The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1850-06-25 00:00:00

DREADFUL CATASTROPHE AT SEA.

WRECK OF THE STEAMER " ORION," AND

FEARFUL LOSS OF LIFE

One of those shocking events, which leave such terrible
blanks in families, irrespective of rank, age, or sex, oc-
curred early on Tuesday morning, off the coast of Scot-
land, when the Orion, one of the fine steam-vessels which
ply between Liverpool and Glasgow, was driven upon the
rocks within sight of the village of Portpatrick, and the
warning lighthouse there erected, and a sacrifice of human
life took place which is appalling, and of which the full
extent is not ascertained. Of those who are certainly
named as dead, many were residents in Scotland, in
Glasgow, and Ayr, some of them ranking high in society ;
and families in Liverpool, Bolton, Birkenhead, Chester,
and other ports of the kingdom nearer to Manchester,
have been bereft of members.

The number of cabin passengers was 115, steerage pas-
sengers 45, which, with a crew of 40, made a total on
board of 200 persons. _ _

The weather was particularly favourable; the vessel
proceeded on her voyage with a celerity and ease which
seemed to defy accident ; and the passengers being almost
all on pleasure bent, were full of spirits and gladness. As
night closed around they gradually retired to their berths,
until about one o'clock next morning, when only about
four persons, in addition to the crew, remained on deck.
At that time t v_.ise.l was in charge of the second mate,
the captain and first mate having retired to rest—a pro-
ceeding on the propriety of which a question of conduct,
in reference to the captain, rests. A vessel going from
Liverpool to Glasgow may adopt either of two channels—
the one narrow, but, where danger lies, short, called the
Antrim Channel ; and the other to the Galloway Channel,
less narrow, but which takes more time to pass through.
This, however, is the one usually taken, and was the one
pursed by the Orion. When the current is strong the
sailors hug the shore; and the current being strong on
Tuesday, this course seems to have been too daringly
adopted.

The morning was beautiful, calm, and clear, and the
water as placid as if in a lake. Daylight was breaking ;
all was repose, and everything apparently secure ; when
within a hundred and fifty yards of the shore, the vessel
struck upon a rock just as she had passed the lighthouse
of Portpatrick about two hundred yards.
The sleeping passengers were startled by the crash, and
the second mate rushed into the cabin, hurriedly sum-
moning the captain on deck. The alarm, of course, was
instant and terrific, but different passengers give diffe-
rent accounts of their sensations. One describes the
noise like the tearing of writing paper, another compares
it to the discharge of artillery, but in general it was thought
that a collision had taken place. The statements of par-
ties are all of course conflicting and contradictory, but it
would appear that the majority were at first in no hurry
to leave their berths. Those who did arise took time to
partially dress themselves; the ladies who had not un-
dressed rushed upon deck, those who had undressed
either took time to dress or remained in their beds. The
conduct of the captain from this moment was faultless ;
he ran upon deck in his nightshirt, and to prevent panic
declared that if the people remained quiet there was no
danger. He remained at his post, naked as he was, and
was one of the last taken from the shrouds. His efforts,
however, it would appear; were not sufficient to inspire
confidence and compel obedience in some of the crew.
He metered the boats (there were three on board) to be
lowered, but the sailors seen to have applied themselves
only to the liberating from* the fastenings the life-bdat,
and it would seem that most of them occupied her when
she pushed off for shore. The other boats were placed
one on each side of the vessel, and were covered with
canvas. The passengers rushed to them, and, as they
swung over the water several persons got into them.
At first these were rden, but a cry of " the ladies !"
being raised, the gentlemen abandoned one boat to the
females, but they retained the other. In the haste,
confusion, and panic, the ropes, instead of being un-
done, were cut, and those at one end being cut before
the other, the other end gave was first, and pitched the
persons in it into the water, except two or three who
Clung to the seats. The boat then turned keel upwards,
and several persons jumped upon it ; but this boat, it
would seem, never righted. The third boat was
more fortunate; but in the selfishness and confusion of
the moment, she was pushed off before she had received
one-fourth of the passengers she could accommodate.
During the brief but fearful and eventful period between
the ship going down and the deliverance of the survivors,
many acts of heroism were performed. One of these was
the case of a child who came up to Glasgow in its mother's
arms by the Tartar, who was found by a passing swimmer
floating on the water, just as a boat, loaded to the gun-
wale with the saved, was crossing his track, he seized the
infant, and jerked it among the people aboard. The child
was consequently saved, as we sincerely trust was also the
gallant swimmer. There was another still more astonish-
ing feat of heroic gallantry and noble self-denial. It was
that of a gentleman who was observed struggling and
swimming freighted with a lady under each arm, and his
01711 child bold in his mouth, Supporting toms,* Qa

board, which he held under his chin. Some less scrupu-
lous swimmer came across him, and drew away the plank
which enabled him to support his head, and he was forced
to let go hold of his unfortunate child, which, in conse-
quence, met a watery grave : the ladies, however, he
safely brought to land. We have not learned this noble
person's name,, but it is worthy of being recorded. An-
other instance was that of a gentleman, who, having got
possession of a small piece of floating wood, when a young
lady was passing, extended his hand to her, and saying
" this may save us both," was enabled to keep himself
and her up till they were picked off by a passing boat.
Capt. M'Kechnie, of Greenock, and his wife, like
others of their fellow-passengers, had a wonderful preser-
vation. Tie captain, who was awakened by the concus-
sion of the striking vessel, felt satisfied that the blow
would prove disastrous, and instantly sprang out of bell,
carrying his alarmed wife with him, to the deck, on
reaching which, the scene was appalling. Carefully con-
cocting his plans, he commenced ascending the mieen
rigging, taking with him his partner in life. They 4ot
gradually aloft as the vessel continued to sink, till when
near the top of the mast, the captain found that the hull
of the vessel was now resting on the ground. Thus
encouraged, he got both lashed to the mast-head. Soon
after, a hatch, or covering of one of the hatchways, came
floating towards them, which he laid hold of ; and, get-
ting it secured with ropes, they both placed themselves
upon it. Two females immediately came floating towards
them, and were ultimately accommodated on the raft, on
which the whole four found safety till secured by the
boats from the shore. The son of Major Darroch, of
Gourock, a promising young man, saved himself by
swimming, having struck out for the shore immediately
on perceiving the danger. When making his way for
terra firma he encountered a seaman's chest floating on
the surface. and endeavoured to use it as an ark of safety,
but a strong sailor coming across him, commenced a con-
test with him for a share of the benefit, which deprived
both of the advantage it might have afforded to one of
them. The young man then abandoned the article, and
reached the land by his own efforts.
One of the most providential of the escapes which oc-
curred was made by a lady, who, for about three-quarters
of an hour, hung on by a rope attached to the rigging till
she was ultimately received on board one of the boats, in
a state of great exhaustion. The following is the sub-
stance of the statement she makes :—Shortly before the
vessel struck she was on the main deck, and she is per-
fectly satisfied that at the time there was no appearance
of any fog. Immediately after the rock was struck she
ran down to the cabin, and found the ladies leaping from
their beds in a state of the greatest consternation. The
panic which ensued it is impossible to describe ; and much
more so was the scene which took place immediately
afterwards on the deck. Some persons were praying,
others uttering imprecations, others screaming. The lady
in question succeeded in getting into the first boat that
was launched, but it almost immediately swamped. By
some means or other, she got hold of the helm of the
steamer; but she had the greatest difficulty in maintain-
ing her position. The vessel was swayed from one side to
the other by the people rushing in a body to secure a
place in the boats ; the boiler, she thinks, now burst ;
but perhaps she has mistaken for this the noise occa-
sioned by the pent-up air through the skylights. Ulti-
mately an end was put to the tumulltuous and painful
scene by the vessel gradually sinking beneath the surface,
namely, first forward, and then in the after part. Our
informant was dragged repeatedly under water, and this
combined with her previous exhaustion, rendered her al-
most quite unconscious ; so that she has no idea of what
for some time followed. However, when she again came
to herself she found that she had secured hold of a rope
attached to the upper portion of the rigging, and fortu-
nately also she observed a cushion floating past her,
which she likewise seized hold of. With these she exr
perienced no great difficulty in supporting herself, and her
usual composure returned. She remained hanging by the
rope, as above stated, for about three-quarters of an
hour, and at the end of that time she was picked up by
one of the boats.

Nothing could exceed the kindness of the villagers to
the wants of the survivors ; their houses, their larders,
their wardrobes, their all, were freely placed at their dis-
posal. Nor should Dr. Douglas, the medical gentleman
of the place, be omitted. He literally ran from one to
another, from the hour of the wreck, administering relief
to those who required it, with a degree of kindness, skill,
and perseverance, which must ever be remembered with
gratitude by all. The clergyman of the place was equally
earnest in his kindness and hospitality : he literally
stripped himself to cover the naked. The gentry in the
neighbourhood posted into the village to offer aid.
Among the passengers was a young gentleman, Mr.
Paton, the nephew of Mr. Edward Jones, of the firm of
Messrs. E. Jones and Co. He was on his way home
from King William's College, Isle of Man, and was un-
attended. When aroused from bed he ran upon deck,
and, seeing a boat pushing off, he threw his bag overboard,
jumped into the water, and was taken up. The hole in
the bottom of the boat being uncorked, the water rushed
in, and Master Paton bailed it out with his hat. On
landing, be clambered over high rocks, but was taken in
and put to bed in the first house he reached. In a few hours,
the clergyman called upon him, and gave him his coat :
this kind man was followed by Mr. Baird, of -, who
carried the lad to his house, where, on inquiring his
name, &c., he discovered that he was the grandson of the
friend of his father, Sir David Baird. Master Paton is
the young gentleman who, a few weeks since, was in
company with the young gentleman who lost his life in
the Isle of Man. On that occasion he also behaved with
great energy and presence of mind. Strange enough, the
bag he threw overboard has been since washed ashore,
with its contents safe.

Amongst those who perished, no one can be more pub-
licly, and, we may add, privately, lamented than Dr.
Burns, Professor of Surgery, in the University of Glas-
gow, and for many years a practitioner at the head of the
medical profession of the west of Scotland. Dr. Burns
was the eldst surviving son of the late Rev. Dr. Burns,
of the Barony Parish of Glasgow, (who, previously to his
death, enjoyed the venerable title of " Father of the
Church of Scotland,") and was, in addition to many
valuable papers connected with medicine and surgery, the
the author of several literary and theological works that
bear a standard reputation in our libraries. In 1815 he
was appointed to the Chair of Surgery in the University
of Glasgow, which of course brought him more immedi-
ately into contact with his medical contemporaries abroad,
and in consequence he became associated with many of
the first professors of surgery and Physic throughout
Germany and France. Dr. Burns, in a word, enjoyed a
European reputation, which will cause his melancholy
fate to be felt and regretted by many, besides his fellow-
citizens. His eldest son is a major in the army, and is
now with his regiment in Ireland. He is the only survivor
of the late Professor's family, in which there were many
sad and sudden bereavements, the recollection of which
is again mournfully called up by his father's death in the
way described. Dr. Burns was born in Glasgow, in 1774,
and was consequently in the 76th year of his age.
We have learnt that the vessel at the time she struck
recoiled, and this, coupled with the fact that the engineer
let off the steam, and that there was a flowing tide,
accounts for her not striking a second time. The water
was as smooth as a lake, and although it is admitted by
numbers of witnesses, both on board and on shore, that
there was a little haze, it is confidently asserted by pas-
sengers who were on deck that they had remarked and
were surprised at the closeness with which the vessel was
run to the shore, and that the rocky coast was plainly
perceptible. As the ship approached the rocks the man
on the watch gave orders to starboard her helm, which was
immediately done; but the vessel was by that time so
near the shore that she only got partly round before she
came in contact with the reef. As soon as it was observed
on board that the vessel was going down, everything that
could float was thrown out by the crew. Among the
buoyant articles was a lage parcel of returned spars from
the Asia, boxes, trunks, &c. To this expedient it is pro-
bable that the saving of so many is attributable.
Captain Henderson, the commander of the Orion, is a
native of Glasgow. From his father, who for some time
commanded a Clyde sailing vessel called the Corsair, he
inherited a strong predilection for a seafaring life. At an
early age, in company with his younger brother he voyaged
far and near in the Corsair, on board of which he was
thoroughly schooled in the science of seamanship. His
active habits, business tact, and general good conduct,
elevated him from the ranks to an important part of the
East India trade. While thus engaged he attracted the
attention of the Glasgow and Liverpool Shipping Com-
pany, by whom he was engaged to command their late
splendid vessel the Orion. Whatever may be the result
of the investigation which will, of course, be instituted
relative to the cause of this harrowing disaster, it must
be satisfactory to the public, and consolatory to him, to
think that, prior to Tuesday, his reputation for an ex-
perienced and watchful seaman, stood unimpeached and
unimpeachable.
The Glasgow Courier of Thursday states that the vessel
is insured in Glasgow for £14,000 ; but she is valued at
£30,000, making the loss very severe on the owners. A
tug steamer (the Defiance,) with diving bell and divers,
was sent from Liverpool on Tuesday evening, to search
for the passenger list and luggage. The divers had been
unable to effect an entrance into the saloon, in conse-
quence of the stair being locked up ; they had been, how-
ever, in the fore-cabin, but no bodies were found. The
bed-clothes were all washed to one side of the ship. The
weather continued calm, and the vessel remains in the
same position, with no indications of breaking up. The
divers were, of course, continuing their operations.
Captain Denham, R.N., F.R.S., Government Inspector
of Steam Vessel Accidents, has proceeded to Portpatrick
to investigate the causes and circumstances attending the
loss of the Orion.

Lieut. Oke, R.N., in a letter to Captain Bevis, R.N.,
says,—" As you are aware, I commanded her Majesty's
steamship Asp for about nine years, carrying the mails
between Portpatrick and Donaghadee, and know the
whole coast well between Corsewell and the Mull of
Galloway. The captain of the Orion, I observe, reports
her to have struck a little to the northward of Port-
patrick,' and as the charts show deep water there, I deem
it not out of place to apprise you, of my own knowledge,
there is a ledge of rocks known, and called by fishermen
the Bushes, running out at least one hundred and fifty
yards or more from the shore ; there is no beacon or
buoy on them, but I have myself sounded these rocks,"
Amongst the sufferers are two of the daughters of Mr.
Lawrence Gladstone, of the firm of Gladstone and Co.,
shipchandlers, Strand-street, and Clifton-park, Birken-
head. Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone, with their two girls,
nine and eleven years of age, with the servant, were pas-
sengers. When the vessel struck the family got on deck,
and crowded together in a state of great alarm, surrounded
by others of the passengers. In a few minutes, the sink-
ing of the vessel and the rushing of the water separated
the parents from their children, and their darling off-
spring sank to rise no more. Mr. Gladstone saved him-
self with considerable difficulty, by clinging to a log of
wood until picked up by one of the boats which put off to
the rescue of the sufferers. Mrs. Gladstone, although
in a helpless state, was picked up by one of the boats
shortly after the sinking of the vassal. it is 10414,40401 T

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

to add that the servant girl also perished. Mr. and Mrs.
Gladstone arrived here by the mail train on Wednesday
night, suffering severely, as might be supposed, from the
melancholy bereavement which they have xperienced.

Amongst the -passengers was Dr. Nicol, of Rodney-
street. The following is an extract of a letter received
from him on Wednesday by a relative :
" Tuesday, six, a.m.
"The vessel struck on a rock off Port Portpatrick, and sank
in eight or ten minutes. A great many have been drowned,
and I grieve at heart. We have lost our Maggy, (a child of
nine years.) We lost her in the dreadful crash. Wife, Donald,
(son,) Mary, (daugLter,) and myself, are saved by a miracle."
Mr. Wm. Priest, of Hope-place and the Clarendon-
rooms, who is well-known to our readers as the secretary
of a number of the most successful building societies in
Liverpool, was also one of the passengers, and saved his
life by swimming ashore. The following is the copy of a
letter received yesterday morning :
" Portpatrick, Tuesday, 18th June, 1850.
Mr. ARCHER, The Orion steamship struck on a rock this
morning. There has been a fearful loss of life. Thank God,
lam saved, after a dreadful struggle in the water. I can say
no more. lam now naked, having just reached shore.
WM. PRIEST.

The following was received on Thursday afternoon :
All well, but knocked up. I have lost all my clothes, and
must
er ePfirtin c els'sv Royal lt,e fYr um, pPeorrhtappail ti itcrorrow. Just arrived
.
Greenock, 19th June, 1850. Wm. PRIEST.
Mr. Win. Moss, broker, Commercial-buildings, Water-
street, was on board the Orion. He was in bed at the
time the vessel struck. There was, of course, great con-
fusion and alarm. Mr. Moss jumped on deck as soon as
he could, got into the first boat he saw, and reached the
shore in safety.
Mr. John Stewart, son of Mr. Stewart, of Hornby-
street, was one of the steerage passengers. He is a young
man, about twenty-two years of age, and an apprentice at
Bury's foundry. He was proceeding to Scotland for the
benefit of his health. He got into one cf the first boats,
which swamped, but contrived afterwards to swim ashore,
after being about twenty minutes in the water. He was
so much exhausted on reaching land that it was only by
the aid of powerful stimulants that he rallied.
The Glasgow papers give an interesting statement from
Mr. John Archibald, manufacturer, of Alloa, who, with
his son, went from Liverpool. He was the only cabin
passenger on deck at the time she struck, and was several
hours on deck during the evening, from having been una-
ble to obtain a proper cabin berth, on account of the
crowded state of the ship. Ile states that the night was
not dark—that he could see the land—but that the Orion
suddenly struck when going on at full speed. His belief
is that the second mate was in charge at the moment. He
did not anticipate for a moment that there was to be any
serious danger, but proceeded down stairs to look for his
son, and at this time the passengers were crowding up in
great alarm, some of them altogether in a state of nudity,
and others of the ladies in their stays and petticoats, who
had laid down on their cots partially undressed. On get-
ting down to the fore cabin he found the water fully ankle
deep ; returned on deck with his son, and got with him
into a boat ; but some one above cut or let loose one of
the ropes, when the boat was capsized, and they were all
thrown into the water. He supported his son as well as
he could, while two other persons also clung to his arms,
which are discoloured by the pressure of these persons'
fingers. After remaining in this position some little time
with very great difficulty, a cork fender was thrown out
from the Orion, with the rope attached to the vessel. He
and the others got hold of it, and were supported until a
boat from the shore took himself and his son in, and be
thinks one of the other persons, but is not sure, for he
was landed in an insensible state, and remained so for
some time, on account of the dreadful struggle to which
he had been subjected in the water. The boats, he states,
were launched with great difficulty; and one of the life-
boats was so firmly fixed in her supports, or davits, that
they had to be knocked away by the carpenter with an
axe or forehammer ; and it was understood that during
this operation the carpenter met with an accident, from
which he was not able, like some of the others, to save
his life. Mr. Archibald left Portpatrick on Wednesday
morning with the Princess Royal, and came up to Glas-
gow from Greenock by the train. " I had," said he,
" last seen my poor friend, Mr. Hume, of Glasgow, who
was my fellow traveller, at 11 o'clock. He then retired
to occupy a sofa berth, and I never saw him more."
William Archibald, son of Mr. Archibald, a very intel-
ligent youth 14 years of age gave us the following version :
—" I was in bed when I was roused by the great noise.
I got up in a moment, and looked over the bows, and
asked what was wrong, when some one told me the ship
was on shore. I went down again to look after my things,
for I had nothing on but my shirt, and this time I was up
to the knees in water. When I was coming up the stairs
and carrying my clothes and bag along I heard papa's
voice, and I waited at the foot of the stairs till he came
down for me. He then took me up by the hand to the
right side boat, when I threw in my clothes and left the
portmanteau on deck. When I was jumping in I fell on
my back into the right side of the boat. I don't think
there were more than eight in at this time, and none of
them were ladies. It was one of the boats next the stern.
Some person cut one of the ropes above, and the boat
going down on the stern end it nearly filled with water,
and most of the people were thrown into the sea. Papa
and I jumped to the bows, and got hold of the rope there,
but some person let that go also, when the boat tumbled
over, and we were thrown into the water too. Papa held
me by the breast of my night-shirt, and other persons
were also hanging on by him. A man, who they said was
the second steward. then threw over a life buoy to us from
the ship, and I told papa to make for it, but he said he
could not do it. The same man then threw down a rope
with a cork fender at the end of it, and we all got hold of
the rope and held on, and I was at the top. After re-
maining in this way for a short time a boat passed, but
refused to take us in. Another boat came from the shore,
as I believe, and took me in. An old gentleman, who had
been hanging on by papa, then fell off, and was drowned.
They refused to take papa in, but I held on by his coat,
and after a while he got in also. Papa was very weak
when we got to the shore. I saw the 'shore plainly all the
time. When we were half way between the vessel and
the shore in this boat I saw the Orion sinking at the bows,
and there was some dreadful screaming then. There were
very few in the boat that saved me."

The substance of the following narrative of the melan-
choly catastrophe, so far as it was under his own personal
observation, was obtained from Mr. George Thompson, of
Ingram-street, Glasgow, one of the survivors :

"It was abOut haff-pa'st 1 that I was awoke by hearing
and feeling a strange tearing sort of noise as if some
strong paper was torn. It was so gentle that I thought
little of it and remained in bed, although all the other
passengers in the cabin started at once to their feet and
rushed on deck. After a very brief interval one of my
neighbours returned, and began with great trepidation to
dress. I then apprehended danger and jumped out of
bed, and, drawing on my trousers, went on deck, calling
at the ladies cabin, in passing, to tell my wife that she
had better get up and dress, although there might not be
any immediate danger. On getting to the quarter-deck
I found a large number of the passengers assembled in
in great alarm. The vessel by this time had settled
somewhat by the head, and was lurching over a little to
starboard—that is, towards the land. I instantly went
below to hasten my wife with her toilet, and put on
little more dress, and sought for a small trunk I had, and
brought it to the middle of the cabin. My wife and I
now went on deck, and as the vessel was dipping deeper
and deeper into the water I calmly told her that I feared
there was little hope, but that we would use every effort to
save ourselves. By this time the water was over the bul-
warks at the bow, and the ` heel' of the deck was becom-
ing greater and greater. I then feared that all was over,
and clasping my wife to my breast felt resigned to my
fate. We then proceeded, at my wife's suggestion, to
the stern of the vessel on the larboard side, and as the
inclination of the deck became so great as to prevent our '
standing, I laid hold of one of the belaying pins, and
placed my wife between my breast and the bulwark. I
there held on. A lady at this moment had got hold of
my wife's shawl, but as it was not fastened at the throat
it soon dropped off, and the unfortunate creature slid
down the deck. On turning round I found the whole
space within the bulwarks, and up to nearly the centre
line of the deck, filled with a struggling multitude in the
gurgling and seething waters, and most of these were
very soon drowned. As soon as the water reached the
companion, the pent air in the cabin forced off the sky-
lights with a most horrid crash,.and in an instant after
we were under water, sucked down in the vortex of the
sinking ship. When below the surface I lost hold of my
wife, and striking out found myself above water and in
contact with one of the stays of the mizen mast, which I
laid hold of at once. I had hardly done so. when my
wife rose also to the surface, and I at once took her hand
and caused her to hold on by the same rope. I placed my
legs round the rope, the better to secure my hold, and
told her to rest herself on my knee, which she did. As
soon as we had so far secured ourselves, the ship gave a
heavy lurch to starboard, which immersed us under water ;
but swinging back she lurched again to port, and again
were we under water. Gradually the lurches decreased
in extent, and after a few more rolls the masts continued
stationary. I had only my head above water, as I was
supporting my wife ; and I was afraid to elevate myself
further, as I knew that in that case the weight would be
increased. Above me. on the mast, a sailor was perched,
who called out in the most imploring accents to some per-
sons in a boat to come and take the people off. When
the vessel ultimately sank, the quarter-deck at the stern
was clustered with human beings, like a bee-hive; and
of these but few were saved, as the vortex absorbed
them, and they were so numerous as to impede each other
in their attempts to save themselves. On the shrouds of
the mizen mast, near where we were, there were several
persons clustered, three women hanging on by the rope.
At this time the companion cover floated off, and three
persons contrived to keep up by it until they were rescued.
After being about half an hour in the water, a shore boat
came up and was about to pick me up, when I told the
men to get a lady, who appeared much exhausted, in
first ; this was done, my wife was taken in next, and, as
quickly as possible, all supported by the mast were
speedily rescued. The boat then went to the main mast,
and took off the captain and another man or two, and
lt
iht
teine progir e
wd ehdo tsoa
dt h ew
es h r
mne
s, t wehoemr ee wt
to her
wh
ee
rr e
mmaenit
mb yr as
house,n s eorn faos r
tt
ah
he
lye had. When
h e nicen fire
firstto
camewarm
onus and
deck
would
before m ake
re-
turningboat
;
httlot
Id rwesass,
htheleoywwwehreenlotwheeyrinaegetohmepsltiasrhbeodatrhdeqsuoamrteer.
what difficult feat, as the ropes
.had got entangled. On
wasthe
comingin hs d
ruapwoenr
sd
ande c k ts hhei r
ts,e csoa
indd
that
teif thehe
they
aapltl asi
tnn,
ewk htoo
ship there would be no danger. I accordingly went down
and told the ladies so, which calmed them for a little, but
as the water rose and the lurch of the vessel increased the
alarm was soon renewed, and the ladies all rushed on
dea. Into one of the boats some four or five men got,
and rowed away in spite of the cries and iatre•aties of
those on board the sinking ship. There appeared to be
great difficulty in launching the boats, as the tackles were
all entangled, and when launched they were; in danger of
fiolrlipnlgugass
cothueldplouegfhouolueds, wtheerereasllulotpweans; 'and as no corks
paueggen kept boi4o; the boats Alta their hats they
'that although the