The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-07-08
4 STORY Of HERO|SM
Showing How Brave Men Can
Calmly Meet Death.
WRECK OF THE BlRKENHEAD.

The Way This British, Vessel Went
Down of the Cape of Good Hope.
Most of the Crew We're Lost and All
the Women and Children Saved.
Visitors to the hospital of the old
pensioners at Chelsea will perhaps have
noticed in the colonnade a simple me-
mortal tablet, placed there by order of
he late Queen Victoria to record the
heroic constancy and discipline Of the
officers and soldiers who lost their
lives in the wreck OF the transport Biz
kenhead off the Cape of Good Hope on
Feb. &c. 1852 On Jan. { in that year, aft
er embarking re-enforcements amount
ing to fifteen officers and 476 men for
the troops engaged in the Kaffir war,
the Birkenhead left Ireland for the
cape. On board were also 166 women
and children, the wives and families
Of soldiers. All went well till the
transport reached Simon's Town, where
ten officers and eighteen men were
landed. The ship continued her course
on the evening of Feb. %. But the
captain in his anxiety for quick pas
sage unfortunately kept so close to the
shore that during the night the ship
got among the rocks which line the
coast About three miles off Danger
point at O'Clock in the morning Of the
18th. while all except those on watch
were sleeping peacefully In their ham
mocks, the ship struck with violent
shock. The bulk of the men on board
were young soldiers.
The rush Of water on the Birkenhead
striking was so great that most Of the
soldiers on the lower troop deck were
drowned in their hammocks. The re-
mainder. with all the officers, appeared
on deck. many only partly dressed. and
fell In as orderly and as quietly as on
the barrack square. Calling the officers
round him, Lieutenant Colonel Seton
Of the Seventy fourth highlanders. the
senior officer on board. impressed on
them the necessity for preserving or
der and silence among the men, The
services of the next senior. Captain
Wright, Nin7ty-frst highlanders, were
placed at the disposal of the command
er Of the ship to carry out whatever
orders he might consider essential
Sixty men were put on the chair
pumps on the lower after deck and
told off In three reliefs. Sixty more
were put on to the tackles of the pad
die box boats, and the remainder were
brought on to the poop TO ease the
fore part Of the ship. as she was roll
ing heavily. The commander next or
dered the officers chargers TO be pitch
ed out of the gangway. The plungine
and terrified horses were got up anC
cast over, FIVE of them managing t
swim ashore. The cutter was then go
ready for the women and children
who had been collected under the poor
awning, and they were passed in one
by one. There being room in the boa
for one or two more. the order wa:
given for any trumpeter or bugle
boys to be taken. A ..oung drummer
standing near was told by an Officer
to get into the boat, but. drawing him
self up. exclaimed that he drew man.
pay and would stick by his comrades
The cutter then showed off in charge
women and children were safe.
No sooner was she clear than tht
entire bow OF the vessel broke of n
the foremost. the bowsprit going up il
the air toward the foretopmast. Thu
funnel also went over the side. carry
Ing away the starboard paddle box and
boat and crushing the men on tn,
TACKLES. The paddle box boat capsizet
on being lowered. and the large boa
In the center of the ship could not b
got up.
The men were then ordered on I,
the poop. where they stood calml.
awaiting their fate. Within a few
minutes the vessel broke In two, cross
VIA 1Ws spstt thessngane room AM