The Express.
London, England, 1861-09-20 00:00:00

SkITANKfit.

Tim creme, RhittiTiti-rOilirry. Meson. Reynol'
sod N. Prager.—The fireat Mackepri.—Nr. J. Pluntid..n
tarmac 6Geplhon. —THY. 1A..? NAIL—To emorliode with I 111
GMAT FINN tW LONDON...ammeace At hall put &

81011 MAT= AT LONDON 111100 R.
TM DAT— *lndio& IX Its Aftsesoon. •Th. biteL
TD saws a. Abaseas. Ns.

LONDON, FRIDAY, SEPT. 20.

TO OUR ALDERS.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

A !ate of the Exprru is published every
.venial; .hirin4 the racing season, containing the
results of the day's rams.

Mani N.. sueorods like moires, is a common and
true saying, and failure has the same cumulative
fares. The downward pace of what is called a
"run of ill luck " defies calculation. How the
success was achieved, or how the course of failure
began, is another question ; but certain it is that
to call • slop unlucky or a house haunted is much
the same thing so far as public opinion is con-
cerned. There is no denying that the Oar.ar
Ea:cream is an unlucky ship. " Born in bitterness
" and nurtured in convulsions", is a poet's account
of an ill-starred life. The misfortunes of the GREAT
Eaar►.ar may be said to have begun "at the font,"
when the Lv.vi AAAA N stuck obstinately fast, and
would not be drawn out with • hook. Changes of
name, and we know not how many changes of
sponsors, have not charmed away the evil auguries.
Her first trip to sea was not unlikely to be the last,
though the Directors were able to congratulate the
terrified but surviving passengers on the prodi-
gious etreie,Oli of the ship's scantling, which had
stood the shock of an explosion. Public confi-
dence WAS a little shaken by the accident, yet
there was no disposition to condemn the ship ;
rather the reverse. Then, when the ship was
sound again, and people were looking forward to her
first sea voyage, pour Captain Hamusoe, who was
" a sort of father to her," was drowned in South-
ampton Water, and his gmlancholy end became
associated somehow in the public mind with the
fortunes of his ship. Her first voyage to Ame-
rico was made almost in ballast, and her perform-
awe at sea was reported to be satisfactory, but
nothing uncommon. As an exhibition at New
York she ovorstood her market, and by an ill-
managed excursion trip made a host of enemies.
On her return home, to astonish the natives of
South Wales, shored up high and dry at New Mli-
ford for the winter, her character became as ambi-
guous as her position. People gave her up in
despair, as • show-ship, and if she was not forgot-
ten, she was under a cloud of ugly rumours and
misgivings. And yet all this time the country
was more than half disposed to be proud of the Big
Ship ; though the national pride was wounded and
dimatiafied. The energy and spirit of the Directors,
it is simple justice to say, were equal to any fate,
and worthy of • better fortune. Nor was their
confidence deceived. With returning spring the
public belief in the Big Ship revived, and her
departure for America was again an ob-
ject of interest. If her speed was not all
that her creators and designers had dreamed,
and if the problem of sea-sickness was not
quite solved by her " long and easy roll,"
ber passage out and home was quite creditable
enough to justify the Government in taking her
up to convey troops to Quebec. This was quite a
fillip to the fortunes of the GSZAT Eesreaw, and
was enough to give courage even to shareholders.
As she lay in the Mersey with three thousand men
on board, her extraordinary capabilities as a troop-
ship struck every visitor with surprise and admira-
tion. There was not only ample room for quar-
tering the soldiers, but more air and comfort than
in a barrack, and almost as much space for drill
and exercise. "We have • perfect troopship"
was the general remark. She landed her freight
at Quebec as fresh and serviceable as if they had
just turned out for parade. Captain Kr-Nicene re-
ceived the thanks and congratulations of the
Officers, and brought the ship back with all the
honotiia All fernier shortcomings and accidents
were forgotten. The GREAT EASTERN, i( not
miracle, was a grand result, a proved fleeter, And
the success of such • ship was felt to be • subject
of national satisfaction. The result of her per
as a troopship was that, when next she
was advertised to sail with pamengen, all her
berths were taken, and on the 10th inst. she left the
Mersey • popular favourite. Indeed, it was re-
ported that her career as • troopship had only
begun, and was destined to eclipse the services
of the Himalaya. Alas f just when this
splendid ship was supposed to be making
short miles of it towards C►pe Race
she comes in sight off the Old Head of
Kinsale, making fur Cork Harbour, disabled mid
iii diettese. To • ship of this aim everything that
happens is on • colossal sale. It it a prodigious
triumph or an immense calamity. She goes out
and meets a "terrific gale" some 280 miles west
of Cape Clear. This is the merest commonplace
of Atlantic navigation. CUNARD'S steamer and
a host of others are encountering " terrific gales"
all the winter through, and as often as the " equi-
" metals " corns round. But the GREAT EASTRELN
vindicates her majesty by • catastrophe without
prcosdent or paralleL Both her paddles tee
carried away ; her rudder-post, " a bar of
" iron ten inches in diameter," is wrenched
away ; and there she lies, " • huge
" log in the trough of the sea." From Thursday
evening to Sunday morning this vast, unwieldy,
lifeless carer@ of iron rolls her bulwarks under
water, smashing all her furniture, knocking her
passengers about like ninepins, and hurling a
couple of cows into the ladies' cabin. To
read of the broken limbs and the cuts and bruises
of these scared, bewildered passengers, one would
think the ship bad met some iron-cased frigate
working her heavy guns in the night, and had run
the gauntlet of • broadside. Four hundred
Pareengers, taking an everyday trip from Liver-
pool to New York in the biggest steamship ever
built, and Buffering all the horrors of a naval en-
gagement and of shipwreck some 280 miles west