Recent Losses of Iron Steamships - The Case of the " Constance " -  continued :

At the moment of the engines stopping on the first occasion a heavy sea appears to have struck the vessel, carrying away all ber boats and the chart-house, ripping up a portion of the bridge deck, destroying the coal bunker hatch on the lee side, carrying away the tarpaulin on the stokehole grating, and doing other damage.
From the list thus caused she never recovered, but remained for some hours on her beam ends in the trough of the sea, and eventually foundered as before referred to.
The Constance left the port of Cardiff on the 7th of February last, bound for Malta, with 1,376 tons of coals, inclusive of those in the engine-bunkers. These were stored partly in the main hold, partly in the fore-hold, and partly in the bunkers, two of which latter extended to the under side of the bridge-deck. The weather appears to have been moderate, and she proceeded on her voyage under full steam.
According to the evidence of the pilot she was an extremely handy ship, answering her helm perfectly, and easily moved by her engines a-head or a-stern.
On the 8th, the wind began to freshen, blowing from the S.S.W., fore-and-aft canvas was set until 6 p.m., when on account of the weather becoming squally all sail was taken in, the vessel was then meeting a cross sea from the N.W. and S.W.
The engines were then eased down to half speed, the hatches were battened down and proper tarpaulins put over them.
The second mate was in charge of the deck from 8 till 12 the captain frequently visiting it during those hours. The weather appears to have got worse, and between 11 and 12 it was blowing a full gale. The captain states that between 6 and 7 a.m. on the 9th instant he was in his cabin and awake, the engines being then working regularly, when they suddenly stopped. He went on deck at once and ordered the main trysail to be set. Whilst this was being done a heavy sea from the S.W. struck her on the port side, swept the decks, carrying away all the boats, ripping up the bridge-deck, and throwing her on her starboard beam ends. The ship was then lying in the trough of the sea, and the captain then asked the chief engineer whether he could account for the stoppage of the engines, and he said he could not. The captain stated that when he was in the engine-room he heard the cargo in the after part of the ship shift to leeward. The engines after some delay were again started between 10.30 and 11, the fires being brightened for that purpose; they worked until 1 o'clock (but no steerage way could be got upon the vessel), when they again stopped.
A fireman who was called said they had great difficulty in coaling the fires, as the ship was on her beam ends and steam gradually went down. Every sea that struck the ship forced her more on her broadside. Water made its appearance under the plates of the stokehole and rapidly increased, the hands were set to bailing, but could not lower the water, and they were eventually driven out of the stokehole and engine - room. Her decks were now under water on the leeside. The fires were all washed out. A signal of distress was made, and a steamer bore down upon the Constance and lowered a boat, which was at once smashed up. All hands were then mustered on the after deck, when the vessel taking a sudden lurch foundered throwing all hands into the water. A steamer, the Lady Tredegar came to their assistance and threw lines out to those who were afloat; seven were thus picked up but twelve perished. The former were subsequently landed at Bilbao in Spain.
In the opinion of the captain the vessel was lost owing to the stoppage of the engines, and he considered that had she had sufficient engine-power at that time to put her head to sea she would have weathered the gale.