The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1848-09-05 00:00:00

LOSS OF THE OCEAN MONARCH.

The inquest was resumed on Tuesday. Charles D.
Locke, one of the hands of the Ocean Monarch, and who
had left the ship when he found his own life was inimmi-
nent danger, stated, in addition to facts corroborating
what has already been before the public, that Captain
Murdoch did not leave the ship until after' he (witness)
had left ; that the vessel was then in flames abaft, and
that up to that time the captain did everything a person in
his circumstances could do to save the lives of the people.
William Perry Gibbs, second mate of the Ocean Mo-
narch, stated that there were no spirits stowed in that
part of the vessel where the fire broke out, nothing being
there but stores. There was a quantity of earthenware
packed in straw, in crates abaft, and the steerage passen—
gers might have gone amongst them if they liked.
Smoking was not allowed below; but (he added) "the.
lowest class passengers might have smoked amongst the
crates, so as to prevent their being seen. No match,
light, or candle, but has to be locked up every night.
The lights are locked in every night."
To the Coroner.—lf I found a man, after this accident,
with an ignited box of lucifer matches in his pocket, J
should suppose that the melancholy catastrophe arose
from the carelessness of some of the passengers.
Admiral Grenfell.—lt may not be generally known,
but it is a fact, that when one of the poor people was
pulled on board the Affonso, a box of lucifer matches was
found in a burning state in his waistcoat pocket, although
the man had been immersed in the water for a considera-
ble time. He was quite unconscious of the fact at the
time, as in all probability the matches ignited whilst he
was being pulled into the frigate.
The inquest was adjourned to Thursday, and then re-
sumed. Jotham Bragdon, chief mate of the Ocean
Monarch, exonerated his captain from all blame, thinking
that he did all he could to preserve the lives and save the
ship. This witness was highly complimented by the cor-
oner and Captain Eians, for his gallant conduct on the
trying occasion, by which many lives were saved. The
jury intimated their entire concurrence in this opinion.
Mr. Thomas Henry, a merchant, who was one of the
cabin passengers on board the Ocean Monarch, after de-
scribing what he knew of the catastrophe, and mentioning
that he had owed his own preservation to a life preserver
which he had the prudence to take with hlm for the voy-
age, said, respecting Captain Murdoch, that he had sailed
with him about two years ago, and so much admired his
conduct, both as a seaman and a gentleman, that he pur-
posely remained fourteen days in order to sail with him
this time, and up to the present period that confidence had
not at all been shaken.

Mr. Henry Powell, another of the passengers, said :
The captain was on board at that time, and this I must
say, that he did all it was possible for man to do. Had
the captain been supported by the crew and passengers,
as he was by Mr. Bristow, a friend of mine, all hands
would have been saved.

Cross-examined by Admiral Grenfell.—l think the
screaming of the passengers produced more consternation
than the fire itself. If there had been water, I think the
fire could have been extinguished in good time.—This
concluded the proceedings of Thursday.
On Friday the inquest was resumed. Several of the first
witnesses examined merely corroborate I-others' so far -as
their observation went. Their evidence was to the effect,
on one point, that Capt.. Murdoch had used every exertion
and adopted every means within his power to meet the
emergency of the occasion. The coroner asked (for the
fourth time) if there was any one on board either the
Cambria or Orion who could speak to the conduct of the
captain of the Ocean Monarch. A seaman named Hillier
came forward, and said no man could do more than Capt.
Murdoch did under the circumstances. The Coroner said
this testimony, given voluntarily, must be highly gratify-.
ing to Captain M.
An investigation was then entered into, relative to the
truth or falsehood of a statement which had been made, to
the effect that the Cambria and Orion might have afforded
assistance had they proceeded to the wreck, in place of
passing on. The Coroner wished to see the log-books of
the several vessels.

Mr. Price, one of the owners of the Cambria said no log
was kept on board his vessel.
Mr. Thomas Littledale deposed to the Cambria steamer
passing his yacht under Puffin's Island, about twenty mi-
nutes after eleven o'clock, and that the Orion passed them
before leaving Beaumaris. At about half-past eleven, or
a quarter before twelve o'clock, they observed the Ocean
Monarch standing in shore : about twelve o'clock they ob-
served a smoke issuing from her, and bore down towards
her. The ship :It this time was about five or six miles
from the shore to the eastward of the Ormshead. It was
about half past, twelve or a quarter to one when they
rounded ahead of the ship. About this time they observed
the smoke of the Cambria. She would be five or six miles
from the ship. The Affonso came to the wreck after the
arrival of the yacht, and was the means of saving a number
of lives. About three o'clock, or a quarter past, the yacht
left the wreck, not being able further to render assistance.
His (Mr. Littledales) impression was, that they were at
the ship about an. hour before the Affonso came up. Had
any other boats gone up at the time they did, a great many
other lives would have been saved.

Mr. Price examined Mr. Littledale, with a view to
show that the Cambria was a long way distant from the
burning ship, and that those on board were not to blame
in not going up to her. This was not however clearly
established, for it appeared that neither the Cambria nor
the Orion were above 5 to 6 miles from the ill-fated ship
when she was on fire, and that they might have reached
her nearly as soon as Mr. Littledale's yacht or the
Affonso. Mr. Price stated that the Cambria sailed half
an hour after the Orion from Beaumaris, and arrived in
Liverpool half an hour before her. The. Coroner said
that as both vessels were near each other when passing
the burning ship, that was an argument resembling a
sword that cut both ways. If the Cambria possessed
such sailing (or steaming) powers, she was the better
able to render asssistance.

Capt. Evans here exhibited to the jury axhart of the
onter channels of the port, in order, as he said, to point
out the relative positions of the different vessels at the
time and to enable them to judge of the assistance they
might have been enabled to afford. Capt. Evans then
pointed out the relative positions of. the Cambria, the
Orion, and the Prince of Wales, with respect to the posi-
tion of the Ocean Monarch. 13. ti the log of the Prince of
Wales, which appeared to have been beautifully kept, the
captain of that vessel said that at 1.20 lie was in a position
to see the ship on fire ; aad it seemed perfectly evident
to him (Capt. Evans) that if the Prince of Wales, at that
time, from the position in which she was, could see the
fire, and could get up in time to save life, and also saw
these vessels (the Cambria and Orion) a-head between
the burning ship ,and the Prince of Wales, if she (the
Prince of Wales) could get up in time, that both the
other vessels might have got up; and the whole question
then would hinge upon the, fact as to where they were at
the time : Mr. Littledale had stated at what distance he
had observed them, and ,at the time the fire broke out
they must have been very, near the burning ship indeed.
The mate of the yacht deposed to the facts spoken to
by Mr, Littledale. In reply to. Capt. Evans he said that
if the Cambria had gone up to the wreck she would have
been the means of saving many lives.
Admiral Grenfell (of the Affonse) was present at the
inquest, and expressed his opinion that Captain Murdoch
had done all that .a man could do to save the lives of his
passengers and crew.
The Coroner in summing up complimented Mr. Little-
dale, the chief: mate of the Prince of Wales, the Captain
of the Affonso, and others, and instructed the jury that
their verdict must be ono of accidental death, and they
might accompany this with any remarks relative to the
different individuals who had taken any part during the
melancholy occurrence in rendering assistance, or who by
their apathy had failed to render the assistance within
their power. Mr. Curry in the course of summing up,
(which, he did with great perspicuity, dwelling on all the
principal parts of the evidence,) alluded to the apathetic
conduct of the crew of the " Pilot Queen," and added,—
" I will not venture to trust myself with the name that
should be substituted. I will venture to affirm that had
our gracious Sovereign, who had taken such lively interest
in the distressing event, by rewarding (and so well
deserved) the gallant conduct of the sailor Jerome, been
in the royal yacht ' The Victoria and Albert,' where the
Pilot Qeen was,—she, though a female, would have been
the first to order, and, by her presence, to encourage the
most prompt assistance to the burning ship. I wish I
could shut my eyes on the barbarity of this crew of the
Pilot Queen, who within sight, and almost hearing of the
cries of the unhappy sufferers, could yet, not only refrain
from holding out a hand to those on whom the yawning
deep was about to close, but, (as I fear will prove to be
too true,\ to pleader those who. were so unfo“onate in
being placed on board of ben"

The jury, after quarter of an hours abseriee, returned
fife following verdict :—" That the said Mary Tobin,
Geoffry Lynch, Ellen Tierney, a boy unknown, and a girl
unknown, came to their deaths from being accidentally
drowned, consequent on the Ocean Monarch taking fire.
And at the same time, the jury would shew their marked
approbation of the conduct of the captain, and particularly
that of the first mate, of the Ocean Monarch, during that
most trying scene ; as also the noble and praiseworthy
efforts of the distinguished hmlividuals who signalised
themselves at that awful catastrophe, as well as the officers
and men under their command. Further, they wished to
express their disapprobation of the conduct of the masters
of the two steamers, Orion end Cambria, who might, they
were led to believe, have rendered most efficient service
to the ill-fated people on board."
The resumed investigation occupied nearly twelve hours.

Inquests have also been held on bodies cast on shore at
Hoylake and at Menai Bridge. At Hoylake, the inquest
was on the bodies of fourteen of the passengers. The
inquiry was adjourned until Tuesday, when the jury re-
turned a verdict that they were accidentally drowned
through the burning of the Ocean Monarch. The jury
also expressed their approbation of the exertions made by
the captain and crew in endeavouring to rescue the pas-
sengers. The inquest at Menai Bridge was on the body
of a child, apparently about 14 years of age, who had
been picked out of the water alive, by the mate of the
Prince of Wales, but died on board the steamer shortly
after. The jury returned a verdict of accidentally
drowned, and the body was decently interred in Llandy-
silio church yard.—lt may be mentioned that Captain
Duni generously refused to accept any remuneration out
of the funds collected at the bridge or elsewhere, towards
the spirits, provisions, &c., which he so abundantly sup-
plied the poor sufferers with, during the time they re-
mained on board his vessel.

John Benison and Thomas &then, two Dec pilots,
were placed in the dock of the police-court on Thursday,
charged with robbing several the passengers of the
Ocean Monarch. There was also strong suspicion- of a
graver .nature. From the evidence adduced it appeared
that the Pilot Queen of Chester (on• board of which the
prisoners were) picked up some of the crew and passengers
of the ill-fated vessel. The prisoners demanded a shilling
a-piece from ail those they picked up. The prisoner Beni--
son attempted to pull a blanket from the shoulders of a'
second-cabin passenger named Powell, who to retain pos-
session of it gave him up his watch. A trunk, which had
been found floating, was taken to Benison's house, Dee
bank And on the visit of the Detective officers from Liver-
pool it was found that it had been broken open, and va-
rious articles of wearing apparel taken out. The trunk
belonged to a seaman of the Ocean Monarch. Amongst
the passengers taken on board the pilot-boat was a young
man with a considerable sum of money upon him. He
was kept on hoard when the others left. A boy named
Folkes, belonging to the pilot-boat, stated that he was
put on board the Rhylfsteamer for Liverpool, but the
statement was not looked upon as satisfactory; and the
prisoners have been remanded till the necessaryinquiries
can be made.—On Friday night, Joseph Sheard, from
Huddersfield, called at the' Journal-office in this town,
stating that he was the " missing man ;" that the pilots
put him on board the Taliesin steamer, and behaved
kindly to him, demanding nothing from him, so that he
made them a pregent. On Saturday the prisoners were
again placed in the dock, when Mr. Sheard stated that he
was the person left on board. Mr. Rushton said that he
would send the prisoners to be tried for the robbery of the
trunk to the magistrates in Flintshire. He told the-offi-
cers to give Mr. Powell his watch again, and the latter
gentleman to restore the blanket which he had received
from the prisoners.
On Friday evening the Mayor received a communication
to the effect that, in addition to the £:io before directed to
be •paid to Frederick Jerome out of the royal bounty fund,
her Majesty and Prince Albert have been graciously
pleased to contribute the sum of £lOO as a joint subscrip.
tion in aid of the sufferers by the Ocean Monarch, in be-
half of whom, we understand, her Majesty has expressed.
the deepest interest.
The committee have been actively engaged in affording
relief'to the survivors of the unfortunate vessel. On Wed-
nesday they paid the fares home of such as had determined,
not to proceed to Boston, and presentedi each with a sum
of money on a graduated scale. The passage-money also
having been returned by Messrs. Harriden on Thursday
and Friday, such as determined to proceed, to Boston were
furnished with orders for bedding, &c., and provisions;
and orders given on Messrs. Enoch Train and Co., Bos-
ton, for a certain sum to be paid on each arrival. The
committee have been most active in furnishing clothing,
food, &c., to the poor classes of the survivors ; those of
them who wish to go to America will be provided with
free passages out ; those who wish to return to their na-
tive homes are, or will be, provided with means.
At a special meeting of the Committee of the Under-
writers Rooms,.Wm. Rotheram, Esq. in the chair, it was
resolved that the freedom of the room be presented to
Thos. Littledale, Esq., the owner of the yacht Queen of
the Ocean, to Admiral Grenfell, the Brazilian Consul
General; and to' Captain Lisboa, the officer in command
of the Affonso, Brazilian steamer, in testimony of the
appreciation, by the members of the Association, of their
meritorious exertions in rescuing many passengers from
the burning wreck of the Ocean Monarch.
Mr. Littledale and Admiral Grenfell have written to
express their thanks to the committee of the Underwriters'
Rooms, for the merited marks of approbation, conferred
on them.

The conduct of Capt. Dani, of the Prince of Wales, who
saved many lireasis &cam-redly commended. rye remained
by the burning vessel after the frigate had left her, the of-
ficers of the latter thinking it an impossibility for them
to save more. ,

The passenger&on board the Prince of Walea, in admi-
ration of Jerome's conduct, collected £lO on the instant,
of which £7 was presented to the noble fellow, and the
residue was divided among the crew of the Queen of the
Ocean's boat, who rendered good service.
By order of the consignees in Liverpool, Messr, Baring
Brothers and Co., the Steam-tug Company have sent out
a steamer with diving-bells, and other necessary machines,
to endeavour to recover any portion of the wreck, for the
benefit of the underwriters in America.

The fishing boat which rescued many of the passengers
of the Ocean Monarch was the Town of Liverpool, owned
and sailed by William Syers, of Seacombe, who is one of
the very few left of the crew of Lord Nelson. His con-
duct on the occasion was worthy a British- seaman,
though he has been hitherto unnoticed.
An adjourned meeting of the Liverpool Shipwreck and
Humane Society was held on Wednesday, the object of
assembling being to.take into consideration the services
rendered by the different parties instrumental in rescuing
the sufferers from the conflagration of the Ocean-Monarch.
The splendid gold medal of the society, executed by Wyon,
of the mint, were voted to Thomas Littledale, Esq.,
owner of the yacht Queen of the Ocean ; Admiral Gren-
fell, the Brazilian consul-general at this port ; Captain
Lisboa, the officer in command of the Affonzo (Brazilian
steam-frigate), and to Jerome, the courageous seaman of
the New World. A. sum of money was also voted to the
crew of Mr. Littledale's yacht. The conduct of the other
officers and crew of the Affonso, and also of the captain
and crew of the. Bangor steamer, Prince of Wales, and
other parties who distinguished themselves sm this melan-
choly occasion, was under consideration, and the
award has since been made according to their
merits, as will be seen below. Mr. Court, the• secre-
tary to the society, in communicating the above
particulars to the papers, says, " It is. a singular
fact, which came out in evidence before the committee,
that the mate of the Ocean Monarch, knowing that
Jerome was ou board the New World, then close to, and
having witnessed his exertions on a former occasion, when
the Henry Clay was stranded near New York, proceeded
in the boat to the New World and brought him to the
wreck."

An adjourned meeting of the Humane Society was held
on Saturday, at which the society's silver medal of thi
first class was awarded to each of the offi,cers of the
Affonso, and to the chief mate of the Ocean Monarch; .a
silver medal of the second class to each of the four sea-
men. £ls_were voted to five of the Ocean Monarch's
crew, who manned a boat and saved many Jives. A gold
medal was voted to Mr. Dani, master of the steamer
Prince of;Wales. The silver medal was awarded to Mr.
Batty, his chief mate, and £25 for distribution among his
crew.

A long correspondence has been published, which has
taken place, in reference to the event, between the Mayor
and those of the Orleans family who were on board the
Affonso, and witnesses of the fire. The Mayor commu-
nicated to the Prince de Joinville, the Duke d'Aumale,
and to the two princesses, the sense which was entertained
in the town of their noble exertions and active sympathy
in the presence of the late casualty. The. Prince de Join-
villa, in reply, says,—" I merit nothing of the eulogiums
which you would pour on me. A passenger simply on
board the Affonso, I was nothing but the powerless spec-
tator of the most deplorable of catastrophes. I. saw, how-
ever, the most noble efforts madoby others. to arrest from
a horrible death the women, and children ; and let it be
permitted to me to point out for public thanks the officers
and crew of the frigate, the seaman Jerome, and, above
all, Admiral Grenfell, of whose. heroic conduct I am filled
with admiration." A similar. correspondence has passed
between his worship and the Marquis de Lisboa, the Bra-
zilian minister, who was made the instrument of convey-
ing to the princes the Mayor's letter. His.excellency says,
—" Permit me to convey to your worship and the people
of Liverpool the assurances of the high estimation in
which I hold the prompt and very friendly manner in
which they have testified their approbation; and I feel
confident that Admiral Grenfell, my brother, his officers,
and crew, will highly esteem and duly appreciate the hand-
some compliment paid them.—l have the honour to-re-
main, with great consideration and esteem, sir, your
obliged and obedient servant, MARQUES LISBO,A.
DISTRESSING NARRATIVE.—Mary Ann Taylor, of No.
1, Victoria-place, Leeds, has given the following heart-
rending account :—ller husband, James Taylor, who is
an overlooker of power-looms, is now settled in America,
and she with her two children was going to join him. A;
the water was rough outside, she became seasick, and lay
down, but was roused from bed by the alarm of fire. She
ran upon deck, and having ascertained that the rumour
was true, returned into her berth for her children. Even
then the smoke was so thick down below that she was
nearly suffocated. She, however, got her children, re-
turned upon deck, and there she remained until, like
others, she could remain no longer. She felt the deck
scorching her feet. She then, tied her two children,
one a little girl about four years old, and the other
a boy nearly two years of age, to her own body. by
means of a rope and a handkerchief which she picked up,
and let herself down into the water, holding her offspring
on her back with one hand, and letting herself down with
the other. She got hold of the rigging, which, she said,
was literally covered with human beings, and clung to it ;
but the water, which was rough, dashed over her and her
children, and soon suffocated them. As the dead bodies
were weighing her dowp, an Irishman lonleckthr3 rope, 100
they WI into the water,

Sept. 5-, 1841.

On Sunday, the sum of £ll 14s. was collected at the
doors of St. Anne's Church, Stanley, for the sufferers.of;
the Ocean Monarch at St. Paul's, Princes' Park, X.,„s`'
was collected ;at St. John's, £I3; at St. Silas' Xi°l
andin other churches the congregations were equally fibers'.
The subscribers to the sketch of the burning of the,
Ocean Monarch by Prince Joinville, amounted to 491, al
ss. each, The fortunate winner was Mr. Hulton,
Hulton Park, near Bolton.
The amateur performance ab the Theatre Royal, 011
Thursday, will leave about £l5O for the sufferers.
The contributions received from all sources now amount
to upwards of .£3,500.
Part of the head of the Ocean Monarch may be seen it
low water, it being held firmly to the spot by the anchor.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD'
Sir,—On Saturday last the body of a fine little boy, 51P
parently about six years old, was cast on the shore at Dap'
pool, in the parish of Thurstaston, from whence it wit t con•
veyed to the church, and placed in a shell, until :he CO;
roner shall have held an inquest over it. It was dressed
in a black velvet frock coat. Should his unhappy pares
have survived the wreck, and this meet their eye, it In".,
be a melancholy consolation to them to hear that the bolt
of their child was rescued from the merciless ocean, auk
consigned to Christian burial.--T remain, sir, yours, eicc'y
JOHN FISH, Rector.

TO' THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD'
Bm.;-1-laying seen it stated in the Dimes and Standard
of Saturday lest, the 26th current, that the steargeri
Cambria and Orion had neglected to render assistance 11
the case of the unfortunate Ocean Monarch, and f13,,u'1.
misapprehension ors the part of the public having beep
occasioned as to what vessels are particularly referred 'AI
owing to the coincidence of names, we beg to state as:
neither the Cambria (American contract mail steamer)
nor the Orion (Glasgow and Liverpool steamer) Were
near the scene of the catastrophe,—the former !icing
time on the other side of the Atlantic, and the ludas.
anchor at LirmiOol.
We are,. Sir, your most obedient servants,
G. &J. BM S.
Glasgow, 29l1rAugust, 1848.

MR. B. R. ISAAC'S GRAND CONCERT, IN AID'
OF THE FUND' FOR THE RELIEF OF THo
SUFFERERS BY THE LATE FIRE.

Amongst the generous efforts most promptly made by,
our fellow-townsmen, for the relief of the sufferers by the,
terrible calamity on board the Ocean Monarch, that of
Mr. B. R. Isaac was one from which we expected most
satisfactory results. This gentleman at once, and un-
prompted, threw up all participation in a scheme of the
most promising character, and, much as we regret that it
has not been productive to, the charity for which it Wag
offered,—that, in fact, it has been a source of loss to Air:
Isaacs-himself,—the public will not be disposed to forget
thespirit in which the offer was made ; and the fact that
with such an artiste as Madame Alboni, who may fairly
be said to possess the finest organ of its kind ever heard
in any country, supported, too; by-such singers as Salve,
Corbari;•Paltoni, he ought to have felt confident that be
was giving up a considerable sum.
The attendance was most fashionable in the-Stalls and
Dress Circle, but failed in the other and lower-priced
portions Of thehouse. The concert itself was undoubtedly
of a first-rate character. The leading attraction,. Madame
Alboni, surpassed every previous effort of hers- which we
have had the pleasure of hearing, both her voice. and her
management of it having sustained improvement. Net,
rendering of "'Non piu mesta," and her duets with Satil
and Corbari were inimitable. The latter two artistes
were in fine voice, and amply justified all that we had
heard of them. Signor Paltoni's " Largo it factotum'
was excellently sung and encored. The piano-forte Dial'
ing of Mr. Isaacs himself was amongst-the great aitrav
tions of the evening.