The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-20 00:00:00

The Late Hurricane.

---
Yesterday telegrams were received from Lloyd's agent
at Brest, announcing another fearful shipwreck during the
recent bad weather. The unfortunate vessel was a new
iron screw steamer called the Columbian, belonging to the
West Indian and Pacific Steam Navigation Company, which
is reported to have foundered off the French coast, four
miles to the westward of Conquet, near Brest. The Colum-
bian was about 1,000 tons register, and although she was
only classed in Lloyd's book as A 1 for seven years, she was
apparently a strong built ship. She left Liverpool on the
10th inst., under the command of Capt. Bennett, for the
West Indies.

The particulars which have been received of the catas-
trophe are somewhat brief. It appears, however, that on
clearing the St. George's Channel she encountered the re-
cent terrible weather, and by her heavy labouring sprung a
leak,which would seem to have defied all efforts to subdue it.
Whether she endeavoured to put back or was blown by the
hurricane over on to the French coast has not correctly
transpired ; but the fact is known, that on arriving within
about four miles of Conquet the steamer, without giving the
least warning, suddenly went down stern foremost in deep
water, and of her crew and passengers only three seamen
are reported to have been saved, the number who perished
being 31. The survivors were washed ashore, and they at
once communicated the loss to Lloyd's agent.
Anxious inquiries having been made regarding the ship
Powerful, from India for London, supposed to have foun-
dered with all hands off Guernsey, during the storm of last.
week, Lloyd's agent at that port, on being apprised of the
melancholy feeling which prevailed on the subject, caused
the fullest inquiry to be instituted, and yesterday. the fol-
lowing letter was received from the agent :

" Guernsey, Jan. 17.
" Referring you to my telegram of yesterday relative to
the loss of the ship Powerful, of Liverpool, I have now to
inform you that I spent the greater part of yesterday and
to-day on the west coast of this island searching for portions
of the wreck which may have come ashore, and making in-
quiries among the pilots and fishermen of that neighbourhood
and coast. Pieces of the wreck have been picked up on the
coast, a range of at least four or five miles, but everything
found up to the last this evening appears to have come from
the ship's deck and bulwarks. I here give you a list of what
has been picked up :—First, the ship's figure-head—a High-
lander, about 7 feet high—with a portion of the cutwater,
all American birch. A seaman's chest with the bottom out.
a caulking box, three small studding-sail booms, and sundry
very small pieces of planking, apparently of the bulwarks,
Second, a skylight about 10 feet by 6, and what appears to
be the end of a house on deck with sundry pieces of planks.
Third, a boat about thirty feet long, clinker-built, painted
white, fitted up as a lifeboat, several broken oars, two
life-buoys with the words "Powerful, Liverpool," in black
letters, a pair of seaman's boots apparently belonging to the
captain or mate, and sundry ropes, all in the boat ; the boat
is very much damaged and hardly worth repair built, en-
tirely of American pine. Fourth, a barometer or weather-
glass with the following :—" D. M'Gregor, agent, Glasgow
and Greenock ; Adie & Son, Edinburgh. N 0.2,929." Fifth,
several portions of what was evidently the long-boat, with
"Powerful, Liverpool," written on the stern-board, portions
of oars all very much broken ; on one of the oars the word
" Quebec" is branded (the Powerful was a Quebec-built
ship). Sixth, several children's toys, bedding, &c., four side
fenders fresh coal-tarred, and a boat-hook. I may remark
that the long boat was carded-built, and the other clinker-
built. The planking found evidently is from the same
ship ; they are all painted alike, blue, and white, and some
portions grained. Nothing has been seen as yet of any
portions of the ship's hull below the deck, and the preva-
lent opinion is that she has struck on some sunken rocks
some two or three miles off the coast, and then foundered
in deep water, I observe by the list that the vessel is
called the Powerful, of 1,220 tons ; and from the appear-
ance of what has come ashore I fully believe it is from a,
vessel of that size."