The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-25 00:00:00

THE STEAMSHIP GREAT
BRITAIN.

LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY.
RUNNING ON SHORE OF THE GREAT BRITAIN

AT DUNDRUM BAY.
We regret to have to announce that a very unfortu-
nate accident happened to the steam-ship Great Britain,
about eight o'clock on the night of Tuesday last. The
particulars, so far as they have yet been learned, are
extremely meagre, but the facts we are enabled to pub-
lish have been derived from the most authentic sources.
It will be recollected that the Great Britain left Liver-
pool for New York at eleven o'clock en Tuesday fore-
noon, with the largest number of passengers (ui,,wards of
180) that ever crossed the Atlantic in any steamer. She
sailed south of the Isle of Man, the intention of Captain
Hosken being to run up the Irish Channel, and to reach
the Atlantic by the northern coast of Ireland. She made
extraordinary way after clearing the harbour of Liver-
pool ; indeed all accounts agree in showing that she
went at the unusually rapid rate of 131 knots an hour.
There can be very little doubt that she steamed most
rapidly, for in nine and a half hours after leaving our
quays she struck on the Irish coast.
Many rumours prevail as to the cause of the accident.
Some say that the reckoning was badly kept, and others
that the light off Dundrum Bay was taken for some
other light. We believe, from what we have heard,
that the latter was the real cause of the disaster. Cer-
tain it is, at all events, that at the hour we have men-
tioned, about eight o'clock, P.m., she ran on shore on the
main land near the Cow-and-Calf, as it is called, in
Dundrum Bay. This bay is situated on the eastern
coast of Ireland, and was the scene a few years since of
one or two dreadful wrecks. It lies almost immediately
opposite the southern shores of the Isle of Man, and is
about half way between Belfast and Drogheda.
The passengers and crew, we are rejoiced to say, were
all landed in perfect safety. By means of jaunting cars,
horses, carts, and other conveyances, the majority of
them reached Belfast, and several of them arrived in
Liverpool and Fleetwood this morning by the Sea King
and Maiden City steamers. More, if not all of them,
are expected to reach here to-morrow, and, in the mean
time, prompt communication will be had by Messrs.
Gibbs, Bright and Co., the Liverpool agents for the
Great Britain, with the directors in Bristol. The Sea
King brought back the Great Britain's mail bags, which
will be dispatched to America by the next steamer.
There was naturally very great confusion and con-
sternation on board when the vessel struck, but through
the active exertions and timely counsel of Captain Hos-
ken, all fears for personal safety were quickly subdued,
and the passengers, as we have said, were safely landed,
and with as much expedition as the unexpected nature
of the circumstances would admit of.

The Great Britain, it is thought, will be got off, but
as yet nothing very positive on this point can be stated.
A letter from Captain Hosken reached Messrs. Gibbs,
Bright, and Co., this morning, detailing the calamity,
and briefly giving his opinion as to the probability of
getting her off. The sea was making a complete breach
over ber after she struck, but the ship was perfectly
tight.
The intelligence of the accident created a great sen-
sation on 'Change, to-day, and those of the passengers
who had come over by the Belfast steamers were eagerly
sought after to learn the particulars from them.
On applying to the respected agents of the Great
Britain at this place, Messrs. Gibbs, Bright, and Co.,
for a copy of Captain Hosken's letter, here referred to,
we find that the letter referred to, and which was brought
by Mr. Pycroft, the surgeon of the ship, was addressed
to the directors at Bristol, and that, although shown to
them by Captain Hosken's desire, it was taken on to
Bristol by Mr. Pycroft ; and, being addressed to the
directors, they did not feel at liberty to make its con-
tents known there. We may mention, however, that
Captain Hosken does not give any account of the cause
of the accident.