The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-08-11
LOSS OF THE R0YkI gRORCg,.

LOSS OF THE ROTkL GEORGE.
Il This event being alluded ID 81 gentleman i,
presence OF his ehildrcn he found faf none Of the
had ever heard OF Il Accustomed "a his own early
years frequently 10 hearif not only alluded 10 bnt
detailed ne was af hrst surprised to fndfhat few
grownup young people we're isnorant Of It but the
circumstance is not IN reality surprsine The gen.
Grafton to whom lastceufury events were farniliar
passing away; and the bulk Of the community now
Nay, however startling Il may Sc 10 sorne even he
last war il already becoming 20 remote an event
that very great number Of persona now acfing
their parts on the stage OF life as heads Of families
have no recollection Of il Under these consideT~
tons and being of opinion that the loss Of tie Ro
val George wasa remarkable incident IN ifself ~
have caused the following brief account 81 { to IS
drawn up from authentic sources;- q s
i The wear 1872 saw Britain IN more humble con.
diiion than any former one for acenfury The a.
tempt to coerce the American c0lOnica and the war
j with France Spain and Holland, which resulted
from that attempt had completely cxhansted the
national resources; and the people Witnessed the
unwonted spectacle Of French feet defyng the
coasts of England with irnpunity. Iswas 1t this
juncture that the special calamity Of the accidental
loss of the first in ship the navy took place.
| A feet was In preparation at Portsmoufh for the
relief of brave garrison which had long held out
Gibralter against the fleets Of Spain Amongst the
vessels destined to sail this expedition, the
Royal Gsorgs lifted 70 carry 100 gnns but in reality
he was the oldest firstrate in the service her keel
Having been laid down in l75l.s She was rather
short and high than agreeing with the rules of pro-
portion at present laid down. YET so good sailer,
that she has had more flags on board than any vessel
| in the service. Lord Anson, Admiral Boscawen,
Lord Rodney, and several other principal officers,
had repeatedly commanded in her. Lord Hawke
commanded the squadron in her which foughtthe
French under Conflans, when the SHperbe Of sew
| enty guns was sunk by her cannon and the SoleiI
Royal of eighty four, driven shore and burned.
i She carried the talest masts and squarest canvas
of any English-but ship in the navy, and original
ly the heaviest mctal-namely, fity-two forty, and
| twenty-eght pounders; but they were lately
changed on account OF age to forty thirty twosand
eighteen Founders" HQk2 .Ea
| Before the Royal George could sail, it was deemed
necessary, on account of the age and unsoundness
of her finbers, that she should receives careening
namely, an inspection, and repair OF the parts
/ usually under water If time had not pressed,
she would have been towed for this purpose into
| doch. As the case stood, it was resolved that
she should be laid over on her side, as usual
when slight careening is required, in calm
| weather and smooth wafer. So little difficulty or
danger was apprehended, thatthe admiral, captain,
i officers and crew-amounting to about 900 persons.
continued on board; neither guns, stores, water nor
provisions were removed; and fully 800 women and
children, mostly relatives of the seamen, were ON
board from the neighboring harbor.
Early in the morning the 29th August, the work
was commenced by gang of carpenters. The ves-
sci received what is called parliament heel in
ordinary language, was caused to incline in the
water, go as to expose her lower timbers. 1t WAS
afterwards stated, that the workmen, finding it ne
cessary to strip Oft more of the sheathng than was
expected, in order to come at certain leak, eeled
her little more over than was intended, and than
possibly the commanders knew. About ten In the
| morning, while Admiral Keulpcnfelt was writing in
his cabin and the larger number of the people were
between decks, no one dreading any harm. sudden
| and unexpected squall, threw the vessel entirely
over on her side, when her portfolios being open,
she filed and sunk very quickly, that as of
the survivors declared, he had only time cry to
his brother that she going down, phen doon she
| uent A victualler, which lay alongside. was swa
i lowed up in the whirlpool which the sudden
small craft though at considerable distance, were
in imminent danger of sharing the same fate.
The admiral, with number of brave officers, and
| most OF those who were between decks persisted.
The guard and most of the other people upon deck,
were more fortunate, being picked up by the boats
of the fleet. About 800 in ALL chiefly persons be-
longing 70 the ships company, were saved; while
from 900 to 1000 were drowned. The captain
| Nvaghornel was picked up in a much injured con-
dition but his son, a lieutenant, having been be-
| low, persisted. The whole of the women and chill
dren having been between decks at the moment of
/ the accident, were lost. a afS -g
/ This accident was universally bewailed, not so
much for the loss of aged vessel as for the de
struction of life which attended it. Admiral Kem-
penfelt though seventy years of age, was peculiar
| ly lamented. "He was held, /" says contemporary
record, s'to be, in point of professional science,
knowledge, and Judgment, one of the first naval
| officers in the world: particularly in the art of
man9uvring fleet, he was considered by our
| greatest commanders unrivalled, and his ex-
cellent qualities a man at least equalled his pro-
4 tesslonai merits as an officer. His father was
Swedish gentleman, who, coming early into the
English service, generously followed the fortunes
| of his MASTER James III. Being recalled by Queen
Anne, after the death of that unfortunate monarch
| and serving with distinction in her wars, he was
| promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and
was at the time of his death, lieutenant governor
of the island cf Jersey That gentleman's charac-
ter admirable, as to be depicted and imInor-
talized by Addison in the Spectator, under the well
known appellation of Captain Sentry"
The same authority adds, that large sum of mo-
| ney was Immediately raised, by subscription, in
London, for the widows, children and other de.
pending relations, of those who had persisted by
this accident. court maetial was held, few days
after. on Captain Waghorne who was honorably
| acquitted. a
The diving-bel, the improvements of which were
then recent was brought into operation for the re-
| covery OF property in the Royal George which
was the more practicable, as che had not sunk in
| deep water. In the ensuing November by this
| means sixteen guns and some cordage was finished
| up, and brought into Portsmouth. In the ensuing
| summer, by the same means, the beer.hoy which
sunk with the Royal George, was brought up. An
endeavor was made, by great cables round the
pody OF me Royal George to draw her up also but
every effort failed, in consequence of the mapping
OF the cables. In the summer of 1884, the anchor
| was reeoYered-an immense mass of iron, weigh
ing nearly nve tons. Since then, by the employ
ment OF the dlyingbell at various times other art
cies have been raised from the lost vessel and some
OF the guns which had lain several years in the wa
Ter, and become curiously oxydated, are shown to
lnc puohc In London. On investigation, some
years ago, the mass of the vessel was found to be
raised. - 80. s
LEGISLATIVE WIsDoM.-A member Of the last
apfr, n.