English: The loss of the 'Tiger'. Illustration for The Illustrated London News, 24 June 1854.
Volume: 24 , Issue: 689, pages 591-592
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TIlE LOSS OF THE " TIGER." THE accompanying Sketch of the wreck of the Tiger, represents it as seen from the steam-frigate Furious, on the evening of the 15th May. In the letter accompanying the Sketch, the writer gives an account of the loss of the ship, which is pretty much the same as the one which has already appeared in our columns. He then proceeds: The Admiral despatched the Furious and Vesuvius to Odessa, to obtain any intelligence respecting the loss of the unfortunate Tiger,. and also to render any assistance that might be allowed to the survivien othcers and crew. We (Furious and Vesuvius) approached the town early on the 16th of May, with a flag of truce at the fore, and a Russian ensign at the main, to signify our desire to communicate. We found the Russian authorities much more civil than on a former occasion, the Governor sending a polite letter to the Captain, acquainting lum that Mr. Giffard, midshipman, nephew to Captain Gltfard, of the Tiger, and three men, had been killed; Captain Giffard himself had been obliged to have his left leg amputated above the knee; but he, as also some others who were wounded, were doing well, and that every attention should be paid to them. He (the Governor) also gave permission to us to communicate with our country men by writing, and to send them anything we might wish. We accordingly made a collection of plain clothes, of all sizes and descriptions, as well as blankets, and all the clean linen we could spare (very little), and sent them to the lazaretto, where the Tigers were performing their quarantine. We subsequently received several notes from them, which, after the authorities had expended some time in deciphering, were delivered to us. They stated that they were allowed to write to England (overland), were well lodged, and, on the whole, comfortable; but, as they had been unable to save anything from the wreck, said they should be glad of apparel, pipes, tobacco, &c.. as we could spare them, and seemed by no means to be out of spirits. We also sent them duck, flannel, soap, &c., for the men; and, in fact, every thing that could be spared or thought of at the moment. We left at 7.30 p.m., passing near the wreck, as shown in the Sketch. The intelligence of Captain Giffard's death was despatched to Vienna by electric telegraph on the 1st inst., by the Austrian Consul at Odessa. The Kreutz Zeitung states, that on June 2, at three p.m., the interment of Captain Giffard, of the Tiger, took place. By order of General Osten-Sacken, the whole crew, prisoners of war, as well as the Governor General Annemkoff, with the other military authorities, attended the funeral. A Russian battalion in parade order formed an escort to the coffin, and fired the usual volleys over the grave. Nearly the whole population ...