The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-09 00:00:00

The Loss of the Mail Steamer Bohemian,

Very scanty details have come to hand of the loss
of the mail steamship Bohemian near Portland, on
the 22d ult. A letter from Portland, of the 23d,
says:--
The steamship Bohemian, Captain Borland, from
Liverpool, struck on Alden's Rock, four miles out-
side Cape Elizabeth, about nine o'clock last even-
ing, beat over, turned head towards the shore, and
sunk in about an hour and a half, about two miles
from the shore, outside of Richmond's Island, having
stove a hole in her engine compartment. Part of
the steerage passengers aro supposed lost. Her
bridge is covered at high water, and the seas are
breaking over her. The night was clear, and tbs.
Cape light in full view. The Bohemian had 19
cabin passengers, all of whom are supposed to be
saved, and 199 steerage passengers. It cannot yet
be ascertained how many of the latter are lost. Boat
No. 2 was swamped alongside, owing to people
crowding into it, and came ashore on the Cape
with a man and child in it, both dead. The people
at the Ocean House and in the fishing house on
the Cape sent teams to the sufferers. The Bohemian
had a cargo of silks and other goods, mostly on the
Canadian and provincial accounts, valued at one
million of dollars. The ship was going at half
speed.
Another letter, of the same date says :
The Bohemian's papers were saved. All the
cabin passengers escaped. Captain Borland ar-
rived by a tug boat at ten o'clock, and reports the
ship to be in four fathoms of water, off Broad Cove,
slightly heeled off. The main deck at low water
is two feet under on one side, and at high water is
seven feet under. He thinks she will hold to-
gether if the weather is fair. The only way to
get the cargo oat is by divers, and taking her into
shallow water by lifting her. Three mail bags
were saved. It is thought but few passengers are
lost except those in the swamped boat. Some of
the firemen probably perished. From the state-
ment of a passenger who came up in boat No. 5, I
learn that he was standing on the deck at the
time of the accident. The steamer passed the buoy,
and the passengers thought it was the pilot boat.
Immediately after the steamer struck, the boats

wore got out safely, with the exception of No. 2,
which swamped. No. 5 took aboard all she could
hold, including several who jumped into the
water to them. Being unable to find a land-
ing place, she was rowed up the harbour.
She contained mostly cabin passengers, and
some steerage passengers whose names I do
not learn, with the exception of a Mr. Brown. The
mails saved were from Glasgow to New York, from
Glasgow to California, and one bag of papers for
Boston. From James Scott, the second officer, I

learn that all the officers were on deck when the
steamer struck. It was five minutes past eight
o'clock, and the watch was being changed. The
ship struck on a reek and went over. Orders were
immediately given to clear away the boats, and soon
the ship was headed for shore, but shortly after-
wards she sunk in four fathoms of water. Boat
No. 1, under the boatswain's mate, made two trips
to the shore, saving in the first trip about 80, and
in the second trip about 70. Boat N 0.2 swamped.
Boat No. 3, under charge of Mr. Scott, the second
officer, landed about 94 in Broad Cove. Boat No. 4,
under charge of the first and third officers, landed 25
on the beach. Boat No. 5, in charge of the fourth
officer, brought 29 into Portland harbour. These
numbers include the officers and crew of the Bo•

hemian. The whole number of passengers on
board was 218, and the number of the crew sup-

posed to be 99. It is estimated that the number O

saved in all the boats is 298, leaving 19 to be as

counted for. The crew were nearly all saved. The
lamp-trimmer, Peter Hart, and the engineers' store-
keeper, name unknown, are supposed to be drowned.
_ ..

All the remaining officers and crew are safe. Capt.
Borland supposed himself four miles further off
than his real position. The Laze probably misled
him as to the true position of the lights, He had
been looking for a pilot, and throwing up rockets
and blue lights for half an hour, and was going at

the rate of a mile and a half an hour when the
vessel struck. Half an hour before he got sound-

ngs in 40 fathoms of water, with a soft bottom.
The following additional particulars are given
n a Portland letter, dated the evening of the 23d--
From reports of passengers I gather the following