The Express.
London, England, 1857-10-08 00:00:00

-It M has pleased Providence I should par-
ticipate in one of the greatest disasters that can
happen at sea, and to make me a witness of the
instantaneous and inexplicable loss of one of the
vessels in my tleet. A few minutes have sufficed
for a beautiful ship of the line, thoroughly sea-
worthy, to be engulfed by the waves during a
tempestuous night. Not a cry of distress reached
us from the scene of the disaster, although we were
but four cables' length distant to windward. No
one sunives to explain to us the cause of this un-
paralleled catastrophe.
On the 28th Aug. (Sept. 9), four ships of the
line, the Imperatrice Alexandra, the Vladimir, the
Lefort of 84 guns, and the Pamiat Aeon, of 74
guns, which were in the port of Revel, received
order' to arm and return to Croustade. Ten days
afterwards the Pamiat Aeon quitted the roads,
towed by a steam-frigate. The three other vessels
were ready to set sail two days later ; they had water
and provisions for a month, and their stowage was
the same as at the end of their cruise in the preced-
ing year; the ',croft was thoroughly repaired at
Cronstadt in 1852. I had received instructions to
profit by the favourable weather to set sail, without
waiting for the steam-tugs. On the 9th of Septem-
ber (21st) I got under sail with beautiful
weather and a favourable breeze from 8.8. W.,
the barometer marking 29.79 English. A little later
the wind freshened, and abreast of the island of
&thaw we were obliged to take in two reefs in the
topsails. At half-past 8, p.m., after passing the island
of Hochland, the Beet was making more than
eleven knots. The wind increasing, I ordered a
third, and then a fourth reef, to be taken in. The
barometer being at 29.13, and the weather foggy,
we sailed as close as possible to the wind, endea-
roartng to keep our comae by short tacks, until morn-
ing; each time I gave the signal for the manceuvre.
At halt past 11 the wind shifted to the west, at
midnight to the N .W., and at four o'clock to the
earth, with squalls sad snow. At daybreak we
were near the island of Grand-Tutee. The Beet
wis on the starboard tack, the Imperatrios Alex-
mkt a little to windward, and the Vladimir in the
wake of the Lefart, with four reefs in her topsails.
"At a drawee of five miles from Tater, we veered
daring our anuhrune the Lefort appeared to no se
If wishing to veer; suddenly a violent squall laid
her on her side. Though her sails were let go, she
hued aver so moth to larboard that we expected her
meta would go, but she continued gradually to lean
ore till she foundered in the short time that the
Vladimir took to tack about. The keel of the Ls-
!xi appeared once, and was then swallowed up in
the waves,

" Eselusiv e of the commander and twelve *Seers,
the vessel had on board 743 seamen, 33 women, and
17 children ; all perished.
" This disaster took place an September 10 (221,
at 23 minutes past seven a.m., at dif miles to the
N.N.R. of the island of Grand-Titters, at a depth
of 30 fathoms. Alter this unparalleled caltastxophe,
the wind continuing to increase, we Wailed IP the
fore-topsails and top-gallant mils, and afterwards
the main-topsails, and decided to anchor at a depth
of 31 fathoms, letting out all the cable of two
anchors. Fifty-three hours afterwards the wind
calmed, and the steamers arriving in the meantime,
towed us to Cronstadt.
Signed by the Rear-Admiral

OIU I."