The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-07 00:00:00

nation's love.

TEE DAMAGE TO THE GREAT
_EASTERN.

+-----

A close examination of the great ship has resulted:
in the discovery that she has received more external
injuries than was at first known. The rudder-post,
as has been already stated, is completely broken.
At the part where it snapped the metal is 18 inches
cdivjpeeter. In order to repair this it will be nsg!ces-
no
weight, but owing to the manner in which it is
held in position. The rudder and post weigh 21)
tons ; the framework is of iron, but the centre is
filled up with timber. The foot or spindle of the
rudder works in a hole in the " heel piece" of the
ship, and au enormous irou brace holds the post of
the rudder to ship, and admits of its moving with
the action of the tiller. This iron baud is formed.
of four-inch iron plates 2ft. Gin. wide, and is bolted,
through and through the ship by enormous iron
bolts. This must, of course, be removed before the
rudder can be unshipped for repairs. In addition,
however, to the breaking of the rudder-post, it has
• been found that the stern-post cf the ship has given
way. This is a mass of iron weighing upwards of
six tons. It is an upright column immediately be-
hind the screw, one end resting on and securing
the heel piece and the other attached to the stern of
the ship. This is formed of plates of iron two or
three inches thick, and was secured to the heel piece
by an enormous iron bolt. It was urged by many
scientific men that the screw shaft ought to have
had its bearing in this sternpost, and that, if such
had been the case, the screw would not have
failed as it did in the voyage from America last
year. Had the screw been provided with this
bearing, and the accident happened as it has
done to the sternpost, it is probable that the ma-
chinery would have been so far deranged that the
screw would have been unable to work, and the
great ship might not have been able to reach a
port so quickly as it did after its paddles were ren-
dered useless. The effect of this fracture in the
sternpost might have been much more disastrous
than it was, for the heel-piece, having nothing to
secure it beyond the bolts or rivets which held it
to the ship's bottom, might have been torn away
by the pressure against the water, as the stern of
the ship rose, and in that case, would in all pro-
bability have taken with it a number of the iron
plates of the hull, and thus caused a leak, which
it would have been hopeless to attempt to stop. It
is fortunate that this piece did not sink even a few
inches; had it done so the spindle would have had
no place to work on, and the rudder would have
been held to the ship only by the iron clamp round
movements
Amass of iron
Ibnees
would
Ipdolista.ve
of some twenty tons weight, supported only by a
nucmhosatsdtaatnegoefrothiusn.gsAitsma
band in the centre, which had it remained attached
• to the ship, would have flapped about with im-
mense force, delivering giant blows on the ship,
or smashing the blades of the screw, rendered it
powerless. Had the violent action of the rudder
continued for any length of time it would havo
torn
piece,
hriaeiannet
deg i
wt
nwawhgchoi ywciuchlihtdthh irhwoee
lnatd only
yo itdn
portionseht ppoa el
vtanhet
dependent
besohnefauet
tnnl
hldt
eo wasff
orsrahscomi
ipobgi
fnil
rtysges
uae, r
cfltefho
m.
an
nTot
strength
vhhe
eeexat
hi
er
ebno eynt
l
for its security upon the strength of the stornpost,
weighs about 10 tons. It is four feet in width,
and is constructed of very thick iron plates. The
paddle wheels will require to be constructed. The
cost of repairing the damage externally and in-
ternally win, it is estimated, be about £lO,OOO.
The ship will be taken to Milfor6l for the purpose
of having the necessary repairs.—Observer.

THE EASTERN FISHERIES.—The herring fishery
now being prosecuted off the eastern coast bas not at pre-
sent made much progress. The quantities of fish delivered
at Yarmouth have been small, and the quality has also not
been first-rate. There has, however, been a good demand,
and prices have consequently been well sugtained, having
ranged from £l5 to £2B per last. The longahore boats have
not been more successful ; their parcels have averaged
7s. Gd. per 100. The catches made by
have also been light at present.
Wakley took
MR. WAKLEY.—On Saturday Mr•
at Paddington, in
the opportunity of attending an inquest the Lowestoft boats
tendered him almost
from the illness which had
forutaiosmas
order to state publicly that he W. in a fair way to recover
coroner for the Wes-
' incapable of attending to his d
hihasddkeiinmdtyly
tern division of 31
course of the ensuing week to proceed to
he intended in the .
Middlesex. By the advice of his physicians
n
remain during the winter months. I
arrangement
wthitehwhhioniletcooaunsstiys-t,
enMtaardeedirito'hacren Humphreys, Iho
the meantime,
for tho Eastern division of Middlesex, who, like
coroner
himself, bad been elected for
ht4is worthy colleague, Mr.
fr. Brent, in the official requirements of that part of the
cogitY With which he had the honour to be connected,