The Express.
London, England, 1859-09-12 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 12, 1869.

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THE EXPLOSION ON BOARD
THE GREAT EASTERN.

(PLOY OUR BMW. 11,17011T11.)

AT SEA, FRIDAY ignIZINO.

On Friday morning every one wee en desk betimes
to est their floating temporary home start tier Port-
land. The sky wee cloudy, hard, and windy look-
ing, and the white waste of the wawa showed that
the good ship would have to plough her way through
eassiderably troubled waters. All around, at various
distances, the sea was dotted with sailing vowels of
various rigs, and shaman of every sine and power.
Stretching over the high bulwarks, we could see
them pitching and rolling like cockboata, and with
the sea washing over their decks, whilst the Gnat
Eastern floated as stiff and steady as a rook. Such
ships es were going free " off " the wind were
premed down to their lee bulwarks, and the
foam might be seen toppling over their
bows as they plunged heavily into the sea.
Others which were beating to windward were ander
double-reefed topsails, and it was only by these indi-
cations people on board the great ship could learn
that they were in anything but smooth water. At
loaf-past Neves, as., Mr. Peewee, the 'sweetie and
skilful chief officer, ordered the boatswains to pipe
all hands to the capstan to weigh anchor, while a
simmering sound and the black smoke puffing and
snorting from the funnels announced that the iron
steeds that stood stabled below were being hammed
for their work. The first step, that of raising the
anchors, was one of great difficulty. The men pushed
hard at the cepetan bars to the strains of the pipe,
and numbers of the more enthusiastic parengere

volunteered an encumbering insistence. The et:am
gear puffed and snorted and wrestled until at lost
Taxman triumphed, and obtained the first WI by
enieshing all the iron teeth in the head ef hie
persevering opponent; in less figurative terms the
restraining cogs gave way under the maws
ous strains, and the heaving operation had to be
suspended. Bat the resources of the ship were
inexhaustible, and the well-known " moveable
flake" which up to that moment had proved to be
the very type of immobility, might be seen peering
stealthily through the blue water. We could soon
hear • soft, pleasant, full sound, which indicated by
• regulated eseemaion of beats that both paddle and
wow had reounsed their work, the vessel having, in
Lot, began to move at the rate of 13 or 14 miles as
►our. The brisk breeze was rapidly rising into a
gale, and the " mackerel sky" which makes the ocean
sailor look grave was spreading over the horizon.
We meld enlarge ships lying to under close reefed
topsoils, smaller vessels appear and disappear as if
about to he sugulphed, and steamers lashing,
struggliag, and belching forth the black smoke
which iadiested increasing fires and pressure, but
still making so headway through the waves, which
had by this time lost their brilliant blue, and had
assumed the sullen grey tinge which is the sure
forerunner of bad weather. Bat on board the
Great Eastern no one meld tell by her
motion that she was not still on her cradle
at Millwall. Yoe might have played cricket
on the spacious deck, and not one of the passengers
showed throughout the day the slightest symptom
of sea games. When off Dover, the wind had
lien to a strong gale, and a little packet-steamer,
with the trieolourat the main and fore, was observed
to steam gallantly out of harbour and make for the
great ship as if it were a port of destination. So
much did she labour, that as we looked over our own
lefty bulwarks, which were as steady es the battle-
ments of • bridge, persons who were unaccustomed
to the terrors of the deep watched her with *nand
anxiety, in the firm conviction that she must be soon
Illigalphed. She pitched heavily into the sea every
moment, and huge waves could be seen sweeping and
breaking over the whole length of her decks. She
1 was crowded with passenger, and these latter, who
in ordinary circumstances would have been stowed
smugly away in their berths, were crowded upon
her bridge and paddle-boxes gazing on the
big ship and cheering with the greatest
enthusiasm. Salutes were exchanged, and
magus were "dipped," and in a few moments the
little vowel put her helm down and ran rapidly
beck to port. This might be said to be our first Wei
dust since leaving the Nom, and it caused a deal of
speculation and discussion, because it had given us
such • striking means of judging by comparison of
the unapproachable sea-going capabilities of our own
vessel. The little steamer had evidently been pre-
sumptuous enough to try her strength against the
Leviathan, but the latter seemed to treat her puny
antagonist with the most sublime indifference, and
to pass her by at her usual majestic pace without
the slightest increase of effort. The most various
reamen were in circulation about our visitor, and
one perms, more ingenious than the rest, started the
bold theory that she was • French man•ot-wsz
Mesmer, and that the übiquitous Emperor was on
board taking a sly peep at the great marine wonder,
There was one pleasing fact cheered us throughout
our whole progress. Every vessel that came near
enough to be heard cheered lustily, and emoted to
he ear eager partisans, so that a groat portion
of oar time was taken up In exchanging
the compliments of the cruise. We seemed
to have enlisted on our aide the whole sympathies
of the ocean, as if every sailor looked upon the
ship as the melees chief of the world's navy. One
great transport, laden with troops, manned yards,
and made a tremendous demonstration, and we sub-
sequently found that this was a ship which had
formerly been commanded by one of oar chief
officers, and that the crew had taken this means of
testifying their love and respect for their old cap-
tain. Once through the straits of Dover the weather
broke and brightened considerably, ►nd as we passed
majestically along the rations towns of the south
coast could be distinguished rising successively up
to the water line, The sun shone brightly, though it
was still ham, the passengers were in high spirits, and
people went about rubbing their hands and congra-
tulating each other on the surmising prosperity of
their experimental voyage. Everything up to this
moment had gone " merry as a marriage bell," and
the wend of the dinner-trumpet collected as merry
a party in the saloon as had probably ever sat down
to dinner.

The dinner-tables was crowded, the chairman
sees in his place, the company exchanged
oongrattdatione, and plied their knives and
forks as people will do at sea whenever
they are not sea sick. We could hear above oar
heads the Genius of the Storm singing his stern,
sontinuons, dull, but deep war song, bat we all felt
and believed that he had now at last met with his
muter, whom we could else bear fees below sending
beck the foe's loud challenge in tame se steady and
unflinching as his own. Immediately attar dinner
the majority of the company adjourned to the desk

to watch the points of interest which the ship was
momently paining in her course, and to this happy
accident may be attributed the almost complete
immunity of the passenger from injury.
Had they, as they had done on the pre-
vious evening, adjourned to the grand saloon,
that whole gay thoughtless mud would moat pro-
bably have been killed or matilated by scalding
steam or falling iron, and many of them hurried into
eternity whilst some were chatting, same wen play-
ing cards, and still mere samurais groups wen
crowded in the vestibule or ladies' drawing-room
limening to gay waltzes or operatic symphonies from
the band. About • dozen gentleman remained in
the dining room conversing with one of the directors,
a health had been proposed, and each glass was held
aloft to do honour to the toast, when suddenly an
indescribable report burst upon their ears, and
showers of broken glass and fragments of wood and
iron came washing the skylight Then was first a
panel, then a mutual caution against panic, and
finally a minteltsneme rush to the staircase. TM
whole atmosphere at this plain was filled with steam
through which We all emended half suer
sated to the deck. TM ship was still pnming
coward, like • hone that had Mt its rider,
sad atAialli4nd all was still end deented, while in
the metro all wee make, fire, vapour, and confusion.
The great fond, eight teas weight, bad been allot
up as if from a Lorin many feet into the air, and
had returned broken in two pieces on the deck, whose
imaines strewth had been sufficient to arrest its
farther downward progress. The whole centre of
the ship seemed to be only one vast chasm, and from
It me Welds( up steam, dust, and something that
looked andamely like incipient conflagration. Cap-
tain Hannon had now • noble opportunity of show-
ing his qualifications as a commander, and nobly he
is it. lie had been standing on the bridge
overhead, looking into the binnacle, and the moment
be baud therepoct, and whilst thedestroctive shower
was still falling feet, he jumped upon the desk and
eirdprod an immediate dement to the ladies' saloon,
baths firm conviction that they were all there as on
the previous evening. But many of the men were
panioatricken, and had already shrunk away from the
explosion. A foolish passenger had raised a cry of
" the boats," and, assisted by some of the sailers,
was madly attempting to let them down. In one
moment all would have born lost, for the rush to the
boats Weald bare been universal, and hundreds
would have been drowned, whilst the noble ship
would have been left to certain destruction. But
the voice of the captain was beard like • trumpet,
calling out " Men to your duty, officers to your posts,
give me • rope, and let six men follow me." The
affect of this short address was eleetrio. In an
instant he had slid down the rope into the saloon,
followed by his brave boatswain Hawkins, and six
volunteers were not ling wanted for the forlorn
bor. One after another he dashed open the
gilded panels, but the splendid apartments had,
strange to say, only two inhabitants, his own little
daughter Edith, and her pet deg. It was the reward
of his gallantry, that his own child should be thus
the one to be so providentially saved. But even
then be did not for a moment Ices his self-
command. Snatching up the child, and with
one glance seeing she was unharmed, he
exclaimed, " Pam her along to the deck, there are
more rooms to be searched." In this way did he
move about rapidly, bat molly, and did not again
return to the deck until he had satisfied himself that
not a single woman was in the burning, steaming,
suffocating chamber. His intimate friend, Mr. Trot-
man, who had followed him down almost lemma
diately, found the poor lap-dog moaning under a
heap of ruins and was the means of restoring it to
its little mistress. To return to the deck and reams
the command was with the captain the work of a
moment, bat that moment had been sufficient to
test the metal and self-pomession of two men who
were as brave and reliable as himself. Mr. Atkin-
eon, the pilot, a little unpretending man, stood at his
post on the bridge and, undismayed by the loud ex-
plosion, the descending fragments, the suffocating
chasm. or the yawning gulf immediately beneath him,
and in the firm conviction that all the boilers would
go in succession, continued to direct the movements of
the ship as calmly as if he were only turning her
into • harbour. Some frightened fool shouted,
" Atkinson, come down and save yourself,"
but the gallant veteran replied with grave
nonchalance, " I'm no engineer, I'm a pilot,
I've charge of the ship, and I'll stick to her."
The officer, Mr. Sewall, who held the wheel under
Mr. Atkinsoa's directions, was equally self-possessed.
I maw his tall figure through the amok* working and
turning the wheel with the regularity of clockwork,
and I thought of the Roman sentinel whose skeleton
was found upright at his post in the excavations at
Pompeii. To thee. two men, next to Captain Har-
rison, I believe we are mainly indebted for the safety
of the ship. Had they, whilst he was away on his
mission of rescue—►lthough it was oily a moment
—turned craven and deserted their poste, the huge
leviathan would have become the sport of the waves,
and everything would have instantly been hopeless
chaos and confusion. For, to the panic caused by
the explosion was also added another panic, by the
cry of " A man overboard," and this was the first
inkling we got of the dreadful work that was going
on below. A poor fellow, one of the firemen, pro.
bably one of the first who had become enveloped in
the scalding vapour of the explosion, rushed to an
open porthole in his agony, and was seen by
his comrades to jump madly into the water.
" A man overboard !" " A man overboard !" was re-
peated by a hundred voices, and every one rushed to
the stem. The men at the wheel hesitated for a
moment, as if about to rush like the rest to the
rescue ; ►ut a third brave officer, I think his name Is
Kitt or Lett, was here in command, and hie shout of
" Don't stir from the wheel" soon restored them to
their self-possession. But, even had they gone, the
central steering power was still doing its work in
the composed bands of Mr. Atkinson and Mr. Sewell,
and thus amongst this trio of brave men bad we
security until the captain returned to the deck. No
man could be seen—life-buoy., planks, handspikes
were madly thrown over, until at last, nothing being
visible in the water, a cry of " False alarm" sent
every one back to his post. But, unhappily, it we'
no fa/as alarm. The poor fellow, maddened with
agony, and having been literally flayed alive, had
rushed into the water, and had no doubt been ground
to pieces is one or two revolutions of the enormous
paddle-wheaL As I said before, this was all the work
of a moment, bat there are some moments the events
of which it takes pages to describe. When next I
turned my eyes to the centre of the ship, the captain
was standing over the chasm, his flee black, his
band bleeding, and his eyes almost blinded with the
smoke, bat already be bad fifty men busy with the
hose pouring tons of water into the hold ; and I now
found oat that the two eleseate bad ambito' for

Oft Alill6etina, for the explosion, whose easels I
mast deseribe further on, whilst it sent perfect
tomato of stem oat on every aide, had also thrown
epsi the doors of the furnaces, and from them long
tongues of flame were beginning to pierce their way
through the heap of fragment' on the ship's floor,
But the great ship seemed to have a provision for
every ceutiagency. Bury great operation had in feet
been provided for, and it was the neglect of only one
little "tap," no bigger than a oast bottom, that had
so nearly sent her to the bottom. There were
powerful fitrilMielbell ready, and of coarse abundance
of water, and in • moment all the apprehension of
firs was removed. I could see now, also, that Mr.
Scott Russell was at his post, giving the orders
necessary for the safety of the boilers. Mr. Camp-
bell, the chairmen, who had been sitting on one of
the paddle-boxas, had also harried down, and was
son busy in restoring otalkianos amongst the more
frightened of the passengers. One gentleman, where
wife had gone into violent hysterics under the
premiss that her child had been blown up, ran about
in a terrible mate of nervous suitement, calling for
his boy, =conscious that he had already saved hiss,
sal that at that moment he held him convulsively
by the band. Mr. Campbell soothed him, and pineed
him rutty in cue of the 'leek Its= seem sad tbs
proceeded to calm dowi the other alarmists. One
man went about exclaiming hysterically "It's all
staff; there's no explosion;" another wised you by
the collar, and said sternly, while kis fate
wee white with terror, "Tell me the worst;
I'm reedy to meet my Ciod." Then people
with assumed calm would call you aside
and tell you confidentially " that they were engineers,
that they knew the whole case, and that the mecca-
rive bursting of the whole nape( boilers was 'rely
a gaud= of a few minutes of time." Or, " they
had seen everything, the ship's side had been blown
out, and she was filling rapidly"— then • man who
"positively knew that the hold was on fin; that the
flames were fast travelling aft, and that they would
soon reach a ton of gunpowder which was stowed
away in the after-hold." In the meantime, brave
hands and cool heads were rapidly restoring order,
and I, who could do nothing but look on, instinc-
tively took out my notebook, and commenced
making the memoranda which I am now endeavour-
ing to systematise into a narrative. I now found
that I had, while quite unconscious of the reason,
suddenly become an object of general sympathy. I
had, on my arrival on board, been courteously accom-
modated with one of the beet cabins in the ship, with
two portholes open to the sea, and a table whereon
I could ply my trade undisturbed. I had luxuriated
in my acquisition, and only the evening before I had
been visited by a dozen of literary friends to
congratulate me upon my famous quarters.
It was little dreamt whilst men, some of
them with names well known in literature
and science, were chatting merrily, that they
were sitting over the immense steam chest which
subsequently burst with the force, as an eminent
engineer informed me, of twenty-five tone of gun-
powder, and that it was only their luck that it.
explosion did not suddenly break up their sympo-
sium. The next morning, as soon u the ship had
stretched away out of sight of land, and there
was nothing to be seen but sky and water, I retired
to this room to write the first division of my letter.
I remained in ft till dinner was sounded, when I
went to the saloon, leaving my hat on the sofa
behind me, intending to return after the dessert to
finish up. The explosion shivered my snug state
room, with all the surrounding cabins, to pieces, and
by the time I returned to the deck, hat, carpet bag,
and all my invaluable "copy " lay buried amongst
the steaming, smoking fragments at the bottom of
the hold. Rad I returned to the room as I had at
first intended, the world would most probably have
never again been troubled with my modest effusions.
Providence, however, had ordered it otherwise, and
myself and my companion, a very promising young
member of the fourth estate, were spared to look
on unscathed at the terrible sufferings of too many
of our fellow-creatures. In consequence of the loss of

my hat, I was obliged to tie a white handkerchief
about my head, and to this cimumstanee I war in-
debted for hundreds of hurried but friendly inqui-
ries as to whether I was wounded, and which
puzzled me very much, as nobody had any time for
explanations. Order had now been somewhat
restored, the men under the captain's orders had
drenched away all apprehensions of fire, and Mr.
Scott Russell had been down in the engine room,
quite indifferent to his own safety, reducing the
pressure in all the boilers, encouraging the engineers
and men, ucertaining by actual inspection the real
cameo of the mischief, at the same time taking every
human precaution against its repetition. The engines,
which had never stopped for a moment, either screw
or paddle, were now working at steady although
slackened speed, and confidence was beginning gra-
dually to be restored. I must repeat that all this
action was simultaneous and occupied but a few
moments, however tedious it may appear in the
narrative. The next thought was " Who had been
hurt," and it was found that of the passengers only
two had received any injury. The escape of one of
them, Mr. Francis Fuller, the well-known originator
of the Crystal Palace, was perfectly miraculous.
He was standing with Mr. Norman Russell on deck
clew to the funnel at the moment of its explosion.
He maw it shoot up through the mist and smoke,
lab the Afrit in the Eastern tale, and then to come
down straight on his own devoted head. Of course
if it had fallen upon him he would have been killed
an the spot, but happily he stood under one of the
wire ropes or stays with which the masts and rig-
ging were secured to the bulwarks ; and this rope,
of course assisted by the slanting position hi which
it wiuiplaced, actually arrest= the fall of the pon-
derous funnel, and sent it glancing off to the rail,
which also proved strong enough to resist the further
desceutof the ponderous projectile. Mr. Fuller escaped
with only a slight scalp wound, but as he passed me
pale and bleeding on the deck, I was afraid that a
valuable life had been lost to his family and the
community. The other passenger wounded was Mr.
Rawlins= of Liverpool, who had assisted Mr. Gray
in adjusting the compasses. He was sitting at the
done of the grand saloon at the moment of danger,
and was instantly overwhelmed with broken mirrors,
furniture, and fragments of iron which had been
thrown up from the hold. As he lay there mooning
he was discovered by Hawkins, the brave boatswain,
who wu just 'wending to the desk after his search
for the ladies, and was pulled out, happily more
frightened than hart, and brought on deck.
Unfortunately a sad and different story has to be
told of the poor fellows down in the engine room.
When the funnel blew up it tore away everything.
Duke, cabins, and below them, again, steam gearing
of every kind. The scalding steam filled the place,
and the tarsus doors being bunt open, fire poured
tett, like busing lava, and burnt the doomed men