The Times, Tuesday, Feb 06, 1866; pg. 6; Issue 25414; col B THE LOSS OF THE LONDON. ----------------------- OFFICIAL INQUIRY. [continued] Mr. O'DOWD observed that in a statement which his clerk had taken down the witness said he saw the flying jibboom "sweeping from the deck to the hatchway, and it was striking the combing." The witness said he had never meant to assert he had seen it doing so. From 7 o'clock he had not seen it till he saw it taken and put as a support over the hatchway after the skylight had been carried away. When he saw it on the latter occasion one end of it was put down the hatchway. He did not see it cast adrift, or unlashed, just before it was so put down. Some men were putting it down, and he lent a hand. It was on the port side. The ship was making water then, and all she was making, as far as he knew, was taken down through the hatchway. The scuppers at that time were blocked up with coal, and they had been blocked up before the skylight was carried away. On the Wednesday afternoon the coals were cleared off the deck, and some of them were thrown overboard. He tried to clear the scuppers with a round bar of iron, but was unable to do so. He had never seen any gratings over the scuppers. He tried to clear two of them on the after starboard side. Mattresses, sails, and other things were placed over the flying jibboom with the view of keeping the water out of the hatchway. He believed that several of the men who were endeavouring to stop the hatchway were washed down. The flying jibboom was placed from corner to corner, the lower end resting on the maindeck, and the upper end on the combings of the hatchway. He was not on deck when the ship was put on the port tack. He went below on the 10th at 12 noon. She was then on the starboard tack. He came up at 4 o'clock and she was then on the port tack. After he came up he remained on deck until he left the ship on the 11th, except occasionally when he went down for something. She remained on the port tack till about an hour before the boat left her on the 11th, when she "wore round" to the starboard tack in order to enable the men to lower the port cutter. He could not say at what time between 12 and 4 she went on the port tack. She came up right head to wind. He could not tell which way the wind was. By Captain HARRIS. - When they left in the boat they steered N.N.E. as far as possible, but had to keep her to southward and eastward before the sea, and then the wind was dead aft. On Monday, the 8th, the ship was under fore and aft sail; he believed the steam was up then. He thought the engine was stopped about 4 o'clock on the 9th, when the maintopsail was set. He was on deck when the jibboom was carried away, and the ship was then on the starboard tack. She was pitching very heavily before the jibboom was carried away. From 4 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon the watches ceased to be kept regularly, as all hands were turned out to help in the wreck. He thought that the lashings of the flying jibboom were sufficient to hold it by the hatchway. At the time the stern lights were driven in, he believed he was down in the sail-room getting sails, which were passed up through the upper saloon. He did not see a rolled-up sail thrown down through the hatchway. He did not know that he had ever stated that he had seen that. He was passing the sails up on the port side, and the water which had entered had gone over to leeward. He did not know its depth, but thought there was a good deal of water down in the after saloons of the main deck. Immediately the skylight was carried away the hand pumps were put to work, and, subsequently, fire was got up under the boiler of the donkey-engine, and that engine then worked the pumps. He did not see the fires of the donkey-engine extinguished after that. Captain HARRIS. - Was not the flying jibboom washing about the deck for 24 hours before it was lashed? Witness. - It was not. Captain HARRIS. - Nor for any portion of 24 hours? Witness. - No. Captain HARRIS. - It was secured immediately after it was got on board? Witness. - It was. By Mr. TRAILL. - He saw the skylight immediately after it was carried away. It was lying flat on the deck on the starboard side. He could not say whether the tarpaulin was on it just then. They tried two or three times to replace the skylight, but there was too much water on deck, and the skylight was smashed to pieces soon after. Some of the glass of the skylight was broken when it was carried off the hatchway. By Captain HARRIS. - He did not believe the ship had been making water prior to the skylight of the hatchway being knocked off. The hatchway leading to the saloon had been battened down with a grating and tarpaulin. He thought that was the night before. He had assisted to put a sail over the engine-room hatchway. This sail was nailed to the deck. He did not know whether there was a tarpaulin over it or not. By Captain BAKER. - He did not remember whether the yards were squared and the ship run back before the wind. During the time he was on the deck he never saw her kept before the wind, except when she was wore round shortly before she went down. She was on her wind when the maintopsail was set. One half of it was blown away six or seven hours after it was set. He did not believe she ever was before the wind except when she wore round to have the port cutter lowered. The engines were going when the jibboom was carried away. The London did not appear to labour in bad weather more than any other ship. By Mr. TRAILL. - The weather was very heavy and the sea very cross. By Captain BAKER. - This was his first voyage in a steam ship. By Mr. TRAILL. - When she was being wore round she answered her helm and came round readily. He had never noticed the direction of the wind even once during the voyage, nor had he heard it from the officers. By Captain BAKER. - Any time that he was on deck she was close hauled. By Mr. TRAILL. - Several of the crew were below during the last night; some were hurt. It was difficult to get the necessary assistance. The crew did the best they could till they were worn out. By Captain HARRIS. - The spider-rail forward was carried away; it was not carried away aft. The gallantyards were not sent down. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The article to continue with the examination of the midshipman..... Petra