Accidents > Dangers of the deep, or, Narratives of shipwreck and adventure at sea

JAM-PACKET.
COMET STE
405
in 17£ fathoms water, and about 165 yards
from the shore.
The vessel which occasioned this horrible
catastrophe was the Ayr steam luggage-boat,
a vessel of great power, McClelland, master,
bound to Ayr. As far as can be ascertained,
the two boats were doubling the point at the
same moment. The Ayr had a light displayed
in the usual manner, and kept a regular look¬
out. The captain, according to his own state¬
ment, had, immediately preceding the dis¬
aster, been enjoining his crew to be vigilant,
Both vessels were running with prodigious
velocity ; and, for a time after the concussion
took place, the consternation on board the
Ayr fully equalled that which prevailed on
board the Comet. Two seamen belonging to
the Harmony, who happened to be on board
the Ayr, were the only individuals who ap¬
pear to have escaped the general stupefaction.
These men, with the promptitude and intre¬
pidity of British sailors, instantly prepared to
launch theboat,with aview to succour the mul¬
titude, whose drowning cries came to their ears.
Unhappily, they were not seconded, but in¬
terrupted, in their generous attempt. At the
noment the boat, with one of them in it, had