DESTRUCTION OF THE ROYAL MAIL NEW STEAMER AMAZON, AND LOSS OF 140 LIVES.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 636, 19 May 1852, Page 2

DESTRUCTION OF THE ROYAL MAIL NEW STEAMER AMAZON, AND LOSS OF 140 LIVES.

fFiom" Bell's Messenger," Jan. 10.] It is with feelings of the deepest regret that we have to announce a most dreadful catastrophe which has befallen the Royal Mail new steam-packet Amazon. We have to deplore nothing less than the total destruction of the ship by fire, and the loss of 140 lives. This shocking inte'ligence was brought to Plymouth on the midnight on Monday, by the brig Maisden* Captain Evans, bound from CaidifF to South Carolina, which ship also brought the only survivors 21 in number, of the 16*1 souls that left Southampton in the Amazon. % The Amazon, of above 2000 tons measurement, was launched only a few months sincp, from the buildingyard of Messrs. Green, at Blackwall, and having been fitted with her 800 horse power engines, proceeded to Southampton, and on Saturday afternoon last started thence under the most favourable auspices, and in sight of most of the directors, on her first voyage, with 50 passengers on board, and the mails for the West Indies, Gulf of Mexico, Spanish Main, &c. She was commanded by Captain Symonds, one of the ablest of the company's officers, and the Admiialty agent in charge of her mails was Lieutenant Biady, who, in consequence of the illness of Lieutenant Wilkinson, was appointed to this ressel at the last moment. She had on board £17,000 in specie, 5000 bottles quicksilver, worth about £5000, and otherwise a very valuable cargo, and was laden with 1100 tons of coal. The ship gallantly lan down the Channel, and eveiybody on board was wrapped in the greatest self-security, when 60 miles to the west of the Scilly Islands, about c2Oc 20 minutes to lon Sunday morning, the ship was discovered to be on fire, and the awful catastrophe ensued, which is described, m the subjoined accounts : — Plymouth, Januaiy 6. The Royal Mail steam-ship Amazon, Captain Symonds, with passengeis and Mails for the West Indies, steamed from Southampton, on Friday, the 2nd instant, at three p.m. At noon, on Saturday, she was about 150 miles from Southampton, procer ding steadily on her voyage, and nothing occurred till about midnight, or rather a quarter to one on Sunday morning, the vessel then about 89 miles noith west of Ushant, whim the fireman repoi ted a fire in the engine-room to Mr. Treweeks, second mate, the officer of the watch, who immediately sent the quaiterraaster to the captain, who iiifctantly came on deck in his shirt, and examined the stale of the fire, and ordered all hands ou deck to the fire-engine. The flames soon burst out from thp engine-room, and ignited the hay, &c, for live stock, a portion of which was immediately tin own overboard in a blaze. The Captain immediately ordered the ship to be put before the wind, and the engines to be stopped ; but so great a hold had the fire obtained that the engineers and firemen were unable to remain below, or to get at the engines to stop them. At this time, which was less than half an hour from the discovery ot the fnv, it had obtained such a mastery as to baffle the exertions of the officers and crew, the flames ascending and cutting off all communication, and the vessel still under steam. Efforts were made to launch the best life-boat, but the flames prevented their getting at her; they then went to the second life-boat, just abaft the sponson, and succeeded in lowering her, into which two passengers and 14 of the ciew rushed and towed alongside for about five minutes; but the ship was going so fast through the water, and the flames incieasingso rapidly, that they with extreme difficulty cleaied themselves of the wreck. At the same time two or three more boats were launched from the larboard bide, but were swamped. Two boats hanging to the davits on either side, were crowded with passengers, and in the hurry of lowering them the falls fouled, and the boats hung on end, and the people were washed out of them, besides the life-boat, the stern-boat got clear of the ship, in which were four of the crew and one passenger. They were taken into the life-boat, and the dingy immediately swamped. At this time another boat was seen, supposed to be the gig, riding like the life-boat head to sea, hut was not afterwards seen by those in (he life-boat. It was blowing strong from the westward, and a heavy sea running. | About four a.m., those in the boat saw a barque, of [ about 300 tons register, under double reefed maintopsail, closr» reefed foretopsail, and whole foiesail, on a wind which was about west and by south. She was within hail of the boat, and also of the steamer ; and those on board hailed and shouted, but the barque passed on between the boat and the Amazon, to windward of the latter, but to leeward of the boat. The life-boat did all that was possible in looking out for the other boats or any of the passengers or crew who might have bpen in the water, but she was obliged to be kept head to sea, which was running; heavy ; one sea broke on board, and partially filled her. The steamer was at this time in a complete blaze fore anil aft, and about 5.80 a.m., her magazine blew up, and in less than a quarter of an hour the vessel went down broadside on. At daylight there was a heavy fall of rain, which lessened the sea, and the boat, which had then drifted about three miles fiom where the Amazon went down, after searching for any portion of the wreck, and finding no vessel in sight, was put before the wind, and continued pulling towaids the eastward, with five oars aside, till noon, j when they descried a vessel about three miles to windward, on the starboard tack, standing to the southward; they hoisted signals and pulling towards her, and the brig perceiving them boie down. She proved to be the Marsden, of London, from Caidiff, for South Carolina j and from Captain Evans, his officers, and ciew, tho boat's ciew from the Amazon received every kindness aud attention, and after a sharp look-out fiom the mast-head for any other boats, or vestige of ihe wieek, the brig bore up for Plymouth, and landed them here about midnight on Monday. They wpre at once taken to the Globe Hotel, and received fiom Mr. Iltidmore every attention that their case demanded, and were subsequently provided for by the agent to tho Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Society. One of the firumen saved accounts for the origin of the fire fiom the overheating of the cranks and other portions of the machinery, which it was found necessary to play upon with water frequently ; but at the tune the fire was discovered a period of six or seven houis had elapsed without its being cooled. He imagines that the great heat of the same and the boilers ignited the felt and wood casing around the feteam chest, and thus spiead.