Star.
London, England, 1825-09-15 00:00:00

PORTSMOUTH, SEPTEMBER 14.

At about one o'clock, or a quarter of an hour before
the Princess Charlotte was let off the slip on which she
was built, a most dreadful accident happened, as the
Public were crowding over the bridge across the Dock,
wherein it was intended to bring the launch. There
ale three Docks, all of which were dry,.and every pre•
paration to receive the Launch was made. Under
eJC:I bridge there are flood-gates to let the water in or
keep it back ; the Comber now filling t►►o feet above
the usual height, the weight of this water carried away
the flood gates on which the middle of the bridge
rested, and the whole of the crowd passing thereon fell
into the Dock, and were hurled over and over, the
water falling three or four and twenty feet before it
came to alevel—the whole mass of people burled away
to death in a moment.

As the bridge is upwards of eighty, or nearly ninety
feet, as it appears to me across, and about four feet six
inches wide, you may judge how many persons it would
hold, closely wedged together, and all pressing to be
over first, to get a good standing-place. I judge there,
might be nearly 150 on, at the time it gave way ; the'
number lost it is as yet impossible to ascertain. Eeven
are now dragged up, but as there happens to be two
ships in the basin or comber, and they cannot work the
engine to pump out the water, until these ships are pro.
perly shored up, all the labourers are ordered into the
Dock-yard all night, to proceed as fast as possible to
forward the work, and get the water out.
I have given you an outline of the Docks, and you
will thereby see the thing more cleArly than I am able
to describe it. There were 100,000 persons there alto-
gether, and never was such a scene of woeful counte-
nances; everybody dull; all in dread that their- nearest
friends had perished ; mothers crying, and in hysterical
fits; children frightened, and, in fact, all looked like
ghosts.

" POILTSSIOUTK, Sin.. 14, Fivx, r.u.

" DEAR a dreadful accident has just hap-
pened, and my object in wilting is to prevent any
uneasiness respecting me, for you will see by this, I am
not among the sufferers. I had procured an admirable
place on board the Queen Chatlotte for witnessing the
launch. There was I, amidst a crowd of beautiful
women and Naval Officers, to the number, perhaps, of
a thousand, for she is a 110 gunship, and we occupied
nearly the width and length of the upper deck. Every
thing boded well; the day, which at first lowered,
became quite fine; the water was covered with gay
boats, yachts, &c. and the Ganges, an 84, opposite to
us, on the other side the launch, had her yards manned,
which had a very fine effect. The time of the launch
was fixed at half-past twelve o'clock. Every counte-
nance looked lively, and every pretty eye appeared
prfttier and more interesting as the time when the
vessel should be let off approached, when I was alarmed
with a cry of horror, and, looking to the Dock-yard,
saw the persons assembled there, together with many
of the marines, running as fast as they could to the South.

" At a door in the canvass, raised to screen us from
the weather, the accident could be seen by persons
nearest, but as I could not get close without disturbing
some Ladies, I was obliged to listen to the reports of
others. These were various. The first was true, a
bridge was broken down. Some said a person had
been drowned ; and others, perhaps, in order to quiet
the Ladies, said it was only a convict had escaped.
" The launch instantly took place, under a royal sa-
lute from the Ganges, the Admiral's ship Victory, and
the ships at Spithead, and nothing could exceed the
grandeur of the sight. The noble appearance of the
vessel, the delightful way in which, though so immense
a body, she took the water, making scarcely any un-
dulation, the glorious appearance of the hest of boats
and yachts, and the fine British cheer, all made it a
most an;mating spectacle. Milton would have called
it truly sublime. But when the exultation was over, a
sad reverse followed, and we learnt the general fact,
that a fatal accident had happened, from seeing the
wreck of a broken bridge, and a number of boats ac
lively employed in rescuing the victims.
" The accident happened in this way. The water had
been let into what is called the basin, into which the
new vessel was to be immediately towed to be com-
pleted, and to give the company a fine additional view.
Adjoining, and connected with the basin, is a dock
which was thy, in which the men were working in the
morning, to lay down the keel of a new frigate. The
gates of this dock were old, and apparently rotten at
the bottom ; new ones had been making these two years.
The rotten part gave stay before this immense mass;