A COLLISION.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXI, Issue 5297, 18 September 1885, Page 2

A COLLISION.

A collision, resulting in the loss of 13 lives, occurred on the morning of the 21st July, off the coast of Cornwall, between Her Majesty's ship Hecla, which was proceeding to Portland, and the Cheerful, 641 tons — the passengers and crew numbering about 50— owned by Messrs Powell and Co., of Liverpool, which was bound Irom Falmouth to Liverpool. At the time of the collision the- sea was comparatively calm, with a ground swell, but a very thick haze. According to the officers of the Hecla, their vessel was going at halfspeed, and the Cheerful at full speed, ■vyhile those on board the Cheerful made an exactly opposite statement. About 23 miles north-west of Longships, the Hecla look-out observed the Cheerful. Had the vessels done right they would have ported their helms ; as, it was, according to the Hecla, the Cheerful put ?er helm hard astarboard, and the Hecla cut into her abreast the funnel on the port side. The Cheerful instantly began to seettle down, and in four minutes disappeared bow foremost. The Hecla's boats were immediately lowered, and succeeded in rescuing from the. water nearly all who were on board the Cheerful. Of these, Mrs Minnie Holbrooke, wife of a doctor in London, died of fright on board the Hecla ; but her husband and son recovered from the effects of the immersion. David Jones, second mate, also died on board, having been very much injured by jumping on to the wreckage in the water from the deck in a lile-buoy, and being almost drowned through having got through the buoy too far, and floating feet uppermost. Mrs Connolly, the stewardess of the Cheerful, went down with the ship. Among the remainder lost are Daniel A. Harrison, jun., whose father was saved ; the cook's mate, Walter Long ; Mr Neill, passenger ; Phillip Barnard, bank clerk, Liverpool ; another bank clerk of the same place ; Mr Hartless ; a man and his wife, of Manchester ; and an old pensioner of Falmouth, a Mr Stevens. The Hecla remained on the spot for two hours, employing the time in stopping a rent in her port bow about lOffc long above and below the water-line The fore compartment was filled with water. The vessel then bore up for Plymouth to land the rescued passengers, who found accommodation in the town, while the survivors of the crew remained on the Hecla. An Admiralty telegram says the number of lives lost was ninp, also that the damage to the Bfeela was more serious than w,a& at first sapposed.