Day: January 6, 2014

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St John’s Day – 1827

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The Monitor 10th December 19 1827

(abridged)
— 

On St.John’s Day, about 4 o’clock in the afternoon, a crowd of men, women and children were observed, rushing down Marlborough-street, near to Thomas Church, shouting and yelling, and tossing something in the air, which was sometimes caught by one, and sometimes. by another, and occasionally fell to the earth, where there was a scramble for it, and it was again passed from one to another amidst the most diabolical yells, which on a nearer approach, were distinguished to be ” A witch ! A witch ! Burn the witch !     Drown the witch!” 

The said witch proved to be a very decently dressed, dwarfish, deformed female, A young gentleman, apparently about 18, appealed to several well-dressed spectators to aid him in saving the poor woman from being torn to pieces.  They, from terror of the mob, declined.  He rushed into the midst of the crowd and courageously bore the helpless female under one arm, while with the other made his way through the crowd, who directed their vengeance against him pushing, pulling, and tripping him, and pelting him with mud; and whatever came to their hands.He was soon bedaubed from head to foot. 

Making his way down Cumberland  street and Mecklenburg street, he appealed to three or   four soldiers who were looking on.  They directly surrounded him, and two gentlemen then aided him.  One  of them took one hand, and her rescuer the other of  the poor sinking dwarf, and pulled her through the increasing crowd, to the Police-office in Henry-street.   

At the Post-Office a few policemen luckily came up, and were compelled to do ample justice with their sticks on the savage crowd, before they got the poor creature into the Police-office. She was  not able to speak for some time, from ill-usage and   terror, and then returned lively thanks to her deliverers. She gave her name, and said she resided with a  relative in Camden-street.  She said that though she had been frequently gazed at, so as to distress her feelings, she had never before met with violence.

She was sent home the back way, after some time, with an escort of police.

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A Narrow Escape – 1859

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Detail from a lithograph of the United States Mail steamship SS Pacific (launched 1849). Day & Son (England), held at the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. USA. Sam Walters Wikimedia Commons
Detail from a lithograph of the United States Mail steamship SS Pacific (launched 1849). Day & Son (England), held at the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. USA. Sam Walters
Wikimedia Commons

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The Sydney Morning Herald 12th February  1859

(abridged)

The Pacific had a narrow escape from being caught on the iron-bound cliffs of Clare on her last passage to Galway.  The Pacific ran into Liscannor Bay instead of Galway Bay on Monday night, there being no distinguishing landmarks between them, and was actually approaching the shore of Lahinch when some of the fishermen put out in boats, and with lights warned off the steamer from the dangerous coast she was approaching. 

The only light at the entrance of Galway Bay is on the Arran Islands.  The course of a steamer sailing into Galway should be nearly six miles south of the Arran Light, but miscalculating the distance, the Pacific, when about 16 miles from the island, made for a bay which was supposed to be Galway, but which (fortunately before it was too late) was discovered to be Liscannor.  Were it not for the timely warning given by the fishermen the Pacific could not have escaped, except by a miraculous interposition of Providence, from total destruction, on the fatal spot to which she was fast hurrying.

Mitchell’s Maritime Register, 4th of December.