The Express.
London, England, 1858-03-25 00:00:00

THE LOST MAIL STEAM PACKETS.

Bane one should write the history of the loft mail
pecests. No novel or romance could rimed in interest the
account of the vast destruction of life and property in con-
wake with those packets, and the heroism, suffering, and
hairbreadth eacapes of some of their mews sad paaseagers.
Within the last twelve years about 20 large mail packets have
been lost. Same of these have gone down in the North
Atlantic, three in the Gulf of Mexico, three in the China and
Indian seas, one in the Bay of Biscay, and thus on the Por-
tuguese end Spanish coast. The value of the seven packets
bet in the North Atlantic, with their cargoes, is estimated at
two millions sterling. Since 18.53, 2,000 persons have
perished, and 10,000,000 dollars' worth of property has been
destroyed, in the wreck of United States coasting mail
packets. Out of the twenty omen mail packets lout during
the last doses years, three, with all their crews and pas-
sengers, ware lest, and their fate never heard of. One, how-
ever wee burnt while going at fall speed, and a great many
▪ the people on board perished in the Lungs. Another was
ran down in the China sea by a peeled going in the
seam direction, the lights of the former having been
seen from the latter when miles a-baud. The most dread-
fel of all those shipwrecks, perhaps, wen the foundering
In the Allende Oman of the President, the Pacific, and the
City of Glasgow, from which not a soul survived to tell the
tab. Months elegised babes all hope wasextbignished in the
beans of rendres that some, at least, of the passengers and
crew might semewbere tura up alive. A most harrowing
skip, too, is thee el de issalses et the Azions, art sloths' ,

of the striking of the Tweed on the Macrame: The
engineer of the Amason could not turn off the steam, and
the ship went bounding and blazing along the ocean, while
those who swiped were dunned with the noise of the paddle
wheels and the waves, together with the roaring of the wind
and flames, end the shrieks of the dying on board. In the
came of the Tweed, moons of persons were devoured by
sharks se they jumped from the sinking &hip. Last year a
mail packet was wrecked in the Indian Sea, and an CASON'
and troops werecebeerdharooming from the Permian war. As
soon as they escaped from the wreck and werelsnded,!the officer
and soldiers fell down on their knees, and the former rue-
reedy gave thanks to Heaven for their preservation. A few
months afterwards he gained an immortal 112M0 in avenging
the atrocities of Cawnpore and relieving Lucknow. It is
unnecemary to say that this we. Henry Havelock.
We have jolt heard of the wreck of the mail packet Ava in
the Bay of Bengal, having on board the ladies and children
who had escaped • frightful death in Lucknow, and whose
offerings and dangers, it appear,, were not to cease even
after they had left India, and were under British protection
on tho sea. Power, the eminent English comedian, as well
as • member of one of our ducal families, perished in the Pre-
sident. Eliot Warburton, the author of "The Crescent and
the Cress," whose graphic pen was about to be dipped in the
gorgeous hues of Central American scenery, was lost in the
Amazon. A rich passenger on board the Arctic offered 30,0004
to whoever could save his life, and there is no doubt that any
one who could have done so would have received the reward
but no one was able to earn it. A passenger on hosed the
Broil mail packet which went ashore at St. Alban's Head
last year, offered 6001. to • coastguard-man if be took him
safely ashore, which was done, and the coutguard-man
received a cheque for the amount. The sufferings of some
of the survivors of the lost mail packets have been terrible.
It le feared that one or two of the survivors of a mail steamer,
which was wrecked a short time since, were saved from
starvation only by having recourse to cannibalism. The
mail packet Tay went ashore many years ago in the West
India , and the captain and crew abandoned her; an engi-
neer, however, stuck to her and saved her, to be wrecked
afterwards in the Gulf of Alexia>. Foe seven yeas the
Peninsular and Oriental Company never lost • ship;
they then lost seven ships in twelve years, and during
the last of those years they have lost three ships.
The loss of a mail packet with • number of
lives must be very trying to the feelings of • com-
mander; but the captains of our lost mail packets have
often displayed • noble presence of mind and heroion„ which
have been the means of saving many. Many captains have
perished in attempting to save their crews and passengers.
In the Amazon all but one of the officers were burnt on
board. The inferior officers refused to leave their captain.
They satiated to save others, but they preferred being burnt
In their ship, because every one on board could not leave her.
One or two commanders of the lost packets have committed
suicide after the excitement of the wreck was over. The
commander of the Tweed lived ball a mile from Southampton,
the port from which his ship hailed, kit he never was
seen in that town after the wreck, although he
lived in its vicinity for years. The commander of the lost
packet Arctic had displayed great heroism, and when he
reached New York the merchants and shippers went to
the railway station to welcome and sympathise with him.
But he was unable to receive their greeting, and be passed
sorrowing with downcast looks through a lane formed of the
chief commercial citizens of New York, who stood mute and
uncovered to receive him. When the American mail steamer
Atlantic was supposed to be lost, • British packet was the
first to carry the news of her safety to America. She kept
Ming guns miles before she arrived in harbour, and had
every deg on board hoisted. Teen of thousands of New
York people turned out to learn the news she brought, and
when the hoarse voice of the captain sounded through a
trumpet, " The Atlantic is safe," the whole city was thrown
into an ostacy, and one poor woman who had • brother on
board the missing ship went mad with joy. Half the packets
that have gone to the bottom have been wrecked in come-
queue of too daringly shaving the land and cutting off
comma Some undoubtedly have been lost by incompetent
commanders who had obtained their appointments through
interest rather than from merit. Cunard's company have been
the most fortunate of ell the mail packet companies as far
as the loss of ships is concerned. The Peninsular and
Oriental and the Royal Mail Companies have each lost about
the same number of ships. It is curious that almost every
commander of a lost mail packet has been blamed by lands-
men for not using the lead, and yet every sailor declares that
It is almost impossible for • commander of a mail packet,
compelled to travel night and day at a racing speed, to use
the led In the manner laid down in all steam-packet com-
putes' instructions. This matter ought to to rigidly In-
quired into by the government. During the last twelve
years since ems millions' worth of property has been de-
stroyed and hundreds of hue have been lost in mail packets.
The misery these lour bare caused le incalculable. But •
new era is dawning. Ships like the Leviathan cannot be
trifled with, and if she is sumeasful the present mall packets
will soon be eopereeded, and life and property on board
Leviathan steamers carrying mails will be far safer than they
have hitherto been.

UNITED KINODOII ALLIANCE.—DEPUTATION TO
Ma. escarrany Wa.por.e.—On Tuesday, 23rd trr., Mr.
WelPde, wind* Semler, of State for the Home Depart-
met, maned a deputed= from the United Kingdom AM-
anall, an meaciation numbering upwards of 40,000 regis-
tered sad aukoaribing umbers. The right honourable
gentleman was addressed by Mr. S. Pope (Han. Sec ), Mr.
S. Bowly (Oloneeentr)Rev,_ T. Hotta' (Chaplain of
Northampton County Osol), Rev. Dr. Bares (Paddington),
Mr. T.H. Cunard! (Bath), Bev. Canon Jenkins (Downie),
and Rev. W. W. Itobnm, A.M. (Chelsea) ; who were
accompanied by Mr. R. Ckariston (Bristol), Dr. Ellis (Rich-
mond), Mr. H. Dixon (Manchester), Kr. W. Janson
(Tottenham), Mr. C. Jape (Mere), and Mr. R. A.
Wainewright (Lincoln's-inn). The topic' touched upon
by the deputation in the interview of about en boor
had respect to the prevalent and inseparable evils of
the trade in into drinks ; the inefilatemey of
Police eliplavidon and terial control for the removal of
those evin, and the ommsent right of the people to demand
and enforce, if so i the prohibition of the trade in
strong drink. The aettkd proposed was the enactment
of a law enabling the inhabitants of a district to sapper
the sale of liquor within its limits by a vote of two-thirds to
that effect. Tim Home Secretary listened very attentively to
the statements made, end adverted to some objections which,
he mid, lay upon the mhos. There having been
the deputation retired telly mused with the urb:awiryt
their reception. We vagresioad Uri in the comae et yester-
day a number of inAmtial members of pediment me
consulted upon the mme question.
THE BROTHERTON trintittern FUND.—At a
meeting of the comminim, held at &ohm yemarday, the
Mayor of Salford (Mr. Hervey) in the choir, • statement was
submitted by the bon. esentary dialing this the tsaslpls
sad interest amount to 2,6971.05. 9d., which, slier
Ter the Meta. to be erected in Peet perk, and tor the duly
tor • moment in the Cemetery, will leave a has el
Ha., the htterwst of which will be annually e=t
boobs kr the Free Library, & end Mid sad
Meahmelet Leatltatiane. It is expected that the status will
be Ind la the park by ths la{ al May nat.