The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-12-18 00:00:00

A RUSSIAN FRIGATE.

A CORRESPONDENT of the Times says :—I enclose you a
translation of some notes taken by the Russian officer now
on board us, descriptive of the effects of an earthquake which
was felt at Simoda, during which the Russian frigate Diana
was wrecked and lost. It is one of the most marvellous
accounts I ever heard, and you will doubtless say the same.
These poor fellows were captured by our squadron while
trying to make their way to the river Amoor. -I can vouch
for the truth of the account so far as this :—I wrote down
the translation from the logbook of that ship ; and, from the
officer's imperfect knowledge of our language, I- think it
would be a work of too much trouble for him to attempt any
deception, neither do I think he would be guilty of it.
Extract from the letter of 5 n officer of Her Majesty's ship
dated Nangasaki, Japan. September 29, 1855 :—On
the 23rd of December, 1854, the Russian frigate Diana, lying
in the Bay of Simoda, island of Niphon, experienced the
shock of an earthquake, which eventually caused her total
destruction. At 830 a.m. on the above day, being desirous
of shifting their berth, they sent a boat to lay out a small
anchor on the bow, and at 9.30 another anchor was laid out
on the quarter. At 9.45 she was observed to shake very
much for about a minute. At first they imagined her to be
aground, but on sounding eight ,fathoms water were found
round her. The day was beautifully fine and clear, the sky
without a cloud, and the water perfectly calm ; nothing more
was thought of the matter, and the duties of the ship were
proceeded with. At 10 a.m., a large wave was noticed rolling
into the bay, and the water on the beach very rapidly rising
immersed the village of Simoda ; it appeared to them on
board the frigate as if the village was sinking. A large
Japanese junk was driven on shore with violence, but
the frigate held to her anchors. The cutter and
.captain's gig, which had been undergoing repairs on
shore, were seen driving out to sea, and a boat was
sent to pick them up, but about five minutes afterwards
the water (now very muddy) was observed rushing out of the
bay. The guns were now secured, lower deck ports closed,
and hatches battened down, the boats recalled, and a large
boat (pinnace or barge, probably) obliged to throw everything
overboard, and make the best of her way to the frigate. The
boats had barely time to fetch the ship when a second wave
rolled into the bay ; this carried on shore all the boats that
were afloat, and on its receding all the houses that had formed
the village of Simoda were washed into the bay, covering the
water with ruins of houses and wrecks of junks. The frigate
now dragged her anchor, and the second bower anchor was let
go, but the ship had not time to bring up when a third wave,
larger and more impetuous than the preceding, came rolling in.
At 10.15 the water again receded, and only one solitary build-
ing pointed out the site of the former village, and that was a
Japanese temple, in process of being built. A column of
smoke was observed on the side of the hill, but no one could
see whence it came, while a strong sulphurous odour filled the
atmosphere. After this the water advanced and receded so
quickly that regular whirlpools were formed in the bay,
causing the Japanese junks to whirl round very rapidly; the
frigate also turned round, but her anchors only allowed her to
describe three-quarters of a circle ; her motion, however, was
so rapid that all on board became giddy. At 10.30 a large
junk came with great violence against the starboard bow of
the frigate, carrying away flying jibboom,jibboom, martingale,
and swinging boom, and injuring the bow. Three men from
the junk managed to scramble on board the frigate, but the
other five refused to go, and in two minutes all went down
alongside—the ship at the same time swinging violently.
She was between two small islands—the one about three
cables, the other half a cable's length from her. She continued
this motion for about half an hour, and during this time must
have made from 60 to 70 revolutions ; dragging her anchors
all the time, and gradually approaching one of the islands.
At 10.45 they let go another anchor, the ship at that time
being so near the shore that the bowsprit was not above five
feet from the rocks, and more than once officers and men
raised their caps expecting instant death, but, as my informant
sass, God would not have it so.'
The ship was now at the mercy of the waves, all command
of her was lost, and at one time she fell on her beam ends, so
that it was impossible to stand on deck (probably she had
touched a piece of rock), but from the gyration she made no
shock was felt. This lasted for five minutes, when the water
rose and she slipped off, tearing away rudder, half of sternpost,
false keel, and a piece of keel 81 feet long, besides two planks •
and before she righted she described the same circle several
times. One of the midship guns broke adrift, and jumped
across the two guns on the opposite side, killing one man and
injuring four others. At twelve o'clock the current was less
violent, and shores were got out and placed against the ship's
side. At 12 30 the water again rushedtion.t=efii:ya:vieeifle.
same impetuosity, swinging the ship
This continued mt!ls,2blot,
not so
which time os.nhohreesr
heam ends five e
carried away, the water rose and fell very rapidly ; in five
were
it would decrease from 23 feet to 3 feet, and at one
glahel
time it was so low that all the anchors were visible above water.
At three everything was still, and the ship in 22 feet water,
making 22 inches every hour; around nothing could be seen
but wrecks of junks and fragments of houses ; from the roof
of one of the latter an old woman was taken, quite insensible.
The whole of the day had been remarkably fine, the wind
light, from 'N.E., the barometer stood the whole day at 29 87,
and the thermometer 58 Fahrenheit. At 330 an attempt was
made to clear the anchors, but they were so foul that it was
late in the evening of the 24th before it was accomplished ;
both bower anchors came up at once, bringing with them se-
veral Japanese anchors, quantities of clothes, a.large net, &c.
The people on shore stated the loss of life among the Japanese
amounted to 300. On the 25th, a boat was sent to endeavour to
discover the rudder, false keel, Sze., and the latter was about half
a mile inland, together with the admiral's barge. In the after-
noon they visited the shore, and so complete had been the de-
struction that it was impossible to 'find a trace of the town.
When they were about to return to the ship the water again
began to flow and recede; at one time the boat would he high
and dry, and then far out in deep water; after much difficulty
they succeeded in getting on board.
A kedge was laid out from the frigate to haul her into
deep water, and she began to swing as before. At one time
there was only one fathom of. water alongside. A large junk
was driven two miles inland.

They remained at Simoda until the 12th of January, but,
not finding a convenient place to heave the frigate down for
repairs, they attempted with a false rudder to go round to
Tortoise Bay, about 30 miles. She went very well before the
wind, but when they attempted to beat into the bay, she
became totally unmanageable, would neither stay nor wear ;
all sails were furled, and they allowed her to drive, and though
near the land no bottom could be found. At last the leads-
man gave nine fathoms, and the anchors were immediately
let go, she being at this time not more than five fathoms from
the shore. _ _ _ _

JAN. 15.—The pumps were insufficient to keep her clear,
and it was agreed to desert the ship, which was done. On
the 16th a rope was made fast from the ship to the shore,
down which the men slid, as no boat could live on account of
the surf.

JAN. 17.—There were six feet•of water on her lower deck,
and an attempt was made to save the stores,&c.; but nothing
was rescued. _ _ _

JAN. 18.—The Japanese sent 300 boats to tow the frigate
up the bay, a distance of five miles ; the whole of her white
streak was then under water, but when they had towed her
about 31 miles the wind freshened and they deserted her; in
about ten minutes afterwards the frigate gave one lurch,
righted for a moment, and disappeared with everything on
board—guns, ammunition, stores, &c. The place was after-
wards sounded, but no bottom could be obtained at 1,000
fathoms.

THERE is a story told of Madame Catilani, that when a
lady by the banks of the Lake of Como was drawing an invi-
dious contrast between the English and Italian climates, the
pride of the opera put her hand in her pocket, drew forth an
English sovereign, and said, " Ah, my dear, behold the true
golden sun of England : it will shine under any sky."
WHEAT SOWING.—Under the present aspect of affairs it is
with no ordinary satisfaction that we note the almost comple-
tion of wheat sowing with favourable, circumstances ; the
breadth, we learn, being as extensive as prudence and legal
limitation will allow in England; while in the south of Ire-
land this is reported beyond precedent. In early-sown places,
where the plant is up, it has a vigorous and promising look,
and, with the blessing of a forward season, there will be a
proportionate diminution of anxiety as to the holding out of
present stocks and foreign supplies.—Mark. Lane Express.
A FORTIINE-TELLER.—At Bow-street police-office, London,
on Tuesday, Ellen Sheridan was committed to prison for defraud-
ing several persons of sums of money, articles of wearing
apparel, &c., in the pursuit of her occupation as a fortune-
teller. The evidence proved her to be an adept in her art. In
the cases against her, it was proved that, from a sovereign to
a shilling, from a neck=tie to a top-coat, nothing was amiss in
the way of spoil, which she carried away from her unconscious
victims. Holy water, whiskey, blessed candles, XX porter,
salt, brandy, and prayers, formed the course of medicine,
never forgetting, however, to have her hand crossed with a
piece of silver, or a scrap of " solid gold," procured to effectu-
ate the radical cure of each particular patient.
THE BIIRDON SLOW. POISONING CASE was brought to a
close on Tuesday, at Durham, after four days' investigation,
when the jury, after a deliberation of ten minutes, arrived at
a verdict of "Not guilty" as against Joseph Snaith Wooler,
who stood indicted for the wilful murder of his wife by ad-
ministration of small doses of arsenic, which were undoubt-
edly the cause of death. The evidence at first turned with
suspicion against the prisoner, but there appeared no motive
for the crime, and anything like positive proof was wanting.
The judge, Mr. Baron Martin, summed up for an acquittal in
the most peremptory terms. The last words of his charge to
the jury are—" It is for you to say whether you can safely
come to the conclusion that the prisoner administered the
arsenic. I may observe that if I were to make a surmise,
there is a person upon whom my fancy would rest rather than
the prisoner." After the verdict had been delivered, Mr.
Baron Martin observed that he would have interfered at an
earlier stage of the trial—that is, he would have stopped the
case ; but he thought, upon the whole, it would be more sa-
tisfactory that it should be fully heard. The Times says the
following ten names exhaust the list of persons about Mrs.
Wooler during her last illness. Her husband; her brother;
her sister, Miss Brecknell ; a maid-servant, Ann Taylor • the
three medical men, Dr. Jackson, Mr. Henzell, his assistant,:
and Dr. Haslewood ; a clergyman, the Rev. Robert Simpson ;
and two ladies, Miss Middleton and Miss Lanchester. And of
these it would be preposterous to presume that many of them
had either the opportunity or the will to do her injury. On the
other hand, Mr. Wooler had lived long and happily with his
wife ; he had no motive for desiring her death ; he attended
her during her illness with the most affectionate anxiety; he
called in her friends, he summoned medical men, and then
another phySician of yet higher name, to attend the case ;
when the suggestion of poison was thrown out, it was he him-
self who urged an investigation. Another and a very re-
markable point is this :—As early as the 7th of June, Dr. Jack-
son said that he suspected poison ; • but• he took no step such
as any reasonable man should have adopted who was answer-
able for his patient's life. He even concealed his suspicions
from Dr. Haslewood. "The conduct of the medical wit-
nesses," said Mr. Baron Marin, "as detailed by themselves,
was reprehensible." The indignation of the public will sup-
ply a harsher term. Thus, then, for the present the case must
remain enveloped in yet deeper mystery from the very fact of
Mr. Wooler's clear acquittal. The concluding words of the
judge must not, however, be forgotten. Suspicion rests upon
another person whom we do net think ourselves justified in
naming at this stage of the proceedings ; but these words
were not spoken to idle ears. This is, upon the whole, one
of the most remarkable cases in our criminal records, both
from the circumstances and manner of the murder and from
the mystery which yet surrounds it.