An inquest was held on Monday, on the body of
William Brown, a mason, who was drowned on Saturday, by the upsetting of a boat n the swell caused by the City of Aberdeen steamer on her passage down the Thames. It appeared that the deceased, with two others, took a wherry at Rotherhithe to go to Carron Wharf, Lower East
Smithfield. They had with them some chests of tools and luggage, which sunk the wherry rather deep in the water. The manner in which the accident occurred, was thus described by George Ryde, one of the passengers— When off Globe Stairs, Rothe/lithe, in the middle of the stream, they saw the City of Aberdeen steam ship coming down the river. She passed between the south shore and them. The deceased partially raised himself ue at the moment the steamer was passing, admiring her great size, and appearing gra-
tified that she belonged to his own country, Scotland. About three or four minutes after, the swell raised by the steam-ship came in at the stern, and wetted his feet. They were cautioned not to move ; and they all sat quite still, until the next wave came and swamped the boat, and she sunk under them. They then all rose together, and knowing that the deceased could not swim, they supported him. The next wave turned the boat over ; and witness found himself alone in the water, and the wherry bottom upwards, with one of his companions clinging to it. He saw no more of the deceased. The swell ap- peared to follow the wherry until it swamped her. The river seemed like a rough sea after the steamer passed, but was previously quite smooth. There were two persons on the paddle-box of the steamer, who took no notice of them. Witness sat aft, to balance the boat ; did not think she was heavily laden, but properly trimmed.
It was stated, that wherries are allowed to take 561bs. of luggage for each passenger ; there were about 2001bs. in this wherry. William Lewis, the waterman, said that his boat was licensed to carry eight persons ; and that she had recently undergone a thorough repair.
On arriving off Globe Stairs, he saw the City of Aberdeen steam-ship coming down the river from London at a rapid rate ; and knowing the prodi- gious swell she always created, he particularly noticed her course, and per- ceived she was standing towards the south shore; and witness kept as far over to the northward as he could, without running near the tiers, where he would have been in more danger than in the stream : for the safety of himself and passengers he lay on his sculls, to meet any emergency that might happen, and got over the swell from the bows of the steamer by putting his boat's head to it, very well ; but such a tremendous rolling swell followed from the wake of the steamer, that the boat was instantly capsized, and the deceased lost his life.
There was conflicting evidence as to the rate at which the steamer was going : some witnesses said that she was sailing eight miles, others only four miles an hour : the agent for the vessel said, " they could never get more than eight miles an hour out of her, and she was only going at half speed." The Jury found this verdict—" That the deceased was drowned by the upsetting of a boat in which he was, by the swell raised by the City of Aberdeen steam. ship, in her passage through the Pool. Deodand 601. on the vessel." The inquiry lasted seven hours. One Juryman was anxious for a verdict of "Man- slaughter," but was overruled.
On the same day (Saturday), another accident, with loss of life, arose from a steamer coming in contact with a barge on the river. The particulars are given as follows— About six o'clock in the morning, the John Bull, Rotterdam steam-ship, was going. down the stream, on her voyage to Holland ; and on arriving nearly opposite the King and Queen, Rotherhithe, she ran right aboard of the Mary and Eleanor sand-barge, belonging to Mr. Hibbert, of Lambetb, which was coming up. The steamer struck the barge forward with great force, and broke the iron attached to two blocks used for lowering and raising the mast while going under the Bridges. The mast and yard immediately came down with a dreadful crash, and fell on William Hibbert, the son of the owner, who was steering the barge, and knocked him down. He never spoke or moved after- wards. The steamer was instantly stopped ; and the unfortunate man, whose head was crushed, was taken into the pilot's boat and towed by the John Bull to the Dreadnought hospital-ship ; but the surgeon, ascertaining the poor fellow to be quite dead, said it was useless to take the body on board ; and it was removed to Greenwich. The deceased was only twenty-two years of age. The barge is a complete wreck.
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