The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-04-02 00:00:00

THE CALEDONIA,

We feel much pleasure in giving publicity to the following
address to Captain M'Kellar, by the passengers on board the
steam-ship Caledonia, on her last outward voyage to Halifax
from this port :

TO CAPT. M`ICELLAR.
On board the steam-ship Caledonia, at sea,
near Halifax, 18th March, 1841.
Dear Sir,—We, the undersigned passengers on board the
Caledonia, think it due to you and to the owners, as we are
about to enter the port of Halifax, where several of us will
leave you, to express our opinion of your.ship, and of the
manner in which she has been conducted on the present voyage.
With the exception of about two days, since we left the
British Channel the winds have been constantly adverse, ge-
nerally dead a-head. We have encountered a storm unex-
ampled for violence and continuance in the memory of the
oldest sailor on board. In a few minutes after it first struck
our ship, a new foresail of the strongest canvass was torn to
atoms ; not a stitch of further sail could be set without the
certainty of having it instantly blown away. The sea rose in
mountain-waves, and was lashed into a sheet of boiling foam,
which was carried through the sky like snow-drift, ob.
scuring the whole horizon. For upwards of six hours the
tempest raged with unabated fury, and was sustained by
our good ship in a manner which surprised every expe-
rienced person on board. Notwithstanding this violent • storm, however, and continued adverse heavy seas, we have
made the passage from Liverpool to Halifax in fourteen days,
a passage, we believe, quite unexampled under such circum-
stances. These facts speak for themselves, and cannot, we
think, fail to confirm and heighten the confidence of the pub-
lic in this line of steam navigation. Permit us further to say
to you, that we have been much pleased with the government
of your ship ; while the unostentatious but deep respect paid
to religion, the quietness as well as decision of all your orders,
the total absence of all noise, blustering, and Confusion, your
uniform equanimity and politeness, and your coolness and
courage in the hour of danger, will not soon be forgotten by
us. We beg, then, to tender to you, sir, our thanks for all
your attentions, together with the assurance of our esteem.
And we are respectfully, dear, sir,
Your most obedient servants,
Dixon,
ursoniu, iPatn. Ssumthiethr:
l
George Simpson, M. King, John A. Brown, Robert No.
ble, Alexander Dale, J. W.
E.
G e tt D.
s .1101 n
nejea' J.rles Congreve, Edward M. Hopkins,
Alexanderand, Geor George t
e 0
,v Ma‘llKh d
D. Pope, James Alison, G. J. Fox, jun., Thomas Sellar,
William S. Christie, James Maginnis, C. Michelles, Asa
Millard, William Row, Capt. J. H. Griffith, Royal Artillery ;
Archibald Grienshields, Alexander Bertram, H. P. Paulin,
A. Von. Schelt, Alexander Rowans, James Dougal, L.
Burdett, Allan Schisoner, Thomas Jackson, Richard. John.
son, &c., &C.

A CHILD LOST.--Q 0 Monday last, the 29th ult., about
one o'clock, a fine little boy of three years old, named
Edward Fagan, strayed away, or was taken from Chissenhall-
parents reside, and has not since been
h
fair complexion, with brown hair, and
s teraeredt where
H e his s f
had on at the time a new check pinafore, with long sleeves
and falling collar, brown stuff frock, plaid trowsers, leather
boots, brown stockings, and no cap. He was known amongst
his playmates as " Neddy" Fagan, and has a sight im-
pediment in his speech. Any information will be thankfully
received by bis parents. His father is employed at Mr.
Berry's foundry,

MELANCHOLY ACCIAENT ON-THE RIVER

On Tuesday evening last a collision took place between a
small open boat and a steamer, on the river, by which two
lives (so far as is yet known) were lost, and a considerable
number of persons escaped. The following particulars are
derived chiefly from the evidence taken at the coroner's in-
quest, held before Mr. Curry on Wednesday, on one of the
bodies--that of a young woman.
About half-past six o'clock Cuthbert Crawford, a boat-
man, and owner of a gig or boat of 22 feet long, took a pas-
senger on board of the ship Helen, lying at anchor off Pluck-
ington Bank. After the passenger got on board, Crawford
was told that some of the passengers wished to go on shore,
and he accordingly waited for them. In about three quarters
of an hour several persons, including a female, got' into the
boat, and they left the ship and pulled towards the pier. The
boatman's son was with him, a lad of 14 years of age, and
another man pulled one of the oars, and they steered towards
George's pier. The Vale of Clwyd steam-packet was lying
at anchor between them and the shore. When passing her
they saw the light of a steamer approaching them, though
they could not distinguish the hull. The boat was then from
200 to 300 yards off George's pier. It was darkish at the
time, and observing the steamer still nearing, the helm was
put a-port in order to avoid her. The steamer was then 100
to 150 yards distant, and still coming up. The boatmen im-
mediately stood up and hailed the steamer, and the passen-
gers did the same. The steamer still, however, approached
rapidly upon them, and the boatmen and passengers again
shouted as loud as they could. They saw a man standing
on the paddle-box. The parties in the boat meantime pulled
as hard as they could to get out of the way ; but the steamer
came up, struck the boat on the bow, and the stancheons of
of the steamer struck her on the stern. The paddles of the
steamer were not stopped until she struck the boat. Just
as she struck some of the passengers in the boat stood up,
and the larboard quarter went into the water. Crawford
immediately jumped overboard to clear the paddles, and the
boat, which was •then nearly full of water, sunk. After
swimming about for some time, he was picked up by a boat
that was dropping down the river. Immediately afterwards
be heard his boy calling out " father," and got the men to
back the boat, when he saw some persons in the water. He
took hold of two of them, and held them up till they were
drawn into the boat. One of them was his son. The steam.
boat that run them down was the Nun, Woodside iron boat.
The only way the small boat could avoid the steamer was,
in his opinion, by putting the helm a-port and steering up
the river.
John Barry, a young farmer who had taken his passage in
the Helen, for Australia, was at the time in the boat , in which
there were, as nearly as he could calculate, about 16 or 17
persons, but he had not counted them. He saw the light of
the steamer approaching them, but not the hull. In about
two minutes more he saw her hull, and could plainly see two
or three persons on board--ne of them on te addle-bx. Those in the boat shoutedo out. The collision threw him
backwards in the water. He caught hold of the gunwale as
soon as he could. The boat was full of water, and every per-
son appeared to be out of her. He got into her again, but
she sunk from under him, and he then took to swimming.
He saw the heads of several persons rise to the surface of the
water. At this moment he caught hold of the two oars of
the boat; but soon after seeing t
lin in fli
water, and paddling with their
hands ams eifnthey strugwg drown-
ing, drown-
t
ing, he pushed the oars towards them. Directly afterwards m
he saw the young female,
Mar
yShe was struggling on the top of the
water a few yards froma him,
and he made for her and got
hold of her shoulder, but as there was a swellnd at supported her as well as he could,
time, and the water had nearly
overcome him in his efforts to hold her up, he let go his hold,
and she went down. He was carried away a short distance
by the tide, and directly after the female again rose to the
surface. He again got hold of her,
but as there was
a man struggling in the water close by him, whom he
was afraid 'of getting holdofmissed his hold
him, e
of the deceased and got away. He then made for a
boat a little way off and got into it. When brought to the
pierhead, he was informed that a young woman, who had
been taken out of the water, had just been carried away by
some policemen. He went after them to a public-house close
by, where he recognised her. She appeared to recognise
him. He assisted a female and a police•officer in stripping
her, putting and her in blankets. She was placed sitting, on
a sofa; appeared to make great lament, and water was run-
ning from her mouth. A doctor was soon in attendance,
and administered a little brandy and water. She appeared
to recover greatly, and he went away to get his clothes
changed. Ott his return to the house, about two or three
hours after, he found that she was dead !
Matthew Johnson, fireman of the Albert steamer, stated
that when the accident happened, their engineer called all
hands to get the boat out, as he saw a boat was run down.
Four of them went in the boat. Johnson first picked up a
hat and a cap, and a little way further got hold of the de-
ceased by the hair of the head. When first placed in the
boat, she did not move. One of the men placed her on his
knee, in such a position as to let the water run out of her
mouth. They landed her at George's pier.
James Campbell, a police officer on duty at the pier-head
that night, heard the cries of the parties in the boat as the
steamer approached. He could see the boat about 100 yards
from the steamer, which was then going on her course. He
also heard cries when the collision took place, and afterwards
heard a female or a boy call out " father." Three small
boats in a short time rowed towards the pier, and the de-
ceased was in one of them. She was taken to the station
house. A doctor attended her, and she appeared to recover
greatlg. In about twenty minutes after he left, he observed
a great change in her appearance. The same doctor and
another very soon arrived ; but in a few minutes after, she
expired in their presence. When first he saw the small boat
he thought there was sufficient light to enable persons on
board the steamer to see it.
Edward Greerson, a porter, saw the accident. He thought
that if the small boat had been seen by the people on board
the steamer at the time he first saw her, the collision might
have been avoided by the engine being reversed.
Richard Edwards, a seaman of the Albert, heard the people
in the small boat cry out " Stop her !" and some one on
board the steamer cried out " Stop her—turn back."
See-
ing that the small boat would be run down, he assisted in
lowering their boat, and was in her when the deceased was
picked up. _ _

WilliaM Edward Rowlands, an agriculturist,
histur ist,
who
was
going with the Helen, said the deceased w
stepdaugh-
ter, and was to have gone out in the same ship.
Mr. G. Woods, surgeon, who had attended the
congestion of
Was of opinion that her death was caused by con,
the lungs, isrising from immersion in the water.
after M`Kee, chief engineer of the Nun, said, that soon
after they started f.om the pier-head the captain called out to.
him, in a loud voice, " Stop her—reverse the engine ;" and
a second time he called out " Stop her." He (the engineer)
stopped the engine as soon as he could throw it out of gear.
The jury returned a verdict to the effect that, accidentally,
the small boat was with great force and violence ran foul of
by the steamer Nun, when the deceased was thrown out, and
afterwards died from immersion in the water. They also im-
posed a deodand of ..t5 on the steamer.

It is stated by the envineer of the Nun (M'Kee) that after
stopping the engine, which Was done before the boat got
swam they dared t
f noove engine fr some time,
earing that some of the pemrsonsthe immeised might have got
hold of the paddle-box. He adds that boats came off from
the Abbott, the Druid, and several other vessels, and that
(With that which dropped down the river), they succeeded in
picking up eleven persons. The Druid's boat saved four or
five. The Nun remained near the spot till all possible assist-
ance was given.
The individual who spoke to the number of persons in the
boat is Mr. Barry, and he was by no means certain in sup-
posing 15 or 16. The probability is that there were not so
many, even admitting that some of the parties were not emi-
grants, but visitors or friends from the shore, The consigners
of the ship Helen know of but one man (an emigrant) who
was drowned, so that the loss of life (including the female)
did not, it is hoped, exceed two. The great danger of con-
tact to small boats plying on the river after dusk, even if all
preventions are used, is so obvious where steamers are
almost constantly moving about, that this lamentable acci-
dent will, we trust, induce greater caution in future. The
Helen sailed on the mornin of Thursday, and we need scarcely
say that the fatality threw a damp upon the spirits of the
emigrants on board of her.

CHESTER ASSIZES.

(From our own Correspondent-)
The Assizes for this county commenced on Wednesday, on
which day the Hon. Sir Thos. Coltman entered the city, and
opened the commission in the afternoon.
The proclamation against vice and immorality having been
read,

Mr. Justice COLTMAN, in addressing the Grand Jury,
said it was lamentable to find, in looking over the calendar,
that there were several cases where the sacrifice of human
life had taken place. His lordship dilated on some of the
most important cases, and dismissed the Grand Jury to their
labours.
The Grand Jury then retired.

MANSLAUGHTER

John Davenport was indicted on a charge of manslaughter.
It appeared, from the evidence, that on the 7th of July
last two men named Middleton and Cutts fought a pitched
battle on Kindon Common, near Wilmslow, the result of
which was that Cutts died the following morning; and that
the prisoner and Joseph Burgess were exceedingly active in
keeping the ring clear. The coroner's jury returned a ver-
dict against all the parties, who, with the exception of the
prisoner, who had fled, were tried at the last assizes.
The prisoner denied the part attributed to him, and the
Jury retured a verdict of Not guilty.