FOUNDERING OF THE STEAMER 'LONDON' IN THE BAY OF BISCAY. 220 PERSONS DROWNED, ONLY 19 SAVED.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2711, 26 March 1866, Page 5

FOUNDERING OF THE STEAMER 'LONDON ' IN THE BAY OF BISCAY. 220 PERSONS DROWNED, ONLY 19 SAVED.

The s.s. ' London' left Graresend on the 30th December, and' put into St. Helen's Roads, owing to a heavy gale, on 1st January ; left there 2nd January ; arrived at Plymouth on the 4th, to receive passengers ; on the 5th proceeded on her voyage to Melbourne. Moderate.-prevailing wind with increasing head sea on ; 8th, heavy gale ; 9fch, furious gale — ship under easy steam, when jibboom, foretopmast, topgallantmast, &c, were carried away by the violence of the gale. All exertions were unavailing. The crew could not clear the wreck of spars, owing to the tremendous sea, which carried away the lifeboats. 10th, Captain Martin, seeing the sea increasing to a dangerous extent, and the vessel labouring heavily, determined to run back to Plymouth under full head steam. After her course was altered, the 'London' rolled heavily before the south-west gale, shipping tremendous seas in the waist, and sweeping away the engine-room hatch. The water then poured down in torrents, flooding the lower decks. The chief engineer and assistants stuck to their posts below until the water rose above their waists, when the fires were put out and the engines rendered useless. The 'London' was then hove-to, and the donkey-engine was set to work to keep the ship clear, but without avail. Cross seas, which now broke over the vessel, rendered her so low in the water, that she did not rise to the sea — in fact, was settling down. 10th January, the ship was struck by a stern sea, bursting in the stern ports. Captain Martin, who throughout behaved energetically and bravely, then announced to the passengers the cessation of all earthly hope. Attempts were made to launch some boats, but they were all stove in but one. Captain Martin then instructed the chief engineer and his assistants to go in this boat, as it properly belonged to them, according to the ship's waybill, giving them the course and distance to Brest, and wishing them God speed, as he was determined to stick *by the vessel. The Rev. M essrs. Woolley, Draper, and Kerr, although working at the pumps the same as the others, in their leisure time, and before the awful event, prayed constantly, surrounded by all the passengers. "When the boat left the ship, containing 19 persons, 1,000 guineas were offered for a passage in her, although she was only built to carry 12. Immediately after this, the brave and courageous Captain Martin, passengers, crew, and ship went down, and the boat narrowly escaped sinking, owing to the suction. G. V. Brooke worked incessantly at the pumps ; his sister was- with him ; his last words, spoken to the steward, were, " If you succeed in saving yourself, give my kind farewell to the people of Melbourne." The crew of the boat was fortunately rescued next day by an Italian barque, and landed at Falmouth. It is reported the 'London' had 50 tons of coal on deck, which, being washed about, stopped the scupper-holes, and also that she was fearfully overloaded with railway iron and other heavy materials, causing her, perhaps, to spring £ leak ; and hence the fearful disaster. The following list df passengers is from the Some News: — First Class: Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Draper, Mrs. Owen and child, Mr. and Mrs. G. P. P. Urquhart, J. Patrick, G. V. Brooke, Miss Brooke, J. Alderson, P. Benson, Mr. and Mrs. J. Penton and two children, G. M. Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Ciarke and son, T. Lewis, Mr. and Mrs. Bevan, Dr. J. Woolley, Mr. and Mrs. Devenham, Miss L. Maunder, J. Robertson, T. M. Tennant, Mrs. Traill and child, G. Palmer, T. Brown 1 , Mr. and Mrs. Amos, E. Brook, J. R. Richardson, Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Kferr, Mrs. and Miss King, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas and U children, A. Sandelands, E. Toungman, H. J. Denis, E. A. Marks, D. F. Depass, Master W. D. Burrell, D. S. Hunter, Miss Doboy, Miss C. McLaughlan, Miss Cuthing, and Mr. McMillan. ' _ Second Cabin : Mr. and Mrs. Whit&r^B&«. Morland, Miss G. Graham, Mesgs-srJIaye, Eastwood, F. Stone, J. L. Williams, B. G. Rowe, B. E. Wilson (savedy^JT Duthie, C. Gough, A. Bruce, I. WocShouse, G. Cross, W. Day, D. W. Lennan.-ui-. Chenfield Wood, Master and Miss GlLayson, Thomas Wood, Godfrey Wood, Miss I E. Wood, Miss S. Broocker, Mr. and Mrs. J. Geffett, Miss H. Price, Mr. and Mrs. Hickman and 4icluldren^Mr^^^^fJMdi^M^B|

J. Munroe (saved), D. 0. Maynes (saved), 0. Johnson, P. Fenwick, G. H. Campbell, G. Trevenan, A. M'Lean, Mr. Davies, Miss E. Marks, Mr. and Mrs. Graham, and B. Bevan. Third Cabin: W. Passimore, H. Miller, C. P. Chandler, B. Hay, Miss E. Jones, Mr. and Miss Simpson, Mr. and Miss Fausen, Mr. and Mrs. Graham and three children, David Graham, Mr. McVitte, Mr. and Mrs. Seacombe, and three children, Mr. and Mrs. GK Flick and four children, G. Relwegan, R. Trevorron, D. Block, J. Merkin, Messrs. Senlead, Forris, Senlic, Barnett, S. Bolton, T. S. Ragg, Mrs. D. Smith, A Humphrey, Master Spring, A. Hoy em, J. Walls, W. Barron, Mrs. Lamp and children, T. Lotter, John Little, McCovey, Miss F. Batchelor, J. Xirkwood, W. Clifton, and R. Reynolds. Our correspondent (says the Sydney Herald, from which we quote) w%s informed by the offioers of the 'Madras' that it is doubtful whether Mrs. Traill and child were on board. A telegram from Melbourne says : — " The news by the English mail of the loss of the steamship ' London ' has caused a fearful gloom in the city. The streets are thronged with knots of persons, and many well-known families in Victoria are sufferers by this dreadful calamity."