From the Dover Telegraph, 1 November 1840.

MELANCHOLY AND FATAL ACCIDENT.- TWO LIVES LOST.

On Monday last an inquisition was holden at the "Shakespeare Head," parish of Hougham, before Mr. De Lassaux, the County Coroner, on view of the bodies of Samuel Shilletto and Thomas Bayley, two old men, mariners of Dover, who were drowned on the previous Friday evening while carrying bricks from Dover harbour to the South-Eastern Railway works near Lydden Spout. From the evidence of Elgar William Hall, mariner, aged about 18, it appeared that witness, the 2 deceased, and a boy named George Cooper, somewhat younger than the witness, had proceeded from the aforesaid harbour about 1 or 2 o'clock in the afternoon on Friday, in a ship's long-boat, heavily laden with bricks; that, when they came nearby opposite Jenkin's Pond, where their cargo was to be landed, the tide not being sufficiently high to float them in shore over the rocks , they cast anchor to await its flow. They lay at anchor till about half-past 7, when Bayley, who was captain of the boat, ordered the anchor to be got in, which was done, and they made for shore. The night was very dark. Not having any watch to tell the time, the anchor was got too soon. They got it at half-past 7; but the tide should have flowed till 8 o'clock before they attempted to land. They had not proceeded far when the boat struck on a rock, and the rudder was inconsequence unshipped. They still pulled in shore till again the boat struck on the rocks and immediately sank in about four feet of water. On the instant, witness, Bayley, and Cooper, left the boat to wade on shore; but they had only proceeded a yard or two when Bayley fell into a hole and was drowned. Witness swam across the hole with the boy Cooper on his back and gained the shore. When he had got on shore he called to Shilletto, who had not left the boat, to hold on a few minutes till he (witness) procured assistance; and Shilletto answered the call. Witness then ran to fetch the Coast Guard men, who were near, but when he again reached the beach, and called to Shilletto six time, he received no answer. The galley belonging to the Preventive Station at Lydden Spout was readily launched , manned by witness, Cooper, and four Coast Guard men. They proceeded to the spot where the accident occurred; but though they reached it only a few minutes after, and made every possible search with boat-hooks, &c., no trace of either of the unfortunate men could be found. William Cooper, the other boy who was in the boat, corroborated the foregoing evidence. John Nicholson, commission boatman, deposed to finding the bodies on Saturday morning. That of Bayley was found between two rocks close to the place where the boat sunk; the other was found about three quarters of a mile apart, at high water marks. The witness Hall, on being recalled, stated that he had heard Bayley say that both he and the captain of another boat similarly engaged, had been cautioned by the railway people not to endanger their lives and their cargo by bringing their boats overnight. Every exertion was being used by the Coast Guard men to save the lives of the unfortunate men. The night was very dark. Search was persisted for a considerable time round the rocks without effect.

Verdict.- Accidental Death, with a deodade of 1s. in each case on the boat.