The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-24
Voyage OF the steamer Amery from New
York.
ted from the Boetin Mereantl de Puerto Rico

Dec. ~.
We are happy to be able to present our readers
with the joyful intelligence that this steamer reached
San Tomas on the 26th. She experienced on her
trip furious tempest which placed her in the most
serious DANGER and had it not been for her excellent
qualities seag0ng vessel and for the sohdity OF
her machinery, she would infalEbly have persisted.
The passengers who were on board of her during
the trip, take delight in saying that our steamship Is
perfectly adapted to the purpose to which she ELS Is
destned of the truth Of this the inhabitants OF the
island will very soon be fully convinced.
We lay before our readers an interesting commu-
ncation from San Tomas, giving an account OF the
arrival Of this steamer and the details OF her voyage
during which she 30 severely assailed by the bad
weather. The public, which has always read with
interest everything connected with an enterprise
which is to be productive OF such advantageous re-
suits, will not read with indifference the following
account Of the voyage Of the steamer Borlnqueno,
(the AmOry) from New York to st. Thomas.
Yesterday (26th), at five o'clock in the afternoon,
the steamship Bovnqueno entered the port OF San
Tomas after having suffered not a little from the
nclemency of the weather. and after having escaped
more than one danger on her trip from New York,
which latter port she left the 11th at half one
o'clock in the afternoon Fortunately have to re-
port no accident whatever, neither among the pas
sengers nor among the crew, notwithstanding the
difficulties and dangers which they underwent; they
are all in good health and good order and harmony
were maintained throughout, the provisions having
been abundant 10 the end.
About two hours after having set sail, and when
the vessel was opposite Sandy Hook it was perceived
that the copper pipe conveying the dry steam to the
starboard boiler, did not work, and that the steam
was therefore confined in said boiler and 1t was
discovered that the pressure Of the steam had severe
ly injured the pipe at the same time that it prevent
ed the valves from working. As consequence Of
this accident and while this evil was being remeded,
and lay at anchor till the next day, when it was
thought more prudent to return to New York than to
continue the voyage.
This having been done, engineers and mechanics
called to repair the damage, and on the fifteenth,
at halfpast one in the afternoon, it being supposed
that everything was in good order, the Borinqueno
resumed her voyage. The weather was magnificent,
and the vessel speeding along at the rate Of ten or
eleven knots per hour, had soon lost sight of the
port of New York The voyage continued without
any incident worth mentioning until the 18th, when,
at four o'clock in the afternoon, violent wind
began to blow from thew and w SW sea very heavy;
to be furious hurricane, and so much So that even
the machinists and tremen could not resist sea-
sickness, and the fires had to be extinguished The
captain and some of the passengers who had navi-
gated the Gulf many times say that they never eXpe-
lienced so severe gale in those ATTITUDES.
After about sixty hours the fury of the storm
began to abate, and the barometer to rise. The
machinists and fremen having recovered, the
began to work anew and with good success.
But as it seemed to be written that the
misfortunes of the vessel were not to stop SO
soon, on the Goth new accident occurred
10 StOp Lne progress OF Tie Vcsscl. IL was
discovered that the pipe conveying the water to one
Of the boilers, was obstructed. The fires had there
fore to be eXtinguished once more to allow an in
vestigaton into the cause OF this That having been
done, small tin lamp was found within one OF the
tues Of the boilers forgotten and left there, doubt
less, by some Of the mechanics employed i'll the
building Of the vessel, and which was the cause Of
this new difficulty. The vessel was delayed once
more for twelve hours, after which they. set out
again, everything being repaired and continued the
with the disadvantage OF wind ahead and
When the gale began to blow on the 10th, the
pump carrying the water from the condenser to the
boilers got out Of order, and though it was used dur
ing several days after and including the 2lst it
no longer possible to make of it, and they were
obliged to feed the cold water boiler by means OF an
auxiliary pump, whence it resulted that the speed OF
the vessel which was originally Of ten or eleven
miles per hour, was reduced, whenever the water
was renovated, to three or four.
But this was not the end of their misfortunes. On
the 25th, at ten in the morning. the vessel leaked
considerably, and although the pumps, which are
worked by the machinery, were set in motion, no
favorable result obtained and the water entered
faster than it was elected by the pumps. The cap
tain became alarmed, but did not any the less on
hat account fail to take such measures he deemed
xpedent. The hands were set to work with buckets
at the fore-hatchway, while the passengers were
directed to the head-pump. It was finally feared,
however, that notwithstanding their strenuous efforts,
the water rising. and would put out the fires
in the furnaces; underthis apprehension the captain
gave orders that the boats should be prepared with
out abandoning the work that provisions and water
should be prepared, and that the passengers and
crew should be distributed in them. He also remem
bered to impress them with the necessity of preserv
ing order and discipline when they should leave the
vessel. About three hours after, however such was
the order with which both the crew and passengers
applied themselves to work that the vessel free
and then it was discovered that the cause of this
was that some coal had got into the pumps and pre-
vented them from working
Great the fear and anxiety Of all the persons on
board. All considered their lives in imminent peril.
The recourse to the boats was regarded very I'M
certain; but there was not one among the crew or
passengers who failed to do his duty. The utmost
emulation was shown by all on board and all evinced
perfect resignation to the fate which they expect
ed At the beginning of the last trouble the captain
shaped his course towards Porto Rico, whence they
were distant some ninety or hundred miles As
soon as the nature and cause Of the accident were
discovered, however-and there was every reason to
hope that it would not be repcatedhe made for St.
Thomas.
The captain and passengers are lavish of their
praise of the excellent qualities Of the vessel Had she
not possessed them to an eminent degree she never
could have resisted the violence of the hurricane.
The vessel is to undergo immediate repairs, and
nothing will be spared to place her in sea-worthy
condition, with the briefest delay after which she
will repair to Porto Rico, where, it is To be hoped
she will fully and satisfactorily answer the purpose
for which she is destined
PETTIBONE Tunnel, on THE BALTIMORE AND
ONO RAILRoAD.-The ceremony Of the opening Of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which was cele
brated last week with signal success, would have
been necessarily postponed for time, in conse
quence of the unfinished state Of the Pettbone tun
mel, but for an ingenious and bold expedient, by
which the tunnel for the present dispensed with
and the train Of five hundred visters, and thirteen
locomotives of the heaviest class made to traverse
the summit Of the mountain not yet fully perforated
This was done by means Of temporary zigzag track
cut in the face of the mountain and furnished with
rails, by of which, sections Of road called VS.
divergng from each other by switches in reversed
direction, and thus mounting above each other at an
inclination Of $50 feet to mile. Over these Sections
the locomotives, each drawing two long passenger
cars with its complement Of passengers, assembled at
pace Of fifteen miles an hour and descended safely
i'm no M on tba tharp iIn y