The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-10-22
The Particulars OF the Disaster To the Noble
steamship Great Britain.
From the Liyerpool Times Oct Al

The Particulars OF the d. aster to the Noble
steamship Great Britain.
| From the Liverpool Times, Oct 4
| IL is with extreme regret we have to announce
that this noble vessel has met with another dis
aster on her outward passage from Liverpool to
New York, and one which, we fear, may dis
able her from ever again crossing the Atlantic.
she left this port on the morning of the I'D
uit, taking one hundred and eighty five passen-
gers, about sixty tons Of valuable fine goods as
| freight and about the same measurement OF pas
sengers' luggage. She took her departure, wit
| messed by large concourse OF spectators, amid
the cheers Of congregated thousands and the roar
Of artillery. After clearing the Bell Buoy, she
bere away for the Calf of Man, with the intention
| Of running the north about passage between the
Isle Of Man and Ireland. The morning was
beautiful, the wind was fair, the ship was in ex.
ce!lent trim, and she had abundant promise of a
pleasant and rapid passage, and that, too, under
| the command of an able and experienced cap.
tain, who had most successfully for some years
| navigated the Atlantic Ocean, to the satisfaction
| of his passengers, the commercial public, and
| the company by whom he was employed For
| about ten hours the noble palace of iron,-the
| largest that perhaps tenants the deep,-was pro
| PEELED by wind and steam at the rate of II or IS
| knots an hour. In fact, it may be said that she
had overrun herself; At four TO five O'Clock in
the afternoon the island was distinctly visible on
the starboard bow. Shortly after it set in 10 rain,
and the wind increased, the ship making excel
lent progress, and the passengers uncommonly
oetlgnteo with tho VeSse ana her admirable quail
| ties as sea boat. Night then closed il, dark and
wei, land the wind gradually freshened into half.
| gale The log was repeatedly taken. The weather
was thick and foggy, and the ship passed the Calf
lights before dark, without being able to distin-
guish the lighthouse at that station. About half
past nine o'clock at night, the passengers were
| startled by an extraordinary noise on deck, and a
cry Of stop herr" aground, agroundv'-" the
"oh, we are wreckedr' A general fear prevail.
ed that that the ship was in collision with some
other vessel; but it was soon found that she had
| stranded. The night was dark and stormy, the
ship beat necessarily upon the sand, the breakers
repeatedly breaking heavily over her, and one of
the life boats was carried from its fastenings on
the quarter. Alarms and cries instantly perva-
ded the ship, and apprehensions were general
| amongst the passengers that the ship would break
up during the night beneath the force ofthe break.
| ers which constantly burst over her decks. To
add to that moment OF woe, the lightning glared,
the thander beloved portentousy from a thick
curtain OF overhanglng cloud, and the rain began
to fall in torrents. The scene was one that baf-
hes description. So far as the eye could pierce
through the gloom, the sea was a general caul-
dron Of foam, and the white spray flashing the
flakes. As we said before, the ship had outsail-
ed her captains reckoning; and the light on "St
Johns Point" being mistaken for that OF the "Cali
Of Man," she went on shore at Rathmullin, in
Dundrum Bay Throughout the emergency Cap
tain Hosken behaved with admirable self posses
sion, energy and with the greatest kindn ess; and
Immediately after the ship struck went down be
low, and, by his assurances, quoted the excited
were successful A portion of the passengers re-
turned to their berths and slept till morning. OF
the captain and ship the passengers speak in the
highest terms. The ship, previously to her stri.
king, displayed in the gale the most admirable
qualities as sea boat; and the captain, subse-
quently to that occurrence, acted as well as man
could act placed in a situation such as his A pas
| senger with whom we have conversed states:
&C .rA1 -, 49, ..e.l n -
when, after taking turn on deck, l retired to
bed and should say that not more than half an
hour could have elapsed before was alarmed by
hearing much confusion on deck, and the men
calling out to stop her! Immediately after, she
took the ground, at which time the wind was
blowing very fresh, and occasional showers were
| falling. The night was dark, but not so much so
that we could not clearly see light on shore but
we could not tell what part of the coast we were
on. The tide was flowing at this time, and, oil
course, it tended to drive us further in towards
tho main land. In company with one or two
other passengers, remained on deck during the
next four hours, when the wind having mode
rated, and all danger, regarded life, being at an
end, the boats were put in readiness for immedi-
ate service, If required; but, thank God it remain
ed comparatively calm; and at low water in the
morning we were so near the shore, that carts
and cars could approach within short distance
of US, and the passengers, with their luggage,
were in a short time landed"
1t is not possible to describe the interest and
anxiety which this event caused in Liverpool on
the oath and in LondOx on the following Jav
Our office was, throughout the day, besieged by
anxious inquiries and in order to lay before the
readers of the European Times all the particulars
of this unfortunate disaster, proceeded to Ire
land, which enables u: to give the following par
ticulars in addition to the brief sketch above:-
We reached Dundrun Bay on the 9th, and
found the Great Britain high up, about 300 yards
from and lying parallel with the shore. at high
water mark At spring tide she had drifted in
hon einpa fbs,, hfeEo
but had not sustained any damage beyond the
loss of her rudder, which is now entirely cut
away, and her screw at liberty, uninjured, and in
see her wing on bed Of sand, under which you a
few feet deep, are solid rocks She has evident
ly, after she first took the ground, run several OF
her own lengths into the sand, and is now appa-
renfly embedded some five or six feet-to us il
appears, and this seems to be the prevailing opin.
ion with almost every one in the neighborhood
extremely doubtful whether she will ever be got
off.
She had on board 1000 tons of Goals, 60 tons of
freight, and 100 tons Of water, which have been
removed prior to the next springs, which COM
menced on the Sd inst. She now lies between
the coast guard house and the Cow and Calf
Rocks. She must have passed near the latter,
which is only to be seen at low water, and are
sitnated in a great depth of water, upon which,
had she struck, she must have gone down, and
perhaps every soul persisted. There are hume
rous other very dangerous breakers, extending a
long distance, Immediately where she struck,
which would destroy any ship that is unfortunate
enough to strike on them. Shortly after our ar
rival all the freight with the exception of some
ten bales, were removed to the Liverpool steam
tug Dreadnought, for shipment by the Caledonia.
On the captain of that steamer Captain Hosken
bestows great praise for the extraordinary exer-
tons which he used to assist the Great Britain,
and to get the freight away.
A party on the spot furnished Mr. Edward
Wilmer with the following narrative -
"When she struck, the utmost CONSERVATION
ensued, the captain, sailors, and every one On
board, conceiv!ng that they were commencing
pect of making a speedy and very prosperous
voyage After proceeding very rapidly from Lii
verpool, she ran on shore on the sand banks of
Tyrela watch-house, Dundrum Bay, about half.
past nine o'clock on the night Of the I'D, the day
she left Liverpool The passengers, one hum
dred and eighty five in number, were all safely
landed. The news Of this disaster reached
Downpatrick and the surrounding neighborhood
"a ru on the following morning and the snot .,a |.