The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-01-31 00:00:00

WRECK OF THE SCREW-STEAMER
OLINDA.

THE public mind had scarcely recovered from the
shock it had sustained by a narrative of the disaster
which had overtaken the Tayleur, when it was again
startled by the announcement that a serious calamity had
befallen the South American and General Steam-ship
Company's new iron screw-steamer Olinda, Haram, corn-
commander. Happily this case has not been attended
with loss of life, though the result proves exceedingly
severe, there appearing to be little chance of recovering
the ship.
The Olinda took her departure hence for Brazil on
Thursday, having on board a valuable carg,o,of manufac-
tured goods and about twenty passengers. At the time
of the accident she was under charge of the pilot, who,
having been unable to laud, had intended to accompany
the vessel to Lisbon. We are informed that, though the
weather was unusually rough, he took the ship through,
instead of round, the Skerries. However that may be, it
is clear that on Thursday evening, between eight and
nine o'clock, she struck on the Harry Furlong Rocks,
which lie to the eastward of the Skerries. The first offi-
cial information, containing a statement as to the position
of the Olinda, was, in a telegraphic despatch to Messrs.
Miller and Thompson, the agents of the Olinda, received
from Captain Hirst, of the Chester and Holyhead Rail-
way Company, which intimated that, at 4 40, a.m.' an
officer, with Lloyd's agent, called on Captain Hirst to
say that the screw-steamer Olinda was on shore at the
Harry Furlong Rocks. It also intimated that all hands
were safe ; but advised the adoption of prompt measures
for saving both the ship and cargo.
On Saturday the following letter from the chief-officer
was received by Messrs. Miller and Thompson, Captain
Haram having been prevented from writing by being on
board the wreck.

" Cemlyn, 27th January, 1854.

"SIR,—I beg to report the stranding of the Olinda on
the Harry Furlong Rocks, at 8.45, p.m., yesterday. The
ship was in charge of the pilot at the time. Passengers
are landed all safe. Ship was quite dry at low water, and
all the crew left the ship. Mails not yet landed. Found
the fore cargo-hold full of water. The ship is in a very
dangerous situation : if the wind veers to northwest she
will break up in six hours. We have had the steamer
Cambria from Holyhead, but she cannot come alongside.
Flats will be the best means of saving the cargo, if she
holds together. The rudder and propeller are carried
away ; six feet of forefoot gone ; and the rocks through
her forward. Masts, &c., all standing. Nothing saved as
yet up to 11, a.m. : blowing hard from west. Captain
Haram managed to get on board this morning, and has
not yet returned. lam waiting for his coming ashore to
open a communication with the ship, and take this oppor-
tunity of informing you of our position, as Captain Haram
may not have an opportunity of writing himself from
being on board, and a messenger is about to leave for
Holyhead.—Your obedient servant,
" W. Hadfield, Esq." JAMES Blow, Chief-officer.
The surgeon and one of the passengers arrived in Liver-
pool on Saturday, whose narratives bear out the impression
conveyed in the chief-officer's communication, that no
blame is attributable to the captain. They state that the
passengers were loud in their praises of the calmness and
intrepidity which Captain Haram, the chief-officer, and
the crew displayed in the trying circumstances. They
succeeded in lowering the boats, without sustaining acci-
dent, and in landing the passengers, although there was a
heavy sea at the time. The pilot is said to have been an
experienced man, having been twenty-five years connected
with the port. Before the accident occurred, he stated
that he knew the coast accurately, and that there was no
danger in running so near the shore. It is feared that
there is little chance of recovering the ship ; but there are
hopes of a portion of the cargo being saved, three steam-
tugs, two lumps, fifty men, and diving-apparatus having
been sent down. Captains Richard and Daniel Green
proceeded to the scene of the disaster on Friday, as well
as the representatives of the London and Liverpool Under-
writers ; and Mr. Hadfield, the active secretary of the
company, also went for the purpose of attending to the
passengers and seeing after their baggage. The Olinda
was built on the Clyde, by Messrs. Reid and Co.
The steam-tug Constitution returned on Sunday from
the Olinda. She brings some of the cabin passengers'
luggage and stores. Hopes were entertained that a great
portion of the cargo would be saved, unless the wind
changed to the north. The Dreadnought returned here
also, not being able to get alongeside. The vessel at low
water is dry, and the cargo is being conveyed ashore over
the rocks. Fortunately most of the cargo consists of light
packages, which facilitates its removal. Captain Green
and the lumpers remain with the ship. There is no pro-
bability of the hull being saved. The masts have been
cut away to ease the ship.
The following correspondence between the agents of the
Olinda and Mr. Banning, the postmaster at Liverpool, re-
fers to some bags of private despatches, on which the post-
office authorities desire to enforce postage.
To the Editor of the Liverpool Standard.

"Sir,—For the inforMation of those who have forwarded
letters per screw-steamer Olinda, we enclose you copies of
correspondence we have had with the Postmaster as to how
the bags will be forwarded.
" Yours, respectfully,
MILLERS and THOMPSON.
Agents to the South American and General
Steam Navigation Company.
Letter addressed to Millers and Thompson.

GENTLEMEN In reply to your letter of this day's date,
I beg to inform you that all the mails but one for Cape de
Verd have been recovered from the Olinda and sent to
this office, and the earliest opportunities will be embraced
in forwarding them. The vessel mentioned by you, the
Genevieve, had already been selected for the conveyance of
the mails for Pernambuco, which will be put on board
here without delay. The remainder will probably be sent
by the Neptune, the Margaret Dean, the Bella, and the
Albatross. Three bags, containing letters, parcels, and
newspapers, which had not passed through the Post-office,
have accompanied the mails here, which will be sent
to the General Post-office, London, as, without payment of
the postage, they cannot be forwarded.—l am, &c.,
C. B. BANNING, Postmaster.
Post-office, Liverpool, 28th January, 1854.

" Liverpool, 28th January, 1854.
"SIR,—We beg to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter of this date. With regard to the latter part of it we
beg to state that the three bags you allude to contain our
private despatches to our agents, and consignee's letters
and newspapers. We submit that these should be at once
returned to us, as we have an undoubted right to put such
on board. We do not attempt to evade the post-office
laws: on the contrary, we have always volunteered every
information as to the sailing of our boats, and publicly
advertised that all letters and newspapers must pass
through the Post-office. We contend, therefore, that we
should be met in a more liberal spirit by the Post-office ;
not in this case, for we think "right," not " liberality,"
is our plea, but in regard to the general question of remu-
neration, which, certainly, is inadequate to the service
performed. You will, perhaps, forward this letter to
Lord Canning.—We are, sir, your obedient servants,
(Signed) MILLERS and THOMPSON
"C. B. Banning, Esq."