§ MR. ROSS (Londonderry)asked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether his attention had been drawn to the fact that on the morning of December 30, on the occasion of the wreck of the Londonderry barque Osseo, with the loss of all hands, on the Holy head Break water, within 600 yards of Her Majesty's Ship Colossus, no effort was made by the officers and crew to render assistance, and that there was a delay of 40 minutes before the rocket apparatus could be got to the spot; and whether the barque went to pieces 70 minutes after striking; and had any explanation been called for or received from the officers in command of the Colossus?
*THE SECRETARY TO THE ADMIRALTY (Sir U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTH, Lancashire, Clitheroe)I am glad to have this opportunity of publicly contradicting the reports which appeared last month in certain newspapers. These reports having been brought to the notice of the Admiralty, the captain of the Colossus was directed to report upon all the circumstances. The explanation which he gave showed conclusively that the officers and men of the Colossus were in no way to blame. The violence of the gale was such that lifeboats only could put to sea. It was impossible for boats from the ship to have landed at the Breakwater or in any other part of the harbour. The coastguard station is about 2½ miles from the Breakwater, and, therefore, some distance from the scene 308 of the wreck. The distress signal was first observed at 3.40 a.m., and by 4.20 a.m. the coastguard had arrived at the wreck; but by this time the mainmast had gone over the side and the ship was on the point of breaking up. Owing to these and other unfortunate circumstances neither the boats of the Colossus nor the coastguard with their life-saving apparatus were able to render any assistance to the shipwrecked vessel. But it is right to mention that there was no lack of willing hands at the scene of the wreck. The conduct of those assisting at the wreck (including an officer and 18 men on leave from the Colossus, and who went at once to the Breakwater on their own initiative) was very praiseworthy.
§ MR. ROSS,while accepting the explanation as quite satisfactory, asked why guardships were not provided with rocket apparatus?
*SIR U. KAY-SHUTTLEWORTHreplied, that in this case there was no need for guardships to carry them, as rocket life-saving apparatus was provided at the coastguard station.
§ MR. BRYCEhere stated that the Board of Trade intended to place complete life-saving apparatus on Holyhead Breakwater.