The loss of the Ocean Monarch - report of the master, Capt.Murdoch.

  From 'The Illustrated London News', August, 1848

OCEAN MONARCH - NARRATIVE OF CAPTAIN MURDOCH

"The Ocean Monarch sailed from the river at daylight in the morning, in tow of a steam-tug.  A fresh breeze was blowing at the time.  About 8 o' clock the pilot and the steam-tug left us. We made all sail and proceeded to sea. Nothing of any consequence occurred until about 12 o' clock, when the order to 'tack ship' was given. We were then about six miles this side of the Great Orme’s head.  After the yards were hauled, the steward of the ship came up and told me that one of the passengers had lit a fire in one of the ventilators in the afterpart of the ship. I immediately sent an officer and one man with the steward to see to the matter - to put out the fire, and to bring up the delinquent. I at once went below, and discovered smoke proceeding into the main cabin, through one of the after state-rooms. We began without delay to throw water down but in five minutes afterwards, indeed almost instantly, the after-part of the ship burst into flames.  We put the ship before the wind in order to lessen the draught, but were obliged to bring her to again. The fire produced the utmost confusion among the passengers - all appeared infatuation and despair; yells and screams of the most horrifying description were uttered; all control over them was lost; my voice could not be heard, nor my orders obeyed. Finding that nothing could be done with the yards, I caused both of the anchors to be let-go, that the ship’s head might be to wind, and the fire be kept as abaft as possible. The passengers crowded in numbers to the bowsprit to avoid the heat of the flames ; many, in alarm and despair, leaped overboard and, although spars and all loose materials lying about deck were thrown out for them to cling to, a great majority were drowned.  In spite of all that could be done, the flames increased. I gave orders to get the boats out. Two of them were got out, but before the lashings of the others could be cut they were enveloped in flames. The mate and several of the passengers, with part of the crew, got into one of the boats which was lowered, and a portion of the crew, with some passengers, into the other. The last thing which I did was to throw overboard a topgallant yard, with the assistance of the carpenter and one or two men, with a rope attached to it, to make it fast alongside, and to tell the people to jump overboard and cling to it ; then, finding the flames approaching so rapidly that I could neither get forward nor aft, I was obliged to heave myself overboard and cling to the spar for a short time, but finding that there were already too many clinging to it, I swam to a board which fortunately floated near us, and after remaining in the water about half an hour, was picked up by the boat belonging to the Queen of the Ocean.  I should, perhaps, have stated before, that, seeing our disaster, the Queen of the Ocean, yacht, owned by Mr. Thomas Littledale, of Liverpool, with a party of his friends on board, hove down to us, lowered her boat, and the crew, with indefatigable exertions, were the means of saving the lives of 32. In the meantime, while the yacht was rendering every assistance in her power, the Brazilian war-steamer Affonso, and the Prince of Wales steamer, bound to Bangor, with the packet-ship New World, sent their boats, and were the means of saving many that were clinging to the wreck and floating about on the spars; their exertions were great and praiseworthy. The Queen of the Ocean remained alongside till three o’ clock, and when she had done all that was possible to do, set sail for Liverpool.  Mr. and Mrs. Dow, of Glasgow, Mr. Southwith and Mr. Fellowes are amongst the cabin passengers whom I know to have been saved.  As to the origin of the fire, I differ from a published statement that I have seen.  There was no wooden ventilator on board the ship: the ventilators were of iron.  The fire originated, in my opinion, from smoking amongst the steerage passengers; the night before, several pipes were taken from them. The fire was instantaneous; five minutes after it was discovered, the whole stern of the ship was in flames. The cargo consisted of iron, dry goods, salt and earthenware, the latter being packed in crates stuffed with straw. There were, I calculate, about 380 souls altogether on board, but, as we had not completed our classifying arrangements, the exact number I cannot positively tell. There were, I think, 91 first and second cabin and 307 steerage passengers. The crew consisted of 42 hands, including myself."