April 6th 1850
Considerable sensation was exited at Lloyd’s on Monday by the ROYAL ADELAIDE, belonging to the City of Dublin Steam Navigation Co.
She was one of the most powerful steamers plying between London and Cork, and left the latter port on Wednesday last, being due in London on Saturday last, but was not heard of till Tuesday am, when the Capt of the MALCOM BROWN Screw steamer, which arrived on Monday night from Guernsey, reported that on Sunday morning about 9, when off the north foreland, the weather being stormy, the wreck of a large steamer was discovered on the Tongue Sands.
Her stern and mast were completely gone, her funnel and everything swept completely off, and not a soul to be seen on board.
It is possible she struck about midnight and all on board perished.
A subsequent communication announces a supposed number of crew and passengers as 200.
Two bodies have been washed ashore.
Southport Visiter, April 13th, 1850.
Advices from the Cape of Good Hope on Sunday, Complete destruction of the OCEAN QUEEN on her way to Suez, 800 tons burden, she was chartered last Oct by the Oriental and Peninsular Co, to supply their depot at Suez with coals.
The vessel sailed from Gravesend on the 1st Sept last, laden with coals, on 21st Dec, when in lat, 23 S, long 5230 E, it was found the coals had spontaneously combusted, she enveloped in flames and went down.
The crew of about 30 escaped in 4 small boats, a gale sprang up the following night and the boats parted, 2 have not been seen since and it is feared they perished.
The Capt named TAWALL and a party of 10 were picked up by the French ship GABRIEL and landed at Table bay, The value of the vessel is estimated at £15,000.
Letters received on Tues a Lloyds state the loss of the bargue EMMA, Capt CHRISTIE, Master, belonging to Dundee on her passage from Newcastle to Montreal, on one of the Orkneys.
Her position was observed from the shore but it was impossible to render assistance to the crew.
The poor fellows took to the rigging, their cries and gestures for help were heart rending. Their suffering was short for within half an hour, the mast were carried away and the whole of the unhappy creatures met with a watery grave.
Southport Visiter, April 13th, 1850.
On Saturday afternoon last, about 200 ships arrived from the South, and attempted to enter the port of Sunderland. The wind was blowing strong from the S.E, no less than 60 vessels were driven on the sand, known as, Potatoe Garth.
Many suffered considerable damage, 25 vessels were towed off by steamers next morning, others still lying there have sunk in the sand, whilst several are complete wrecks and gone to pieces.
Several Billyboys, timber laden from London are damaged, three French vessels are completely wrecked.
Damage will be no less than £16.000, some vessels are not insured.
The PHOENIX Pilot boat arrived at Cowes on Saturday night, with the Capt, Crew and passengers of the American Brig LINCOLN, who were taken out of the German ship, MARIA CHRISTINA, of Altona, VOSS, Master, off Portland, bound up channel to Hamburg.
The Master of the LINCOLN, reported he had sailed from Boston to California, on the 29th January last, his voyage was favourable till he reached, lat, 4N, long, 25W, when at 10.30pm on March 2nd, during a heavy storm, the vessel was struck with the electric fluid, which shivered the main mast and found its way in the hold.
On opening the shuttle, volumes of smoke were emitted, it was impossible to extinguish the fire, they endeavoured to stifle it by closing every aperture, and remained in this state for 4 days with the fire burning in the hold, when they were relieved of their perilous position by the providence of the German ship MARIA CHRISTINA.
Previous to leaving the vessel the hatches were opened and the flames burst forth, in 30mins the main mast fell over the side.
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SOUTHPORT VISITOR 1851
Sat Apr 5th 1851
The Schooner EBENEZER of Preston John FLETCHER Master bound for Dundalk with a cargo of wheat and barley sank between Southport and Lytham,
5 crew 1 passenger. swept overboard.
They sustained themselves all night in cold conditions on floating timbers with the exception of James CAREY a passenger who drowned and was the book-keeper to Messers PARKER, BARKER and RUSHTON owners of the vessel.
Immediately on learning of the loss the next morning William ROCKCLIFF took out the lifeboat. He rescued all the crew one was so exhausted he died soon after reaching the shore. He was Thomas FLETCHER age 21 nephew of the master. An inquest on the deaths was held at the Victoria Hotel by John HEYES who was satisfied that all humanly possible was done to save life.
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Southport Visiter, March 12th 1852
Ireland
A sad disaster in Dublin Bay last week, a youth named MONEY, the son of a pilot and REEVES, a seaman, where lost when attempting to save a brig that was in distress.
Mr John MCLEAN, Chief engineer of the steamer ROSE, which trades between Bristol and Waterford, committed suicide by blowing his brains out, in his own house last Friday evening. He has left a wife and 5 children.
THE LOSS OF THE AMAZON - The AMAZON fund now amounts to above £11,000, and will be kept open for another month, and will most probably reach £12,000. The final disposal of the fund will be made by the united committees of Southampton and London. About 150 persons will have to be supported, amongst them, 70 children and 40 widows, about 30 of the children will be placed in orphan -asylums. Mrs SYMONS the widow of the commander of the AMAZON, has declined assistance from the fund.
The Admiralty have ordered H. M. Steamer HECATE to proceed from Plymouth to the chops of the Channel to relieve the wind bound vessels with provisions and water.
Mar 26th 1852
GALLANT ACT
About a fortnight ago, a fishing yawl containing four men and a boy was endeavouring to enter Dunbar harbour, with the wind at north a gale and exceedingly heavy surf, when just at its mouth the lower pintle of the rudder gave way, which rendered the yawl unmanageable, in consequence she was instantly dashed to pieces against the rocks, her crew fortunately managed to get on them.
The coastguard, lookout man observing the accident called out the rest of the crew, who wheeled Manby’s mortar, with one of the baskets containing the line, in a barrow, as quickly as possible to the eastern pier-head, where, under their direction, assisted by Mr FAMAGE, the harbour master, a boat took the line across to the north pier-head, then passing the bight to the rest of the crew and fishermen, round on the outside of the old harbour pier, succeeded in bringing it in a straight line over the five people on the rock, three immediately extricating themselves by holding on to the line and throwing themselves into the sea.
The old skipper however unable to get his nephew, the boy, to follow was determined not to leave him, and having been much hurt on clambering the rocks from the yawl and by this time exhausted and benumbed by the cold, he appeared to have given up any attempts to save himself or the boy.
At this last extremity a young fisherman, Robert TURNBULL, a native of Dunbar, risking his life, and to the great admiration of some 600 people present, dashed into the boiling surf, with a rope tied around his body, safely landed on the rock, where he fastened the rope around the boy and threw him into the sea, afterwards doing the same to the old man, who were thus hauled to safety.
A recurrence was prevented of the sad calamity which occurred in this place in August 1845, when, in endeavouring to save a man’s life on the same rock, and under precisely similar circumstances, Lieut WILD. R.N, and 5 men besides him whom they sought to rescue from a watery grave, perished in their noble endeavours.
We are glad to find that, as in the case of the Lieut and his crew, when the R. N. I, for the preservation of life from shipwreck, granted to their widows £50, the Dept Controller, General of the coastguard, Capt OMMANNEY. R.N, has brought under the notice of the same society the heroic conduct of young TURNBULL and the medal of the institution and a reward of £1, is given to him in the appreciation of his gallantry
March 26th 1852
The steamer GENERAL WARREN plying between San Francisco and Oregon was lost on the night of the 31st January, inside the bar of Astoria on a sand drift known as Clatsop Split, where she was beached as the only means of saving the passengers. A boat was despatched but before it could reach the doomed vessel, she had broken up and gone to pieces, carrying down 42 officers, passengers and crew, among them was Capt THOMPSON. The 10 men who manned the boat to procure assistance from shore were the only persons saved
Liverpool Mercury, Oct 19th 1852
Loss of a Preston Vessel
On Saturday morning last the ship ALPHA, RICHARDSON Master, the property of Peter ROBINSON of this town, was wrecked off Dunkirk on the coast of France. The vessel was bound to this port from Strettin and had on board a valuable cargo of grain, besides freight to the amount of £100. The Captain mistook the Dunkirk Light and was stranded. The crew escaped in the boat and the ill-fated vessel shortly afterwards went to pieces.. The French admiralty have saved a portion of the cargo which they will restore. The vessel was valued at £700 and her owner was insured in the Preston Passengers Association for £600. Preston Chronicle.
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