The Times, Friday, Feb 02, 1866; pg. 5; Issue 25411; col A THE LOSS OF THE LONDON. ----------------------- OFFICIAL INQUIRY. [continued] Mr. John R. STOLL was then examined by Mr. O'DOWD. He said he was a captain in Her Majesty's Navy and Emigration officer at Plymouth, acting under the Emigration Commissioners and the Passenger Acts. He had been acting as emigration officer for 12 years, eight of which he had been at Plymouth. On the 5th of January he went aboard the London in the discharge of his duty, accompanied by the captain and the surgeon of the ship, who had been on shore. On that occasion he made such an inspection as he usually made of a passenger ship. He did not observe that the London had sustained the slightest injury on her voyage from London to Plymouth. In his inspection he went round the decks, examined the boats, saw the lifebuoys and all that sort of thing in their places, and took a general view of her rigging and spars. He also looked down into the engineroom and sent for the chief engineer. That officer reported to him that his department was in perfect order. Witness had a general conversation with him as to how her engines had behaved coming down to Plymouth, with respect to the rate at which she had steamed, as he knew the weather had been very bad. He forgot what the rate stated by the engineer was, but it surprised him it was so good, knowing, as he did, that the maximum rate of the vessel was not more than nine knots at the best of times. From what he heard he felt convinced the ship must be in good trim. He saw a surgeon and got his report. Plymouth was only a port of call for the London, and he made as complete a survey as was usual under the circumstances. She called there to take in passengers and to take in coals in place of those consumed on the voyage down. The quantity paid for was 50 tons, but he scarcely thought she took in so much. What she took in was stowed in bags on the upper deck. None of the coals were placed on the after combings of the engineroom hatch. They were stowed all round the hatchway and steam chest. She shipped no cargo whatever at Plymouth, or no considerable quantity of passengers' luggage, but only articles for the present use of the passengers that were shipped there. It was not customary to take off the hatches and inspect the dead weight of ships calling at Plymouth, but it was his duty to examine the London as to the general state and seaworthiness. He did not notice critically her draught of water. There was a good deal of "wash," and, therefore, one could not well judge of her draught. He did not notice that she was too deep, and he certified that she was in good trim - that was, not too deep. Of couse, every steamer must be a little too deep on leaving port, otherwise her fan would soon get out of water. He was convinced now that his opinion was right, because he had seen from Mr. O'DOWD's statement that she had steamed down at the rate of eight knots. He had a memorandum of the readings of the barometer on the 5th and 6th of January, taken on board the Harbour-master's vessel in the Sound. On the 5th, at 8 a.m., it was 29.90; at noon, 30.04; at 4 p.m., 30.07. On the 6th, at 8 a.m., 30.17; at noon, 30.25; at sunset, 30.18. On the 7th, at 8 a.m., 29.76; at noon, 29.78; at sunset, 29.78. The London left Plymouth at midnight on the 5th, the weather being calm and fine. It continued fine during the whole of the 6th, but on Sunday it was blowing a gale. Captain BAKER. - In fact, during the whole of the three days the barometer never was very low. Captain STOLL. - Certainly not; and the weather was so fine on the 5th that I should have gone to sea even in the middle of the day. I was of opinion that the weather was very favourable on the 5th and the 6th for any vessel to go to sea. By Mr. TRAILL. - His principal duty was to see to the accommodation for passengers and to the ventilation. What he said as to the coals that were stowed on deck was in no way objectionable. It did not interfere with the navigation of the ship, or with the comfort of the passengers. The coals were stowed lengthways; four bags deep and four bags high. They were not secured artificially. They were secured by their own weight. He knew of his own knowledge that on a previous voyage the London carried her coals in the same way. If everything had gone on well, those coals which she so carried on her last voyage would have been consumed in a few days. He had heard remarks on this point; but surely the idlers on board could have thrown those coals overboard in half an hour had any necessity arisen for doing so. Mr. TRAILL. - Yes; but if bad weather came on, the question was whether those coals might not be sent adrift. Captain STOLL. - But bad weather does not come on so suddenly as that measures could not be taken to prevent such an occurrence as that. Mr. TRAILL. - Well; we had better not be reasoning on the matter. What we want are facts. In reply to the Assessors Captain STOLL said the last time he saw the London was at 1 o'clock in the day. She was then ready for sea; she then had her upper gallant yards crossed. He did not muster the crew; but the captain and chief officer assured him that they were the same as those they had started with from London, and the captain said he was going to take in three extra hands. In point of fact, he did take five, though witness was sure that none of the crew had left the ship at Plymouth. It was not compulsory on witness to muster the crew, unless he suspected fraud. One of the five additional men got drunk and did not go to sea. He wished to observe that the vessel was in beautiful order. All merchant ships go to sea in winter with their royal masts on end, and the gallant yards across. You cannot get the captains to strike them. He was astonished at this, though it was universal. It never was done on board a man-of-war. Mr. TRAILL. - I suppose, as you say you are astonished, you do not think it a prudent course. Captain STOLL. - I do not. Mr. TRAILL. - Have you ever remonstrated with any captain for so acting? Captain STOLL. - Yes. An emigrant ship that lay in the Sound since the loss of the London adopted the usual course. I remonstrated, but could not induce the captain to send his gallant yards on deck, the weather being threatening at the time. The witness here explained that his observations with regard to it being imprudent of merchant ships to act in the manner he had described had reference to bad weather, and not the winter weather generally. Captain HARRIS. - My question is whether you think it prudent for merchant vessels to go to sea in the winter months with the royal masts on end and the jibbooms flying - with all this "hamper," as we call it, aloft? The witness replied that if the weather were not bad it would not be wrong and might be done; but he thought it would be more prudent and "snugger" if in the winter months merchant ships went to sea with "stumped up" gallant masts instead of long masts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This article to be continued with the examination of a stevedore and a searcher from the Custom-house..... Petra.