The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 7, 1859.

THE WRECK OF THE STEAMER ALMA.

Yesterday morning the official inquiry into the
loss of the above vessel was resumed at the Green-
wich Police-court, before Mr. Traill, assisted by
Capt. Walker, H.1411.C.5., as nautical assessor.
Mr. Cumberland conducted the proceedings on
the part of the Board of Trade ; and Mr. Wilde,
Q.C., again attended for the captain and chief
officer.
Henry Carter (third officer) said—l hold a certi-
ficate of competency from the Board of Trade, dated
December, 185 G. I have been seven years in the
service, and have made 40 trips to the Red Sea. On
the morning of the wreck it was my watch, havinc,
relieved the third supernumerary officer at 12 o'clock.'
He gave me the course N. by W. W. After seeing
the ship was steering her course I proceeded on to
the forecastle. There I found Mr. Davis, the chief
officer, pacing the deck. He ordered me to keep a
sharp look-out for the Harnish Islands, and to let him
know as soon as I saw them,and then went round to
visit the look-out men at their stations. He cautioned

hem to keep a sharp look-out and went forward
,o the forecastle. We made Harnish bearing
N.W. -} W. I reported this to Mr. Davis, who
ordered me to port a quarter of a point, remarking
that it would be N. by W. 1 W. I went aft and
gave orders to the quartermaster to steer N.W. a W.,
and said, " I will go to the wheel, so let me know
what is her course." I then walked to the standard
compass, and after seeing the order had been obeyed
I took my position with the chief officer on the fore-
castle.. At two a,m. we made Little Harnish, bear-
ing N.N.W. westwardly. Mr. Davis then ordered
me to 'Art another half point, which was obeyed
precisely as before. -At 6.45 a.m. I called the chief
officer's attention to the appearance of high land
bearing about N. by W. 4 W. He ordered me to
port half a point. I was at this time looking
through my night glass, and saw nothing like
rocks or reefs. I was looking at the appearance of
the high land. It was very indistinct. Upon receiv-
ing the order to port half a point I went off to the
quartermaster and told him to steer N. I W. I had
not time to reach the standard compass when I
heard Mr. Davis call out " Hard a-port—stop her,"
and immediately ran to his assistance. The helm
was put hard over, the ship answering it rapidly.
I felt a slight shock. The ship proceeded a short
distance, and a severe shock ensued. This was im-
mediately followed by another, which threw us
from the wheel, and the ship rolled over on her
beam ends. I considered the ship's head was then
about N.N.E. The compass card vibrated consider-
ably when she first struck.
John Smith, second engineer, next examined—l
was second engineer on board the Alma during her
last voyage. At the time of the wreck I was not on
duty, but lying awake on a table opposite the en-
gine room door. I did not hear any orders given
about the engines. I reversed the engines myself
about two minutes after the ship struck. The order,
I believe, was given to do so, but I did not hear it.
The third engineer was on duty. .
Richard Ellin—l was quartermaster on board
the Alma on her last voyage. It was my first
voyage in her, having joined the vessel at Calcutta.
During- the middle watch, on the morning she
struck, I was doing duty as quartermaster. I was
starboard at the standard compass, and my duty
was to see that the ship was steered her proper
course, to heave the log, and obey general orders.
The man at the wheel was under my supervision.
I had to see that he steered the right course. All
the different courses given during that watch I am
sure were attended to. At the time the vessel
struck we were steering N. by W.
Major Thomas Fane said,—l am at present an
officer unattached in her Majesty's service. I was
a passenger on board the Alma on her last voyage,
and was on deck the whole night until she struck.
I heard one of the officers rush past me and give
some orders which awoke me. I also heard Mr.

measure. In this Arnaud succeeded, but on the
condition that Spain should send a contingent of
20,000 men to Rome. On the arrival of the Brief
in Madrid the greatest possible publicity was given
to it in order to procure purchasers ; at the same
time, however, the offer made by Arnaud was
blamed, the promised troops were refused, and
Arnaud was withdrawn. It is more strongly than
ever asserted that the Duke de Grammont has re-
peatedly said, both to the Pope and the Cardinals,
that the return of the Romagna to the dominion of
the Holy See was no longer possible, and that there
would be great danger of losing also the Marches
and Umbria unless concessions were made. In con-
sequence a Council of Cardinals was called, and it
is said that the institutions so often demanded by
France are about to be conceded, with many modi-
fications. Those who are well-informed, however,
are of opinion that such institutions are by no
means calculated to give satisfaction; that 'the
Marches and Umbria are resolved on throwing in
their lot with the Romagna, and that nothing will
remain to the Pope but the patrimony of St. Peter.
• The execration of Cardinal Antonelli is both great
and general, and even the clergy are opposed to him,
seeing as they do that he it is who has ruined the
Papal State. Still his Holiness persists in keeping
him in power. Antonelli represents in his person
the impossibility of reform, and revolution in per-
manency in the States of the, Church. He and
Mazzini will have deserved equally well- of the
Papacy.

The excesses of the Swiss who have arrived here
from Marseilles exceed all description. Many of
them are already deserting. The Minister of Arms,
the Most Eminent Cardinal Antonelli, seeing that
there is no probability of his forming a Papal army
with such materials, has put a stop to all further
enrolment in that quarter. In Pesaro a conspiracy
has been discovered among the native troops to de-
sert en masse. A few have been arrested, and a
different distribution of them has been thought of,
with the hope that the Swiss may keep both the
troops and the people in order. In this general de-
rangement the finance of course suffers, and a debt
has been created of 1,500,000 scudi, and another of
500,000 will be added. It is said that the Duke
Salviati, the head of the family of Borghese, has
lent the Government 400,000 scudi, and that the
Duke Grazioli (whose father, a baker, left him a
sufficiently large fortune to raise him to a duke-
dom) has lent as much at 21 per cent. This rich
proprietor has lately purchased the Palazzo Brescia

on which Pius VII, sPent 900,000 scudi. 300,000

scudi were paid down, but that will not suffice

to pay one-half of the debts of the nephew of that
Pope.

NAPLES.

A letter from Naples, dated Oct. 1, says !—" It
is impossible to mistake the great excitement which
now agitates all classes. Even the very lowest
have taken the infection, and talk about Garibaldi,
and desertions, and encounters, and speak of im-
pending and violent changes. The sentiment is
universal that something is about to happen. In
fact, it is wonderful what progress the public spirit
has made within the last few weeks ; so much so
that I do not believe I shall be committing myself
when I say that even here in Naples--that is to say,
in the Kingdom—we shall in a very brief space of
time witness a violent commotion. This change
has been greatly on the increase since the Swiss
left ; it was what might have been expected, but
this incursion of Garibaldi into the Marches, or the
report of it, has given a most extraordinary impulse
to the public feeling. It is impossible to give you
an idea of the terrible influence which the name of
the great Italian h •ro exercises on the people. Nurses
frighten children by sending Garibaldi after them ;
the nation has great hopes in him as one of their
future deliverers ; the Court are terror-stricken
by the shadow which he casts upon them from a
distance.

After the review of cavalry in Capua last Satur-
day the Icing went, as I told you, to Gaeta, whence
he returned to Posilippo on Monday, and landed
at the casino of Prince Luigi. In the evening he
went to Portici. The report is still that he is to
go to San Gennaro and even to Sulmona. My
report of military movements was so very full in
my last letter that I shall not venture to say
much more on the subject. In the main I believe
I was right. Immense excitement prevails here;
so that, with the utmost discretion, it is difficult
at times to select the true from the false amid
the thousand and one reports which prevail. In
the Calabrias tranquillity prevails ; that is to say,
the people have not actually risen. Several
steamers left last week for Syracuse with the 11th
Regiment of the line, and at the beginning of the
week they brought back the sth Regiment of the
line from Syracuse to Gaeta. Two steamers have
left also for Pescara, one with the ambulance for
the army on the frontier, and the other with seve-
ral companies of soldiers to assist at the disem-
barkation of it. This being effected, the steamers
will remain, it is said, to cruise in the Adriatic.

Of the efforts which were making to add to the
number of the army I have already spoken. Sixty
ducats a man to all who have finished their time,
and are willing to remain, and 15 grani a day are
unheard-of prices in this country, and show the
great eagerness of the Government to obtain men.
The levy of 1860 is, too, I hear, being called in with
great activity, and in this way 18,000 more men
will be obtained. There is talk, too, of mobilizing
the Civic Guard ; in fact, no stone is left unturned
to meet the danger which threatens, not the country
but the Government and the Court ; for, with this
exception, all parties here are panting after every
movement which must upset the present order of
things. Even the Royalists and the greatest reac-
tionists now confess that the King threw away tho
most favourable moment of his life at his accession
to the throne for making concessions to his sub-
jects. It is now felt that whatever effort to con-
ciliate was made would be lost, and might prove
even dangerous, and that it is necessary therefore
to carry out the present plan of action to the last.
Such a confession shows what is the actual position
of the Government and its future intentions. A
report was spread about at the beginning of the
week that the Royalists and the police would make
a demonstration in the streets, with cries of " Viva
it ! " " Viva it Statuto !" Of course such a
report is laughed at, and even were such a fact to
take place, so little is the faith which is reposed in
the Government that no one would be found to re-
echo the cries. But few troops remain in the city,
and these regard the police with an evil eye, while
the latter gentlemen seek to avenge themselves, as
it were, upon the people. I can give you no idea of
the active search which has been, and is being,
made for those who are in any way suspected of
being connected with the clandestine press, nor is,
I think, too much importance attached to this
recent proof of the awakening of the public mind.
Many perquisizione have been made in the printing
offices, and many of the printers arrested, but all to
no purpose. The cleverest members of the police
have been charged with the office of discovery, and
many dressed in plain clothes have been sent among
the people with orders to affect sympathy with
them, but all in vain. The Corriere di _Napoli (the
clandestine journal) did not make its appearance
exactly in the same form last Tuesday as usual, and
the type was far from correct, but still a journal
made its appearance, and was widely circulated. The
people, in fact, set the police at defiance, and beat it.
The number to which I allude has some words attri-
buted to Lord Palmerston, which he is said to have
spoken to one of the leaders of the Italian move-
ment. " Act, act, and let others undo what you
do if they can." It concludes in large type with
" Garibaldi is in the Marches of Ancona." There
was to have been a Council of State at Portici last
Monday, and all the Ministers went down, but
neither the King nor Severino were there, and they

PRICE 4P. STAMPED, SD,

Iwere compelled to return. No information of the
1 absence of the King had been given to them.
Filangicri is still at Sorrento, and hold:; himself as
much aloof as ever from all affairs of State, though
I am now given to understand that his counsel was
taken with regard to the expedition to the fron-
tier, and for the management of the campaign. All
official acts are still signed by the President,
Carascosa.
The gravity of the position may be estimated by
the fact that the Cardinal of Naples has sent a
letter to his clergy, by which he refuses all sacer-
dotal and ecclesiastical ordinations at present, and
during the season when such ordinations are made.
The reason assigned is that the Holy Father is ex-
posed to great danger. Such an act, together with
many others similar, which the Church knows well
how to execute in the right time are well calcu-
lated to exercise a considerable influence over the
minds of an ignorant and superstitious people.
How great is their superstition you may gather
from the following fact. On the day of the fete of
San Gennaro a French liner, the Hellespont, came
in and grounded on a shoal called the Gaiol 1,
near Posilippo. It is a well known spot and Go•
vernment is much to blame for never having placed
any signal there. It is said that the boatmen had
some words with the captain, and that the latter
called the blood of the saint• the blood of a pig,
" and that very day, sir," says my informant, " the
vessel went ashore. The saint punished him for his
impiety. You may laugh as you like, but all Naples
says so. lam a religious man, and know that the
saint did it."