The Times, Wednesday, Jan 31, 1866; pg. 6; Issue 25409; col C THE LOSS OF THE LONDON. ----------------------- OFFICIAL INQUIRY. The inquiry directed by the Board of Trade into the circumstances under which the London foundered in the Bay of Biscay on the 11th inst. was resumed in the Greenwich Police Court yesterday, before Mr. TRAILL, police magistrate, and Captain BAKER and Captain HARRIS as nautical assessors. It will be found that none of the evidence taken as yet adds one particle to our information on the subject of the sinking of the ship and 220 passengers. With one exception, the witnesses hitherto examined either had surveyed the ship, or been in some way or other connected with her construction. Their evidence has been a detail of her excellent qualities and those of her engines and rigging. These witnesses have been examined in chief by Mr. O'DOWD, acting for the Board of Trade, from written documents which appear to contain pretty much what they are about to state. The magistrate and the nautical assessors frequently interpose with questions; but though Mr. T. SALTER appears for the relatives of Mr. and Mrs. THOMAS, who, with their children, went down in the ship, and Mr. A. BURRELL, of Glasgow, who lost a son in the London, attends on his own behalf and that of Mrs. TENNENT, of Edinburgh, whose husband was drowned at the same time, neither of those gentlemen have up to this felt it necessary to take any part in the examination. Mr. O'DOWD has shown considerable anxiety to elicit the opinions of surveyors on the question of protecting the engine-rooms of steamships by coverings between the main and the upper decks. It will be recollected that on Monday Mr. BARBER, a shipwright surveyor under the Board of Trade, gave evidence strongly in favour of that arrangement; but it will be found that one of the witnesses examined yesterday is of opinion, even after what occurred aboard the London, that it is not at all necessary. At the sitting of the Court, Mr. Thomas W. WAWN, Surveyor to Lloyd's Register of British and Foreign Shipping, was examined by Mr. O'DOWD. He said the object of that association was to furnish records to underwriters, merchants, and shippers of the qualities of British and foreign shipping, and he had been acting for it during 12 years. His duties were to look after the building of vessels, and to see that they were built according to the rules. He inspected the London while she was building, and examined her structure and materials. The latter were of the best descriptions and the workmanship was of an equally high quality. The plates and angle-iron used in her construction all worked remarkably well, which was the best test of their quality. He now held in his hand a plan of her midship section, which he had worked by. The garboard streaks were 14-16ths of an inch; thence to upper part of the bilge the plating was 13-16ths; thence upwards to half the height between the orlop and main deck 12-16ths; thence to the lower edge of shear streaks 11-16ths; the shear streak plates 13-16ths; the plank shear plate 8-16ths. This in wooden ships would be called the covering board which prevents the water from getting down between the inner and outer skins. The timbers of the frame of the London were run up higher than they usually are in such ships. The witness then read in detail a series of figures showing the proportions in inches of the stringer plates, the angle irons, the kelson plates, &c. He then stated that the upper deck of the London was of yellow pine, four inches thick, and fastened to the beams with through screw bolts and nuts. She had five watertight bulkheads, two of them being furnished with sliding doors - one between the engine-room and "coal reserve" and the other at the fore part of the screw tunnel, which would be the after bulkhead of the engine-room. The angle irons and plating of the frame of the ship were "Weardale best, best." Lloyd's do not recognize anything but the best iron. All the masts went down to the kelson, except the mizenmast, which was stepped on the orlop deck beam. The lower masts were double rivetted at the butts and edges. The topmasts were of wood, with the yards, except the lower and topsailyards, which were of steel. When first surveyed she had two foretopsails, two mainsails, two maintopsails, and a single set of other sails. She had a patent windless capstan and stern-winch, which was fitted to work the pumps; she had two iron pumps on deck and her engine-pump. This and the rest of her outfit was in strict conformity with Lloyd's rules, and the butt-straps of her outer plates were carried on to the edges of the plates above and below, which latter arrangement was not required by Lloyd's rules. On his report the London was classed "Aa 1." He had reported that she was, "in all respects, a good vessel," and that, in his opinion, she was entitled to be so classed. Having been classed she would retain her class subject to being surveyed periodically. Subsequently he surveyed the London in last December, when he found her in every respect in good condition - in every way as good as she was at first, so far as he could see. He had heard the evidence of Mr. GLADSTONE, and quite concurred with him as to the seaworthiness of the vessel. He had also heard Mr. BARBER's evidence with reference to the protection of the engines and fires from heavy seas. He had himself considered the question of protecting engine hatchways from heavy seas, and he agreed with Mr. BARBER as far as this - that his plan was right in spar-decked vessels, and could be very easily carried out, but in vessels with poops and forecastles there were great objections to it, unless the engines were right aft. In this latter case the plan could be adopted. He had never seen vessels better fitted than the London, except those intended to be overladen or to be blockade-runners. Mr. TRAILL asked the witness in what respect might the London have been improved. Mr. WAWN thought that the "combings" might have been of iron, as, in case they met with an accident, a loose spar might knock them up. Mr. O'DOWD inquired whether the witness had any plan of his own for protecting the engine-room. Mr. WAWN said there might be a wooden cover for the hatchway in bad weather. Of course, such a cover would stop ventilation. Captain HARRIS inquired what in that case the engineers were to do for ventilation. Mr. WAWN replied that they must get it elsewhere than through the hatchway. Mr. O'DOWD observed that such a covering would not be wanted often. It would be used only in a storm and when there was danger of the vessel shipping seas. Mr. TRAILL inquired of the witness whether he was of opinion that such an arrangement was required. Mr. WAWN replied that he was not, and there was this objection to its adoption - the moment the cover was put on down would go the steam and up would come the engineer, so that the ship might as well be without the arrangement. Captain HARRIS asked the witness whether if he was going to sea himself he should want such an arrangement. Mr. WAWN said he should not. He should be satisfied with the protection afforded by a grating and tarpaulin for the hatchway, such protection as that provided in the London. In answer to Mr. O'DOWD, the witness said he thought that the ships spoken of by Mr. BARBER, the Atalanta and the Bellona, as two of those on board which the poop had been carried forward as a protection to the engine-room, were spar-decked vessels, but he was not sure. Had he been sent by Lloyd's to survey the London for her winter passage to Australia, he should have certified her if she were drawing 21ft. 3in. amidships. Before leaving the witness-box Mr. WAWN observed that he thought the covering on the spar-decked vessels referred to by Mr. BARBER had not been put up for the purpose of keeping the water from the engine-room. He thought the object of that covering was to keep the heat of the engine-room from the passengers, and that Mr. BARBER was mistaken as to its intended use. Mr. TRAILL did not think Mr. BARBER could have made such a mistake. Mr. WAWN had seen these covers used for the purpose to which he had just referred. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Day 2 of the inquiry to continue..... Petra