Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1841-04-13
LOSS or THE PACKET SHIP,
GOV. FENNER.

GOV. FENNER.
The Captain Of dis i'll faxed vessel gives
the following details.
We sailed from Liverpool on Friday last
at noon, with the wind S. ). w. The
crew consisted Of seventeen and the pas
scngers in the storage amounted 10 one
hundred and six. We had a full cargo OF
manufactured goods. On Saturday morn
ing ut TWO o'clock, the wind flowing fresh
from $. S. w, and when The ship was IN
der doubo-reefed topsail, the glib, spanker
and main~ail in. saw q steamer To wind
ward on the larboard bow. The ships
helm was instantly put hard a-port. The
steamer crossed our bow, and struck her
RIGHT midohips. From the force of the
collision, ii was evident that either the ship
or steamer would sink, or perhaps both.
Instantly felt that the ship, The bows of
which were stove in, was sinking. Icr!ed
ont to tue crew, GALL the passengers we're
h.Iow) 10 cndeayor to save their liFes.--
They, instead Of running forward, through
fear ran aft. My first object was 10 en-
deavOr to save the crew and passengers;
bit 50 rapid was the sinking of the ship,
! found It to be impossible 10 do anything
to accomplish that obi ct. and the mate
then ran forward, and finding the ship fast
sinking, tried to jump on the stcamer.-
Failing in my first attempt through Il mo-
rnentary fdintncss. made a second, and,
lust as the ship was at the waters edge,
succeeded in grasping a rope which was
hanging over the steamers side. The mate
saved his life by jumping down the fore
ward arm on TO the steamers deck. In
one minute tho ship sank, with sixteen Of
her crew and all the passengers, amount
ing together to one hundred and twenty
two souls. The steamers boat was in
etantIy lowered for the purpose of making
nm attempt to save such of the crew and
passengers as might be floating. bat it un-
fortunately swampcd along side.
The account of the catastrophe given
by those on board the Nottingham IS IN
substance us follows.
About Il quarter past two clock on S0-
turday morning, when about fifteen miles
70 the westward Of IIoIyhcod, the weather
calm, but rather thick, one of the men on
the watch, saw Il ship bearing down upon
the Nottingham. She had no light upon
her mast, while the steamer had three
lie reported the tactic The second mate,
who was then at the wheel. The second
mate halted the ship and was answered.
Ue desired her 10 starboard the heIn.-
This, they thought was not done. A voice
from The ship, which was supposed 10 have
been that Of the captain, requested the
steamer to starboard her helm, as he could
not bring the ship over, she not answering
her helm. At this instant the Governo:
Fcuner struck the Nottingham amidshps.
In less than five minutes the ship filled and
disappeared. The steamer became quite
motionIess after the shock, and the people
on board Of her were unable to make the
least attempt to succOr those on board the
ship, which sunk bow foremost. The cries
Of the people on the wreck were hoartren-
ling, but they soon ceased and all was
still. The steamers sturboard side was
completely stove in; the paddle, shaft, and
wheel were shiyercd in pelccs, the star
board engine broken and the funnel car
red away. Seventeen COWS were killed;
seven beasts and scycnty-eight sheep were
thrown overheard and eleven died before
The vessel reached port
The Nottingham did not get ten miles
from the place where the collision took
place, during the whole day, and at five in
the afternoon was taken in tow by another
steamer from Ireland. She was brought
int the Clarence dock, and was 50 much
shattered on the starboard side that hun
1rcds congregated Oh the quays to sec, all
absorbed in the melancholy event which
had caused il.
The passengers were all below in their
jor,hs when the collision between the ship
and steamer took place. The shock would
II course, rouse even those who might
then have been asleep. No doubt they
would make rush toward the deck; the
interval which elapsed between the shock
and sinking was SO short, scarcely Eve
minutes. thai very few, II any could have
succeeded in reaching it. So that in all
probability. most Of them persisted ia their
5erths The mate had been married only
few days before the ships sailing: the
ssptoin had given his wife berth with
l,r husband in the cabin. When the fate
o.. the ship became inevitable, he attempt
ell 70 run and rescue her. Time failed
him. the instinct OF selt-prcSorvaion be-
came strong, he sprung up the Shrouds
and reached the steamer. as We have al
ready stated, by jumping from the fore
yard-arm.