The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-09 00:00:00

FIVE VESSELS NEARLY WRECKED

AT LONDON-BRIDGE.

An accident of a very alarming character, and
which nearly involved the wreck of three steamers
and two schooners, took place yesterday afternoon
on the river, off Fresh Wharf, adjoining London-
bridge. The cause of it is thus explained by those
in charge of tho wharf. Shortly before two o'clock
the Excelsior, of Salcombe, from St. Michael's, ar-
rived off the wharf, when the Portuguese schooner
Tcrceieuse, which had discharged at the lower
wharf, was in the course of being towed out of her
berth, so as to let the Excelsior take her place. The
tug which had hold of the Portuguese schooner
brought her out into .the stream, athwart the flood
tide, and being one of the full spring, was running
up with great force. Such was the strength of the
tide upon the broadside of the schooner, that the
tug had little or no power upon her, and. as the
strain increased the tow-rope broke, and the vessi 1
was carried against the Excelsior. Between them
and the bridge, moored to the steamboat quay of
the wharf, were three steam-ships belonging to the
General Steam Navigation Company, viz., the
Giraffe, which was to start that afternoon for Yar-
mouth, and the Albion and Triton, Boulogne
steamers. Almost immediately the two schooners
came athwart the hawser of these steamers, at the
same moment their mooring-warps snapped, and,
with the wharf lighter, the whole swung outwards
[ .
into the current, and were drifting with great vio-
lence against Landon-bridge, and such was the peril-
ous situation of the vessels that several of the crews,
apprehending their ships would capsize ran up the
rigging and jumped upon the coping of the bridge.
For nearly two hours it was difficult to say what the
consequences would be. The Giraffe partly went
under the first arch, and would have carried away
everything on deck, but for the strength of her
stern mooring's. As it was, the succeeding two
hours' flood lifted her stern to the stone-work of the
spring of the arch, and her stern, with wheel, eze.,
was cut down and smashed, besides sustaining other
damage forward. The Triton was almost in a similar
fix in the second arch. Her bow swung round and
came in contact with the abutment of the second

arch, where she was brought up, the stern of the
Giraffe, which cut down the Triton's starboard-

quarter bulwarks, preventing her going under the
arch. The Albion was the outside vessel, and was
carried against the larboard side of the Triton; The
two schooners were driven a-head as the steamers
swung round, and were brought up by the abutment
of the second arch, thus entirely stopping the navi-
gation on the City side of the bridge. Several
steam-tugs came up with a view of getting the
vessels clear, but owing to the strength of the tide
their operations were entirely fruitless. It wao
blowing a gale from the S.W. at the time ; had it
been from the eastward with that force of tide, the
vessels would have been driven under the arches,
and in all probability wrecked. In the situation
described they lay against London-bridge until
nearly four o'clock, vast crowds being collected on
the bridge viewing the critical position of the ves-
sels. As soon as the tide ebbed the tugs came up and
assisted in extricating the vessels, and from the
shattered appearance of some of them, their repairs
will involve a considerable outlay. They therefore
will be detained some time before they can proceed
on their voyages.

CU UIVTRY 111A.RIC.ETS,

LYNN-FEB. 7.

At to-day's market there was only a moderate supply of
wheat, and the best samples meeting with a good demand,
readily realised prices which were fully is over last week.
BAley advanced is per qr on lato,rates. Beans also le
over previous quotations.