On Sunday a most painful excitement was created in Preston by a rumour that a collision had taken place upon the river, near the Old Quay, and that a number of lives had been lost, one of the boats having sunk with some fifteen to twenty persons on board.

From inquiries made on the spot, we are enabled to state, that, shortly before twelve o’clock at noon, just as the tide began to ebb, a pleasure boat, named the Lively, was tacking across the river, to land one or more of the persons on board, the wind being very high at the time, when she was struck by the bow of the Jennet, a similar boat, and a piece of her side stove in, when she filled immediately and sank.

Five persons lost their lives - two men, named AIEY and WARD, (factory operatives), the owners of the Lively, a child of AIREY’s, a lad named Grice, and another.

Various reasons were assigned as the cause of the accident, recklessness on the part of those on board the Jennet being one of them.