The Times, Saturday, Feb 03, 1866; pg. 10; Issue 25412; col F THE LOSS OF THE LONDON. ----------------------- OFFICIAL INQUIRY. [continued] Mr. John GREENHILL examined. - I was second engineer on board the London during her last voyage. I hold a certificate of competency from the Board of Trade, given, after examination, in 1863. I joined the London on her first voyage as third engineer, and became second engineer on her last. When we left London for the last voyage the engines were in very good condition indeed. After the second voyage they merely required cleaning. She had 50 tons of coal on deck when we were leaving the West India dock. We consumed somewhere about 47 tons between London and Plymouth. The quantity on deck when leaving Plymouth was 50 tons, as we got a fresh supply there. I produce a receipt for these coals. From London to Plymouth the engines went very well indeed. While we were at sea on the morning of Monday, the 8th, it was blowing, but not very hard. On the morning of that day, at 7 o'clock, Captain MARTIN gave me directions to stop the engines. He did not say why, but it is a common occurrence to stop the engines of auxiliary screw steamers when the wind is blowing. Towards the afternoon the wind moderated, and at 5 in the afternoon we got up steam again, and continued steaming till Wednesday evening. The wind kept increasing towards the 9th. Some time during the morning of the 9th some of the spars were carried away, but I don't know at what hour. I saw them after they were carried away. The foretopmast and the topgallantmast, the royal mast and the maintopgallantmast were hanging by the rigging when I saw them. The jibboom I did not see; I believe it was gone. I heard of the occurrence when they were carried away, but I did not go on deck at the time to see them. When I did see them they were swinging, but not much. They were aloft. From what I heard I believe every exertion had been made to secure them, and I saw them when they were secured. They had got the jibboom on board again, and it was lashed to a spare topmast. The port lifeboat was washed away on the Tuesday, but I don't know at what hour. The gale continued to increase during the whole of Tuesday. The chief engineer kept his watches regularly up to the Wednesday, when he became unwell and was not able to do so. At 3 o'clock on the morning of Wednesday we were going half speed, and the captain ordered that full speed should be got up; he gave me the order, and told me the reason of it was that he intended to turn the ship round and run for Plymouth. I cannot say how the wind was then. Up to that time the engines were in good working order, and the skylight all perfect. I never studied the compass, and I really cannot tell in what direction we were in as to the wind. Between 7 and 8 the same morning, I believe, we were still head to the wind. I suppose the ship bore up when the captain gave the order, but I am no sailor, and cannot of my own knowledge say. After we put on steam the engines went quicker, but not very much. There would be some difference in the revolutions as between going with the wind and going against it, but not very much. I understand the wind had changed after we put about. I have no doubt the order given by the captain was at once carried out. During the 10th it was blowing very hard, and a cross sea was running. At half-past 10 o'clock on the night of the 10th the engine-room skylight was washed away. I was in the engine-room at the time. A very large body of water came down, and within three minutes from that occurrence the fires were out. A succession of seas rushed in. The engines did not stop for seven or eight minutes after the fires were put out. I was well acquainted with the construction of the engine-room hatchway. It was composed of teak wood. The framework was not smashed by the sea; but a deal of the glass and some of the wood of the small parts of the skylight came down into the engine-room with the sea. As far as I know, the body of the skylight was carried away. The skylight was closed at the time, fastened inside and outside, and battened down with tarpaulin. The tarpaulin was battened with slips of wood and nails round the combing. It was battened to the combing. Captain HARRIS. - How did the sea get through the skylight if it was so battened down? Mr. GREENHILL. - That is the mystery. Two men were washed down through the hatchway, with the water and glass - one passenger and the other a sailor, I believe; and they told me that the skylight was gone. The skylight had been battened down all day on Wednesday. By Mr. O'DOWD. - The door between the engine-room and the bulkhead, the door of the screw tunnel, was open before this. I shut it in about ten minutes after the water first came down. The bottom of the tunnel-door is 6ft. 11in. from the ship's bottom, and the fires are 5ft. When the fires were put out the water was not within 18in. of the lower part of the tunnel door. I am positive that no water in any quantity had passed into the tunnel when I shut the door. The door was a sliding one, working in a groove, and fastening with a screw. After it was shut no water could have entered the tunnel, unless the bulkhead gave way. Captain BAKER. - Which I have no doubt it did before the ship went down. Mr. GREENHILL. - Very possibly. By Mr. O'DOWD. - I came on deck about a quarter to 11 o'clock, after the fires were out. I daresay there were about five feet of water in the engine-room when I left it. When I came on deck the chief officer and several of the crew and passengers were endeavouring to secure the hatch by means of tarpaulins, sails, mattresses, blankets, and whatever else they could find, having placed ladders, pieces of wood, and spars across the aperture as supports. To some extent this was effective in preventing the water from going down. They kept on in a similar manner trying to stop it till 4 in the morning. By 4 in the morning there were 14 feet of water in the engine-room, the whole of which, I believe, had come in through the hatchway, in spite of all the efforts to keep it out. At that hour the stern ports were driven in, and then I noticed a considerable increase of water between the decks. These ports are above the deck; they are a sort of window. By Mr. TRAILL. - I could not notice that she was settling down by the stern then. By Captain BAKER. - Certainly, she was settling down. I could notice that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Day 5 of the inquiry to continue..... Petra