The Sinking of the Comet

on Mar 6, 2016

“Melancholy Catastrophe.—Loss of the Comet Steam-Boat, (from the Greenock Advertiser of Friday, 21st October, 1825)— The Comet steam-boat, on her passsage from Inverness to Greenock, had reaches the point of Kempoch, at nearly two o’clock, when she was met by the steamboat Ayr, M‘Clelland, of Ayr, which was on her way to that port, from Greenock. The two boats going with considerable velocity, were very near each other before mutually observed. As soon as perceived, the person on the look-out, on board the Comet, cried to the pilot to pat the helm a-starboard, which order the pilot of the Ayr understood to be meant as instructions to him:—both vessels were in consequence directed towards each other, and before the unfortunate mistake could be remedied, they came in contact with such violence, as to stave in the starboard bow of the Comet, which vessel, in a few minutes, went down, and...