New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-02-14
MARINE AFFAIRS.
THE STEAMSHIP GEORGIA

MARIhE AfFHLhS.
THE STEAMSHIP GEORGIA
We earn from IN old ses clpsn who VA on board he
steamer Georgia tia, upoa tie occasion Of b. recent DIS
aster he being passenger board was hing IN hii
berth awake when the which did the damage straS
the vessel He DID not remark any exrsortnary force ia
the blow. and did imagine thai such resalis had oow
cd He aiervard remarked that he had often struck
whales in an sp- n boat in heavier The sea how
ever swept away about 30 feet the bow Of the Georgia
leaving the stem only standing The officers immediately
sent passerger cargo guns & all 50 IS % Esaen tie
bow Fortunately the wind died away and IN the morning
there was perfect calm Had the sea been rough or
gale sprung up the ship would undoubtedly have founder
ed and all on board persisted bat with the advantage Of
smooth and proper care, she managed to run INTO
Norfolk.
We have received the following letter from IN eye wit
ness
STEAMSHIP GEORGIA.
HARBoR OF NORFOLK, Va Feb. II. ls5tS
Hy Dear SIR. Ere you receive this you viii have seen
n feeeraphc accounts OF the eOtgiss having lut into
this port disabled TO extent that viii proven, her going
10 ca again without extensive repairs. On the morning
OF the sth inst, about q o'clock during severe gala
the bows of the ship stove in the bowsp-t stem
d everything above the deck for about 80 feet aft
from the stem being carried away or rendered complete
wreck.
intentionally.
uearanee the ship doomed about 81 O'Clock, when
first went deck the fearful in the extreme
The whole Of the passengers were crowded alt on
the quarter deck 70 rase the bows as mlch a. P'soe eu
of the water and fast as il could be done the guns ec
were dragged al. best bower anchor and chain dropped
overheard 10 relieve her and about one hundred mat
and pillows stuffed into the Aos between the
timbers forward, the steam pumps were act going and
baine gangs to work, and snXOusy waited for day
light Such mingled scene Of confusion prayers BIAS
pLemies and such vsrously manifested but general aes
par trust may never again witnc's As day da"ned
AID advanced the weather moderated, tho wreck was
cleared awny some temporary repairs effected and the
shin headed this port which az noon was 23 miles DIS
tant bearing " W Fortunately a calm succeeded the
storm and during the night of the 10th and all of yeser
day scarcely ripple stirred the surface Of the water til
vereached this habor about o'clock Z w. and at no time
was there more water in the ship than about two feet in
the lower hold and about foot between decks out
had the gale sbaed the ship must have foundered in
lev hours least such is the opinion have heard ex-
pres ed by the officers of the and some sea cap
tain. board There were nearly eight hundred souls on
board the Georgia including the crew. PASSENGER
Itseems to be the general opinion among the passengers
that it was scarcely less than criminal act to send such
rotten old ship to sea
Anoher statement has just come to hand which we sub
join
To ne E9iler Of Then. y Tribune.
SIR The undersigned with some ten or twelve hundred
passengers fi New York Feb 6, a. clock, in the L. >
Mail steamship Georgia for Aspnwall the wind tar and
ky clear until ID O'Clock p NJ the wind then shifted to
the south.
Feb. The sky clear. wind dead ahead all day
Feb s-Weatter the same until shutdown, when clouds
rose in the south and threatened blow AT II Pm we
had stiff breeze with occasional showers OF ram wIIcn
lasted until about O'Clock Thursday mornng9 when
there ull in the wind for few moments and then
commenced blowing with all the fury Of hurricane and
lasted for three hours with occasionally heavy falls OF
rain and but Tor the excellent management and eKraor
binary ezer0ns perhaps were better to say KIND Prov'
dence Of tie officers and crew we must all have gone to
the bottom.
At oclock we shipped heavy which carried away
bows bulkhead bowsprit and one anchor, leaving the
whole fore ,u,; of the ship perfect wreck water
cane over the upper deck several feet deep and came n
the middle deck two feet deep ana ned inc hod
TO tie depth Of about three feet.
Nearly all of the Storage passengers Jumped OUT OF ner
berhs crybg praying wearing bidding one an0 baTe
and there which added not little 10 the general confusion
and CONSERVATION Had shipped another such sea at mat
time is the opinion of the officers crew and passengers
that should all have gone to tho bottom IN niieeh mn
and rot soul would have been eit To tell tho mourn
ful tale. As lid not and as there was FAINT ray OF
hoIe ef the steerage passengers were al ordered s
which raised the bows we took ia water only moier
stey. Two pumps were then worked by steam and one
forward by hands while the passengers were formed INTO
Gangs and haed the from the lower cabin in an
hour or two toerably free OF water. few men
then went work fixing the bows and worked at 1t all
day. but the repairs though good as could be expected
under tie circumstances poor enough 10 stand gale
Of wind and heavy but as kind Providence Tiled
it the winds and waves were Gained ana az IL Clock
H. steCred for Norfolk, distance 20 miles where
we arrived safe on Friday, Feb 10 at + NJ ms tho
opinion of the passengers that we were sent to sea IN
vessel every way unseaworthy and that the company
knew il before we started from New York.
We left New York with no fore matches for the main
deck her bows rotten and splnered We had no capen
ter saws augurs spikes or lumber IN TACT we had JUST
nothing to meet any emergency We were too heavy
loaded in the bow and it if the calculation was to
send Us TO sea to drown.
Aeer the first alarm was over some OF the crew com
mepced stealing everything they could lay their hands on
The captain had the vessel searched and part OF the
property was found and restored.
One passenger was lost by jumping oVerDoard Ia
fright. Yours, truly H l.
Ns.JoR, Ia Saturday, FEB. H. 1854