Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-11-24
THE GAZETTE.
Wednesday MORNING, NovKx'R "a, 1858

WEDNESDAY MORNING, NovEMR "a, 1883
Running OF TIE EASTERN CITY.
The story of tbe burning of this ship and
the providential rescue Of her passengers Is
told by the London Times. The account is
graphic and highly interesting:
"Tbe Eastern City was q ship Of 1868 tons,
bound from Liverpool to Melbourne. She
left the Mersey on the 10th Of July last, bav-
ing on board one hundred and eighty passcn-
gers, forty.seven men, officers and crew, and
more than 600 tons of general cargo. All
went we'll till the Eastern City passed the
equator, but on the 23d of August, it was dis
covered that fire had broken ont in the fore
hold This was about two in the afternoon,
and the sea was running high, for the day
before there had been heavy gale and the
ship was rolling heavily. Capt. Johnstone,
whose conduct throughout the TRANSACTION
appears to have been above oil praise, al
once ordered all tho passengers ana ere" Oh
deck. All obeyed the order save one poor
man, Peter Mclean by name, who was sup
nosed to have been suffocated in his berth
Ills absence, however, was not noticed at the
moment, and the fore. hatch was closed.
Through two holes one on each side OF
the batch, the ships company proceeded to
pour down tons Of water. IL was OF no avail;
the FIRE could not be extingulehed, so the
next attempt was to try and smother 1t
The hatch was covered over with every wool
len matter on which the Ie)ple could lay
their hands; but this served only to. check, not
to remedy, the evil. All night through the
EN- ON board kept at their work, While the
women and children--there were sixty of
them-were gathered together on the poop
with such small comforts ss could be provi'
ded for them 10 o burning ship, with death
presently at hand. The boats were ready,
and the captain did his best to persuade b's
luckless passengers that at all events
there was refuge for them; but he knew
very we'll that the boats would never live
in the sea then on, and if they could have
lived, there was not room in them tor hall
his company and passengers. They were
six hundred miles away from land and out
OF the usual track OF ships, so that the case
seemed evil indeed.
Towards morning it became clear that
the fire was gaining on the Elstero City: 1t
was working its way into the after hold
Smoke now appeared in the first and second
cabins. 1t was sad work and, as though to
mock their misery, the morning broke teau.
tiful and bright, although the sea was slll
high. The ship was put before the vino,
aud allon board still worked hard, though hcpe
bad deserted the ship. Still, despair Will %
as well az hope as far as working Is concern
ed At such a time happy is 1t Tor those =" no
can work and drive away the overpowerirs
sense of present evil by physical exertion
useless as it may be. About noon the fore
yard came down by the run. This was OF
the Oath. How il the foromast should tai
and rip up the deck and let IN the air to ian
the flame, which as yet bad not burst iorth'
as it soon would if fed with outer ar! ihere
was but one chance left, and that chance
seemed remote one indeed, which was that
a sail might appear and ship bear down TO
their assistance.
about two O'Clock 10 tho afternoon the
captain and few of the passengers bad gone
into the after saloon to get "a little food. Be
fore going down they had scanned the horl.
ION greedily enough. no doubt: but they could
make nothing of it. The hasty meal OF which
they were partaking was probably to be their
last one in this world. On sudden the cry
arose on deck, "A sail! saiIv They all
rushed M, but at first nothing could they see
save cloud on the boriz n. Presently they
caught sight of something white. Was IL
sail? Was it gull? Was il life? Was it death?
1t grew larger, and more distinct; there could
at length be no doubt-they were saved
She was coming down upon US, close by the
edge of the SUMS rays on the sea; how We oil
cbeered, and wept. and prayed. and laughed,
and elias ped each others hands; and cheered
again; how great rough fellows Rugged each
other, and wept like children; bow men who
had probably never prayed before muttered
sincere Thanksgiving; and how these who
bad preserved the greatest indifference when
death seemed 30 near, were now completely
overcome Wewill not attempt to weaken
the force of this description by any comment
of our own.
"Within half an hour from the time the
ship was first sig ted she bore down upon them
and cheering only as British soldiers and
sailors Can cheer, the ships company and
troops on board the Merchantmen passed un-
der the stern of the turning ship. AZ she
passed, Capt. tombstone hailed them through
his trumpet, We are on fire: will you stand
BY us?' Back came voice from the good ship
Merchantmen, 'Ay, ay.' 10 o briet space the
boats were got out from either ship, and trst
the women and children were transported on
board the troop-ship, then the rest. Two hun
dred and twenty persons were thus resc-
cued from death without q single accident to
any individual Every living soul on board the
Eastern City was saved, with the exception
of that unfortunate man who bad been sutf1'
Gated BY the smoke at the outset OF the caIan-
ity. At about 2 a. NJ, when the sroopship
stood away, the Eastern City was in Il bright
blaze allow and nlott, ard soon the mast W ent
and the burning hull was left to her inte-
The last her captain and passengers ard crew
saw Of her was black cloud in the distance
floating in the morning air."
Gen. Morris's song of Scenes Of Home"
'He never loved me-" "Your hand take in
piue," lob, would that she we're here;
"Years ago." "Boatman haste "Ihe belle
of the ball." and many others FROM the same
pen, have been set to music BY Bale, ahd
published 10 London.
TNASHIONABLE DANClNG.-PHENlA
HALL.-P,oftssOr JOHN l.. BAhER, re-
spectfully announces TO the citizens OF Alexan-
dria and vicinity, that his first course OF lnsiruc
ton will expire OH The 25,h instant.
He is now prepared to receive applications
for his second quarter, commencing on the "a
o. December All persons DESTROYS OF taking