LOSS OF THE STRATHCLYDE, BOMBAY STEAMER, OFF DOVER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 2530, 3 May 1876, Page 2

LOSS OF THE STRATHCLYDE, BOMBAY STEAMER, OFF DOVER.

(Home tfeiw, Mutch &.} A dreadful collision between two sleamera occurred at Dover on the afternoon of Feb. 16, resulting in the sinking of the Glasgow steamer Sfcrathclyde, Captain Eaton. Tho Strathclyde is an iron screw •teamer, of 1255 tons register, 180-horse power, and belonged to Messrs Burrell and Sons, of Glasgow. Sho left London on Feb. 16, with a general cargo, for Bombay, had landed her pilot in Dover Bay, and was about to proceed on her journey, when sba was run into by the Bremen »t«amer Franconia, bound from Hamburg to Havre and New York. She was so seriously damaged that she went down in about eleven fathoms of water a m_e from the Admiralty Pier. Aa the Strathclyde sank, her boilers appear to havo butst, as the sound of an explosion was distinctly heard from the shore, and a ckmd of steam was observed to arise from the vessel before she disappeared. Boats were immediately lowered, and it is believedthat four men and two women were saved. There weare on board a crew, of twenty-six, sad thirty passengers. The c_ief mate of tbe Strathclyde and four of the crew saved themselves by getting oa board the Frwoonis, tod tb<7 wero

subsequently landed in Dover by tho steam .tug Palmerston, and are now ah tho Dover National Sailors' Home. The Franoonia proceeded to tho Downs, her bow seriously damaged. Charles James Oheacoo, tho pantry steward of the Strathclyde, in hiß narrativo of the oastastropho, says t— "l was bolow iv tho pantry reading a paper when I hoard groat confusion on dook of people running about and crying out. I at onoo ran up, and in doing so folt tho shook of the collision ; and on going up the stairs! could boo tho blaok hull of tbo German ship ovor ours. When I got on deck most of the passengers and crow appeared to be thero, and tho passengers woro all running about in great agony and fearsome of thorn stretohing out th»>ir arms and crying for help, othors tearing their hair and burying thoir hoads in their hands in despair. I saw all this ot a glance, and I saw, too, that tho only ohanco of life was to jump for it. I leapod on tho Gorman ship, and, getting safe on board, lat onco turned my attention to their boats. No ono on tho voseel soomod to bo trying to lauuoh tho boats. Tho chief _mte went to tho bridgo and spoke to the captain, and ho aleo sang out to tho crow, saying, 'If there ia -any one here that understands English, 'Oomo forward and help to get thoso boats launohed.' Thon I saw tho othor threo mon of our crew who had climbed up the side of the ship, aud wo triod to launch the boats, I seized a hatchet and cut away at tho ropes, but ovorything was so stiff, and we woro strange to the ship, so that boforo wo got a boat loose our ship woo going down. I saw the handrail on tho port side undor water just as we wero getting the first boat freo. We eventually did not launch any boats. After our vessel sank tho Gorman vossol stcamod away to the Downs, when wo woro put on board tho tug and brought to Dover." The depositions of tho ohiof mat? and othor seamen of the Strathclyde, confirm tho abovo statoment that tho boats of tho Franoonia wero not ready for lowering at the time of tho accident. Captain Eaton believeß tho boilers did not burst when his ship sunk, as tho engineers oponod all tho valves tho moment after tho oollision took placo.

Several acts of great enduranoe aro narrated. Captain Bockott, a passenger, on tho steamer fomg down, was thrown on ono side, and Mrs leokett on tho other. Captain Beckett, on seeing his wife, immediately swam over to her and hold hor up till pulled on board the lugger. Mrs Beckett behaved with tbo grf_fcosfc coolness, which most probably saved bor life. It is said of another passenger that when in tho gig of tho Stratholydo ho told the men not to rub him, saying, " lam all right," but immediately af tcrwaxda expired, probably of heart disease. Ono of tho passengers state that but for tho ooolneso of Bird (the seoond mate of tho Strathclyde-) in manning tho gig of tho Stratholydo and helping the boats of tho lugger Early Morn to pick up the submorged mon, a muoh greater number of tho passengors and crow would havo been lost.

As to tho oauco of the collision, the officors of tho- Strathclyde stato that it occurred in consequence of tho Franoonia attempting to go astern of them, and the officers of that ship not making duo allowance for tho speod at whioh the Strathclyde was going. It appears that direotly after tho disaster ooourred three boats wore lowered, and tho ooptain's gig was stovo in instantaneously. Captain Eaton called to tho mon on board not to orowd to starboard, and beggod them to lot all tho ladies be seated in tho life-boats first. Tho malo passengers, however, pressed into thorn, and when tho ship went down tho two boats were sucked undor tho water, and only three ladies out of tho fifteen on board wero saved. The fishing smaok Early Morn was near at band, and the orew -made every effort to savo life, but the wind was blowing ao high at tho timo that it shot past tho wreck and had to take a long tack boforo it oould again approach, Captain Eaton, who appears- to havo stuck to his ship to tho last, nearly lost his life owing to a small black wig, which was washed overboard, fastening itself on his back, and only released its hold whon a rope's ond was thrown out to save tho oapfcain by tho crow of the Early Morn. A captain of the Madras army was saved by clinging to a floating spar, and was astonished on boing landed to be told that his wife had beon saved by similar means, and was safoly housed in the Bamo hotel that ho was taken to. Somo erroneous statements crept into tho first accounts of tho oatastropho, and amongst these it is right at onco to contradict that whioh announced that the boilers of tho Stratholydo had burst. They did not, for tho safety valves woro thrown opon by the seoond and third engineers, and thus what would havo been an additional and fearful foaturo of tho oatastropho was averted. Captain Eaton bitterly complains of tho heartlossnoss displayed by tho captain of tho Franoonia, who gave orders for his ship to steam to Dover without making tho slightest offort to save any of his drowning fellow-oroatuves. The «rew of tho Stratholydo suocecded in loweri ing thrao boats, ono of whioh fillod by ladios, was immediately overturned, and tho other two wero stovo in as tho ship^was sinking.

Tho moot oarof ul inquiries fail to show tho cause of tho oatastropho, tho weather being oloar and tho soa Binooth, and, abovo all, it boing broad daylight when tho oollision took place. The Strathclyde, it will be rcmombored, had just dropped her pilot, and it is supposed that she waß not fairly under weigh, and that tho captain of the Bromon etoamer, mistaking tho speed at whioh tho othor vobsol was prooecding, was undor tho impression that ho would clear her without oltoring his course. Dover Straits avo frequently as crowded in a sense as London-bridge in the busiest hours of tho day, and reokloss seaman* ship ia too often tho rule, In the presont -caso tho oollision was witnessed by a largo „umber of porsons from the proraonades on the soa front at Dovor 5 but of oourse it is impossiblo to say where tho blame lies. Tho soono on board tho vessel tho survivors stato was heartrending. Tho oollision was terrific, and tho panic on board the Fianconia soomed to havo beon as groat as in tho Stratholydo, for it ww .imagined that sho would also f oundor. A painful fact in connection with tho collision is that thoro- was a oask of vitriol and other ohoi-nioals on tho deck of tho Stratholydo, and these exploded at tho moment of tho collision, fearfully injuring tho porsons on dook. It was from injuries so reooived that most of tho doaths ocourred whioh are reported to havo taken place. Immediately aftor tho oollision a thiok fog set in, whioh rendered tho duty of looking for tho survivors extremely difficult. Tho lifeboat cruised around tho spot, but thero was nothing to bo seen excopt the masts of the Stratholydo and some pieccß of drift timber. Fortunately tho crows of some of thoso Deal luggers whioh havo so often dono gallant service, as in tho ease of tho Northlleet, woro on the spot, and they at onoo put off for tho purpose of rendering assistance, Aj ip. tho caeo

of tho Northfloot, tho woak and delioate women havo boon lost, and tho majority of tho saved are robust men and hardy seamen. In this case it oould hardly havo boen othorwioo. At tho timo of tho collision, in all probability, tho passengers woro below, with tho oxooption of a fow who wero taking a farowoll look at tho " whito oliffs" of their nativo land, whioh thoy wero nover to sco moro, Tho Stratholydo had only left tho river that morning, and everything was in oonfusion. On dook thoro was a great deal of looso cargo, whioh the crow wero engaged in stowing away. The following may bo takon as reliablo in« formation with reference to tho passongors by tho Strathclyde :-- Saved and landed at Deal, Captain Bookett, Mrs Bookett, and Mr E. Weathordon; landed at Deal and died immediately, Mr W. Bussoll ; pioked up by tho Quoon of Nations, barque, but died in boat, Miss Young j died on board tho Early Morn, lugger, Mr Thomas Quinlin. Tho passongors j who aro missing aro— Miss Gilmour, Mr J. P. Wills, Mrs Tubb, Mrs Stuart, Miss Horsford, Miss Forsyth, Mr Graves, Mrs Graves, Miss 1 Bowring, Mrs Stookwoll, Mrs Bussoll, Major I A. R. Loughnan, Mrs ■fljoughnan, Captain Groono and Miss Greene, James Fogerty and ! Agnes Fogerty, both ocrrants to Mr Bussell. List of officers and crow landed at D<ml :— Capt. S. D. Eaton ; G. H. Pearson, third offlioor ; John Davidson, seoond onginoor ; A. Rolland, third engineerj W. H. Hall, surgeon ; J. S. Smith, saloon waiter j William Mather, first cook; Alfred Potioo, second cook; Harry Handloy, butohor; Jesse Noyor, butcher; Edward Harris, John Trovallion, David Crawford, John Holleyman, John Norman, John Jobs (P Jonos), Phillip MOray, R. Jarman, Prodegor (P W. Gr, Bodioker), obiof stowards — Hill, Robert Bird, second officer ; J. Sullivan, boatswain. Tho latter sinoo dead. Tho body of a young lady brought into Ramsgato by tho smack Crest was at onoo idontiued by Mr Bouoioault, brothor of Mr Dion Bouoioault, as that of his step-daughter, Mrs Lizzio Groon, agod twonty-nine, wifo of an officer in tho Indian Array. Sho had only been married about a month. Tho inquiry into tho oollision was commenced on Fob. 19, and resulted in a verdict of manslaughter against tho Captain of tho Franoonia. On Fob. 24 Mr Moroor, tho Borough Coroner for Deal, summed up tho evidonoo at somo length. Tho jury then retired, and returnod to court with tho following vordiot :■—" Wo find that William Bussell, Thomas Quinlan, and James Sullivan camo to thoir deaths by immersion in the sea, consequent on tho sinking of tho steamer Stratholydo, and by tho shook to thoir syßtcm and after exposure ; and, seoondly, that tho sinking of tho said Bteamer Stratholydo was caused hy tho negligence, gross mismanagement, and reckless navigation an tho part of tho person in ohargo oi the Franoonia at tho timo of tho oollision, and that tho porson so in charge is guilty of manslaughter. Tho jury express thoirstrongost oondomnation of tho conduct of tho person so iv chargo of tho Franoonia for steaming away from tho scene of tho occurrence, and loading tho crow and passengers of tho Stratholyde to thoir fate, apparently without rendering any assistanoo. Tho jury oannot refrain from including in thoir condemnations tho conduct of the persons in ohargo of tho Palraerston tug, of Dovor, who might, if they had boen so disposed, havo rendered succour to tho distressed,"

The London Times remarks that'tho vordiot returned at the inquost' hold at Deal on tho three lives lost by tho sinking of tho Stratholydo and tho expression of opinion appended to it aro in substantial agreement with the evidence which has boen as yet brought forward. Tho wholo transaction, as it waa related at tbo Deal inquest, is so strange as well as 00 horrible, that wo may woll nopo that tho ooming inquiry by the Board of Trado, will toll us something moro about it, and will, perhaps, represent it in anothor light. On the othor hatid,wo must allow groat weight to tho story told by tho captain ot tho Stratholydo, corroborated by tho passengers aud tho orow, and acoepted by a jury comprising skilled professional sailors. If suoh gross nogligonco as that imputod to the Franoonia, or anything liko it, oan bo proved against a ship sailing in tho narrow seas, it is only just that those in chargo of hor should be held criminally responsible for its results. It is painful to think that thero should bo any ocoeeion, in this mattov, to seek oxousos for our own countrymon ; but tho story of tho lose of tho Stratholydo, must, it is v to bo foarod, continue to bo discreditable to us, whatever deduotions we may mako from it in its proeent form. It will need to bo oxplainod how, in calm weather, and in tho full light of day, a vessel wont slowly down almost within hail of an English coast, and did not at"; onoo receive tho utmost assistance that oould bo sent out to hor. That tho ooourronoe should have boon watohod from the shore of Dover as a moro sight, in whioh tho spectators had no part of thoir own to play, is so strange that tho Times would beforehand havo pronounced it impossible, and is oven now most unwilling to think it true. It is to bo hoped that tho roprooontativos of tho Board of Trado will address themselves attentively to thoee points, and will tell us tho real facts of tho oa«e, whatever they may prove to bo. Tho Standard says that whatever may bo tho final rooult of tho proceedings rolativo to tho sinking of the Stratholydo by tho Franoonia, the vordiot of tho coroner's jury at Deal is thoroughly in aooordanoo with tho ovidonoo given boforo it.