The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17


What is this multitudinous chorus,
Wild. monotonous. low, and louds
Earth we tread on. heaven that DER us?
In the midst of the moving crowd?
what Is this burden of human breath?
On with the rest. your footsteps timingI =.
(Blent with it 7-Born from it ?)-loftily Ginning,
Tenderly soothing. IL bears you along.
Life, Death; Life, Death;
] -.---- -Fraseris Magazine.
ga Thorough Investigation"
"Panen'.. Parody ON the Inv.stis.:
| CospairicE.
A few weeks ago the emigrant ship
| Cospatrick, bound from England to
Australia, was burned at sea, resulting
in the death of nearly all the passen-
gers and crew. Punch thus describes
the investigation of the disaster
"The loss of the emigrant ship
Crossbones, which took fire on the voy-
age to Australia, and was burned to the
waters edge, all hands being either
burnt or drowned. with the exception
of one man and a boy. was the subject
of an inquiry held yesterday.
The court was composed exclusively
of ship-owners. Mr.. SERGEANT Buzfuz
represented the board of trade and
charterers, while Mr.. Phunky attended
on behalf of the relatives of the lost
passengers and crew.
Mr.. Serjeant Buzfuz, in opening
the matter. said that they were met to
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 order
to meet the requirements of the board
of trade, certain witnesses including
the survivors-one man and a boy
would be called to prove that no blame
could be attached to any one. and that
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 ill.
"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 Deatl1ss 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,
"
spirits of wine, fireworks, gunpowder,
&C. Did not consider that an infam-
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 bit of a raft with
the boy.
"Serjeant Buzfuz-And that is how
you were buoyed out. Laughter
g Witnesa-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 q
and a 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 |
cargo, provided he was saved, and it |
was made worth his while. Considered |
lucifer matches on the top of a powder
mental than otherwise.
"Mr. Phunky was proceeding to ex-
anime the witness, when the court ad-
iourned for lunch.
"On its reassembling, Mr.. SERGEANT
Buzfuz submitted to the court that Mr..
Phunky had no locus standi.
"Mr. .Phunky, said he appeared for
certain persons who were not quite sat-
sfied.
"Mr. Phunky-I mean to say that
hey are not satisfied that the vessel
was we'll found.
"Serjeant Buzfuz-How could she
have been well tfouod' when she was
lost? Much laughter, which was not
"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 a most dangerous
one, when he was stopped by Mr.. Ser
cant Buzfuz, who called the attention
lropped his his, and was evidently
most Objectionable and untrustworthy
person.
"The court allowed the objection,
md the witness was ordered to stand
lown.
"The learned serjeant then said that
appeared to him quite unnecessary to
.ddress the court any further.
The court, after consulting for two
minutes and three-quarters, said that it
vas certainly most unfortunate that the
fact, large majority-of
he passengers and crew of the Cross
zones should have met with such a dis
.greeable fate, but it could not be
lelped. Everyt1li that science, ex-
sefience and skill as we'll as petroleum,
itch, tar, gunpowder, spirits, and ether
,owerful agents, could do, had been
lone, and the court only hoped that the
,wners were fully insured. If the I'M
ortunate captain were before them,
he court would have Immediately
,ranted him a new certificate, in case
lis old one should have been burnt.
The court were unanimously of the
opinion that the cargo was of a most
harmless description and properly stow
d. They would, however, recommend
hat in future the boats should not be
aunched keel upward, and that when
Japt. Shaw returned from Egypt he
hould be consulted upon the best
Method of suddenly extinguishing ig-
ited spirits and petroleum, as we'll as
ireworks.
"Mr. SERGEANT Buzfuz entirely con-
urred with the court, and was happy
o say that the owners were more than
ully insured.
"The inquiry then terminated"
The EMPIRE IS Of Russia's Betr0thal.
A correspondent of the Boston Ad-