Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-03-31
THE BIRkEN HEAD.
How She Went Down of the Cape Of
Good Hone
NO. 26.

memorial tablet, placed there by or
der Of the late Queen Victoria, to
record the heroic constancy and dis
cipline Of the officers and soldiers
who lost their lives in the wreck of
the transport Birkenhead, off the
Cape Of Good Hope, on Feb. 26, 1852.
On Jan. in that year, after embark
ing re-enforcements amounting 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 aud
children, the wives and families Of
soldiers. All went we'll till the trans
port reached Simon's Town, where
ten officers and eighteen men were
landed; the ship continued her
course on the evening Of Feb. 25. But
the captain, in his anxiety for a
quick passage, 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 26th, while all
except those on watch were sleeping
peacefully in their hammocks,, the
ship struck with violent shock The
bulk Of the men on board were
young soldiers who had been but
short time In the service, yet they be-
haved with as much GOODNESS as
though they were on their parade
ground, and with as much courage
as If in action in the field.
The rush Of water on the Btrken-
head was so great that most
Of the soldiers on the lower troop
deck were drowned in their ham,
mocks. The remainder, with all the
officers, appeared on deck, many on
ly partly dressed, and fell In as or
derly and as quietly as on the bar
rack square. Calling the officers
round him, Lieut.-Col. Seton. of the
74th Highlanders, the senior officer
on board, impressed on them the
necessity for preserving order. and
silence among the men. The SER
vices Of the next senior, Capt.
Wright, 91st Highlanders, were plac-
ed at the disposal Of the commander
of the ship to carry out whatever or
ders he might consider essential
Sixty men were put on the chain
pumps on the lower after deck, and
told Off in three reliefs; sixty more
were put on to the tackles of the pad
dle-box boats, and the remainder
were brought ON to the poop to ease
the fore part Of the ship, as she was
Trolling heavily. The commander
next ordered the officers chargers to
be pitched out Of the gangway. The
plunging and terrified horses were
got up and cast over, five Of them
managing to swim ashore. The cut
tier was then got ready for the women
land children, who had been collected
under the poop awning; and they
were passed in one by one. There
being room in the boat for one or
two more the order was given for
any trumpeter or bugler boys to be
taken. A young drummer standing
near was told by an officer to get into
the boat, but, drawing himself up,
he refused, exclaiming that he drew
mans pay and would stick by his
comrades. The cutter then showed
off in charge of one OF the ships Of
fcers, and the women and children
were safe.
| No sooner was she clear than the
entire bow of the vessel broke off at
the foremast, the bowsprit going up
in the air toward the fore-topmasts
the funnel also went over the side,
carrying away the starboard paddle
box and boat and crushing the men
on the tackles. The paddlebox boat
capsized on being lowered and the
large boat in the centre Of the ship
could not be got up. The men were
then ordered on to the poop. where
they stood calmly awaiting their fate.
Within a few minutes the vessel
broke in two, crosswise, just about
the engine room, and the stern began
rapidly to fill. In this, extremity the
commander called out: "Those who
can swim jump overheard and make
for the boats" but the officers beg
ged the soldiers not to, as the boat
with the women and children would
be swamped. They were young men
In the prime Of life, with all before
them, yet no one moved, nor did any
sign of terror or fear escape them.
Lower and lower sank the vessel into
the deadly sea. The old transport
shivered, gave a final plunge, and
disappeared, carrying with her the
band Of heroes on deck and those
working below at the pumps.
Men of all ages and ranks they
were-the colonel and the drummer
boy, officers of gentle birth, and men
from the workshop, the plough, and
the mine; but all animated with the
same heroic resolution, fortitude,
and chivalry-as cool as though they
had been on their parade ground,
with as much courage as in action in
the field. few managed to cling to
the rigging of the mainmast, part OF
which remained floating pieces of
wood, and were eventually rescued,
but Of fourteen officers and four hun
dred and ffty-eight men no fewer
than nine officers and three hundred
and forty-nine men perished, many
falling a prey to the attacks of the
sharks, which surrounded the ship In
shoals, waiting for their victims.
Every woman and child was saved.
1t need hardly be said that the ap-
palling extent of the misfortune cast
gloom over the whole community
grief which was only lessened by
admiration for the extraordinary dis
cipline and fortitude displayed from
the time the ship struck until she
totally disappeared. There was not a
murmur till she made her final
plunge The senior surviving officer
likened the scene to an ordinary dis
embarkation, only more orderly
one than he ever remembered to
have witnessed. The Duke Of We'll