Narratives of Shipwrecks of the Royal Navy; between 1793 and 1849 by William O. S. Gilly

W >> William O. S. Gilly >> Narratives of Shipwrecks of the Royal Navy; between 1793 and 1849

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27

The captain gave orders to fire minute guns, and cut away the masts.
Five or six guns only had been fired, before they broke adrift, so
that it was impossible to fire any more; but providentially these had
been heard by the look-out men on shore, to whose assistance may be
attributed the preservation of the few lives that were saved.

The waves swept over the vessel, forcing numbers of the crew down the
hatchways, the guns and other heavy articles had broken loose, killing
some, breaking the arms and legs of others, whose agonizing cries
served only to add to the horrors of a scene scarcely within the power
of description.

The captain at this time stood on the poop, holding on only by a
howitzer that was lashed before the mizenmast, the officers and crew
clinging to other parts of the wreck. The boats were all stove, except
the pinnace, in which about twenty men had collected, when a sea,
breaking over the wreck, washed her overboard, capsized her, and all
perished.

Another sea struck the Defence with such excessive violence as to lift
a spare anchor from its berth, throw it up on end, killing in its fall
upon the forecastle about thirty men. The booms were washed away, and
with them nearly one hundred men, who were clinging to the different
spars.

The following account of the escape of one of her crew is so
interesting, that it has been thought better to leave it as nearly as
possible in his own words, than to alter it for the sake of brevity:--

'I got on one side of the booms that were floating among the rest of
the wreck. At that time every man, except two, John Platt and Ralph
Teasel, two of the men who were saved, were washed off. Myself and
several more were at the same time swept off the mizen-top. I then
made the best of my way from one spar to another, until I got on one
side of the booms. At this time about forty men regained their
position upon the booms, when another sea washed all off except four.
I got on the booms a second time, and spoke to John Brown, and told
him I thought we were approaching the shore. There were then about
twenty men on them, but when we reached the shore there were only six
left.

'Two Danes on the beach came to our assistance; my foot got jammed in
amongst the small spars, and my comrades, seeing that I was unable to
get off the raft, were coming to my help, when the Danes made signs to
them to be quiet. One Dane made three attempts before he succeeded in
reaching the raft, and the third time he was nearly exhausted; he
managed to get hold of my foot, and wrenched it out, and carried me on
shore. I was then taken up to a shed to wait for some carts which were
coming for us, most of us being unable to walk. In about ten minutes a
number of gentlemen arrived on horseback, and some carts came down
upon the beach. We were then placed in them, and driven to a small
village called Shelton. On the road the man who drove the cart spoke
to a woman, and asked her if she had any liquor. She replied by
drawing a bottle from her pocket, and made each of us take a dram,
which I believe was in a great measure the saving of our lives.

'We soon arrived at the houses in the village, where we were stripped
and put to bed, and treated by the inhabitants with the greatest
hospitality and kindness. When I awoke, I found another seaman had
been placed in the same bed with me; he had come on shore some time
after myself upon a piece of wreck. He said, just as he reached the
shore the poop and forecastle were capsized, and not a man to be seen,
except a few upon pieces of wreck. In the evening, a gentleman who
spoke English came to our bedside, and told us that an officer had
been brought up to the house. He also told us that there was another
ship on shore to the southward of us, which appeared to be a
three-decker, lying with her stern on shore. We knew directly it could
be no other than the St. George.

'He inquired if we were able to get up, and go and look at the body of
the officer, and see if we knew him. We answered yes, and, with the
assistance of the people, went into the barn, and recognised our
captain. We then returned to bed again, being too exhausted to stand.
The gentleman told us that medical assistance could not be procured
that night, but that we should have every nourishment the house could
afford. He then took his leave, promising that he would return in the
morning, when we might be better able to speak to him.

'He accordingly came in the morning, and inquired what force our ship
was.

'We told him a 74-gun ship, with a company of 600 men. Upon our
inquiring if any more of our shipmates had reached the shore, he
answered no; and we returned most hearty thanks to the Almighty for
our deliverance!

'On Sunday, the 29th, we put our captain into a coffin, and buried him
in Shelton Church-yard, with two seamen alongside of him.

'It was some time, through the bitterness of the cold and the bruises
we had received, before we were able to walk about. As soon as we had
gained sufficient strength, we went down to the beach, where we saw,
scattered for about two miles along the beach, the wreck of the
Defence, but not a corpse was to be seen. We supposed they had drifted
away to the southward and westward, a strong current setting that way.
This opinion was in a great measure confirmed by seeing our officers'
things sold, and other articles belonging to the ship, six miles to
the southward of where we were cast away, when we went to join the few
who were saved from the St. George. On the 13th January, our captain
was taken up again, and carried to Rinkum Church, and placed in a
vault with the honours of war.'

Such was the unhappy fate of the St. George and Defence; only six men
from the latter ship being saved, out of a crew of 600. Two days
afterwards, when the gale had abated, a Danish boat, with two of the
English sailors, went on board the St. George to bring away the
corpses of the admiral and others, but they found the decks had been
entirely swept away. Nothing could exceed the hospitality and kindness
with which the Danes treated the few who were thrown upon their shore.
Nor was the Danish government backward in generosity. The dead were
buried with military honours, and the survivors were sent to England
without exchange. The following letter from Major General Tellequist,
given in his own language, sufficiently shows the deep commiseration
felt by the Danish government, as well as by himself, for the
lamentable catastrophe which befel the St. George and Defence.

'Randus, the 21st of January, 1812.

'Sir,--Though the grievous misfortune which has happened his
great Britannic Majesty's ships of war on the Danish coast perhaps
already may be known to your Excellency; nevertheless, whereas the
opposite case may be possible, I will not omit hereby to make you
acquainted with the sorrowful accident, assuring you that I am
very compassionating.

'The 24th of last month, in the night, the English ships of the
line, St. George and Defence, are splitted upon the western
coast of Jutland, and the violent waves made it impossible to
bring the wretched crews any assistance. From both ships are
saved but thirteen persons, who are cast on shore by the sea
with goods of wreck. Some of them are sick, and at present under
care. A part of the dead bodies are driven to land, and interred
with as much ceremony as the circumstances would admit.

'All possible pains have been taken to find out the bodies of
the officers, in order to show them military honours, by the
obsequies upon the churchyard.

'Two bodies of officers were found, and buried with military
honours. Among these was the body of Captain Atkins, commanding
the Defence, which is deposited in a church till I receive the
further ordaining from my most gracious sovereign.

'I complain much that the body of Admiral Reynolds has not yet
been found, for all the pains which are taken on this purpose.

'Agreeably to the charitable sensibility of the Danish nation,
the inhabitants have been very grieved to see the English
warriors in such a distress without being able to assist them;
and I am very sorry, Sir, that I cannot give your Excellency of
this accident an account less sorrowful.

'With great esteem, I remain, Sir,

'&c. &c, &c.,

'TELLEQUIST.

'To Governor Maurice.'

The body of Rear Admiral Reynolds was found a few days after the date
of the above letter, and deposited with military honours near that of
Captain Atkins, in Rinkum Church.

The surviving officers and men of the St. George were tried by a
court-martial at Sheerness, and were acquitted of all blame with
reference to the loss of that vessel.

With respect to the loss of the Defence, the court was of opinion that
she was lost by getting on shore on the western coast of Jutland, in
company with his Majesty's late ship St. George, in consequence of the
noble and heroic determination of the captain to stay to the last by
his admiral, at a moment of extreme danger and distress, conduct
which, in the opinion of the court, will reflect immortal honour on
the memory of Captain Atkins.

Rear Admiral Reynolds was an officer of considerable experience, and
had distinguished himself on several occasions previous to his
melancholy fate on board the St. George.

In the year 1797, he commanded the Amazon, a 36-gun frigate, and was
cruizing the 13th of January off Ushant, in company with the
Indefatigable, Captain Sir Edward Pellew, when a large ship was
descried, steering under easy sail for France. This was a little after
twelve o'clock at noon; chase was immediately given, and at four in
the afternoon, the stranger was discovered to be a French two-decker,
the Droits de l'Homme, of 74 guns.

She had on board, exclusive of her crew of 700 men, about 1050 troops,
which, with 50 English prisoners, made 1800 souls.

At a little past five o'clock, the Indefatigable closed with the enemy
and began the action; this had lasted about an hour, when the
Indefatigable unavoidably shot ahead, on which the Amazon took her
place and nobly continued the battle. The Indefatigable, having in
the meantime repaired her rigging, again joined in the attack, the
British ships placing themselves one on each quarter of their
opponent. A continued fire was kept up for upwards of five hours, when
they found it absolutely necessary to sheer off, in order to secure
their masts. During the action the sea is described as having run so
high, that the men on the main decks of the frigates were up to their
middles in water. As soon as the masts were secured, the attack was
again resumed, and notwithstanding the crews of both ships were almost
exhausted with their exertions, it was prolonged for five hours more,
when, late in the night, the fire ceased on both sides. The Amazon had
now nearly three feet of water in the hold, and was in other respects
most severely damaged. The enemy had suffered still more; her foremast
was shot away, and the main and mizen-masts left tottering, the decks
being strewed with the dead and dying.

At about four o'clock in the morning, an officer on board the
Indefatigable reported breakers ahead, and the loss of all three
vessels appeared almost inevitable.

The Indefatigable was then close under the starboard quarter of the
Droits de l'Homme, and the Amazon as near to her on the larboard bow.
The Indefatigable was fortunate enough to avoid the danger by being
able to make sail to the southward, and she escaped.

When daylight broke, a terrible spectacle was presented. The Droits de
l'Homme had drifted towards the land--broadside on--a tremendous surf
beating over her. The position of the Amazon was as precarious,
notwithstanding every effort was made by her officers and crew to work
her off shore, all proved unavailing, and she struck the ground. The
ship's company, with the exception of six men, gained the shore, which
proved to be Audienre Bay, where they were all made prisoners.

The melancholy fate of the Droits de l'Homme is described in James's
_Naval History_. Already 900 souls had perished, when the fourth night
came with renewed horrors,--'weak, distracted, and wanting
everything,' says one of the prisoners, a British officer, in his
narrative, 'we envied the fate of those whose lifeless corpses no
longer needed sustenance. The sense of hunger was already lost, but a
parching thirst consumed our vitals.' ... 'Almost lost to a sense of
humanity, we no longer looked with pity on those who were the speedy
forerunners of our own fate, and a consultation took place, to
sacrifice some one to be food to the remainder. The die was going to
be cast, when the welcome sight of a man-of-war brig renewed our
hopes. A cutter speedily followed, and both anchored at a short
distance from the wreck. They then sent their boats to us, and by
means of large rafts, about 150, out of nearly 400 who attempted it,
were saved by the brig that evening; 380 were left to 'endure another
night's misery,--when, dreadful to relate, about one half were found
dead next morning!'

HERO.

We have next to relate the still more tragical fate of the Hero, of 74
guns. This vessel was lost on the Northern Haaks, under nearly the
same circumstances as the Minotaur in the preceding year, but with
more fatal results, as every soul on board perished.

The following particulars are derived from the accounts taken from the
evidence of Captain Fanshawe, of the Grasshopper, and from the
journals of the day.

The Grasshopper sailed from Wingo Sound on the 18th of December,
1811, in company with the Hero, Egeria, and Prince William, and a
convoy of about 120 merchantmen. The weather, at the time they
commenced their voyage, was stormy and tempestuous. The Egeria and
Prince William parted company on the 20th, and on the 23rd the
Grasshopper was left in company with the Hero, and about eighteen
merchantmen.

At about half-past eleven o'clock, Captain Newman, of the Hero, made
signal to the Grasshopper to come within hail; conceiving that they
were on the Silver Pitts, he directed the course to be altered to the
south-west, which was accordingly done. They continued their course
until ten o'clock at night, when the signal was made to alter it two
points to port.

The Grasshopper was at this time going at the rate of nine knots an
hour; four of the convoy had been kept in view up to this period, but
were soon lost sight of in the heavy squall of snow and sleet. At
half-past three o'clock all hands were turned up, when the ship being
in broken water, she struck with great violence, and suddenly fell
into three fathoms water. The best bower was let go, and she was
brought to an anchor. In a few minutes the ship struck again, and
continued to do so as long as she remained in that position.

The crew of the Grasshopper had now their attention called to the
situation of the Hero. It was first supposed that she was at anchor,
although she fired several guns, and burnt blue lights, which in about
half-an-hour ceased. At daylight it was discovered that both the ships
were inside the Northern Haaks, about five or six miles from the Texel
Island. About a mile from the Grasshopper was the Hero--a complete
wreck--lying on her starboard broadside. The ship's company were all
crowded together upon the poop and forecastle; the sea making clean
breaches over her. An attempt was made by the crew of the Grasshopper
to reach the Hero, but the surf ran so high that it prevented all
communication, and they were under the imperious necessity of seeing
their comrades perish, without the slightest possibility of being able
to render them assistance.

The Hero had hoisted a flag of truce, and fired a gun: in a short time
these signals of distress were answered, by several vessels putting
out from the Texel to her relief; but owing to the flood-tide, and the
strong gale of wind then blowing, the boats were unable to get nearer
than three miles.

Notwithstanding that those on board the Grasshopper were themselves in
a most precarious position, from the repeated shocks the ship had
sustained by striking against the ground, their attention was
completely diverted from themselves, in their anxiety for the fate of
the Hero. The waves burst with relentless fury over the doomed vessel,
every moment snatching a victim from the now almost deserted decks.

As the night was approaching, and the weather still continued
boisterous, Captain Fanshawe, having taken the opinion of the
officers, judged that there was no other alternative for saving the
lives of his crew than by surrendering to the enemy. At four o'clock
the cable was cut, and they made sail for the Helder Point, where they
surrendered to the Dutch Vice-Admiral, De Wintner.

The Hero went to pieces during the night: in the morning not a vestige
of her was to be seen. Every exertion was made by the Dutch squadron
to save the crew, but the weather was so stormy, that all their
efforts proved abortive, and thus every soul on board perished.

In the year 1798, Captain Newman distinguished himself by a most
gallant action which he fought off the coast of Ireland. He was then
in command of the Mermaid, 32-gun frigate, and was cruising in
consort with the Revolutionnaire, of 38 guns, Captain Twysden, and the
Kangaroo, gun-brig, commanded by Captain Brace. On the 15th October,
when near Black Cod Bay, two very large French frigates were seen and
pursued, but they were lost sight of during the night. The next
morning, however, the Mermaid and Kangaroo made out one of the
Frenchmen, and the Kangaroo came up with her the same afternoon, but
was speedily disabled by the heavy fire of her opponent, and compelled
to drop astern. The Mermaid kept on in chase, and engaged the French
vessel, which proved to be the Loire, 46-gun frigate, on the morning
of the 17th October. Early in the action the French attempted to
board, but were frustrated by the skilful handling of the Mermaid,
which enabled her to close within pistol-shot of the Loire, when the
latter's foretopmast was soon shot away, and the fire from her great
guns nearly silenced, though a continuous storm of musketry was still
kept up from her decks. Upon attempting to rake her opponent, the
Mermaid's mizenmast unfortunately went by the board, so that she fell
off, and the maintop-mast almost instantly followed. By this time the
rigging of the English frigate was completely cut to pieces, and her
boats destroyed; she was also making a great deal of water, having
received several shots between wind and water. In this crippled
condition, Captain Newman had no other alternative but to discontinue
the action. This was done without any attempt on the part of the Loire
to renew the engagement, the French being no doubt only too glad to
get rid of her spirited antagonist, though she was only half the size
of their own vessel.

On the following day the Loire fell in with the Anson and Kangaroo,
and surrendered to the British flag. Subsequently Captain Newman was
appointed to the Loire, having the proud satisfaction of commanding
the vessel in whose capture he had so gallantly assisted.

In 1808, our officer received the command of the unfortunate Hero,
which ship, in 1810, formed part of the squadron under Sir James
Saumarez, employed for the protection of commerce in the North Sea.
Here he continued in the unpleasant duty of convoying merchant vessels
backwards and forwards from Dar's Head, the south entrance of the
Great Belt, to Sproe Island. On the 25th of September, Captain Newman,
in company with the Mars, 74, arrived off Yarmouth, having in charge
between five and six hundred merchantmen, the largest convoy that had
ever sailed from the Baltic. He again returned to his former station
in March, 1811, where he remained until the latter end of the year,
when his ship was selected, with others, to convoy the homeward-bound
fleet. On this occasion, he appears to have had sad misgivings as to
the prudence of sending ships home at so late a period of the year,
through the dangerous navigation of the northern seas. On the day
previous to the sailing of the squadron from Wingo Sound, he observed,
'I cannot help thinking that we have been detained too long, and it is
well if some of us do not share the fate of the Minotaur.'[14] His
words were but too prophetic; and, ere long, he and two thousand of
our brave defenders perished on a foreign strand.

FOOTNOTES:

[14] _Naval Chronicle._

THE DAEDALUS.

His Majesty's ship Daedalus, of 38 guns, Captain Murray Maxwell,
sailed from Spithead on the 27th of January, 1813, in charge of an
East Indian convoy, and made the island of Ceylon, near the Pointe de
Galle, on the 1st of July. She passed Dondra Head at sunset, and then
steered east by north during the night, in order to pass well outside
the Basses. In the morning, the ship's head was pointed to the north,
to get near land, a good look-out being kept both from the deck and
mast-head for rocks and breakers. The atmosphere was so clear that a
ripple might have been seen upon the water for miles around. Nothing
appeared to indicate danger; the vessel was supposed to be seven or
eight miles off the land, and the master was pointing out to Captain
Maxwell her position upon the chart, when they felt her take the
ground abaft; but so very easily, that many people on board were not
aware that she had touched. Signals were immediately made to warn the
convoy of their danger, but before the signals could be answered, the
Daedalus swung off into deep water. All sail was set, and strong hopes
were entertained that she was not materially injured; but her frame
was too slight to sustain any shock whatever without damage, the lower
part of the stern-post had given way, occasioning a leak of such
magnitude, that although the pumps were instantly manned; and worked
with unceasing energy, the water could not be kept under. A signal was
made for the convoy to bring to, and to send all their carpenters on
board the Daedalus, which was immediately done, but the combined
efforts of the whole were unavailing to reduce the leak. The rudder
worked so much that it was found necessary to unship it from the
broken part of the stern-post, and bring it alongside; and in order to
relieve the ship from the pressure aft, the guns and other heavy
things were carried forward; this, however, was of so little avail,
that the guns and anchors were soon thrown overboard. They then
prepared a sail with oakum and tar, and got it over the stern, in
order, by passing it under the keel, to stop the leak. For a time this
seemed to have the desired effect, and hopes were entertained that
they might be able to carry the ship to Trincomalee; but these hopes
were of short duration. In spite of the indefatigable exertions of
every officer and man on board, the water gained upon them till it
rose two feet above the orlop-deck. The men had now been working
without intermission for eight hours, and their strength and spirits
began to fail, when, notwithstanding all their efforts, they saw the
water rising to the level of the lower deck.

Captain Maxwell now knew that there was not a chance of saving his
ship, and he felt the painful necessity of leaving her as soon as
possible, in order to preserve the lives of his men, whilst there was
yet time. He ordered the boys, idlers, and two divisions of seamen and
marines to get into the boats which were alongside, while the
remaining men were employed at the pumps to keep the ship afloat, The
good order and discipline which prevailed during this scene are beyond
all praise. 'The men behaved,' to use the words of the captain, 'as if
they were moving from one ship to another in any of the king's ports.'

Such conduct is highly creditable, not only to the ship's company, but
likewise to the captain and officers, in whom the crew must have
reposed most perfect confidence, or such real good order could not
have been maintained at such a time.

The ship was settling fast, when the boats returned to carry away the
remainder of the officers and men, they left the pumps and embarked in
the boats, taking with them the hammocks and clothes belonging to the
ship's company. The last man who stood upon the deck of the sinking
ship was her captain. When all others had gone, he too with a heavy
heart stepped into the boat which bore him from her side; sadly and
sorrowfully he fixed his gaze upon the wreck of 'his home on the
waters.' In a few minutes the ship gave a lurch, and, falling on her
beam ends, remained in that position for the space of a minute, then
she righted, showing only her quarter-deck ports above water, and then
gently and majestically sunk into the bosom of the deep blue sea.

THE PERSIAN.

The Persian, an 18-gun brig, commanded by Captain Charles Bertram, was
lost on the Silver Keys, St. Domingo, in the West Indies, on the 26th
of June, 1813. It appears from Captain Bertram's statement, that the
Keys were laid down on the chart too far to the southward, or that the
ship was carried in that direction by a strong current not mentioned
in any of the charts. The Persian struck about five o'clock P.M., by
running stem on, upon one of the rocks; she was at the time going at
the rate of three or four knots an hour. Everything was done to back
her off; the water was started, most of the guns thrown overboard, the
boats were got out, and the anchors cut from the bows. These measures
for the moment seemed to have the desired effect; but in paying off,
she struck on another rock, and from this it was impossible to move
her. Again the same means were resorted to; the remainder of the guns,
spars, &c, were thrown overboard, but to no purpose. The pumps had
been kept in active play from the first moment of alarm, but the water
gained on them so fast, there was little hope of the vessel keeping
afloat till daylight. The Captain, therefore, resolved to prepare for
the worst, and he directed a large raft to be made for the safety of
some of the ship's company. About seven o'clock, two hours after she
first struck, Captain Bertram perceived that she was gradually
sinking; he therefore ordered as many of the ship's company as the
boats would hold, to get into the two cutters and the jolly-boat; the
cutters were placed under the command of Mr. Norris, the second
lieutenant, and Mr. Nicholls, the master; and the jolly-boat under the
superintendence of the gunner. These boats were ordered to remain near
the ship, in case anything should occur to render it necessary for the
people to return on board.

Pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27