The Express.
London, England, 1860-10-19 00:00:00

MAIM'S SHIPPING ACCIDENT AT BRISTOL.

An accident, which led to the sinking of one
vessel and to the damage and threatened destruction of
Bedminster iron bridge, occurred at Bristol on Tuesday
morning. One of Messrs- Lucas's Airiest vessels, the
Fanny Chapman, had just arrived, and was being towed up
to the Bathurst BlWill at full tide, which being remarkably
high, and arming in at a rapid rate, caused the vessel to
have a good way on her, so much so that in checking her
round the pier with a stern rope the warp immediately
parted. There being also a fresh wind up at the time, the
Fanny Chapman quickly shot away from the pier into the
middle of the river, and was making rapid progress towards
the bridge, when a second hawser was got out at the land-
Mg stage, but it shared the fate of the former. The steam
tug Tiger still kept near, vainly attempting to render assist-
ance, and upon the Amelia steaming up to aid, the Tiger
swung round, her stern dashing against the broadside of
the Amelia so violently that the water immediately began
to rush into her through an opening of two feet, which had
been made in her side by the great force of the collision.
Seeing that she was rapidly tilling, the captain eadeavoured
to run her alongside the landing stage, which she had just
time to reach and the crew to gut on shore, when the large
iluautity of water in her hold tended to her aft end, and
mused her to " rate' up and sink end on, gradually
righting on her keel as she reached the bottom.
Meanwhile the Fanny Chapman, despite every at-
tempt to stop her progress, was making fiat headway for
the bridge. Every exertion was made by Captain Ryder
and the crew. A bow anchor was thrown out, but proved
of no service whatever, the vessel dragging it without
the least check to her speed. Seeing no other alternative
the pilot decided on running her on shore on the mud bank,
and for that purpose called out to the man at the wheel
to starboard the helm ; but he being told that the order
wee reversed, put the helm hardy-port, keeping the vessel's
head in the middle of the river, and thus losing the only
opportunity of stopping her, as she was then rapidly
hearing Bedminster-bridge. By this time a Lime number
of people had assembled, watching with eager iotorest for
what every one thort would be the inevitable destruction
of the bridge, like that of Bath-bridge, which was con-
atructed, we believe, Ur the same manner, and was destroyed
by a very similar accident. CUptain Able, of Wellington-ter.
race, Coronation-med, and who commands another of Messrs.
Lucas's vessels, had witnessed the occurrence, and hastily
procured a new hawser from his ship, and rendered what
assistance he could ; but, as we stated before, nothing could
stay her progress. The only chance of saving the bridge
appeared to be by preventing her meeting it stem on, and
every exertion was made by the captain, pilot, sod mew,
who fortunately succeeded in slightly changing the direct
course of the newel. As it was, however, the bowsprit,
which was brought up, by the remarkable height of the
tide, to a level with the flag atoues of the paving, caught
the bridge just underneath the coping, and its fall ap-
peared imminent for some momenta, the force of the isoo•
tact makiug it swerve and vibrate in a visible winner.
Immediately on its striking the bridge the vessel •• reared,"
as it were nearly on end, the cutwater throwing up the
stonework into the road, and the bowsprit mashing eight
or nine of the iron railings, breaking them off as if they
were reeds. The tide then isught her on the pert quarter,
and swung her nearly broadside on to the bridge, her stern
settling in the mud on the off biwk, where she resisted
all efforts of this tug bent to diskalge her for about half
an hour. The tide then slackening they got out a new
warp and succeeded in " slowing her round, and she
was then towed to the Bathurst Wain- The vessel, with
her valuable cargo, has not sustained any damage beyond
the destruction of her bowsprit, jilibooin, and a portion of
her cutwater.