The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-17 00:00:00

COLLISION Wl7ll AN ICEBERG.

The Eastward lio, from New York, which ar-
rived on Saturday, met with a most serious mis-
fortune on her passage, of such a nature that it
seems almost incredible that the vessel with her en-
tire crew were not lost, leaving no record of their
fate. The ship left New York on the 17th of
October, with a cargo of general merchandise, for
this port. The usual gales incidental to the sea-
son were met with in the high latitudes, but
nothing of serious moment occurred until when
off the Cape of Good Hope, on the 4th of January,
in latitude 46 deg. 30 S. The vessel was under
single reefed topsails, whole courses set, and span-
ker, and bowling along before a strong gale at 11
knots per hour. At half-past nine p.m. suddenly
an island of ice, 200 ft. high, was discovered right
ahead, close aboard ; the helm was promptly put
down and her headway partially deadened, but
there was no room to clear the danger, and with a
terrific crash her bows struck against the
floating mass, completely driving in the fore
part of the vessel. The sheer-rail was carried away
as far as the foremast on both sides ; knight-heads,
timber-heads, and bitts, together with the stem
and forefoot ground into splinters ; the spar deck
started from under the plank sheer 18 inches for 20
feet around each bow, and the port bow stove in
the waterline. The bowsprit and foremast, with
everything attached, went over the side, together
with the maintopgallant-mast and head of
the maintopmast, which in its descent passed
through the maintopsail and main course, there being
nothing in the helpless ship but the spanker and
mizen-topsail ; it was blowing a violent squall at
the time, the barometer indicating a change. The
shock is described as resembling a heavy clap of
thunder, and the terror that must have possessed every
mind may be more easily conceived than described.
Such means as were at hand were promptly brought
into requisition, and, as all worked with a will, spare
sails were quickly got over the bows to stop the
water from getting below. Fortunately, the gale
abated after a few hours ; the repairs were more
nicely carried out, jurymasts got up, and the ship
kept 1 deg. 20 min. further north, and kept on her
course for Sydney. On the 18th of February, in
lat. 43 30 S., long. 122 E., at two a.m., she yeas
found, by the aid of a bright moonlight, to be
among the ice islands again, through which she ran
all day, clearing them at dusk, the last one
seen being about 22 miles to the south-west;
the vessel was then hauled to the northward for
eight hours, and again kept on her course. That
the temperature of the sea does not note the proxi-
mity of ice has, on this passage, been successfully
demonstrated, as the thermometer stood at 52 deg.
both close to the bergs and at a distance from them.
Viewing the ship as she now lies in Darling har-
bour, it appears truly wonderful how she escaped
total destruction.—Sydney Morning Herald (March
11).

A COURAGEOUS WOMAN.-- A remarkable act of
courage was performed a few days back at Marseilles by a
young married woman named Costa. She was walking on
the quay of La Joliette with her child in her arms, when
she perceived a man in the water struggling for his life.
Being able to swim, she placed the infant on the ground,
and plunging resolutely into the sea succeeded in reaching
the man. For a moment both were in danger from the
desperate manner in which he clung to her, but a customs'
officer who had witnessed the incident came to the woman's
assistance, and enabled her to bring the man safely to
land.

PIGEON SIIOOTING.—The first great handicap of
this season will be shot for at Hendon to-morrow, com-
mencing at a quarter before two precisely ; byes from twelve
to two. The Paris Cups are now definitively fixed as fol-
low :—Daily Telegraph Cup, May 30 ; Emperor's Cup, May
31; and the Club Cup, June 3. The Emperor's Cup is
stated to be valued at 10,000 f., and is in all respects an
OffiViDg.