The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-04-24 00:00:00

WRECK OF THE SI-HP "ATHABASCA."

The following Report of the Marine Surveyor on the above
melancholy occurrence, was this d read in the Dock Commit-
tee, and directed to be inserted in /Fe Liver )1 papers.
By order. "
DANIL ASON, Secretary.
Dock Office, April 19, 1838.

MARLNE SURVEYOR'S OFFICE, April 18,,1838.
had the si,iiisfactien of including. in my last Monthly
-Report the alertheia of our Life Boats on the 22d and 2-3 d
ult. I have now to repOet that Our_Western Life Boat, "Point
of Air," has signalized herself in rescuing the Clew of Sloop
Elizabeth, on the 16th instant; and in most persevering exer-
tions to save the CreW of the shin Athabasca of Whitby, Stephen
Neslield, master, one unite and twelve seamen, which was ob-
a;erved on shore,at the back of West Hoyle yesterday morning,
the boat succeeded :in reaching the inner margin of the bank
when belle mile of dry sand extended between them and the
ship. To haul their boat over was impossible, but the boat's
crew calculated upon launching onward two smaller boats
which had been driven upon the top of the bank; they proved,
however, to be both stove. The boat's clew then
,proceeded to
the line of breakers which divided them about 300 yards from
the wreck, from whence they counted nine men. The only
chance left was to pick up any one who might come on a spar
thronghthe breakers, or force the Life-boat through the mitts
soon as the tide had risen sufficiently; but when this °Ceuta ed,
the lone, extending breakers thr.tatened instant destruction, and
obliged them to beat'
.up for self-preservation.; and, at the time
of my information closing, Mr. Dawson, of Gronant, was re-
freshing them, and, 'by every means, stimulating another at-
tempt, on the turn of the tide, in case any one of the forlorn
crew might be able to cling to the wreck over which the sea had
been making clean lireaces.
During the unavailing exertion of the Point of 'Air boat, the
Hoylake Life-boat had failed in reaching the same position,
where, however, she would have been equally cut off froth coin-
tunnication. Whilst these combined efforts were hut imper-
fectly known to us in Liverpool, it suggested itself, that if the
Magazine Life-boat would be towed out to the back of West
-Hoyle she might succeed. The unreasonableness of expecting
any boat to stand the breaching of sea which the weather side of
West Hoyle bank presents in a gale, and which was overwhelm-
ing a ship from 3 to 400 tons, or that she could exist under a
towing process across a furious sea for 15 'miles; all was lost
sight of for a moment. and Captain Chappell,' R.N., acgdiesced
in the mail-boat rendering that service; fortunately, however,
the Master of the boat at the Magazines saw the insurmount-
able difficulties, or we might have to add eight more seamen to
the loss of the day, however laudable the design. And it may
be judged, Sir, what was to he contended with, when Mr. Perry,
agent to the Dublin Steam Company, told Mr. Willis, (of Chap-
man and Willis,) and Mr. Tomlinson, (of Kerr, Imrie, and
C 0.,) that not one of their steamers would leave the port on the
usual voyage; and on being pressed to allow a vessel to tow
out the Life-boat, alluding to comoeusatiou, Mr. Perry said,
" If five hundred pounds were offered, he could not entertain it
after the consultation he had had with one of their experienced
commanders." I should also observe, Sir, that Mr. Willis
consulted the most persevering of the Steam Tug Masters, and
he held out not a shadow of hope or practicability. I refer to
these particulars of anxiety to send assistance to the distressed
ship, even in the face of two other Life-boat stations in the re-
gion from Liverpool, in order to mitigate the lamentation we
must all labour under, but which would be unspeakably aggra-
vated it' an impression existed, that more could or ought to have
been done, or by systematic arrangements of the establishments
at either the Magazines, Hoylake,,,nr Point of Air, enough had
not been provided for. Without,' however, anticipating this
fatal ca4e'as being on the defence, I consider thus much and the
following due to the Duck Committee, and a community whose
humane sensitiveness is proverbial; therefore it may, in propor-
tion as 'my opinion (and exertions to render this part of my
charge efficient) may be esteemed, tend to disabuse the present
excitement, if .1 assert upon the. conscience, and experience,
and feelings of a brother sailor, that, if the Life-boats_ had pos-
sessed capacities hitherto unheard of, and had the facilities of
the most powerful steamers been at command, nothing more
could have been done;' for to have towed any boat to the wea-
ther-side of the bank (supposing it possible for any hoist to have
lived under the operation,) would hare been positively sending
a boat into instant destruction; in fact, the case was one of"
utter helplessness, and defying all or any succour. The obser-
vations of a most active officer and seaman, Mr..oherwood; of
Hoylake, are th!is:—" The ship (being dismasted) was not seen
till eight a.m., four hours' ebb: the Hoylake boat was on her
way full manned in seventeen minutes; they reached that part
of the Welsh channel (never daring to go down tielbre awash
to the weather side of the Hoyleyabreast of Point of Air, at I t
a.m, ; they rowed on till abreast of Pipeclay Gutter (hoping to
do at least what Point of Air boats had thine) they were obliged
to.anchor, and only gave it up when the wreck was completely
covered, and the bank outside would not afford protection."—
He adds, " I never on any occasion saw the crew more active
and persevering to save their fellow-men.
It will impart some of the reconciling feeling I entertain, Sir,
if I state, that in the last three years this is the only case of our
boats not succeeding in that which they have set out about.
And this case will appear to any gentleman, as to ale, an impos-
Tilde one, if he examines the chart I now lay on your table, with
the tracks of the boats and the, positiOn of the wreck. On the
other hand, you will perceive, Sir, by a counterpart of the Life-
boat. return, laid before the COmmittee at the close of last year,
that our boats its 1836 assisted 23 vessels and saved 66 lives; in
1837, assisted 9 vessels and saved 9 lives, in no case failing in
reaching a vessel once seen in distress, or a single person who
would avail himself of their presence.
I am, Sir, with much deference,' •
Your obedient Servant,
11.. M. DEN HAM, Capt. R.N.
Marine Surveyor.
To the Chairman of the Dock Committee.

P.S.—Since the foreeoing, Sir, I am informed that the effici-
ency of the Life-boats as to the rapacity and fitments, and sort
of crew has been impugned ; and that had the Point of Air boat
been of better construction, she would not have failed by filling
and becoming water-logged. To this I have only to reply, that
the Boat did reach, and dwelt for hours at the spot purposed to
be reached, and where no other Boat would have lingered
longer, or haveoutreached ; and so far from tilling, retarding,
or dismaying the efforts, she returned again, though the tide of
flood had done its devastating work. With reference to the
crew, the thirteen at novlake are hardy boatmen, so the eight
at Magazines. The eleven at Formby are boatmen and fisher-
men by nature, 1 may say—all the best characters in the neigh-
bourhood! Whilst the Point of Air Crew, of eight, have be-
longed to the boat long enough to make them boatmen, (inde-
pendent of their anophibiOns habits,) the least time served by
them being five years, and the two-thirds of them eleven years
—all of the best character, and who never flinched or failed
where possibility presented itself, and lest it may be a assumed a
failure on the 22nd ult., when the crew of the sloop (Swan, of
Glasgow) at anchor, two miles of lihyl, saved themselves—
seven in number—in their own Boat, from the advantage of ha-
!(-) run to leeward, whilst the Life-boat was endeavouring to
the teeth of the wind and long surf. I have to advance
reason of exoneration that a seaman can require, if enough
herein combined

wing t
go in
every
is not

H. M. DENHAM.

-<l-

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MERCHANTS' TEA COMPANY, •
44, GREAT GEORGE'S-STREET,
NEAR ST. JArdps's MARKET, LIVERPOOL.
1/ESSRS. ORCHARD and GILBERT, in soliciting the
LIT attention of Families and the Public ti) the New Selec-
tiongi
of BLACK and GREEN TEAS purchased by them dur-
ing their recent Visit to London, be t state, that they feel
confident, that, in point of Price, Excel cc, and Flavour, not
a Wise in the Liverpool trade can ente into competition with
them in the various articles in their Stock. ,
Messrs. Orchard and Gilbert, having for many rears devoted
the Whole.of their time and attention to the Tea-Trade, are en-
abled, from their experience, to make the best possible purchas-
es; and they feel convinced that, during the late sales, they
have laid in such a Stock as those who may honour them with
their commands will find worthy of attention.
THE STOCK CONSISTS OP
BLACK TEAS and
GREEN TEAS of every description.
COFFEE. •
- SUGAR,
SPICES. • -
The HONG MIXTURE, which has now established for its
self a lasting reputation, is still offered by Orchard and Gilbert
at the usual.price, ' in pound and half-pound packages at 6s.
per lb.

DENSHAW-STREET MARBLE WORKS.
ryiIHTMAS MOFF111: and Co be most respectfully to re-
_ll turn their sincere thanks for the liberal support which they
have received front the Nobility, pylitry, Architects, and
Tradesmen of Liverpool and its n4,,hbourhood, since their
commencement at the above Works, and which has induced
them to make very considerable alterations in their Premises,
in order to enable them to meet their extensive and increasing
business.
Their great increase of orders makes it almost unnecessary
to say that they are enabled to compete with any Establishment
in the Kingdom.
Monuments, Tombs, Tablets,_ &c., for home or abroad, exe-
cuted on the shortest notice. Designs sent to any part of the
United Kingdom.