New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-20
MARINE AFFAIRS.
FOR EUROPE.

The United States mail steamship Washington sailed
on Saturday with 100 passengers and OOo in specie
The Belgian steamship Constitution took out D. hrst
and second cabin passengers to Antwerp.
,rr.t TRIP OF THE STEAMSHIP yANDRRBILT
The trial trip of the steamship Vanderbilt to the
lower BAY on Saturday very successful and sur
passed the expectations of all parties interested The
steamer left her berth foot of Charlton street North
River. at O'Clock D. M, and steamed slowly down
the bay to Sandy Hook; returning, arrived of the
BATTERY at o'clock exactly, having run from the
Southwest Spit to Castle Garden, a distance of IL
miles in ffu-fre minutes the whole way against the
ebb tide-a speed that We believe, has never before
been eoualed by any steam craft She had go uns OF
coal on board and drew II feet inches of water
Under pressure of pounds of steam, which was cut
off at haf-stroke Of the piston, the wheels made Il
revolutions per minute.
The engines worked with the regularity and certainty
of chronometcr. There was no unpleasant Earring,
and the ship was steady and solid, giving to all on
board perfect feeling of safety. The spacousness OF
the saloons and stateroorhs the completeness of the
appointments, with the elegant furnishings were
greatly admired by the company. The dimensions OF
the ship and engines as follows Length, 3iO feet
breadth OF BEAM 40 feet depth of hold SO feet tun-
mage, carpenters measurement, 5,26s tuns. She Is
built with seven solid, permanent, wGter-tight com
partments.
The Vanderbilt was designed by the Commodore
and constructed by j. Simonson of New-York.
The shp is propelled by two walking-beam low
pressure engines, which were built at the Allaire
Works. Diameter of cylinder, 90 inches; length of
stroke Of pistons IL feet four tubular boilers each 80
feet long and IA feet wide with furnaces to each
boiler Estimated consumption of coal 100 tuns every
"a hours The paddle wheels are ~ feet in diameter
and 10 feet broad having eight mmersons at ~ feet
draught of water of ship when loaded. Her bunkers
are capable of containing 400 tuns of coal; cargo
space 200 tuns. She has 400 stateroOm berths, many
of which are now engaged for the first passage of the
ship to Southampton and Havre, on the 9Th proximo.
NAVAL.
The United States steam frigate Niagara has been
repaired and will positively sail to-day The cylinder
head has been replaced, and steam was got up on
Saturday
Loss OF wHALERs
Information has been received al the Department OF
State from correspondent at Honolulu of the loss
of several American whaling vessels, belonging to
New-Bedford Mass The ship Mount Vernon
was lost in the ice in the Ochotsk Sea, on the 10th OF
June last. The were rescued by the ship Barn
stable of the same port, and portion of the oil was
saved, but the vessel was total wreck. Inc shiP
Alexander Coffin ran upon the rocks IN the OchoSk
last and was dsmased. She was subsequently taken
into Azan. condemned and the oil and bone shipped
to the United States. The ship Nstchez was wrecked
in Potters Bay, Ochotsk Sea- on the 1th OF October,
where che left upon the beach. The crew was
taken off by the bark Harmony, Of New-LOndon.
The ship Nauticon was wrecked at the entrance of the
harbor Of Honolulu on the oath OF November Assist
ance was promptly rendered by the French frgate En-
buscade Captain GZome, and the English fr1gate
Havannah, Captain Harvey. The cargo was mostly
saved but the ship was total loss The brig jon
auina of Olympia crushed in the ice near Azan,
and completely wrecked. Her crew were saved by
other vessels. Washington Union.
pFsoLATIHG CALAMITY.
On Monday, March 80, the schooner George Hansen
left this port for q down TO Dutchmsns Point for
cargo Of wood. She little craft Of less than 80
tuns burden, owned and manned by Frederick Nichols,
her commander Thomas Nichols, his brother, and
Samuel Jesper, their brother-in-law. They were a!l
saors though the latter had been for some time past
q teamster. With their joint means they had bought
this little craft Jesper selling his team to meet hs
share of the purchase money. They had spent some
five weeks on her repairs and IN the family circle the
name If the little schooner had become a household
word. She received new mast, new sans ana was
ready for sea by the earliest opening OF the season. and
they wished 10 take short voyage 10 test her quail
ties. Ii was early yet they would be gone only few
davs and the lake was smooth, the breeze inviting
and the npPles danced as gayiy IN me sunlgnt as II
the bright but reacherous element had never known
the hipg of the and the terrors of the angry
waves Besides Frederick had been q sailor for
many years had crossed the ocean several times his
comrades were stout and true, and, in a full sense
Of the security and short duration of the trip
their younger brother Edwin Nichols, of rather in
finn health, was induced TO accompany them, to
reap benefit from the bracing air of the lake, and the
Hansen dropped down the rver and stood boldly down
the lake eghted nchly with the most precious objects
Of affection and almost the sole protectors of the family
circles they left in the West Division. Then the
terrible gale of the lst inst, which filed so many
homes with mourning and since that time nothing has
been heard Of the schooner George Hansen, or her
crew. II has been anxious period since for the
mother and daughters as day has followed day, and
Vet intelligence and no arrival. But they had been
used TO the delays and disappointments in sailors re-
turn and were meeting the suggestions of their fears by
various probable causes of delay. The dreadful nte-
gence reached them Friday last that sons and hus
bands and brothers with the little vessel they had laden
deeply with the fortunes of their family had
perished in the gale. The steam tug Mcqueen, on
Friday last in her rp up the lake found the nasts Of
sunken vessel standing out of the water. off the
shore, about one mile north of Kenosh8. One Of the
masts was new one, and they were able 10 secure
and bring 10 THE port one of the sails II has been
identified, beyond all mistake, by Capt. William
Wight Of the schooner Holmes, son-in-law OF the
elder Mrs. Nichols as belonging TO the Inflated Han
sen, and there is doubt that all the brothers
have met wetey gsve. ], is eoniectured that the