Amphion

Posted by Tim Oakley on Wednesday 18th of May 2016 21:04

NB Hamoaze is at Plymouth not Portsmouth

Posted by Brian on Monday 19th of May 2014 19:03

September 22, 1796, Plymouth - About four this afternoon, the fore magazine of the Amphion, then lying along side the sheer hulk in Hamoaze, refitting, by some accident took fire and blew up, which had such an effect as to rip the upper works in the fore part of the ship to atoms, and she almost immediately sunk in ten fathoms of water. Several of her crew were blown up with her, ten or twelve of whom fell on board the hulk, mangled in a manner to dreadful to describe; many others fell in the water and perished, and a few were taken up with but slight injury. The number of the ships company, and the visitors (of which there were several), unfortunately on board at the time, are, from all accounts, stated at no less than 250, out of which number, according to the most accurate returns that have been made, only thirty-seven men and 2 women have been saved, and some of those severely wounded. Capt. Pellew had some officers of other ships on board to dine, who, with his own officers, were with him in the cabin at the time of the accident, out of whom, there is reason to fear, only himself and his first lieutenant have escaped with life, both of whom are wounded, the former slightly the latter, it is feared, in a much more dangerous manner. As the names of all the officers who have perished cannot yet be obtained with that accuracy which is necessary on so melancholy an occasion, it is deemed prudent to mention that only that Captain William Swaffield, commander of his Majesty's ship Overyssell, of 64 guns, now under sailing orders in this harbour, who was in the cabin with Capt. Pellew, and other officers, and is gone down in the ship. It is also feared that the second and third lieutenants had shared the same fate. Capt. Pellew had a very miraculous escape. He is said to have heard a kind of rumbling noise immediately preceding the blowing up, which alarmed him, and he instantly ran into the quarter galley nearest the sheer hulk, on whose dock he was instantly thrown, whereby he received a severe blow on one side of the head, and concussion on his breast but is in a fair way of recovery. Though the explosion was, as may be expected, very great, yet it had been a trifling effect on shore, or indeed even on board the ships along side which she lay. Her masts, yards etc. were shivered almost to pieces, and lifted out of the ship, (except the mizen-mast); four of her guns, 12 pounders, were thrown in upon the hulks deck, and several bodies, pieces of the wreck etc. were seen to be thrown as high as her maintop-gallant mast head. In short, the whole was such a dreadful scene, as the human mind cannot dwell upon but with the indescribable horror. The dead bodies and mangled limbs that were picked up have been conveyed to the hospital, in order to be interred. Apparatuses are preparing to lift the ship, which will be done as soon as possible, as she lay immediately in the track of the men of war going into and out of dock.