OUR LONDON LETTER.

Evening Star, Issue 3952, 25 October 1875, Page 3

OUR LONDON LETTER.

London, September 6. An event which has excited prodigious interest is the sinking of the Mistletoe, a schooner yacht, which was run into by her Majesty’s steam-yacht alberta under the following circumstances The Mistletoe, with a light westerly breeze, was making for Kyde in the Isle of Wight, being thus on the starboard tack, and going some three or four miles an hour. The alberta, which was steaming at the rata of about seventeen miles, bore down at right angles to the course of the Mistletoe, so that, each vessel holding its course, they were bound to cross each other. The acknowledged rule of the road, in such cases, is that a steamer must give way to a sailing vessel, — that is, go astern of her—but a question has been raised as to whether ships of the royal navy are bound by this regulation. However that may be, each vessel held its course, with the result of the Mistletoe being run into, cut nearly in two, and sent to the bottom. When the collision appeared imlament, if not inevitable, the captain of the A.b=rta starboarded hib helm, causing the vessel to bend to the left; and, if this manoeuvre had been adopted in proper time, it would have had the effect of making the alberta pass harmlessly under the stern of the Mistletoe. According, however, to the officers of the royal yacht, just at the critical moment the sailing master of the schooner ported his helm, causing her to bend to the right, and, by bringing her up to the wind, slackened her rate of progress, thus rendering it impossible for the Alberta to miss her. On the other hand, the survivors of the Mistletoe affirm that they quietly held their course, as they were justified in doing, until almost the very moment of collision, when the helm was ported, so that the inevitable blow from the Alberta should be received more slanting and its effect be thus reduced. As a matter of fact, all concur m stating that the Alberta struck, the abreast of the foremast, and into her in the direction of the mainmast, the moment the disaster hid happened, every effort was made to get the crew and ■■uests of tho Mistleto on board the Alberta, and these were scrambling on to the Alberta* bows over a network of faliv. rigging, when the order was given to go astern. The reason of this wa? that the captain feared lest the masts and spars or tho Mistleto might fall on his fore, castle, which was crowded with people*. Tho precaution may have been a wise one out in executing the order the mate of Mm Mistletoe, and Miss Pool, the sister-in-law of the owner, were caught by the kilim- sa-ls and rigging and earned to* the bottom? Ail on board the Mistletoe were more or less injured, and the sailing-master, who had been steering at the time of collision, so severely that he died shortly afterwards. The coroner s jury, before whom the inquest was held, could not agree upon a verdict, and its members accordingly have been bound over to appear at the Assizes, when they will act under a judge. It has been said tnat, of the thirteen jurors, eleven were for g vmg a verdict of manslaughter, but -uch statements are not to be unhesitatingly trusted. It is admitted by those on board the steamer that when she starboarded her helm it could make practically no difference, A collision was inevitable. The question for decision, therefore, becomes reduced to this : was the collision occasioned by the Mistletoe porting? If not, then, the responsibility woiud seem to rest with tiie offioer in charge of the Alberta, whose business it was to clear the Mistletoe! On this point there is the conflict of evidence as stated aibove, but it must be apparent Lhatj however that may be, the Alberta wao cutting things perilously fine, and allowing nothing bu.t the narrowest margin. It is ako a very open question as to whether seventeen miles »n hour is a prop«r rate of speed to bo maintained in a crowded channel. _l'he Queen was on board her yacht, and on deck, at the time of the sad occurrence, and it is needless to say how terrible a blow the disa?H r proved to Her Majesty, who ordered everything that was possible for the comfort and resuscitation of those who were rescued., and had constant bullet ias sent to her of their state. Whatever may be the opinion as to who is responsible for the accident, there is only one as to the behaviour of the offi.ers and crew of the Loyal steamer after the occurrence. Boats were lowered and manned in incredibly short space of time, and many of the Line jackets jumped instantly into the water in their endeavor to srtv/life. In allusion to this, her Majesty wro-pO to Pnncc Leininj'eu, the commander -—“ I wish you to say how admirably t thought everyone behaved ; with what rapuiity the boats were lowered and officers and men jumped overboard to save lives aud 1 believe that no one would hive been uaved otherwise.” Further on, the Queen said—“Jt is most sad that, in spite or Gommu;di;r Fullerton’s noble efforts f;lu> other poor young ladjr could not be saved, aua thai. the poor old Jinan died on board, and one more life lost.” The officers of th royal yacht seemed to be under the impr eH , sion that tbe Mistletoe was endeavoring t( , come as close as poesib 1c to get a sight ofthe Queen ; but this is explicitly denied bv Mr Hoywood tho _owner of the yacb*. who savs lie should consider such condu u ’ an iromT tmenoe. Previously to thr. collision the a Ibarra had passed |,wo oiher yachts, both sailing on the same tack an che Mistletoe, and eacn of these, instead of bolding her course, hj ntoff m,. sailed m A direction parallel to tha.omhooJbcr.a. L may k. vo been that Aiy captain (.( .ne Aoc-u exported aMistletoe would ao the smie. Luc the result is that the two transg resaors escaped, whilst the vofcsel which adhui *cil to tho oroptr cour-io (reserving the disput* d point of porting her helm shortly he I ore the collision) was" run down and sunk. I'he Admiralty irumiiv into the matter has n otyot been held. * One of the most in« creating items of Homo news is the unparalH led feat performed by (Mptain Webb, who has swum across the F-nylub f'hanr.cl .rote IMvm- to the French ' . e V '■“ l. V-M-:.. I e : ,y. •u-tompusuoa ~y v.vqff a;.: M.ytoo ; but that Dorrormed m Ln life-saving drear, and . mth th« aid of fl pjddlc and a small sail,

■whilst Captain Webb had no help except from his own arms and legs, and nothing mere substantial in the way of dress than a ‘•coating” of porpoise oil. Byron’s swimming of the Hellespont shrivels into significance) compared with this, and with our piov rbid love of pluck. Captain Webb’s ‘ noble exploit ” has been hj -ik’d with a vast deal of admiration, (To l>c continued.)