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Leader (1850-1860), 10th January 1852, Edition Town of 1, Page 28, Untitled Article

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      hose could not be brought to act . Something , indeed , appears to have been done in the -way of heaving overboard a stock of hay , but the task was simply hopeless from the commencement . The tragedy then in progress was to begin and end in the space of twenty minutes . As soon as the officers were convinced that the fire had decisively gained the mastery ; their next effort was to get the boats cleared away . There were plenty ofboats onboard , including three lifeboats . Could they have been lowered in safety , there would have been accommodation for all persons on board . So happy a result was not

      obtained . In the midst of the confusion that prevailed , and of the wild terror of the passengers , with a raging sea and in a gale of wind , order and unity of action were no doubt lost . There appears to have been the greatest difficulty in getting the boats clear of the ship ; the time allowed for the necessary arrangements was infinitely small . Whatever may have been the cause , only one lifeboat was available . At one o ' clock , just twenty minutes after the fire broke out , three boats had got clear of the burning vessel . One of these was almost instantly found to be useless ; but the persons in her were picked up by one of the other boats , a Green's lifeboat . It is from those who escaped in the boat last-mentioned that the

      tidings were received on Tuesday . Nothing was known of the fate of the remaining boat . The survivors and spectators of the scene considered it most improbable that she could live long in so stormy a sea . Be this as it may , at one o ' clock on Sunday morning , just twenty minutes after the fire had broken out , no man could remain on the deck of the Amazon and live . Her magazine afterwards exploded , and by half-past five o ' clock in the morning , there was no vestige left of this noble ship . When the Amazon left Southampton , she had on board 161 passengers , and only twenty-one were picked up in the lifeboat by a homeward brig , the Marsden , and brought into Plymouth . Captain Symons was a man well known for his competent skill , courage , and

      resolution . - -..-, The scene on the deck of the vessel , of which we get glimpses through the few graphic particulars reported , was horribly appalling . When the flames had approached the after companion , two male passengers came up from the saloon , all in flames , and running aft , fell on the deck . A tall lady , supposed to be Mrs . Maclaren , entreated some one to take care of her child , but she would not enter either of the boats . Dineford , the quartermaster , placed one lady passenger in a boat ; but she , being extremely agitated , sot out again , and although Henry Williams

      and another used some force and begged her to go in , she persisted in remaining on board . The stewardess , Mrs . Scott , with her bonnet and shawl on , and something in her hand , first asked Steer to put her in the dingy and then left for a larger boat . At the time of leaving some of those who yet lived were kneeling on the deck praying to God for mercy , while others , almost in a state of nudity , were running about screaming with horror . WilliamB and Passmore had to climb the starboard paddle-box through the flames and smoke . They succeeded after three attempts ; and then slid down hands and face over the

      paddle-box into the boat ; several went down by the tackles . Two of the watch below ( Williams and Foster ) had their hair burnt while coming on deck . Captain Symons ordered no one to get into the boats . This order was obeyed until the people saw the flames overpowering the ship . He was last seen with the man at the wheel , ordering the helm to be put up , so as to keep the ship before the wind . His last words were , "It is all over with her . Mr . Henry Boberts , chief officer , in his shirt only , was actively assisting the captain ; he was last seen coins through the companion down to the

      main deck , and is supposed to have perished there . Mr . Lewis ( third officer ) , Mr . Goodridge ( fourth officer ) , and the two midshipmen , some of whose berths were forward , on the port side of the main deck , were probably suffocated , as were also the cniet engineer , Mr . George Angus , and Mr . Allen , superintending engineer under Mr . Seward , as they were Been in the engine-room ten minutes berore the nre broke out going forward , there being no possibility ot their return through the flames . The second engineer , Mr . William Angus , was on the spar deck , between the funnel and the crank gratings , pulling oars , and throwing them out of the way of the fire on the deck , near the boats .

      Among the passengers was Mr . Eliot Warburton , the well-known author , who had been deputed by the Atlantio ond Pacific Junction Company to come to a friendly understanding with the tribes of Indians who inhabit the Isthmus of Darien . It , was also the intentidn of Mr . Warburton to make himself perfectly acquainted with every part of these districts , and with whatever referred to their topography , climate , and resources . . . Not the least interesting episode in the tragedy ie the escape of the little dingy , narrated below , and Ama to th « nnlmnfiHH and intreoidity of young Mr .

      Vincent , who , though a mere boy in yearn , proved himBelf a thorough man and sailor on the occasion . Ho not only guided hia email boat in safety till he joined the lifeboat , but there he took immediate

      command as superior officer , and did everything in his power to sustain the courage of the crew throughout that dreadful night . From a written statement laid by him before the directors of the company , , on Wednesday , we extract some interesting particulars respecting the attempt to launch the boats , which , partly owing to their peculiar fittings , but more to the speed of the vessel and the roll of the sea , so lamentably failed . • The mail boat , " writes Mr . Vincent , " when lowered , was immediately swamped , with about twenty-five people in herall of whom were lost . The pinnace , when lowered ,

      , sheered across the Bea before the people in her could unhook the fore-tackle . They were thereby washed out , and the boat remained hanging by the bow . While clearing away the second cutter a sea struck her and raised her off the cranes and unhooked the bow tackle . The fore-end immediately fell down , and the people in her , with the exception of two , who hung doubled over the thwarts , were precipitated into the sea and drowned . Sixteen men ( including two passengers ) succeeded in clearing away and lowering the lifeboat on the Btarboard side . They used every endeavour to save those in the water , but were swept past so rapidly that their exertions were without avail . At about the same time I , with the

      chief steward , one passenger , and two seamen , got into and lowered the dingy , and were picked tip by the lifeboat about half an hour afterwards , when we immediately took the small boat in tow , and stood down for the ship , but the wind and sea increasing , and the dingy being upset , and ourselves being nearly swamped , we were obliged to let the small boat go , and keep the lifeboat with her head to the sea . . . . . . About four A . M . it rained heavily , wind shifted to northward , decreasing sea , confused , but going down ; put the boat about , and kept before it . At five the magazine exploded , and about half an hour afterwards the funnels went over the side , soon after which the ship went down bodily . "

      After this the boat was pulled before the sea and wind , thinking to make the French coast , which was , as they thought , the nearest . Mr . Vincent ' s monkey jacket , being mounted on an oar , was their only sail , and the boat was kept dry by bailing her with his boots . So they proceeded until rescued by the Marsden .

      The adventures of Mr . Thomas Sisley , one of the passengers taken out of the dingy , and saved in the after lifeboat , on board the Amazon , are almost fabulous . Mr . Sisley was in bed when the fire raged , and was awakened by the berth being filled with smoke ; he jumped out immediately , and , snatching up the nearest garment , a coat belonging to his friend , hastily rushed through the cabin to the deck . The horrible scene which now presented itself seemed , as in the case of most of the survivors ,

      to . have paralyzed his senseB , and to have temporarily disturbed his recollection . Having got from the burning ship into one of the boats which fouled her tackle , he was precipitated into the sea , and , providentially for him , succeeded by swimming in getting on board the dingy . On landing at Plymouth , in a state of nudity , he sent for an old friend , Mr . Henry Seaman , by whom he was speedily provided with the necessaries he so much required , Mr . Sisley ' s surmise as to the cause of the fire is , that it commenced among the coal , which , being stowed in tarred bags , would be readily ignited when placed near the

      engines . The cause of the destruction of the Amazon is un * known ; she was under steam from the time of her departure to the period of the accident . As is usual with new machinery , water was kept almost continually playing on the bearings of the engines . On account of the heat of these bearings the ship was stopped off the Bill of Portland on Friday night , between the hours of eight and twelve , and about the same period on Saturday night she was stopped for

      two hours and a half ; however , the necessity for the operation of wetting these parts was decreasing , as the main centre bearings were getting more suent and the engine altogether in better order . John Shearing ^ an intelligent fireman , states that in playing the water on the cranks a quantity fell on the wood and felt of the boilers , and he conceives that these substances , when the water was dried from them , would ignite the quicker for the operation , and hence the accident . r

      The value of the Amazon when read y for sea was about £ 100 , 000 , and she is understood to have cost the lloyal Mail Steam Packet Company fully that sum . It is said that she is not insured , and the loss will consequently fall entirely upon the insurance fund of the company—a fund exclusively devoted from annual grants derived from the profits of the company towards casualties of shipwrecks and loss of their Vessels . The value of the specie , quicksilver , cargo , &c , when added to the value of the ship will give a

      total loss of property of little less than £ 200 , 000 sterling . The wives , families , friends , ana connections of most of thecrewof the Amazon reside in Southampton , and the melancholy event has caused a deep gloom in the town . Many of the officers , engineers , seamen , &c , have wives and families depending upon their exertions for support ; and to the loss of their husbands , sons , and brothers , as the case may be , is added , in several caBee , the proximate loss of the means of subsistence . But prompt measures of relief will bo token . A subscription has already been commenced at Southampton for > their benefit , the

      Mayor of Southampton , Mr . R . Andrews , heading the ' list of donations with the sum of £ 10 . It is hoped that Subscriptions will not be confined to this town alone , but that contributions from other parts of the kingdom will flow in when a committee has been formed . A public meeting has been called to facilitate this , for Monday , at the Guildhall , Southampton . ... ' ' ' . On Thursday the following appeared in a third edition of the Morning Chronicle , ( By Submabinb Tbi / bghafh . ) " Pabis , Thursday , 11 . 30 a . m . —Letters from Brest announce the arrival , on the 6 th of January , by a Butch vessel , of six passengers and nineteen of the crew of the English packet Amazon , which was destroyed by fire .

      Untitled Article

      DISASTROUS NEWS FROM THE CAPE . THB WAR . By the arrival of the Harbinger , we have papers from the Cape up to the * 26 th , of November . The news they contain of the progress of the war is most disastrous . Details of the operations in the Waterkloof , conducted by General Somerset , are published , and they show that the Kafirs are very rapidly learning to fight British troops . The movement lasted three days . Under his command General Somerset had united 3000 men ; and he entered the forests and ravines of the kloof in three divisions . The country in which the forces were involved is described by General Somerset as follows : — " This mountain , range of the Kroome is intersected by numerous clefts , thickly studded with forest trees , every point of which , defended by high rocks , presents a formidable position , and of which , with the innumerable force at his command , the enemy took advantage , by having men strongly posted at each defile , holding « considerable reserve , which be evidently-applied , to any point where the struggle became the hardest . " This mountain range is a fastness intersected in its whole length by a deep forest ravine , running from east tO west , studded with immense rocks . "

      Previous operations had only driven the enemy into his strongest positions , when it was expected that he _ was but weakly posted . Lieutenant-Colonel Fordyce , in command of the Seventy-fourth Highlanders , was posted among the ridges of the Kroome range , on the morning of the 6 th of November , to cover the advance of Lieutenant-Colonel Sutton up the Waterkloof . Colonel Fordyce moved up to the attack of a body of Kafirs whom he observed in position before him . But they proved more numerous and resolute than was anticipated , and Colonel Fordyce fell mortally wounded , his last words being

      " Take care of my regiment . There were , besides , five men and one officer killed and eight wounded . For a moment the Highlanders wavered ; but , being rallied , they drove the Kafirs from their position . The next day the fighting was renewed ; the Kafirs fought desperately , firing with great accuracy , and contending for every inch of ground . Artillery was used to dislodge them . After three days' severe conflict , marching and countermarching through the dense forests and rocky passes , General Somerset returned to the camp at Blinkwater . The following are extracts from letters written at the scene of operations : —

      " Colonel Fordyce was killed on the morning of the 6 th instant by a ball striking ; him in the right side , fired from the rocks at the head of the Waterkloof , whilst placing bis company in the bush . Lieutenant Carey , Seventy-fourth , and four other men were killed and eight men wounded . We afterwards occupied the forest , without sustaining any further lose on that day : but we had also a strong contest with the enemy on the following day , but with less loss , on which occasion only three men were wounded , Captain Devenish of the Beaufort ( West ) Levy , was severely wounded in the bead , and it is feared that he will ^ iibt recover . We cannot attack the

      fastnesses in this horrible country without severe loss of life . The rebels hold such positions , and fire bo correotly , that it is astonishing how many of us escape . We experienced fearful weather on the mountains , and have been compelled to move down to camp-to refresh and to get out of the rain . It is not supposed that the main strength of the enemy is any longer in the neighbourhood , but still they are very numerous , and they must be expelled at last . The troops cannot be withdrawn . The Kafirs have only been driven from all their Btrong points , I fear , to occupy them again as soon as the troops shall have gone . "

      «* Camp , Bmnxwatbb , November 19 , 1851 . —The sad gloom thrown over everything here by the death of the much-lamented Fordyce appears but slowly to pass away ; indeed , the general feeling , seems to be 'Who will be next ? ' Many openly declare ' they will go there no more to be butchered like cattle . It Is a fearful sacrifice of human life to send men , as brave as ever shouldered a firelock , to such a place , with an enemy to contend against : courage here is of no avail—discipline and Bteadiness ' under fire only render the men better targets for the lurking savages . However , it is generally reported that we are to make a forward movement to the Kei ; when we hope to have open work of it , and got a little good moat , which is quite out of the question at this place . " The Kafirs are daily stealing cattle from here and Fort Beaufort , and generally auooeed in getting off with them . Yesterday , they stole about fifty or sixty of the Commissariat oxen : but by timely notice , and the aotl-

      Untitled Article

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  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 10, 1852, page 28, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1917/page/4/