Emma (1828 ship)

On the day of the launch, 29 February 1828,[3] a large crowd gathered to watch the ceremony, entertained by a band of the ninth regiment[4] accompanied by the sound of cannons.

[5] A bottle of wine was broken over the ship's bow by two daughters of the company's manager, William Brereton Grime.

[7] Following its launch the fully rigged vessel[5] listed slightly to one side before continuing across the river and hitting the opposite bank.

[9] Several surgeons were called to the scene of the accident, including Kinder Wood, Joseph Jordan, and the politician and educationalist James Phillips Kay.

[10] His attempts to resuscitate some of the passengers included the use of a hot-bath, and then the use of a pair of bellows into an incision he had made into the wind-pipe; in two instances this proved successful.

[6] Inquests were held at the New Quay and two public houses on Oldfield Lane in Salford, each returning verdicts of "Accidentally Drowned".

[citation needed] The New Quay Company publicly acknowledged the efforts of many of those involved in the rescue of its passengers, and the work of the surgeons on the day.

[15] Through marriage, one of William Grime's daughters later became Elizabeth Salisbury Heywood, and presented Manchester with a statue of Oliver Cromwell.