Mr. Darling and his daughter. They
also took a quantity of copper and some light articles which
would soon have been washed away. The storm raged with
unabated fury, and in attempting to return, they were com-
pelled to put in at Longstone Light-house, which they reach-
ed with much difficulty, where they were obliged to remain
two days and two nights in a temporary building, the waves
occasionally bursting in and obliging them to seek shelter in
the Light-house tower, which was occupied by Mr. and Miss
Darling; and the persons they had saved from the wreck.
They made another attempt to reach North Sunderland on
Sunday, hut they were obliged to run in at Beadnel, where
they remained till the following day. They visited the wreck
on Monday, and found the body of an Irishman, named John
Gailehar, who lately resided at Dundee.
The names of the meritorious individuals who ventured
their lives from .North Sunderland are as follows :—William
Robson, James Robson, Michael Robson, William Swan,
Brooks Darling, (brother to Miss Darling,) Thomas C:nth-
bertson, and Robert Knox, of North Sunderland. They
behaved most gallantly. The wreck was discovered from
Bamburgh Castle early on Friday morning, when a signa,