DISASTER TO THE 'GREAT EASTERN.'

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVII, Issue 1457, 3 December 1861, Page 4

DISASTER TO THE 'GREAT EASTERN.'

The 'Great Eastern' is certainly a most ill fated ship. Another disaster, which wellnigh pioved her last, has befallen her, in comparison with which hei former misfortunes are almost insignificant Aftei the explosion of liei boiler in the Downs, the loss of hoi gallant commander at Southampton, and the nanow escape which she had of being wrecked at Holyhead, not to mention the thousand and one difficulties of anothei natuie which she his managed to oveicome, it was at last thought that the big ship was on the fair road te a highly successful career, hei late voyages to New York having been so remaikably well pei formed as to have secured the confidence of the public, and especially of the meicantile classes, in her peifect safety. In consequence of this giadually increasing state of populai favour she left Liverpool for New Yoik on Tuesday, the 10th September, with 400 passengers and a far larger general cargo than she had ever before shipped. The run down Channel was more than oidinanly rapid, she having lounded Cape Clear on the 11th with the fairest prospect of an excellent passage acioss the Atlantic. But on the following day, when she had attained a distance of 280 miles west of Cape Clear, the great ship encountered a tenific gale. One of the accounts says :—: — At this time one of the forwaid boats biokefiom one of her davits and hung suspended from the other Effoits were made to secure the boat, but tbe&e proving unavailing the captain oidercd it to be cut away, at the same time directing the paddles to be stopped and the helm to be put down to bring the ship up in the wind, in order that the boat might drift clear of the wheel The vessel did not answer her helm;- but the boat fortunately went clear. The captain then dnected several of the head sails to be hoisted foi the pm pose of bi inging her head up, but they had htu dly been set when they were blown to ribands. Very t,hoi tly after that a terrific noise was heaid in the engine loom, and on looking down seveial laige sheets of lead weie seen knocking about with gieat violence horn side to side Just then a heavy sea struck the ship as the was lurching, and almost immediately aftei a giating noise was hcaid in the paddles. On examination it was found that they weie bent fiom their tine position, and wore scraping against the sides of the vessel. They, however, still continued to revolve, but the captain, feaung that they would tear holes in the sides of the ship, ordeied them to be stopped, and trusted entirely to the screw to get the vessel on. Dm ing the whole of the lemainder of the day the gale blew fearfully, the sea running mountains high, and the shiu, not being able to bring up, rolling frightfully. Things thus continued until the following morning, when it was found that the paddles had been broken clean away. It was at the same time disco veiecl that the top of the rudder post, a piece of iron 10 inches in diameter, had been smashed. The ship now lay quite helpless, lying like a log on the water, and tossing and rolling m the most alarming manner. On many occasions hei decks weie at an angle of 45 degrees. Crockery and culinaiy utensils went crashing about in all directions, chairs and tables were broken to pieces, chandelieis and miilors weio smashed to fragments, and the whole interior ol the vessel presented one scene of utter confusion. Six of her boats were swept away, and two of those remaining were stove so as to be tendered completely useless. On Saturday evening (September 14) a vessel hove in sight j she proyed to be the biig ' Magnet ' of Nova Scotia. The Captain, on seeing the position of the 'Great Eastern,' promptly declaied his willingness to lie by her as long as might be necessary, and to render any assistance in his power. Up to this time the passengeis weie panic stricken, but on the anival of the ' Magnet,' and the announcement of the captain that he would lie by her, their spirits levived, and they began to have some hope of safety. The gale still continued, and the vessel lay completely unmanageable ; her head could not be got up, she would not answer her helm, and she lay in a most peulous position. In this way she remained until about 5 o'clock on Sunday evening, when the wind abating and the sea going down enabled the crew to put the vessel into some soifc of turn that would allow of her running back. During the gale the rudder in knocking from side to side struck against the sei ew and received a large indentation. A chain having been run out from the quarter was passed through this, and the chain having been drawn tight and guy ropes affixed, it was seemed to the remaining portion of the rudder post, and thu3 enabled the vessel to be steered. The ship was then got about, and her course dnected under steam for Cork harbour On Monday morning (September 16) the 'Persia' was met on her passage for Ameiica, and she also offered assistance, but the ' Gieat Eastern ' going on then very

well, there was no necessity for it, and the ' Peisia ' proceeded on her way. The ' Great Eastern ' continued on her course, and at 10 o'clock on Tuesday morning was off Queenstown, wheie she cast anchor about a milo outside the harbour. Several accidents occurred during the storm. A lady passenger had an arm bioken, the cook had one of his legs broken, and many of the crow received serious injuries. Two large oil tanks that wero on deck broke loose, and fell down into the hold, causing great alarm. The Captain and several nautical men who whig on board have expressed it as their opinion that but for the strength with which the vessel has been built she would have gone to pieces in the gale. It is intended to take hei acioss fiom Queenstown to Milford Haven or Livoipool for repahs, but when she will leave her present anchoiaqc has not been stated. The following resolutions weie passed at a general meeting of the passengers of the ' Great Eastern,' held on hei retuin to poit, 17th of September, 18(51 :: — ■ 1. That we lecognise with giatiturte the kind care of Almighty God in piotecting m during the peril of the storm and bringing us at last safety out of our danger 2. That we feel it to be our imperative duty to state that the ' Great Eastern ' was sent to sea thoioughly unpiepaied to face the storms which every one must expect to meet in crossing the Atlantic ; and that, if it had not been foi the extraordinary stiength of the hull, and the stall which was manifested in the constiuction of the vessel and its engines, in all human piobability every soul on boaid would have perished We call particular attention to the ballasting of the ' Great Eastern,' the state of her paddle-wheels, the position of the boats, the mseciue and most perilous character of her internal fittings, and the caieless way in which she was stowed, owing to which caielessiie&s, in fact, a large portion of our luggage has been most recklessly and utterly destioyed 3. That we desire to expicss our satisfaction with the conduct of the captain, especially since the occuuence of the disaster which overtook the ship, which has been marked by a high degree of com age, fertility of i esources, energy, imtinug j^ersoveiance, and nautical skill, to which the safety of tho ship and passengeis is in agieat measme attributable. 4. That we would also acknowledge with deep thankfulness the sense we entertain of the valuable scientific suggestions of one of the cabin passengeis, Hamilton E. Towle, of Boston, United States, civil engineer, made in older to repair the injuries sustained by the steering apparatus of the vessel ; and of the patient attention with which, at much personal inconvenience, he assisted Captain Walkei until the ship was enabled again to pioceed. 5. That some suitable testimonial of om appioeiation of the skill and services of Mi Towle be piovuled and piesented to hnn by the passengers 6. That we legiet being obliged to condemn in the strongest terms the confusion and mismanagement in eveiy auangement relating to the comfoit and convenience of passengers of all classes, and we have been gueved by the waste and wanton destruction which we have witnessed. 7. That feeling that theie is giound for the giavest possible censme, we respectfully uige that the Board of Trade should be asked to make immediate inquny into the condition o£ the ship when she was sent to sea 8. The names of the committee appointed to piotect and consider the inteiests of the passengeis aie Benjamin F. Angel, New York , Thomas B Forwaul, Liverpool ; Montgomeiy Gibbs, New York , DV. M'liean, Easton, Pennsylvania ; Cecil JMoitimei, London ; James Phalen, Pans ; Cornelius Walfoid, London. 9. That the unanimous and heaitfelt thanks of this meeting of the passengeis of the ' Gieat Eastern ' be given to the captain of the biig ' Magnet,' of Halifax, Nova Scotia, for his leady response to om appeal to btand by us m disticss on the night of Saturday, the 14th September, and the following day [After the ' Gieat Eastern* had amved off Queenstown and when she was imagined to be m peiftct safety, a gale aiose which placed her once nioie in imminent penl The captain was compelled to hold out to sea to pi event her from being chiven against the coast. A laige nuinbei of the passengeis weie still on board. Happily the storm abated before much damage was done, and on the 20th the big ship was at last safely anchoied in Queenstown Haiboui On Septembei 21, after receiving the lepoit of the Gieat Ship Company, which contained only a bnef notification of the catastiophe which had occuired, the ofhceis of the Marine Department of the Boaid of Tiade issued mstiuctions calling upon the owneis and commander of the vessel to foiwaid, undei the lequnements of the Mercantile Maimc Act, an official account of the allair, pnor to dnectmg an inquny into all the circumstances by Captain Itobeitson, the head of the depaitment, m conjunction with the local manne boaid at Coik ]