FATAL COLLISION IN THE CHANNEL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1924, 6 October 1874, Page 2

FATAL COLLISION IN THE CHANNEL.

[prom the home news.] A collision occurred early on the morning of July 28, off Bungeness, between the Milbanke, a homeward-bound steamer, and the Hankow, an outward-bound steamer, the former being lost, together with 12 of her crew and two female passengers, the wives respectively of the captain and chief mate. The Milbanke belongs to Sundetland, to which port she was bound from Cartagena, in Spain, with a cargo of zinc ore. She was commanded by Captain J. H. Smith, and was 843 tons register and 150-hoise power. ! The Hankow is of 2332 tons register and ( 500-horse power, belongs to Mr E. H. Watts, of 75 Gracechurch street, and was bound for China with a valuable cargo. According to particulars, the Milbanke was five miles off Dungeness at half-past 1 a.m., the electric light being plainly visible from the deck and the weather fine and clear, and there being every promise of a speedy termination of the voyage, which commenced on July JB> The Hankow, in steaming down the Channel, caught the Milbanke stem on, and, striking her amidships, penetrated half way through her hull. The alarm was given to the watch below, but before they could get on deck the Milbanke sank, and only those of the crew who were in the cabins on deck appear to have been saved. Twelve of them contrived to climb on board the Hankow before she was able to back out, and four more were subsequently picked up by one of her boats, which was lowered as quickly as possible after the accident. The crew numbered 28 hands, exclusive of Mrs Smith, the wife of the captain, and Mrs Neill, the wife of the mate. They, although aroused from bed immediately after the collision, were drowned, with their husbands, so that with 12 of the crew, 14 lives in all were lost. Two of the survivors, Eobert Bird, the [ second mate, ; and Mr Hall/ the chief engineer of the Milbanke, saved themselves by climbing up the sides of :

the Hankow, and they were landed at Dover the next morning, proceeding at once to the National Sailors' Home. Later in the day Bird made a formal deposition before Mr Raggett, the Collector of Customs at Dover, by whom it was transmitted to the Board of Trade in London. It may be added to to this account that Capl. Smith, in command of the Milbank, a Sunderland man, had made several voyages with the vessel, and was regarded as a good seaman. His wife had accompanied him out to Cartagena. Th£ mate came from the Isle of Man, and his wife, who had gone out to Marseilles on a pleasure excursion, had men him at Cartagena, in order to return to England with him. In the deposition made on oath by the mate, Robert Bird, to the collector of customs, he gives several technical details. He says that when he took the watch on deck at 12 o'clock, Dungeness light bore E. by N\ N, distance 12 miles ; weather clear, with light breeze from the S.W. The ship was under steam, only making seven knots an hour. One mau was on the look-out forward ; the master and deponent were upon the bridge, the master being in charge. One man was at the helm, steering the ship, the ship being steered on the bridge. The remainder of the watch, three in number, were on the main deck. On July 28, at 20 minutes past 1 a. m, the tide being ebb, the weather being clear, and the wind in the S.W., blowing a light breeze, the ship was off Dungeness, the light bearing N \ W. She was steered \ N, and going about seven knots an hour. The mast head light and sight lights were up and burning brightly. At this time the look out man announced the masthead light of a vessel right ahead, going down Channel. In about four minutes the deponent made the green light of such vessel, and the master of deponent's ship ordered the helm to be put to the starboard. Depouent made out the other vessel tp be a steamer. She approached deponent's ship rapidly. In about four minutes the helm of deponent's ship was put to starboard, and the other vessel showed her red light. The helm of such other vessel having apparently been put to port, the order was given to ease or stop the engines of the deponent's vessel. The other vessel about two minutes after this period came stem on, going, deponent should suppose, at about eight knots an hour, and struck deponent's ship on the starboard side, amidships, knocking away the mainmast, and cutting away the deck as far in as the hatchway. Deponent called the officers, who at this time were in a house upon deck, and the watch forward called the crew ; but before they all could reach the deck the ship foundered. The direction of the head of deponent's ship at the time of the collision was north-east, and the bows of the other ship were north-west. The other vessel proved to be the Hankow, of London. After the collision she backed astern, and remained on the spot until daylight to render assistance.