Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-10-08
PASSAGE OF THE GREAT
ESTERN
TERRIBLE STORM AND ALMOST A SHIFwRECK.

TERRIBLE STORM AND ALMOST A SHIFwRECK.
SATURDAY, Sept l2th, 1916.
The steamship Great Western, B. X. Matthews,
Esq, commander, left Liverpool at O'clock, P. NJ.
having on board one hundred and twenty-six pass
engers, Captain, five officers, five engineers and
seventy -four crew, in all two hundred and eleven
persons.
The weather, generally, was pleasant for the sea-
son of the year, and our progress good, averaging
200 miles day.
SATURDAY, Sept. 10Th, lat. AZ "a, Ion. 81 43, at
p. Nj. light airs from the s. E. and foggy, with
light drzzing rain. Got the yards alott, and set
the jibs and fore spencer. Breezes refreshing. AT
6 set the single reeted main spencer, and the square
sails, with two reefs in the topsall.
AT T. NJ. the wind increasing and variable
to the Westward, took in the square sails outer lib
and main spencer. At 10 P. NJ. fresbenng gales
and ugly weather; sea getting up and tossing high
| At midnight, increasing gales antla heavy squalls
took IN the fore spencer, the outhall having broken
in the meantime, the inner lib stay bulls eye hook
broke and the sail became useless hauled 1t down
and set the fore stay SAIL"
The above is an extract from the Captains log
book, and gives an account of the commencement
of the awful storm which the Great Western sur
mounted on her passage from Liverpool to New
York; one so terrific during It's continuance, anc
marked by such a signal delverance in the end
that it should he carefully related
! "SUNDAY, goth, at 40 minutes past A. NJ. con
tinues the log book, SPLIT the fore sail stay sail -
took in the remains of it and lay to, under bare
poles.
1.-THE sea rising frightfully, and breaking owe
against the ship, At 4, the wind increased to
heavy storm, and the sea running most turiously a
the ship. The wind veered 10 the N w at The
same time, and the ship breaking off into the trough
of the sea, rendered our situation more critical A
great quantity of water got into the engine room
the sea breaking over The ship, which was pumped
out by the biIge pump"
Sunday morning most Of the passengers assem-
bled in the cabin and saloon. Their huggard faces
told too surely Of the sleepess and anxious nigh
which had passed. Even those most Ignorant 0
nautical affairs could not fail TO discover that W.
were in the midst of great peril Few could dres
with their accustomed cute, owing 20 the yloen
pitching and constant rolling of the vessel. TIT
stewards abandoned any attempt to prepare I'M
breakfast table, and both then and throughout tn
day, were obliged to content themselves with bring
ing such articles of food were most convenient
to those who felt any disposition 10 eat
"At | o'clock, A. NJ, heavy broke owe
lhe fore. part OF the starboarl wheel house, pad
die box, which started the ice-house and a!ge iro
ile-boal, from their fsen ngs and washed ther
to leeward, and with much dlfhculty they wer
temporarily secured"
10 understand this the reader must bear in min
that the Great Western is, so to speak, three sore
high forward and aft, aud two in the waist, or mid
die of the ship: att, there is the lower story cal
in, above it, the saloon, the root or covering
which, is the quarter deck, and may for the purpos
of description, be considered as a Sd story In tn
waist, or middle, the lower story is occupied by tn
engine room, the roof or covering of which is III
main deck On the main deck, in the center, az
placed the chimney, galleys, and ice house. Tn
various offices appertalning to the stewards and pc
lice of the ship, at the sides. This part is open
bove, and protected by the wheel-houses and side
of the ship which rise to the hight of IA feet. Tn
width of the paddle box is about II feet The &c
house contained some seven eight tons of ic'
and was fastened by elects and stauncheons L'
the reader imagine the force Of the sea, and Ii
hight of the wave, which, rising over the padd
box, struck the Ice house and the large iron hi
boat above it, twisted them from their fastening
breaking the ice house into two parts, ripping o
the planks, crushing the starboard companion wa,
: and only prevented from making clear breach
the q es OF the ship by sudden lurch to port