The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-27 00:00:00

tr Ann
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THE GREAT EASTERN.

MILFORD, TOIBOIT Evzsinro.

The Great Eastern left the gridiron at 6.10 this
evening, and steamed off admirably. She dropped anchor
at Milford at a guarter•past 7. Amongst those on board
were Messrs. Gooch and Fothergill Cooke, two of the
directors, Captain Ramsey, R.N., Captain Hall, R.N.,
Captain Cries, and other dockyard officials. Mr. Pommy,
the Queen's pilot, brought her to the moorings. Every.
thing worked perfectly, and this first trial trip was most
satisfactory.

LOSS OP viz LIVERPOOL AND NEW YORK
PACKET SHIP MIDDLESEX, AND PORTY
FIVE LIVES.

A most distressing shipwreck, attended with
serious loss of life, was made known yesterday at Lloyd's—
the abandonment of the ship Middlesex, 1,423 tons nes.
ter, a fine Liverpool and New York trader, commanded by
tkptain Harmer Parmelee, which took place on the 10th
just. in the Atlantic, • few hundred miles off the Irish
coast, while on an outward passage to New York, and which
there can be no doubt shortly foundered, with fortyfive
souls on board.

The Middlesex appears to have been an American built
ship, owned by Messrs. Edward St. limes and Co., of New
York, where she wan registered as an A 1 ship, built at
Connecticut in 1853.

She cleared from Liverpool Dock on the 17th of last
February for New York, her cargo consisting chiefly of coal
and crockery, shipped by Messrs. Harris and Co., and
consigned to the Manaliathon Gas Company, New York.
She sailed on the following day, her crew numbering 31
hands, besides the master, and carrying 20 cabin and
steerage passengers. It is supposed she took the north
passage, anti soon after she bad cleared the Irish coast she
encountered the fearful gales which commenced about the
With, and nontinued almost without intermission for several
weeks, when she was abandoned on the 10th instant in lat.
53.0, long. 22.10 W., in a sinking condition ; the water had
almost reached the cabins, and it was evident she could not
continue afloat many hours longer. The captain, seeing that
his ship must founder, endeavoured to get the boat out to
save the bye, of the passengers and crew. The ship was lying
almost on her beam ends, with a terrific sea running, and all
the boats, excepting one, were smashed or stove in in the
efforts to get them over the ship's side into the sea. Out of
the 60 people on board only 16 could be taken off in the
boat that had been launched uninjured—namely, thecaptain,
four passengers, and eleven of the crew, who soon after
lost sight of the ship and those helpless on board, and the
impression is, that she went down almost immediately after.
wards.

The survivors in the boat suffered great privations ; for
four days and nights they were exposed to the severest
weather and cold, without food or water, until the boat was
washed ashore at Great Blaaket Island, a few miles to the
westward of the entrance to Dingle Bay, on the south-west
coast of Ireland. Two of them, however, died before the
boat gained the land from exposure and iutense cold. It
was considered truly marvellous that the boat could have
withstood the heavy ems and gales that had prevailed the
whole time.

Captain Parmelee, on his arrival at Dingle on Saturday
last, reported the loss of his ship to the receiver of wreck at
that port, who, in accordance with the Shipping Act, pro-
ceeded to examine Captain Parmelee on oath. This exa-
mination wee received yesterday at the Board of Trade and
at Lloyd's, and contains the following :
"Captain Parmelee states that he left Liverpool as
master of the ship Middlesex on the 18th of last February,
bound to New York, and proceeded, wind-hauled, to the
south•west, blowing a strong gale, which continued up to
the 7th instant, when a heavy gale came on from the north-
west, ship rolling and working severely. The gale con-
tinued, and on the 10th, ship being in Lt. 53.0 long 22.10
west, was struck by a heavy sef, which threw her on her
beam coda, and shipped her cargo to port. All bead sail
was set ; every endeavour was made to get the ship
before the wind, but she refused to pay off, and, making a
great deal of water, she commenced to settle down, not-
withstanding the pumps were kept going, as a last resource.
Had the main misenmast cut away to relieve the ship and
get her to pay off, but without effect, and on the 12th, find-
ing there was no hope of awing, abandoned her in the
only efficient boat, along with eleven of the crew and
four pueengen, leaving the remainder of the crew and
passengers on board to share the fate of the ship, all the
other boats, five in number, having been stove to
pieces after being lowered down. Their boat reached the
Great BLuket Island on the 16th inst., four days after leav-
ing the ship, and the inhabitants of the island assisted them
in landing, two of the boat's crew having died previously.
He remained on the island till the 23rd inst. before he could
proceed to Dingle."
[The report of the examination does not furnish the
names of the people who were saved, and, us will he seen,
is exceedingly vague in its particulars.]
The Middlesex was valued at 15,0001., and the loss, with
her cargo, is calculated at 17,0001. The amount of in-
' nuance effected on both does not, exceed 10,0001., and this
appears to be executed chiefly at New York and Liverpool.