The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-21 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH 21, 1856.

THE BREAKING-UP OF THE ICE AT ST.
LOUIS.-FEARFUL CATASTROPHE.

(Front the St. Lou;s Republican, Feb. 27.)
Yesterday morning the apprehensions of all con-
nected with the river were excited by a despatch

from Alton, stating that a rise of 10 feet had taken
place at that point, caused by back water from the
Missouri, which was pouring out a tremendous
current, the gorge below St. Charles having
been swept away. Predictions were then made that
the ico here would break up about three or four

•
o'clock p.m., when the rise would have had time to
reach this point. Accordingly, every boat com-
menced preparing for the crisis, by shipping a crew,
and getting up steam. For several hours all was ex-

pectiincy and suspense on the levee. Until 11 o'clock
a.m. the river continued• to fall, probably on account
of a gorge having given way below. The river then
commenced rising rapidly, and at 2 o'clock p.m. had
risen about three feet. Almost all the boats at the

levee had steam up, and were turning their wheels.
Joe now commenced running in large cakes, and
lodging against the gorge at the foot of Washington
avenue. The current bcame very rapid and swept
and boiled under the gorged ice in the whirlpools,
carrying much of the floating ice with it. The ferry
boats across the river commenced whistling almost

continually, aud thousands of persons were attracted
to thy
_levee, all anxious to see the first movement

of the ice. The boatmen were generally on boa,-d
of their boats. Presently the F. X. Atibry (s),
lying at the extreme upper end of the levee, raised
a lung whistle, and exclamations of " The ice is
coming," were passed through the crowd, the whole
length of the levee. The excitement now became in-
tense, and the store windows were suddenly seen

crowded with spectators, many of whom wore
ladies.

The first object that attracted attention was an old
stove, which came down on a large piece of ice,
which was instantly capsized and sunk. Then came

an old steam-boat-hull, which, when it struck the
gorge, was turned bottom upwards and carried
under the ice. It swung around against one of
the Alton wharf-boats, and together with a large
field of ice, which came just behind it, broke the

fastenings of the boat, and drove it forcibly on shore.
The crowd, who had collected on the wharf-boats
for a near view of the scene, immediately scattered,
and at this moment, ten minutes past 2 o'clock, the
whole body of ice opposite the city commenced

moving in an unbroken- mass. There was one si-
multaneous shout, and the crowd became quiet
awaiting the result. The fire-bells were tolled, and
'the news that the ice was moving spread like wild-
fire through the city.
The crowds of spectators became immense. Foot
passengers had continued to cross on the ice up to
the time of its moving, and about twenty persons
Were overtaken while crossing on the thorough-

fare at the foot of Chesnut street. They made
their best possible speed to reach shore, and we
believe all gained a safe landing, and had no time

to spare.

The ice at first moved very slowly, and without

any perceptible shock. The boats lying above
Chesnut-street were merely shoved on shore, and
for the first five nights sustained no damage.
Messrs. Eads and Nelson's Submarine No. 4,
which had just finished her work at the wreck of
the Parthenia, was almost immediately capsized,
and became herself a h0.,-,;-4ess wreck. The Sub-
marine floated down lying broadside against the
Federal Arch, which boat was being wrecked and
of little value. Here the destruction commenced.

The Federal Arch parted her fastenings, and at
once became a total wreck. Lying below the
steamers Australia, Adriatic, Brunette, Paul
Jones, YsiliCity, Altoona, A. B. Chambers, and
Challenge, all of which were torn away from the
s!eore, and in company with the Submarine and
Federal Arch floated down with the immense field
of ice. This fleet of ten boats was more or less
damaged at starting, by crowding against one
another. All the
.upper works of the Brunette
and Australia were torn to pieces, and the Altona
was badly damaged. The shock of the crashing of
these boats when they were driven together can
be better imagined than described. All their
ample fastenings were as nothing against the euor-
moas flood of ice, and they were carried down ap-
parently fastened and wedged together. The first
obstacles with which they came in contact were a
largo fleet of wood-boats, barges, and canal boats.
These small fry were either broken to pieces or
forced out of the water upon the levee in a very
damaged condition. We are not able to state the
number, but there could not be short of 50 in all,
which were either sunk, broken to pieces, or car-
ried away with the descending boats. About 20
of them met with the latter fate, and the whole
fleet lodged about one mile below, against the '
point of the isiand at the Lower Dyke. The
Adriatic lost one of her wheels by swinging against
the Falls City, after they.landed upon the bar
below. The- Falls City is very badly damaged
The Paul Jones was also badly, damaged. The
A. B. Chambers sustained but slight damage. The
Challenge did not fare so well and was badly
injured.
After these boats had passed down the Bon Ac-
cord and Highland Mary, lying together, were car-
ried off, and are both a total loss. The New St.
Paul, on the docks, was slightly damaged, and part
of the docks were swept away from her. The High-
land Mary struck against the Die Vernon, da-
ms (sing the latter boat considerably. The Louis-
ville was also torn away from her moorings, and at
last accounts was lying broadside on across the cur-
rent, with the other boats below. She is probably
a total loss. The, Lamartine was carried away in
the same manner, and will doubtless be lost. The
Westerner broke her fastenings and swung against
the Jeannie Deans, injuring the latter boat consi-
derably. Of the other boats, in what was consi-
dered the safe harbour above the dyke, there is
scarcely one that did not receive some slight-injury
by the contact of the fleet as it passed down, but
their damages were comparatively slight, and they
are thought to be safe from further harm.
Some of the boats lying. above Chesnut-street
fared badly in the meantime. The F. X. Aubry
was forced into the bank, and had her larboard
wheel broken. The noble Nebraska, which every
one thought in a most perilous situation, lost her
larboard wheel, and was not , otherwise much in-
jured. The Gossamer, Luella, Alice, and Badger
State were forced on shore and slightly damaged.
Both the Alton wharf boats were sunk and broken
to pieces. The old Shenandoah beiug wrecked,
and the Sam Cloon, were forced away from shore
and floated down together against the steamer
Clara. The Clara did not part her fastenings, and
the Cloon and Shenandoah lodged, where they were
soon torn to pieces and sunk by the ice and one of
the ferry boats, which came floating down alone.
The ferry boat floated on down to the foot of Mar-
ket-street, carrying part of the Shenandoah with
her. The steamers Clara and Ben Bolt 'were both
badly damaged by the ice, and forced partly on
shore. The Cr. W. Sparhawk was sunk, and looked
as if broken in two, lying at the shore. The Keo-
kuk wharf boat maintained its position against the
flood, and Raved three boats below, viz., the Polar
Star, J. S. Pringle, and Forest Rose, none of which
were, up to this time, materially injured.
After running about an hour, the character of
the ice was changed, and it came down in a frothy
crumbled condition, with an occasional heavy piece.
At the end of two hours it was very slowly,
and finally stopped about half-past five p.m.
During this interval a number of passengers crossed.
it from the ferry landing on Bloody Island. They
were chiefly passengers by one of the trains just
arrived, and desirous of reaching the city while
they had an opportunity. The experiment was a
daring one, but they all landed safely on this side.
Just before the river gorged, huge piles of ice,
20 and 30 feet in height, were forced up by the
current on every band, both on the shore and at
the Lower Dyke, where so many of the boats had
come to a halt. In fact, those boats seemed to be
literally buried in ice. The ice had not been broken
below Cahokia Bend, and all the drift thus far bad
itso sudden
gorged between
n the
Atx citypl aolncldoctk p.
that point.
pott.rivHerehnacde
risen at least ten feet. This suspension of the ice
was considered unfavourable, as it would doubtless
soon start again with increased weight and force.
The thousands of spectators who had collected on
the levee began to disperse as darkness fell upon
the devastation 'scattered around, fully assured
that ,the morning would present a wider scene of
destruction. There was no way of forming an
estimate of the amount of damage that had been
done, and no conjecturing that which was to come.
The terrible sweep of water, with its burden of ice
—the smashing to pieces of boats—the hurrying to
and fro of the excited crowd, was one of the most
awful and at the same time imposing scenes we
ever witnessed. The officers and crews of many
of the boats went down the current with them—tbe
lookers-on became alarmed, and sprang from boat
to boat in a rush for the shore, and we heard it
rumoured that two or three lives were lost in the
general melee. The captains and owners of canal,
ilat-boats) and large fled, leaving their property

to the mercy of circumstances. They could evi-
dently do nothing to save it.
About seven o'clock p.m. the gorge below sunk,
and the ice commenced running again. The cur-
rent was Row much more swift than it had been
before, and the eight was very dark, a heavy and
steady rain having set in. It is now impossible to
tell how many boats have been damaged, or to what
amount. Of the boats that remaine at the wharf
at dark, the following have been sunk or swept
down by the tide : Regulator, F. X. Aubry, N.
L. Milburn, Alice, Luella, Clara. Ben Bolt, G. W.
Sparhawk, sunk—Pole Star, J. S. Pringle, loaded
for new Orleans—and Forest Rose •, leaving only
three boats, the Gossamer, Badger State, and Ne-
braska, at the levee.
We
are utterly at a loss to tell how any of the
above-named boats have fared, cr to what point
they will be carried. From a messenger who has
returned from the arsenal we learn that the steam-
ers Adriatic and A. B. Chambers are lying in a
slough, just above the arsenal, safe. The Falls
City has gone to the east side of the island.

C rrected estimate of vessels sunk and property
destroyed :
(From the St. Louis Intelligeneer, Feb. 28.)
There are numbers of our citizens, as well as
others at a distance from St. Louis, who have
formed erroneous opinions in reference to the ex-
tent of the damage done to the steana-boats during
the late terrible catastrophe, and in order to im-
part correct information to our readers, we have
made wit a statement of the facts, which may be
relied upon as correct. The excitement incident to
occ*rrences of the kind having passed away, we
are now enabled to give reliabWinformation as to
the actual losses and damages :

Naval aad Military Intelligence.

The fleet at Spithead were exercising yesterday in reef-
ing and making and furling sail, &c. At daylight all the
gun-beats stat'oned at the Motberbank were ordered to
get up steam, by signal from the Duke of Wellington, and
they maneravred outside the Nab and nhont Spithead
for some time, and then returned to their anchorage.
The Prospero steam-vessel arrived at Portsmouth on
Wednesday evening, from Pembroke, with the Janus
new gunboat, after casting off which she left on her re-
turn to Pembroke, calling ,at Plymouth with supernu-
meraries fer the fleet there. The Great Tasmania hos-
pital transport, Captain Crow, arrived at Spithead from
the Black Sea on Wednesday night, and was towed into
harbour yesterday afternoon to land her invalids, num-
bering 421 men, from nearly every regiment in the
Crimea and the Mediterranean. Her Majesty's steam-
sloop Geyser, 6, Commander Tower, arrived at Ports-
mouth on Wednesday evening, with two new gunboats
from Laird's tickyard, Liverpool, which she towed into
harbour. The Sprightly steam-tender, Acting-Master
Allen commanding, conveyed supernumeraries to her ,
her Majesty's ship Devastation, 6, steam-sloop, Comman-
der Marshall, oh Wednesday evening. The Transit screw- ,
steamer troopship, Commander C. R. Johnson, R Id., hav-
ing refitted, got up her steam yesterday and tried her
engines. She is now ready to embark. The Admiralty
eteam-yacht Black Eagle, Master-Commander Petley,
arrived at Portsmouth yesterday to attend on the Lords
of the Admiralty, who are expected to vist the fleet.
The steam-battery Glatton, 14, Captain Cumming, was
paid wages yesterday, and the crew granted six weeks'
leave. The Avon steam-tender, Second Master-C.ou-
mender Yeitch, arrived at noon yesterday from Ply-
mouth with supernumeraries for the fleet. The Rhada-
maathus stearmtendeir, Mater-Commander Cole, left
yesterday with supernumeraries for the fleet at the east-
ward. The Eagle steam-transport, No. 171, left Spit
head yesterday afternoon for the Thames. The Castle
Eden convict-ship arrived at Spithead on Wednesday
night from Bermuda, Cork, and Plymouth ; she lauded
120 ex-convicts at Cork, and landed at Plymouth
Lieutenant Grit:Rho, R.N., two overseers, their wives
and families, and five naval invalids. She has now
on board fifty-three ex-convicts and sixteen military
invalids, with whom she sailed yesterday for Woolwich.
The Ormelie transport, No. 203, Captain Leamon,
arrived at Spithead yesterday, from Malta, with Go-
, vernment cavalry horse fittings. The Collingwood tran. •
port, No. 206, Capt. Stewart, arrived also yesterday
from Malta, with condemned stores ; she sailed for Dept-
ford to land them. The Clifton transport, No. 106, went
into Portsmouth harbour yesterday to land her stores.
The crew of the screw steam-ship Brunswick, 80, Capt.
Hastings R. Yelverton, bent sails on Wednesday. She is
appointed to leave Plymouth tea-morrow for Portsmouth.
The steam gun-boat Ant will be launched from No. 4
slip in the Devonport dockyard to-morrow.
The St. George, 120, Capt. Harry Eyres, from Lisbon
and Cork, and the paddlewheel steam-frigate Magi-
cienne, 16, Capt. Nicholas Vansittart, and the screw
steam-ship Desperate, 8, Commander R. D. White, from
a cruise in the Channel, arrived in Plymouth Sdund on
Wednesday.
The Cadmus, 20, screw corvette, building at Chatham,
is so far completed that she will shortly be ready for
launching. This vessel has been constructed under the
superintendence of Sir B. Walker, Surveyor of the Navy,
and his sub-surveyors. Her armament will consist of 20
8 inch 60-cwt. guns, 9 feet long, and one pivot 68-
pounder of 95 cwt., and 10 feet long. The following are
her dimensions :—Length between perpendiculars, 200
feet ; length of keel for tonnage, 171 feet 9i inches ;
breadth, extreme, 40 feet 4 inches ; breadth for tonnage,
40 feet ; breadth moulded, 39 feet 4 inches ; depth in
hold, 23 feet 11 inches ; burden in tone, 1,462 21-94.
Rtar-Admiral Sir Henry Chads, K.C.8., is appointed
to the command of the Cork station, in the room of Vice-
Admiral Sir. George R. Sartorius, promoted.
Captain George Goldsmith, CB , is appointed to be
Superintendent of Chatham Dockyard, in the room of
Rear-Admiral Wyvill, promoted to flag,
Capt. Henry Eyres, C. 8., is appointed to the Exmouth
vice Capt. Hall.
Commander A. B. Beecher is promoted to be Captain
on the Reserved List.
Lieut. E. M. Henderson has been appointed to the
Russell; Lieut. J. 0. Grady, to the Rus•ell ; Lieut. F.
Semple, to the Meander ; Lieut. G. D. Murray, to the
London ; Lieut. S. Tuke, to the Cruizer ; Lieut. J. B.
Telfer, to the Centaur; Lieut. N. D. T. Lillingston,
to the Seahoree ; and Lieut. if. Moore, to the Nile.
The following lieutenants were yesterday appointed to
the command of gun-boats :—Lieut. his Serene Highness
Prince Victor Hohentohe, to the Traveller ; Lieut. J.
C. Byng, to the Lively ; Lieut. H. Davies, to the
Spider ; Lieut. G. A. T. Drake, to the Bouncer ; Lieut.
W. F. Gregory, to the Hyeua ; Lieut. J. C. Gooch, to
the Frown ; Lieut. W. H. Jones, to the Partridge ;
Lieut. J. B. Grove, to the Rainbow ; Lieut. C. G. F.
Knowles, to the Raven ; Lieut. H. R. Wratislaw, to
the Redbreast ; Lieut. H. Berkeley, to the Havoc ;
Lieut. W. G. Silverlock, to the Grappler.