The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-11-23
The wreck ofthc RoynI Chnrtcr.

The Wreck OftEIe Royal Charter.
By the City of Baltimore we received
brief accounts of the wreck of the screw
steamship Royal Charter, and of the fearful
loss of life involved therein. We are now
in possession Of graphic and copious details
of the sad calamity.
1t appears that the Royal Charter, when
within two or three hours sail Of Liverpool
CATER rapid passage from Melbourne), ex-
Perlenced the full fury of a terrible north.
east gale, which prevailed all over England
during the night of the 25th and 26th ult.-.
Inc steam power of the vessel being mere.
~ auxllla'y, it was insufficient to prevent
her from bing driven towards the shore. and
as the water was rapidly shoaling, it became
necessary, at about ten O'Clock at night, to
let 90 the anchors, guns having been pre-.
viously fired and rockets discharged in the
hope OF attracting pilot, but without suc.
cess.
| The gale, meantime, increased to perfect
hurricane, and, at two o'clock 10 the morn.
| ing, the port chain parted, and, short.
ly afterwards, the ship was beating on the
rocks, in place called Eleifra Bay, near
Putin Island, on the coast OF AngIesea.-
The masts were cut away, but without any
beneficial result.
About daylight (six o'c!ocl) s,llor with
cord tied around his waist, Jumped over.
board, and, although the sea ran tremendous.
Iy high, he succeeded in reaching and main.
tanning footing on the rocky sh1re, which
was not more than ten yards distant from
the ship, but was almost perpendicular to the
height of forty feet. A hawser was then
got ashore, and boatsw1in's chair was 1T.
tached to it, with view of hauling the pas.
! seDgers and crew on shore. About doz IN
seanen were, by this mems, soon llndsd,
! and it was hoped that all on board might bs
saved.
At about seven O'Clock, however, ths
waves beating against the ships broadsids
with continued violence, she suddenly snap.
ped asunder midshps aud umbled in pieces.
AS the passengers had m ,stIy kept below,
large numbers were killed by tho crushing
debris, and only twsnty.six managed to get
| ashore, making the whole number ssvsd
only thirty-nine out of a total (plssengers
and crew of 493.
The scene was terrible in the EXTREME
lrny were washed on and off the rocks
several times, and in numerous instances,
those who thought themselves secure on iut-
! ting rocks were hurled back into the sea bv
he furious waves
Not superior Off GER was saved, ne,ther a
,Ooman mar child.
Captain Taylor exerted himself to the ut.
most, but was finally struck on the head
while struggling in the water, by boat fall
ing from the davits, and was seen no mora.
The destruction of the ship was rapid and
complete, 50 that by eight O'Clock nothing
was visible but masses of wreck mingled
with the bodies of the dead washed on the
strand. Tne pro5tration of the telegraph
wires, and the destruction bv the sea of a
portion Of the Chester and HoIyhead R.il.
road (Which passes the locality } caused con.
siderable delay in the reception of tho news
at Liverpool, and consequent loss of time
IN sending tug bolts to the spot. The ves-
sci had on board (snpposed) 10000 ounces
OF gold, besides large number OF sove.
rhlgn5, estimated Of the total value of from
G7O0 900 to $500 900, and hopes were enter.
rtained that this might be recoveredby divers,
The Royal Charter was an iron vessel Of
2,749 tons register, clipper built, and fur
nIshed with auxiliary screw engines. She
was built in 1853, at a cost Of over ESQ 900.
lier general cargo was not very valulble-
say $4,000,
Ot the persons on board the Royal Char
ter when she left Australia sixty.three were
cfbn passengers, three hundred aud twenty.
five other passengers and one hundred and
twenty three crew-total, five hundred and
eleven. OF these, seventeen passengers
were landed at Queenstown, and thirty-nins
were saved from the wreck, so that the total
loss OF life was 455. Among those reckon.
ed as crew were eleven riyg9rs who were
transferred from a tug boat to thu R)yal
Charter in the Channel for conveyance to
Liverpool.