The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1875-04-16
ga Thorough Investigation

Cospatrick, bound ftem England t
Australia, was burned at sea, resultin
in the death of nearly all the passen
gers and crew. Punch thus describe
the investigation of the disaster
"The loss of the emigrant shi
Crossbones, which took fire on the voy
age to Australia, and was burned to th
waters edge, all hands being eithe
burnt or drowned. with the exception
of one man and boy, was the subiec
of an inquiry held yesterday.
"The court was composed excIusivel,
of ship-owners. Mr.. Serjeant Buzfu
represented the board of trade anc
charterers, while Mr.. Phunky ATTENDED
on behalf of the relatives of the los
passengers and crew.
"Mr. Serieant Buzfuz, in opening
the matter, said that they we're met t
inquire into the loss of the ship Cross
bones by fire, together with nearly five
hundred lives. No doubt such unto
ward events would occur, but in ordel
to meet the requirements of the boarc
of trade, certain Witnesses including
the survivors-one man and boy
would be called to prove that no blame
could be attached to any one, and thai
the vessel was all that could be desired
"The survivors, who had been spend
ing the morning at the owners Office,
were then brought into court. They
looked still very i'll.
James Jonah, able seaman, deposed
that he was one of the crew of the
Crossbones he had been so ever since
she was launched; she was then called
the Deaths Head. She went ashore on
her first voyage, and strained herself.
Was afterward heightened and rechrist-
ened. Everything went we'll till the
fire broke out. Couldn't imagine how
she could possibly have taken fire. The
cargo was composed of pitch, tar, rosin,
oil, paraffine, petroleum, rum, brandy,
spirits of wine, fireworks, gunpowder,
SC. Did not consider that an jnfam-
mable cargo. Thought the fire must
have originated in one of the water
tanks. There were quite enough boats.
None of 'em were of any use. Was
saved by clinging to q bit of a raft with
the boy.
"Serieant Buzfuz-And that is how
you were buoyed out. Laughter
Witness-Was rescued by the Pc
ruvian barque Pick-me-Up, the captain
of which treated us most kindly. Hit
everybody but us over the head with
Delaying pins.
Sergeant Buzfuz was most happy to
inform the court that it had been init
mated to him that her majesty's govern
ment intended presenting the captain,
in the course of year or two, with a
kaleidoscope and tin speaking
trumpet.
Examination resumed: Considered
the Cressbones one of the safest ships
afoat until she was lost. Would not
have the slightest objection to have
gone to sea in her again, with the same
cargo, provided he was saved, and it
was made worth his while Considered
lucifer matches on the top of powder
barrel or petroleum cask rather orna-
mental than otherwise.
"Mr. Phunky was proceeding to ex-
anime the witness, when the court ad-
iourned for lunch.
'On its reassembling, Mr.. Seri
Buzfuz submitted to the court that Mr..
Phunky had no locus stara0i.
"Mr. Phunky said he appeared for
certain persons who were not quite sat-
isfed.
"Mr. Phunky-I mean to say that
they are not satisfied that the vessel
was we'll found.
Serjeant Buzfuz-How could she
have been we'll found when she was
lostp Much laughter, which was not
suppressed. ]
"The boy who was saved was then
called, and corroborated in every par
ticular the evidence of the former wit
ness. Thought the fire might have
originated in the fore.top-gallant mast.
Felt very hot after climbing up there.
can experienced stevedore was then
called by Mr.. Phunky, and said that he
considered the cargo q most dangerous
one, when he was stopped by MIR. Ser
ieant Buzfuz, who called the attention
of the court to the fact that witness
dropped his his, and was evidently 8
most Questionable and untrustworthy
person.
''The court allowed the objection,
and the witness was ordered to staud
down.
"The learned serieant then said that
it appeared to him quite unnecessary to
address the court any further.
The court, after consulting for two
minutes and three-quarters, said that il
was certainly most unfortunate that the
maiority-in fact, large majority--oi
the passengers and crew of the Gross.
bones should have met with such dis
agreeable fate, but it could not be
helped. Everything that science, ex-
perience and skill, as well as petroleum,
pitch, tar, gunpowder, spirits, and other
powerful agents, could do, had been
done, and the court only hoped that the
owners were fully insured. If the un-
fortunate captain were before them,
the court would have Immediately
granted him a new certificate, in case
his old one should have been burnt.
The court were unanimously of the
opinion that the cargo was of most
harmless description and properly stow
ed. They weuld, however, recommend
that in future the boats should not be
launched keel upward, and that when
Capt. Shaw returned from Egypt he
should be consulted upon the best
method of suddenly extinguishing ig-
nited spirits and petroleum, as well as
fireworks.
IS Mr.. Serieant Buzfuz entirely con-
CURED with the court, and was happy