Brinkley Family

The piecemeal fashion in which particulars of the wreck of the Drummond Castle have been doled out by means of the cable brings home most forcibly the exceptional circumstances attending that dire calamity. Unfortunately it is no unusual thing for ships to founder at sea. In some instances they vanish from sight, and the manner of their disappearance for ever remains shrouded in mystery. At other times, while falling victims to one of the many perils so graphically enumerated by old Shylock in the "Merchant of Venice," and still more frequently to collisions at sea — a danger practically unknown to ancient voyagers — they leave behind them survivors by whom details of their fate can be promptly communicated to a sympathetic public. In this case the doomed ship came very near to being included in the first-mentioned category. By some terrible mischance the captain appears to have got off his course, the consequence being that he fell foul of a rock at the entrance to the British Channel, probably the most crowded marine highway in the world. It is not surprising that the first tidings conveyed to Lloyd's, and thence flashed to all the centres of commerce throughout the civilized world, represented the appalling occurrence as having been due to contact with a passing steamer. Such an explanation of the mishap was far more credible than the one which all too soon for the credit of those in charge of the noble vessel, with its precious freight of human lives, was announced to be the correct one. How a steamer which regularly plies between Great Britain and South Africa, which enjoys the reputation of being one of the finest passenger-carriers afloat, and which was in charge of experienced men, possessing the full confidence of their employers and of the public, can have got so far astray is one of those puzzling things which occasionally happen in connection with navigation. Whose was the blame, if blame there was, will presumably never be known. If it rested with the officers, they have paid a fearful penalty for their mistake, for so far as can be learned from the telegrams every one of them in common with some 240 others on board have found a watery grave. Up to this point tho narrative of one of the survivors, Mr. Marquart, is the only authentic record of the catastrophe. From him we learn that the ship was hurrying homeward at the rate of fourteen knots an hour. The passengers in high hope of reaching the end of their voyage in a few hours' time had been celebrating, by means of a concert, the approaching close of a few weeks of agreeable association together. The pleasant entertainment had just ended when the fatal collision took place. The shock was not so violent as might have been expected, but it was sufficiently severe to spread consternation among those on board, and its awful significance was clearly not lost upon the captain and the officers. Instantly the order was given for launching the boats, but the fearful rent made in the steamer's hull rendered all such attempts at providing for the safety of the passengers and crew hopeless. With great presence of mind the engineers had let off steam to avert an explosion, but ere three minutes had elapsed the Drummond Castle, which had apparently rebounded from the rock, had sunk bows foremost and settled down in twenty fathoms of water. The horrible experiences of those who so soon after taking part in a scene of merriment and festivity found themselves battling with the waves can be more easily imagined than described. How many of them were able to cling to spars and floating wreckage in the struggle for life will never be known, but for these the prospect of having to spend many weary hours on their precarious supports must have been gloomy indeed. There was no hope of immediate rescue, and it was not until some time after sunrise that fishermen were on the spot to pick up those who had outlived the horrors of the night. The messages do not make it quite clear how many were saved, but evidently the number does not exceed three. The rest, including nearly the whole of the ship's company, half a score persons belonging to the Royal Navy, and more than 130 other passengers, men, women and children were drowned. The captain of H.M.S. Sybille, which happened to be in the neighbourhood, sent out his boats so soon as he obtained intelligence of the wreck, but, they evidently were on the scene too late to be of service. Mr. Marquart, alone of the four individuals who had seized a friendly rail, was able to retain his hold during the twelve hours of exposure and suspense which preceded the appearance of his deliverers. To the honour of the Breton women it is recorded that they unaided launched a lifeboat and went, out to assist in the search for survivors. There is nothing to indicate that the sea was even rough at the time of the disaster, but it is plain that the night was sufficiently foggy to render special precautions necessary. Such weather, however, is so common in the Channel that this goes a very short way towards accounting for the catastrophe. Still, no useful purpose is to be served by dwelling upon this aspect of the deplorable event. That an enquiry will be held may be taken for granted, but it is unlikely that much light can be thrown upon the occurrence. What is known is that a splendid ship has been sacrificed, and that nearly 250 lives have perished owing to an error, which in the circumstances may or may not have been avoidable. The gravity and awful suddenness of the disaster have not unnaturally created a profound sensation throughout every part of the British Empire, and have called forth from Her Majesty the Queen, who many a time and oft has proved how much she is moved by the sorrows and sufferings of her subjects, an expression of deepest sympathy.

The Brinkley Family

Anna Isabella (Brinkley) Elrington-Bisset

Charles Michael Edgeworth Brinkley

John Brinkley

John Brinkley

John Turner Brinkley

John Carleton Brinkley

Julia Katharine Brinkley

Kathleen Sophia Brinkley

Maud Agneta Brinkley

Norah Julia (Brinkley) Row

Patrick John Brinkley

Sarah Brinkley

Sheila Mary Brinkley

Susannah Kathleen Brinkley

Violet Kathleen (Brinkley) Graham

Walter Stephens Brinkley

Walter Frederick Brownlow Brinkley

Walter Everard Brinkley