Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-01-16

W. have more than once published some al
,,,,;on 70 the loss of the Russian frgate Diana,
in the .Janan seas aud the subsequent capture OF
her officers and crew by the ships of the Eng
Iish and French squadron, as they were at
tempting to reach the river AMOR Inc Lon
don Times publishes the following account oil the
earthquake at Simoda and the consequent loss
of the ship, from the letter OF an English oheer
dated at Nangasaki, Sept. 90, 1855. The writer
voncbes for the accuracy of the account as
translated from the log-book of the ship, by the
aid of its officers:
On the 23d of December, 1854, the Russian
fripate Diana, lying in the Bay Of Simoda, Isl
and of Niphon. experienced the shock oil an
earthquake which eventually caused her total
destruction At $50 A. NJ, on the above day,
being DESTROYS of shifting their berth, they sent
a boat to lay out n small anchor o. the bow,
and at Q. 80 another anchor was laid out on the
| quarter At 9.45 she was observed 10 snake
very much for about minute. AT hrst tney
imagined her to be aground but on sounding
! eight fathoms water were found round her
The day was beautifully fine and clear, the sky
without a cloud, aud the water perfectly calm
| nothing more was thought of the matter, and
! the duties of the ship were proceeded with. At
| 10 A. NJ, a large wave was noticed ROLLING INTO
the bay, and the water on the beach very rapid
" rising immersed the village of Simoda; it
| appeared to them on board the frigatc rs If the
village was sinking. A large Japanese junk
was driven on shore with violence, bat the frig-
ate held to her anchors. The cutter and cap
| tains gig, which had been undergoing repairs
ON shore, were seen drifting out to sea, and a
boat was sent to pick them UP but ABOUT I'VE
minutes afterwards, the water lnow very muddy
was observed rushing out of the bay. The guns
we're now secured, lower deck ports closed and
| matches fastened down, the boats recalled, and
large boat (pinnace or barge, probably, J
obliged to throw everything overheard, and
make the best of her way to the frigate. The
boats had barely time to fetch the ship when
second wave rolled into the bay; this carried on
! shore all the boats that were afoat, and, on its
recedine, all tue hQuses that had formed the vii
lage of Simoda were washed INTO the bay, GOV:
ering the water with the ruins Of houses and
wrecks of junks.
The frigate now dragged her anchor, and the
second bower anchor was let 60, but the ship
had not time to bring up when third wave
larger and more impetu0us than the preceding
came rolling in. At 1915 the water again re-
ceded, and only one solitary building pointed
out the site of the former village, and that was
| japanese Temple, in process sf being built
| A column of smoke was observed on the side OF
the hill, but no one could see whence it came,
while strong sulphurous odor filed the atmos-
pbere After this the water advanced and re-
cedcd so quickly that regular whirpools were
formed in the bay causing the Japanese junks to
| wh:-l around very rapidly; the trigate also
turned round, but her anchors only allowed her
to describe three.quarters OF circle; her mo-
ton, however, was so rapid that all on board be.
came giddy. At 1890 large junk came with
great violence against the starboard bow of the
frigate, carrying away flying jib-boom, jib-boom,
martinyale and swinging boom, and injuripg the
bow Three men from the junk managed to
scramble on board the frigate, but the other
five refused to go, and in in two minutes all
went down along side--the ship at the same time
swinging violently. She was between two small
islands, the one about three cables, the other
half cables length from her. She continued
this motion for about half an hour, and during
this time must have made from Gu to 20 reyolu-
tons, dragging her anchors all the time, ard
gradually approaching one of the islands. AT
1914 they let go another anchor, the ship at
that time being so near the shore that the bow
spirit was not above five feet from the rocks, and
more than once officers and men raised their
| caps expecting instant death, but as my lnform-
ant SAYS "God would not have it So" .
The ship was now at the mercy Of the waves,
| all command of her was lost, and at one time
she fell on her beam ends, so that 1t was impos-
sbe to stand on deck probably she had touch
ed piece of rock,} but from the gyrati9p she
made no shock was felt. This lasted for five
| minutes, when the water rose and she slipped
off, tearing away rudder, half of stern post,
| false keel, and a piece of keel cightyone feet
long, besides two planks; and before she righted
she described the same circle several times
One of the midship guns broke adriit, and
jumped across the two guns on the opposite
side, killing one man and wounding four Others.
at - o'clock the current was less violent, and
shores were got out and placed against the ships
side. At 1890 the water agaa rushed into the
bay with the same impetuoslty, swinging the
ship to and fro as before. This continued until
go during which time she was on her beam
ends five times but not so much as before; the
shores were carried away; the water rose and
fell very rapidly in five minutes it would de-
crease from 90 feet to feet, and at one time it
was So low that all the anchors were visible above
water At everything was STILL and the ship
in 90 feet water, making go inches every hour,
around nothing could be seen but wrecks of
unks and fragments of houses from the roof
of one of the latter an old woman taken,
quite insensible The whole of the day had
been remarkably fine; the wind light from n.
E.. the barometer stood during t whole day
at 29:S7, and the thermometer 50 Fahrenheit
At $50 an attempt was made to clear the an
chors, but they were so foul that it was late in
plished; both bower anchors came up at once
bringing with them several japanese anchors,
quantities of clothes a large net, &c.
The people on shore stated the loss OF life
among the Japanese amounted to 300. On the
18th boat was sent to endeavor to discover the
ruddcr, false keel, &C., and the latter was found
about half mile inland, together with the ad-
mirals barge. In the afternoon they visited the
shore and so complete had been the destruction
- IL E,l Of he
town. When they were about to return to the
ship the water again began to flow and recede
at one time the boat would be high and dry, and
then far out in deep water; after much difficulty
they succeeded in getting on board. e
A kedgc was laid out from the frigate to haul
her into deep water, and she began to swing as
before. At one time there was only one fathom
of water alongside. A large junk was driven
two miles inland
They remained at simoda until the 18th Of
January, but not finding convenient place to
heave the frigate down for repairs, they attempt
ed with false rudder to go round to Tortoise
Bay, about 80 miles She went very well be-.
fore the wind, but when they attempted to beat
into the ay she became totally unmanagablc,
would neither stay nor wear; all sails were
furled, and they allowed here to drive, and
though near the land no bottom could be found
At last the leadsman gave nine fathoms, and
the anchors were Immediately let go, she being
at this time not more than FIVE fathoms from
the shore.
Jan. 'f5.-The pumps were insufficient to keep
her clear, and it was agreed to desert the ship,
which was done. On the 10th a rope was made !
fast from the ship to the shore down which the
men slid as no boat could live on aecoun. of |
the serf ]
Jan. ls.-The japanese sent 300 boats to tow |
the ship up the bay, a distance of FIVE miles |
the whole of her white streak WAS than under I
water, but when they had towed her about three
miles and half, the wind freshened, and they I
deserted her; in about ten minutes afterwards |
the frigate gave one iurch, righted for mo-
moment, and disappeared with everything on I
board-guns ammunitions, stores, &c. The |
place was afterwards sounded but no bottom
could be obtained at loco fathoms.
NJ NJ RAILRoD.-Thc first locomotive reach
I'd the station at Iowa City at II o'clock on the
st inst, in time to secure the $50, 900 at stake
iold as it was the men worked all the night of
he slst ut. while hundreds ofpeopIe from Iowa