THE WRECK OF THE PRINCESS ALICE.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 92, 2 November 1878, Page 3

THE WRECK OF THE PRINCESS ALICE.

(From the 'Press’s’ English L.-ttm-.) An appalling disaster happened last week on the Thames in the broad r- acb of water just below what used to be the Royal Dockyard at Woolwich. Every day during August and September many hundreds of people who nave not either the time, or perhaps the money, to niaivc a longer holiday, take a river trip to Gravesend, Southend, or Sheerncss. I need scarcely tell some of your readers that Roshorville Gardens, near Gravesend, “ the place to spend a happy day, as it is popularly known from its advertisement is much frequented by families who indulge in these usually pleasant trips. Last Tuesday week there must have been at tbe very least three thousand souls afloat on the steamers that ply to the mouth of the Thames. One of those was the Princess Alice, a large boat built with handsome saloons on its decks, and she is believed to have had about eight hundred persons, men, women, and children, on hoard. She left Gravesend about six o’clock, and as she had to steam against the tide her progress was rather slow, so that when she sighted Ydoobvich it w r as getting near to eight o’clock, and as wc W’ere just at the change of the moon it was quite dark. Everybody on board was merry, one of the hands wasplaying the air of a popular song, when the captain, and a good many of the passengers who were on the fore deck, perceived the sudden and rapid approach of a large iron screw collier called the Bywell Castle. This vessel had no cargo, and was going down the river with the ■tide. She was very much larger than the Princess Alice. The danger was only seen when it was too late to avert some- collision ; but a fatal mistake in steering tint smaller steamer caused the indst awful catastrophe that was ever -witnessed on the Thames. The helm of the Princess Alice was ported, and she was driven right across the bows of the By well Castle. The bows of the latter, like two sharply converging iron ■walls, drove right through the centre of the steamer, which in about five minutes foundered in the middle of the stream. A few of the passengers managed to save themselves. A great many more were saved by the boats that were attracted to the spot by the terrific shrieks of those who were battling with the waves for their lives, and some escaped, God alone knows how. It is believed" that about 150 wore saved, but it is known that nearly GSO were drowned. For a week the river has been like a floating cemetery. The place whore this collision happened is but a little way below the outfall of the whole drainage of London, and the liver there is largely tainted with sewage. How foul the stream must be there may bo judged from the fact that most of the bodies recovered after three days’ immersion were so decomposed and changed that identification was only possible by means of the dress or trinkets, &c. Many scores of columns of this paper could be filled with the wonderful stories narrated by the fraction who survived this fearful scene. Fever since the worst time of the cholera have there been so many burials in London as during the last week. In some cases whole families have been swept away ; in others there is but a solitary survivor. The tragic nature of the whole of the circumstances has produce;! an intense feeling of sympathy in the public mind. As the funcial 'processions pass along the streets people stand on the pavements bareheaded and with tears springing to their eyes. Thousands of pounds have been literally flung into the treasury of the Mansion House for the relief of the thousands of sufferers, and a marvellous number of kind hearted people have ofibred either to adopt the orphans or to provide for their maintenance.