THE LONDON SIGHTED WHILE SINKING.

Otago Witness, Issue 752, 28 April 1866, Page 3

THE LONDON SIGHTED WHILE SINKING.

In The Times of the 27th January, it was stated that tbe brig Courier, with iron ore, from Pomeran, had arrived at this port, and that in crossing the Bay of Biscay she had seen a steamship, supposed to have been the London. From information since derived on board the brig, there exists very little doubt now that it must have been that ill-fated ship. The man at the brig's belm, Henry Paynton, states that it was a very providential circumstance the weather cleared up at the moment it did, or the Courier would have run into the long steamer amidships. In this case both would have sunk immediately, the brig being heavily laden with a most ponderous cargo, 405 tons dead -weight. As it was, there wa3 some difficulty in avoiding a collision. The brig, having very litt'e canvas on her, and in consequence not answeriner her helm readily. The second mate of the Courier, who wai on deck at the time, says he thinks some of the steamer's hands were attempting to furl her mizentopsail. The brig passed close under the London's stern at two p.m. on Wednesday, and dropped a little to leeward, and at four p m. was obliged to heave to undtr the leeclew of her maintopsail. The steamer was then in sight to the southward, about 10 or 12 miles distant, and the relative positions of the two could not have been much altered until the London went down at one p.m. on Thursday ; for while lying to the brig did not drift more thnn about one and a fourth knot per hour, and the steamer would drift proportionately. The Courier continued lying to from Wednesday, at four p.m., until Friday, at eight p.m., during which she experienced fearful weather and incurred some damage. The heaviest portion of the gale occurred between eleven p.m. on Wednesday and two a.m. on Thursday. At three a.m. a sea struck the weather side of the longboat (on deck), and ripped off the gunwale, when the lashings gave way, and the boat was smashed to pieces. Shortly after the cook-house was smashed, and the iron caboose was surged about the deck until eventually it went between two of the bulwark stanchions, and then through the bulwarks into the sea. For a week afterwards the cooking for all the crew waa performed in a kettle, in the small cabin fireplace. While endeavoring, on Wednesday afternoon, to nail boards on the stanchions to make good the hole in the bulwark*, the master, Mr Price, was washed against the ship's chain cables, which lay fore and aft on the deck, and was injured in the legs. The heavy rolling of the brig broke some of the pi inks of the platform on which the ore was stowed, and increased her danger. The Courier is a stroug ship, or she could not have weathered the gale. She has a good beam, having a breadth of 24'6ft to a length of 105 4(t, which gives an approximate ratio of breadth to length of about 43. The ratio of the London was 7 66 : of the Amalia, 733 ; and of the Royal Charter, 781 ; Persia, 8 ; Scotia, 7-66 ; Victoria and Albert, 7 50 ; Himalaya, 739 ; Adriatic, 7 ; James Baines, 6 ; Great Bcitain, 5 88 ; Red Jacket, 5 55; and of the Lightning, 5 52.

Trade of tub Far West. — In the year 1865 21,500,000 lbs of assorted merchandise went from Atchison, Kansas, across the plains, transported in nearly 5000 wagons drawn by more than 7000 mules and horses and nearly 28,000 oxen, employing upwards of 5000 men. Above half of this freight went to Colorado, and the remainder to different points in IT tali, Montana, Nevada, Idaho, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Western Kansas, including military posts. The capital invested in this business i 3 over 6,000,000 dols. Twenty-seven firms or individuals are engaged in the trade. The freighting business in Atchisou is Beven times greater that it was in 1861, five times larger than it was in 1862, four times larger than in 1863, and 5,000,000 lb greater than in 1864 ; and the trade of 1866 is expected to be double that of 1865. The overland coaches leaving and arriving in Atchison carried above 4,000 passengers in 1865, took out 6,000 lb oi express freight, and brought in 2,400,000 dols in specie, The Butterfield overland despatch line carried many passengers, but was estabished late in the season, and has made up no accouQt.— '-^rclaflc;* Daily Champion.' 1