Charles Walter Datlen - The Times Article
The Fatal Collision in the Channel (16 December 1865)
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The FATAL COLLISION in the CHANNEL.
THE INQUEST
A jury was impanneled yesterday afternoon, at 2 o’clock, in the Town-hall, before Mr. W. H. Payn, the borough coronor, to investigate the circumstances attending the death of the unfortunate persons who perished in the Samphire steamer.
The bodies upon which the inquiry was held were identified as those of Miss Meta Baines, the daughter of a clergyman of the Church of England holding a benefice at Yalding, Kent, and Mdlle. Georgiana Koening, a German governess to Miss Baines; the body of the gentleman being supposed to be that of M. Duclercq, a merchant, of Gravelines.
The gentlemen who were retained to watch the proceedings were, Mr. W. Knocker, in behalf of the mail packet service, and Mr. T. Fox, for Captain Bennett; no solicitor appearing for the master of the American bark Fanny Buck, nor from the Board of Trade. Mr J.S. Forbes, general manager of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company; Mr. Churchward, and Lieutenant Morgan, R.N.; marine superintendent of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway, were also in attendance.
The jury having viewed the bodiws, returned to the hall, when the following evidence was adduced.
Mr. Knocker said he appeared to represent the interests of the mail packet-service; and as it was the desire of that service to give every facility for investigation in the unfortunate case, he handed in a list of the crew of the Samphire, all of whom had been warned to attend the inquiry. They were as follows:- Master, J Bennett; mate, W. Richards; acting mate, C. Datlin; carpenter, J. Fleet; seamen, W. Norris, R. Malpas, T. Northover, J. Gillman, F. Waters, H. Boyce; boy, H. Hills; steward, H. Hickings; first engineer, T. Hardy; second ditto, W. Waters; stokers, T. Tritton, R. Bishop, M. Trivett, and W. Jones.
James Ransay Ward, sworn, deposed, -I am a farmer, and live at Yalding. I have seen the bodies of the deceased, and I recognize the two females as Meta Baines, the daughter of the Rev. Edward Baines, vicar of Yalding, and Georgina Koening, governess in the family of Mr. Baines. The age of Miss Baines was 20 years, and her governess was about 23 years of age. I have known the deceased for some time. Miss Baines had lately been staying at Sandgate. On Wednesday she with her governess started for Darmstadt, and they were on their way to the Continent when they met with their death.
William Richards deposed, - I am mate of the mail packet Samphire, and I was on duty on board that vessel on Wednesday night. The Samphire left the Admiralty Pier at 10 58 p.m. bound for Calais. She had the usual mails and I think 78 passengers on board. There were 18, being the whole of the crew, on board, all hands told. The weather was very hazy when we started, the wind being N.N.W. to N. The Samphire had her regular distinguishing lights, consisting of the foremast-head white light, a green light on the starboard paddle, and a red light on the port side, which lights are in accordance with the Admiralty regulations. It is my place to set the men to their duty. On Wednesday night I set one on the bridge and one on the topgallant forecastle to look out, and was myself at the wheel when the steamer left the pier. After the steamer was clear of the pier I went from the wheel to the bridge to Captain Bennett, who was in command. I reported the vessel’s course to him, which was south-east half-east, and a little easterly. Then I left the bridge, and went forward and saw that the man who had the watch was keeping a good look-out; and the walking aft I saw that the lights were all right. I then started to go below in the fore-cabin to make up my log; and as I descended the stairs, I felt a very heavy shock from the collision. I had just previously heard Captain Bennet call out “Port, port,” and “Turn astern.” Immediately upon feeling the collision I jumped upon deck, and I got up the companion ladder I saw the bark in contact with the Samphire. I went aft, and felt the wheel hard-a-port. Rge vessels remained in contact apparently about two minutes, and then drove clear. I then received orders from Captain Bennett to get the lifeboat ready and proceed for assistance. Having got the lifeboat afloat I entered it with five others of the crew and three passengers, one of these passengers falling overboard in jumping into the boat. We got that passenger out of the water, and then rowed for Dover. On reaching the Admiralty Pier, I saw the Belgian boat landing her passengers and mails. I gave information to the commander, and as soon as she had landed her passengers she steamed off for the Samphire. I went back in the Belgian boat, and found the Samphire with her fore compartment under water. The Belgian steamer having taken the whole of the passengers and baggage from the Samphire returned to the Admiralty Pier and landed them. Again proceeding out to the Samphire, the Belgian boat took her in tow and brought her into Dover harbour.
By the CORONER.- There were two of the crew of the bark who got on board the steamer, but I did not see them jump on board. Just before I went below I looked all round the horizon, but could see no light near. I could discern no lights seaward. Had there been a sail near I might not have seen it, but I should most likely have seen a light. The name of the man on the forward look-out was Northover. Malpas was on the other watch.
Re-examined.- Before going below I heard no alarm whatever. Besides the two men on the look-out, it was the duty of all the crew to be on the watch. The bark at the time of the collision must have been on a Channel course, with a fair wind and tide. From the steamer I could not see what sails the bark had up further than she had her topsaild up. The steamer was struck about 13ft. from the stem on the port bow. If the bark had had lights up I believe we should have avoided the collision, as, though the weather was hazy, we should have seen the lights when near us. The man at the forward look-out is an ordinary seaman and a very active man.
Examined by Mr. Knocker.- I have been chief mate 12 or 14 years, and in my present service four years and a half, always on night service; therefore, I am well accustomed to this route by night. I should think that from 18 to 20 minutes elapsed from the time we left the pier till the collision, and we were about six miles on our passage. When I left the wheel I was relieved by the second officer, Datlin. When I went on the bridge to report the course of the vessel Malpas was looking out on the starboard side; Captain Bennett was on the portside; the call-boy was also on the bridge in readiness to pass the Captain’s orders to the engine-room. When I went forward I told Northover to keep a good lookout, as there might be a few herring boats about, it being a dark, hazy night, and no stars out. I had taken every precaution against fouling with other boats. The course I reported to the captain was the usual course with an ebb tide. The mail-master, Mr. Suters was on the fore-cabin stairs, going down behind me when I went to make out my log. When I saw the bark upon the steamer I did not hear a voice from the bark. The collision seemed to be like a violent chop. The vessels separated by the Samphire turning astern. From the time of the collision till the lifeboat was afloat about six minutes elasped, that being about two minutes from the time the captain gave me the orders. Two of the passengers got in while the boat was being lowered, and the third, a foreigner, was got into the boat after he had jumped overboard. The foreigner struck the boat in jumping overboard, and filled it with water up to the thwarts. It occupied us about an hour and a half in going to the Admiralty pier, as we had to row against tide, and we swept round the bay to find the assistance of a tug, which we could not get. There were four small boats on board the steamer, and there was a certificate of the Board of Trade to that effect hanging up in the cabin. About 40 minutes were taken by the Belgian boat in going from the Admiralty pier to the Samphire. The Belgian boat was a part of that time going easy, in order to lay alongside the Samphire. After taking the passengers and luggage we left the Belgian’s lifeboat with the Samphire, to be used, if wanted, the Samphire’s boats having all left. Captain Hoed, R.N., was in command of the Belgique, and he readily rendered the assistance required. When the Samphire started the crew were all quite sober and at their posts.
Examined by Mr. Fox.- On this night the call-boy was posted upon the bridge as an extra precaution, as the weather was rather hazy; that was not always done. Everyone on board is supposed to keep a look out, although two are appointed specially for that purpose. Just after we left the pier I hear Captain Bennett call out to Northover to keep a good look out, and I heard the watch reply,”All right, Sir.” There was a moderate breeze. There was one seaman, Boyce with Datlin at the wheel. The captain was upon the bridge the whole time, and never left it. Captain Bennett was in the habit of using opera-glasses on the voyage, and I saw the cases over his shoulder on this occasion. I heard Northover report a vessel on the port bow when we had been away from the pier a quarter of an hour. The vessel thus reported was two points on the port bow. I heard the captain then immediatlely give the word “Hard-a-port, hard-a-port,” and I heard the second mate at the wheel reply, “Port.” I then heard the captain order in rapid succession, “ease her,” “stop her,” and “turn astern.” The bark’s head was pointed to the westward. I did not see her heave to; I do not beleive she stopped at all; she was very soon out of sight. As soon as the collision took place I saw Captain Bennett leave the bridge and go to the forepart of the steamer. He examined the damage and then ordered us to proceed to the lifeboat. I did not see Captain Bennett go below to get the people up on deck, as I went aft.
By the CORONER.- It was the bark which run into us that the forward watch reported. The Samphire is in separate compartments, and that is why the fore part filled and the aft part did not.
By the Jury.- When the bark was over us I looked where the light should be, but saw none. I could then see the South Foreland light, but not the town lights, as it was more hazy towards the town. A sailing vessel should exhibit a green light on the starboard and a red on the larboard side; but I saw neither on the bark. We were going at the rate of about 12 knots an hour at the time the collision happened, that being the ordinary speed in hazy weather.
George Henry Suters deposed.- I am a marine mail-guard in the service of the Post-office. I have been in the service three years. Previous to that time I was in the Royal Navy. I was in charge of the mails on board the Samphire on Wednesday last. They were placed in the ordinary mail-room forward. After we left the pier I remained on deck. It was a dark, very hazy night. I noticed every man at his post. As I was going down the fore ladder, about 15 or 20 minutes after we left Dover, I heard the forward watch call out, “A light on the port bow.” The captain ordered “hard-a-port.” A collision immediately followed. I hailed the bark alongside to stand by, as I feared we were sinking. There was no answer returned, but I saw two men drop from her bows on the steamer’s deck. When the other vessels separated the bark kept her course. I noticed a very dim green light on the starboard quarter of the bark, but no other light. I went below to save my mails, but being up to my chest in water before I could get to the bottom of the ladder I found it was impossible. At this time I heard two females voices screaming in the fore-cabin, but there were no means of saving them.
Frederigue M. Butler, captain of the Vigilant, living in France.- I have seen the body of the male deceased, and recognize it as the body of M. Decrocq, a coal merchant. He was between 40 and 45 years of age. The deceased lived in the same town as myself, and had a wife and three children. I last saw him alive at the Gravelines in the beginning of last week.
This witness having been examined by Mr. Knocker and Mr. Fox,
The inquest was adjourned until to-day at 10 o’clock,
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