The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-01 00:00:00

THE GREAT BRITAIN.

Whatever may be the ultimate fate of the Great Bri-
tain it is evident that the 'narrative of her last brief trip
and its disastrous termination, of her jeopardised posi-
tion amongst rocks and shoals, buffetted by the tempests,
and heaved, and strained, and shaken by the billows,
of the many abortive attempts and the numerous sug-
gestions and projects for her relief, will always be re-
garded as a relation of very considerable interest. The
history of the Great Britain is a singular one from begin-
ning to end. First, an error was committed similar to
that related by De Foe of Robinson Crusoe, who made a
boat so large that he was usable to launch it. The
Great Britain was built in a dock in which she was for
a time destined to remain like a reed in a bottle. At
length she was set at liberty, and during a brief season
was the wonder of the world, " the admired of all ad-
mirers "of naval architecture. In the very heyday of
her fame, just as she appeared on the point of trium-
phantly provingi the superiority of the, screw over the
paddle, the worst misfortune betel her, and she now lies
on a sandy and rocky beach, again murailled round with
stone, but no longer afloat, consequently no longer
under the command of the mariner. The annexed re-
port, signed by Messrs. Bremner, was written and trans-
mitted previously to the storm of Friday week. How
far the effect of that gale, which, from the direction of
the wind, must have been severely felt in Dundrum Bay,
may have tended to modify the opinions therein given
we are not, at present, in a condition to judge. It is
rumoured that the action of the billows has so roughly
shaken the machinery and injured the hull as to have
induced the engineers to suspend their operations.
" TO THE OWNERS, UNDERWRITERS, AND ALL OTHERS

CONCERNED IN THE STEAM-SHIP GREAT BRITAIN.
" Gentlemen,—We beg leave to hand you the follow-
ing report of our survey of the present state and position
of the steam-ship Great Britain, as she now lies ashore
in Dundrum Bay, and also our opinion as to the means
to be employed in protecting the said ship from further
injury during the ensuing winter. That part of the bay
where the ship now lies has a bottom composed princi-
pally of soft sand, the average depth of which is about
four feet six inches. Under the sand is a rock of a
brittle nature and uneven surface, some part of the rock
rising up to the surface of the land, and in some places
to the height of four or five feet above the land. These
projections or points vary from three feet to ten feet in
diameter. Without the ship are the rocks called the
Cow and Calf, bearing S.S.E. from the vessel. The
Pladda Rocks are visible at low spring ebbs, and bear
also S.S.E.

" The ship first struck the shore several lengths out-
side her present position, but she has beat in shore with
the late southerly gales and high tides. It is very for-
tunate that none of the projecting points of the rock
appear to have been in the way, as we have used an iron
pricker, and find the rock over which she has passed
pretty level, with an average depth of sand of about
four feet over it.

" She now lies nearly N.W. and S.E., thereby expos-
ing the stern to the heaviest sea experienced in this bay.
The sea will strike the vessel at an angle of about sixty
degrees, and then run along the port side of the vessel.
She has at present a heel or list to port of about two
feet. On sounding round her we find at high water
spring tides eleven feet water aft and ten feet forward.
" At low water spring tides the land dries about one
hundred and fifty feet outside of the ship, but from the
nature of sands exposed to a heavy surf, it is probable
these depths and distances will vary very much, even in
a short space of time. She is at present imbedded in
the sand four feet and a half aft and three forward.
" We find that a projecting point of the rock, about
three feet in diameter, has caught her under the star-
board bilge, and stove in two plates longitudinally; also,
three of the ribs inside are broken, and two others ma-
terially injured, being much twisted. There are, also,
five iron stanchions in the fore hold bent from one and
a half inch to half an inch from external pressure.
" The bulk-head, or compartment before the boilers,
is strained, and bent about three-quarters of an inch in
the lower hold, and a little less so in the middle and
upper ones. The rudder and sternpost are both carried
away by the upper part of the chamber of the propeller.
" The counter of the vessel appears to be shaken by
the sea striking on it.
" Further than the damage above stated we can per
cnive no sympton of straining whatever, which con-
vinces us of the amazing strength of this vessel, and from
our long experience in affairs of this sort (having wit-
nessed some hundreds of vessels on the strand), we are
.convinced that no vessel whatever, built of wood, but
would, under similar circumstances, have gone to pieces
long since.
" For the protection of the ship during the winter
months, we recommend a breakwater to be formed by
attaching a large balk of timber to the stern of the
vessel, across the whole breadth of it. Upon this would
rest other balks of timber, ten inches apart, with their
lower end in the sand, about two feet under the surface,
thus forming an angle of 45 degrees. The details as to
securing the breakwater will be better explained by a
sketch. We also recommend that the coals already on '
board be removed to the after part of the ship, on the
lower deck ; also, that the bower chain cable be taken
out of the port hawse and secured to a rock which we
have pointed out, and a powerful purchase applied to
heave it taut, that, in case of a heavy sea or high tide
moving the vessel, it would draw her an end, and so
prevent her striking or getting broadside towards the
sea.

_
" We have taken upon ourselves to give orders for
having the rock under the bilge blasted, so as to prevent
its„'doing further injury, should there be any future move-
ment in the vessel.

"We remain, gentlomen your most obedient servants,
" JAMES BREMNER, Civil Engineer.
" ALEXANDER BREMNER."
"In connexion with the above report, our decided
opinion is, that any attempt to remove the ship during
the winter season would be complete failure, and, pro•
bably, be the cause of the total loss of the vessel and
the materials used in process of taking off; and, as the
ship's chain cables are alt laid out and unavailable for
any present use, we recommend that at least eight tons
of chain, from 11 to 11 inch diameter, for the purpose of
securing the breakwater, &c., be procured and forwarded
immediately to the ship. We have also no hesitation in
stating that, during the next summer, the ship may be
brought off the strand in safety.
"JAMES BREMNER, Civil Engineer.
"ALEXANDER BREMNER.
" On board the steam-ship Great Britain,
Dundrum Bay."
The following addition to the intelligence given in our
second page will furnish our readers with the most re-
cent information received from Dundrum Bay, with
regard to the fate of the Great Britain:—The late gales
destroyed the breakwater before it was entirely finished;
they also altered the position of the ship, and have given
her a cant with her decks exposed to the sea. It is in-
tended to careen her over so as to expose her port or
larboard side to the waves, and keep her in that position
till the fine weather sets in. During the late gales the
water rose higher on the coast of Ireland than it has
been known to do for a great many years, and, the wind.
being southerly, it drove with great force into Dundrum
Bay.—Liverpool