The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-01 00:00:00

t• KE le Elf.li;N

:lli SIIAIiIGS.

Great. Eastern, E. Counties Ex., Nu. 2,
Ditto, 6 pt.,r cent., !.."
Great Western, 5 per cent., rd., E 5

romxia-eN NI IN JCS.
Chontaleg Gold and Sliver Mining, lim., 2j
Don l'edro, Nor,h Del Itey, 2k 3
St John del !Ley, lim , 57

BANES.

Australasia, 61
Bank ot New Zealand, 19
Clia,rtered Aler. ot India, London,7and China, 291
Consolidated, lim., 4k
Entriish. Scotch, ana Australian Chartered, 17
Imperial Ot oman, 9.1-1 G
London and River elate,

Ditto, new. 11
London Joint Stock. 351
Ditto, issued at 410 pm.. 23/
London and estminster,
Ditto, Scrip, 3i

DOCKS.

East and West India, 125 •

MISCELLANECIEIB.
Anglo American Telegrapli,',l9l
Atlantic felegraph, 51 1
Dit,o, 8 par zeut., 95 31
City of Moscow Gas, lira., iOi
City Offices, lira., 6
Credit looncier of England, Jim.. 3
East India Irrigation and Canal. 11}
Egyptian 9 per Cent, Viceroy Loan, gua. by Egyp
_Govt.

V Ditto, Scrip;,
ICyyptian I,orn. and Trading, lim., if n
London District Telegraph Lm.,
Ditto, Preference, *
London tieuerai Omnibus Company, lim, la
Peninsula and Oriental steam, t 5
Ditto, new, 1867, 51
Ithyniney Iron,
Ditto, tie ar, 5i
Submarine Telegraph, --
Ditto. Scrip. a
United Kingdom Tel graph Co., lim., 2 13-16

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

GRAVESEND, Wednesday Morning.

Arrived, Dec. 31—Nora, steamer, from Rotterdam.
Arrived, Jan. I—Waterloo, steamer, from Rotterdam;
Floronce, steamer, from Antwerp; Maria Pia, steamer,
from Lisbon ; Panther, steamer, from Boulogno ; Cella,
steamer, from New York ; Holland, steamer, from
Ostend.

Sailed.—Neva, steamer, for Dunkirk ; City of Hamburg,
steamer, for Boulogne; Foulton, steamer, for Dunkirk.
DE&i, Wednesday Morning.

Passed, Dec. 30.—Southern Belle, for Kurrachee ; Raby
Castle, for Barbadoes ; Express, for St.. Michael's; Zuleika,
for Bermuda—all from London.

NEW ACTS OF PIRLIAMENT.—This day the fol-
owing new acts will take effect :—County Courts Act,
Worship Regulation Act, Factory Act Extension, Agricul-
tural Gangs Act, Merchant Shipping Act, and Sales of
Reversing Act.

EARTiIQUAKE IN THE WEST INDIES.

Commodore Bissel, of the United States' Navy,
has sent the following despatch to Washington, de-
scribing the effects of the recent earthquake in the
West Indies upon the war steamer Monongahela:
United States' steamship Monongahela, St.
Croix, Nov. 21, 1867. Sir,-1 have to state, with
deep regret, that the United States' steamship
Monongahela, under my command, is now lying on
the beach in front of the town of Frederickstedt,
St. Croix, where she was thrown by the most fatal
earttquake ever known here. The shock occurred
at 3 o'clock p.m. of the 18th instant. Up to that

moment the weather was serene, and no indication
of a change showed by the barometer, Ichich stood
at 30.15. The fiat indication we had of the earth-
quake was a violent trembling of the ship, resem-
bling the blowing off of steam. This lasted some
30 seconds, and immediately afterward the water
was observed to be receding rapidly from the Leach.
In. a moment the current was changed, and bore the
ship toward the b,:ach, carrying out the entire cable
and drawing the bolts from the keelson, without the
slightest effect in checking her terrific speed toward
the beach. Another anchor was ordered to be let go,
but in a few seconds she was in too shoal water for
this to avail. When within a few yards of the beach,
the reflux of the water checked her speed for a
Moment, and a light breeze from the land gave me
a momentary hope that the jib and foretopmast
staysail might pay her head off shore, so that in
the reflux of the wave she might reach waters suffi-
ciently deep to float her, and then be brought up
by the other anchor. These sails were immediately
set, and she paid off so as to bring her broadside to
the beach. When the sea returned, in the form of
a wall of water 25ft. or `Oft. high, it carried us
over the warehouses into the first street of the
town. This wave in receding took her back towards
the beach, and left her nearly perpendicular on the
edge of a coral reef, where she has now keeled over
to an angle of 15 degrees. All this was the work
of a few moments only, and soon after the waters
of the bay subsided into their naturally tranquil
state, leaving us high and dry upon the beach.
During her progress toward the beach she struck
heavily two or three times. The first lurch carried
the rifle gun on the forecastle overboard. Had the
ship been carried 10ft. or 15ft. further out she
must inevitably have been forced over on
her beam-ends, resulting, 1 fear, in her total
destruction, and in the loss of many lives. Pro-
videntially, only four men were lost. These were

in the boats at the time the shock commenced.
The boats that were down were all swamped
except my gig, which was crushed under the
keel, killing my coxswain, a most valuable man.
During this terrific scene the officers and men be-
haved with coolness and subordination. It affords
me great pleasure to state that, after a careful ex-
amination of the position and condition of the ship,
I am enabled to report that she has .sustained no
irreparable damage to her hull. The sterupost is
bent, and some 20 feet of her keel partially gone;
propeller and shaft uninjured. The lower pintle of
the rudder is gone, but no other damage is sustained
by it. No damage is done to her hull more serious
than the loss of several sheets of copper torn from

her starboard bilge and from her keel. She now
lies on the edge of a coral reef, which forms a solid
foundation, on which ways may be laid. She can

thus be launched in 10 feet of water at 100 feet
from the beach. Gentlemen looking at the ship
from shore declare that the bottom of the bay was

visible where there was before, and is now, 40
fathoms of water. To extricate the ship from her

position I respectfully suggest that Mr. J. Hanscom
be sent down with suitable material for ways, ready
for laying down, and indiarubber camels to buoy
her up. I think there is no insuperable obstacle to
her being put afloat, providing a gang of 10 or 12
good ship carpenters be sent down with the naval
constructor, as her boilers and eugines appear to
have sustained no injury. A valuable ship may
thus be saved to the navy, with all her s' ores and
equipments."