The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-17 00:00:00

(From the Record).
A correspondent who was a passenger in an Australian
ship which narrowly escaped destruction by an iceberg, has
furnished us with a graphic narrative of the alarming

occurrence ,
" I was very recently a passenger from Australia to
Liverpool on board one of the noblest ships, the Royal
Standard, belonging to the celebrated White Star Lice of
Packets. We were upwards of 300 statute adults on board,
exclusive of tho captain, officers, stewards, and 71 crew,
and had as a cargo three thousand bales .of wool, and
£120,000 worth of gold. The first part of our voyage
was attended with no particular incident ; of course,
there was the usual routine of sea-sickness, the formation
of ' messes,' and the unpacking and the metamorphoses
occasioned by changes of dross that are now familiar to all
old stagers. After the genial intertropical climate of the
Antipodes we rapidly approached 'the Horn,' when the
weather became intensely cold. Morning, noon, and night
groups of passengers huddled ur crept round the huge funnel
of our ship, for we were an auxiliary screw, to gather a
little extra warmth. On Sunday, April 3, lat. 56 S, long.
119 W, we saw the first iceberg, and a beautiful sight it was.
It was a majestic mountain of ice floating along like a mass
of burnished silver, about 360 feet high, as ascertained by
the sextant, and about two miles in length at the base. As
the sun shone full upon it, it presented a splendid appear-
ance, and as our relative positions altered it assumed a
variety of shapes most fantastic, and lighthouses, cathedrals,
churches, ke., were easily conjured up without much stretch
of imagination. As we stood, one and all gazing at this
Antartic wonder of the deep, some looking at it through
their glasses, some sketching it in their note-books, and all
associating with it ideas of novelty and beauty, no one
dreamt that the next day would be one of such awful peril
that the total destruction of our ship and all on board
appeared inevitable.
" Monday, April 4th, opened with thicle, hazy weather,
and a good breeze, before which we were going, without
steam, ten knots an hour, apprehensive of no danger.
Suddenly we ran into a dense fog, and almost immediately
one of the double look-out gave the alarm, Broken water
ahead I' and almost immediately after. Ice en the star-
board bow I At that moment I was writing the news-
paper I conducted on board, in the engineer's mess room ;
but hearing the noise, and the ominous cry, ' Helm hard
a starboard I rushed on deck, and looking over the bul-
warks saw, to my horror, an immense mountain of ice,
towering far above our maintop-gallant mast, which was
200 feet about the water-line, and so close to us that any
ono could have jumped on to it. All hands were imme-
diately summoned on deck, and everything done to prevent
what now appeared inevitable—a collision between our ship
and the iceberg. The yards were trimmed, the sails
adjusted, and everything done to prevent this fearful
catastrophe—but in vain. The monster mountain of ice
drew nearer and nearer to us, and we drifted nearer and
nearer to it, At length the inevitable moment came;
one heavy roll of the ship, and the yards of the foremast
grated right into the solid mass of ice, tearing out and
hurling down upon the deck immense blocks of ice, some
of theta of enormous size. At the same moment the main
and mix n topmast snapped at the cap with tremendous
noise, and, being made of iron, hung over with all their
gear amidst the rigging, to the great danger of every one
on deck. While this was going on the men at the wheel
stood faithful to their duty, although one of them had his
overcoat rent in two by a lump of ice that fell in front of
him, yet it did not touch him. The scene on deck was now
indescribable. Loudly were the orders passed fore and aft
to the hands, and as heartily obeyed, to adjust the yards and
trim the ship so as to help her to forge ahead of the iceberg,
many of the passengers rendering good service in this emer-
gency. Under the forecastle dock were gathered groups
of men, pale, silent, awestruck. Two strong stalwart men
had hold of my hands, and with big beads of tears rolling
down their cheeks cried for mercy. Between decks woman
and children were loud in their passionate cries, and in the
intermediate was an elderly gentleman, a widower, with 5
children, in the agony of woe, expecting his and their im-
mediate destruction. Still the worst was not come ; again
the ship's yards crunched into the iceberg ; where I stood I
looked up and saw that this mountain of ice actually over-
hung the ship, standing then 600 feet out of the water. There
were two large fissures running from the top a considerable
way down,and as the ship rolled oven feared the yards would
go into one of these fissures. Had they done so they would
have brought down tons of ice that would have sent us to
the bottom in a moment. We were spared that doom, but the
next instant the foretop gallant mast, jibboom, foretopsail
yard, studding-sail boom, and all their gear went at the
next crunch, tearing and splitting the sails to ribbons. At
the same time over the forecastle deck came rolling vast
torrents of water, flooding the decks and creating a fresh
source of danger. The Royal Standard was now all but a
helpless log, crippled and dismantled, she presented the most
pitiable appearance, and with her masts, yards, chains, and
ropes all hanging over and dangling about in most dangerous
oonrasiesa, tho nao.rvcl io WAIL tin note wan neLiouply i.jurca
if not killed.
" Still the worst was not come, and but for the amazing
strength of her iron hull, all on board must have gone down
to he bottom, leaving no record of their fate behind them.
Bodily the chip drifted up against the berg, her whole side
coming violently into contact with it, and—l quote from
the ship's log, lest my account should be regarded as the
natural exaggeration of a landsman's fears—' smashed the
starboard lifeboat, carried away the bumpkin, stove in all
the starboard bulwarks, stove in the starboard quarter in
several places ; also the captain's cabin, and sent the chro-
nometers flying about, lilting the poop deck beams one
foot, thus damaging all tho cabins; and with another heavy
crash split our upper plate amidships, and did other sundry
damages. At this moment total destruction seemed in-
evitable; but as the ship still slowly forged a head under
main and foresails, hope still remained. At last the end off
the berg came in view, and we forged clear. The berg ap-
peared to be cnterely enveloped in a dense fog, and about 600
feet high. We passed along about half a mile of it, and
from the time of seeing it to clearing it it was about half
an hour.'
"So far the ship's log. ' Half an hour ;' yet what a half
hour I Who can tell the agony, the suspense, the wild and
all but frantic emotions that were crowded into that 30
minutes? Beyond the noise of our ship's wreck knocking
about, and the orders given to the men, all was silence
after the first wild cry of terror and dismay.
Then shrieked the timid, and stood still the brave.'
" Pale and trembling men gazed, first at the iceberg ,then
at the ship, presenting a picture most desolate, and then at
each other many shook hands, and bade each other good
bye; and all stood, expecting a certain watery grave. Fur
myself, I was too stunned and startled to feel excited ; 1
seemed incapable of any feeling but that of dumb amaze-
ment. Not a tear came to my relief, not a word escaped my
lips. Wife and children I felt I should never see any more
—and so, holding a fellow passenger's hand, I calmly
awaited the awful moment, the summons to which had come
so unexpectedly, and under such fearful circumstances.
Meanwhile the captain was shouting to the boatswain—
'Da you see the ens of the berg ?' again and again, for all
our 'safety lay in our speedily gaining open sea. At length
after many times, Nut yet, Sir,' he said, Yes, Sir, close
by ;' and in another minute we had passed our enemy and
were in the open sea once more.
" Three loud cheers passed fore and aft, and again we
shook each other by the hand, and thanked God for our
deliverance. The saloon passengers immediately held a
special religious service, and so did the intermediate and
steerage, and these services wore continued daily till our
arrival in Liverpool. Never, often as I had heard it, did
the language of the Prayer book appear so grandly and
solemnly impressive as night after night we met in the
saloon, passengers and such of the crew as were off duty ,
and then, all distinctions merged, reverently bending
before Him who in His eternal tenderness had saved us in
the hour of sorest peril, we with one heart said, " We
. . . . humbly present ourselves again before Thy Divine
Majesty to offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, for
that Thou heardest us when we called in our trouble, and
didst not cast out our prayer, which we made before Thee
in our deep distress; even when we gave up all for lost—
our ship, our goods, our lives, then Thou didst mercifully
look upon us, and wonderfully comm rnd a deliverance.
For a hundred nights regularly did we meet for wor-
ship, in addition to our services every Sunday, and the
gambling and drinking usages were completely suspended.
After our danger was past, then the overpowering rush of
feeling came to my relief, nor to me alone ; there were
many others—and this is one of the curious psychological
facts connected with such strong, sudden excitement—who
when the danger was all over, sat and wept and sobbed like
children. Happily no life was lost. The ship was a perfect
wreck, her beauty and symmetry destroyed, her capacity for
a speedy passage across the ocean taken away, and all the
high expectations of the captain and passengers ef a crack
passage dashed to the ground ; but since, sly in for skin, yea,
all that a man hatb, will he give for his life,' these losses
and disappointments sink into insignificance when compared
sith our merciful deliverance."
Our correspondent gives, in conclusion, some verses
written by a passenger, embodying in poetic form the facts
of the appalling collision, and pointing the mural of the
scene. These lines were copied out eagerly by the Gor-
man, Swiss, and French passengers, and ore this have
found their way through vat ions parts of the Continent.
Aq, however, they would scarcely interest general read r-s,
we omit this portion of our correspondent's emuniunicatton,

HORSEWHIPPING A GOVERNMENT CLERK.—A
few days ago a somewhat extraordinary case oc-
curred in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. It appears that
while the clerks in the Royal Gun Factories were at their
usual avocations one of the offices was entered by a well-
known officer of Royal Artillery, accompanied by a friend
who had a good stout horsewhip. The gallant captain de-
manded an immediate apology from one of the clerks for
alleged impertinent conduct towards his daughter, who, it
appears, was escorted home front a party by the accused
clerk on the previous night. The requited apology was
refused, whereupon the indignant son of Mars applied the
horsewhip in a, vigorous manner upon the back of the
offender in the presence of his brother clerks and other
persons who were attracted to the spot, but did not inter-
, fere with this summary bathetic% of punishment,

Tuurt -

HER MAJESTY.

BALMORAL, Sept. 15.
His Royal Highness Prince Alfred arrived at the
Castle yesterday from Norway, having disembarked
from her Majesty's ship Racoon at Bruntisland,
in the Frith of Forth, proceeding by railway to
Aberdeen and Aboyne. His Royal Highness was
attended by Major Cowell.
The Queen went ont yesterday afternoon, ac•
companied by Prince Alfred and the Hon. Harriet
Phipps.
The Hon. Sir Frederick Bruce arrived at the
Castle yesterday.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Cavnbi idge
and Princess Mary were to have arrived at Paris yesterday
from visiting their Royal Highnesses the Grand Duke and
Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the King of
Hanover, and other relatives in Germany. The royal duke
and princess are expected to arrive in town this evening
from the Continent.
The Duke of Roxburghe arrived at the Clarendon
Hotel, from Copenhagen, yesterday morning ; the duchess
arrived the previous evening from Floors Castle.
The Duchess (Dowager) of Sutherland left Sof,
ford Howe, St, James's, yesterday, on a visit to the Earl of
Carlisle, at Castle Howard, Yorkshire.
The Earl and Countess of Wilton left Lora
Willoughby de Eresby's seat in Perthshire some days sine°
for Granton, near Edinburgh. The countess proceeded to
Heaton Hall by land; tha noble Earl went round in hi 6
yacht.
The Countess Russell and family, on leavivg
Lockwood, on the borders of the Windermere, on Wednee•
day last, proceeded to North Berwick, near Edinburgh.
Count Nesselrode has arrived at Maurigy's Hotel
from Paris.
His Excellency Conde do Farrobo Joaquitn has
left Maurigy's Hotel on a visit to Earl Brownlow at BOW°
House, Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Viscount and Viscountess Grey do Wilton have
been among the visitors at Doncaster during the week,
to-day they proceed on a visit to Sir George and Lady Juii4
Wombwell at their seat in Yorkshire.
Viscount Balsam° has left Maurigy's H3tel for

Lisbon.
Lord and Lady Cecilia Bingham have arrived i°
town from visiting the Duke and Duchess of Richmond At
Gordon Cast:_, N.B.
The Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Mills have arrived at the
Queen's Hotel, Upper Norwood.
Colonel Taylor, M.P., has arrived at Alanrig • fe
Hotel from Balbriggan Castle, Ireland. at
Cardinal Wiseman is at present sojourning
Eastbourne, in the neighbourhood of which his property i 4
situate. His eminence has taken a house in Cavendish`

place.
DEATH OF VISCOUNTESS HARDINGE.—The
ligence of the death, so prematurely, of Viscountess IlVar
dingo will be learnt with regret by a large circle. I
lamented lady died on Thursday at South Park, Penshill!,l
Kent, having been confined on the Ist inst. This amiably
and charitable lady, who was born in 1835, was the secl;
and youngest daughter of George, Earl of Lucan, by LEI
Anne Brudenell, third daughter of Robert, sixth Earl (7,
Cardigan. She married 10th April, 1856. By her marring"
with the present Viscount she leaves a numerous fai'
The Countess of Lucan, her mother, was present at
dissolution,
A Choral Festival of 5,000 voices will be bola
at the Crystal Palace on Saturday next, the 24
inst., under the direction of Mr G. W. Martin, The ,
part of the programme will consist of choruses. anther3l
and chorale.—the second part of madrigals, national
songs, &c , same of which are in four treble parts, and Ass
be sung by 1,000 treble voices to a part. Her Majesty
hay
graciously accorded to Mr Martin permission to include ,
leo
the programe e chorale composed by the late lamer
Prince Consort. In order that all classes may )20°,0
opportunity of being present, the charge of admission Pt,
been reduced to one shilling, being the only shilling Satll6l
day in the year. Excursion parties are now being orgarl'°oo
from various parts of the country ; Saturday afte o
being a general holiday, large employers of labour willes •
doubt arrange for the visit to the Palace of their entid
the training colleges and other educational institution/Oro
be largely represented, and altogether it is anticipated ttal
this will be, in every sense of the word, a people'd Cll°
festival.

RAILWAY READING.—Railway reading is a Prti:
tice almost peculiar to the Anglo-Saxon natur-s
If, in travelling on the Continent, you see a fellow nuss,el3;
gcr reading a book, you may give considerable odds ll'1"," 4
is a countryman of your own. The Germans are said' '-
we believe with truth, to read more than any People
the world; but they hardly ever read in a railway 0'1;7 ei
You may go through the whole length and breadth 01 "Ilps
Fatherland without seeing a bookstall at any station cle:e
t'l,
those which are especially frequented by English tontil'h
It is only at a few of the German metropolitan terrefoi
you can ever get newspapers. We remember, at the °-
ll
burst of the Schleswig-llolstein war, at a time wl'et:o
Germany was in a state of passionate excitement for:iiiip;
of the expected attack on the Dannewerke, trev to
for a long weary day's journey from Cologlie,
Hamburg, and not being able to meet
single roadside newspaper. There was no demand, Welf,ll)'
pose, and therefore no supply. In Denmark, Sweden, Pi. 1011;
Russia, and Switzerland, railway reading, in our P)151-1 0
sense of the word, is utterly unknown. n France 6b11%
and French Belgium is there anything at all anlOt'cree-
itno our system. On the main French lines newsPaPer; so l°
g is very common, and at all the great stations 00'4- Ole
bookstalls. Of course there must be people who'll% oilf
books, or else they would not be offered for sale. 13°' to"
own experience—a pretty considerable one in colltiti6ell
travelling—would lead us to suppose that the sale vit/'s:
mall compared with the number of travellers. Tb°,,::oll
bought are purchased, we fancy, by travellers ''
home—notat to read on the journey; 9'114 fit
railway
impression is corroborated by the fact that, "de
bookstall in France, you see exactly I,ll°,:ajeig
books that you find in any respectable I,,yr 01/,
in the towns. In North America, on the other hol:1",a' 10.;
see in railway literature, as in most other things, °II. :41,',
exact counterpart of our English system, carrieo ofl
usual, with somewhat more go-aheadness.
railway traveller in the Northern States has sornetw
/
read with him. Throughout the whole length of tl39ili;
ney the newsboys pass constantly through the oare,io
log, besides the papers, an assortment of cheap 1:1°/°," 'slll
magazines. If you are not disposed to buy at gri3r;he 1.;
you are tempted to do so by an ingenious device.
lays down by your side two or three of his books, ellcin'tgee*
them there for half an hour or so. You are Ole" fi Il4r
take them and turn over the leaves, and return Wl': it
l
called for, without paying a cent. But the hope ill t-etlarf
yi
will grow interested in the story, and purchase it v°'"o-
boy comes round again; and this hope is very offs I
filled.—The Reader. 0 a
SINGULAR STORY.—A boy giving the 0111:13 1
~
Henry Goodwin recently made applicatioV 11;01:
Briggs Ironworks, Lanesborough, for work, and, l'll:te°,,,
they were not in need,of help, ho pleaded so hard t 17,1"
ployment was finally given him. His superior infellw er3
modesty, and freedom from profanity and coarser:olP,',
his great industry all conspired to win the favollf heolliP#
employers, who spoke of it to several gentlemen of ,l'orwo
lage,who also became interested in his appearance. ,111.01
air
after commencing work he was taken ill, and reel otOjr
Munson's Hotel, where in order to be apart from tilegerA
boarders, he had a bed in the garret. The cars he PIP,
was not the best, and the patient grew rapidly w°ll-t.' OPh'i
a physician was finally sent for, who wished to e-
him, but, Henry objecting, the doctor did not ftlei°,t;
next day the doctor found him insensible, and f-i°7o.*
hopeless, and on examination discovered that
was a woman. During the night the patient contily;
sensible or deranged, and died in the morning' 01,0
quest was held, at which it was ascertained i 0,01
deceased had worked for a ltlr. Barton, in VtQ't A'je
farming, then came to Pittsfield and worked
~","( ertal
Shepardson, farming, at 1 dol. 50c, a day, rut 101,0 ",,f#
could not do haying. She then applied for 'o°` O"
ironworks in Lanesborough, and with the Bad reBere.r,' d
rated above. The Pitts field agle says that eyed'" ohof
conducted herself with extreme modesty and proVieoos ros
showed great industry. From letters found Cr
efLcts, she appears to have been the wife civ-0/0
Underhill, a soldier or officer in Battery D, ISt it', `vie Ooh
Heavy Artillery, lately stationed at Fort Ssi_ic'core'Dft
New ()Awns. The letters are addressed " 'OOO otlf
and Children." The first ones speak of has'ia . aol/e"
money,with some doubt in one case whether it `0",•,1 00
delivered. The late ones speak of want, not Wisif"iaer
paid, sickness, Sec., and at least intimate a recllle23lll„ail'
money. She sent money away at two difterel'"
least—probably to her husband, and perhape Dyed,t°l 4
dren—and there seems little doubt that she 95°
disguise in order to procure more remuneratisren'il 0 v. ctto
died from over exertion for those she loved. het 0/leg/
knife, ground very sharp, was found among
ind
and was doubtless intended for defence agair°' /
Boston (American) Journal. 1,0g;e4
THE REPORTED NEW CONFEDERAO f
decoct
We are able to state positively that the pre :06100
loan, based on cotton, to be offered to th° DIP 00/
States, as suggested in certain advertisements scviledivlo'
recently appeared, is started without the 115°,,/etll,teO
jests
sitoenf annceewolfotahnes Confederate Greunvtetrianinfeesobt ;ea,
Tata:0131)1;
and the Congress;has invariably declined to Xlll be
013°
It is extremely improbable that this policy
during the centia,nanee of the war,—'The Poe"'