The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-01-25
T III E DISP A TIC H.
TUESDAY MORNING. c3 tSs9
The Voyage OF the Steamship We
ser-CriticaI situation OF the Ship.

The Queenstown, Ireland, Journal, at which
port the steamship Weser arrived, after being sis
ven up as lost, gives description Of her perious
voyage. She left Hamburg for New York, and
the first three or four days experienced fine wea.
ther. gale set in on December 18th, during
which the bow ports and hawssr holes gave way,
and admitted large masses Of water into the pro-
vision room. The account says:
The doors Of the compartment were opened, in
order 10 allow the water to reach the steam
pumps; but Immediately after this done the
water in the provision rose rapidly to eight
feet. This circumstance proved that the biige was
completely filled with water. The doors in the
compartment were now closed and hand pumps
set at work to relieve the forward and aft com.
partments. The large force pump was unfit to
work effectively. December II water showed
itself 10 the forward coal bunkers and gained
rapidly in the engine and boiler room. The prin-
cipai work was done With hand pumps and bail
ing with buckets, as the steam pumps refused to
work with any noticeable effect. The passengers
shared the toll with the crew.
On December Il, matters grew still more unfavor-
able. The boats were kept in readiness, and Capt.
GaetSen resolved, after duo conference with his
engineers and officers, to lake the ship to the
nearest eastern port. During the heavy westerly
gales the stea anshlp had reached, December TO- 81
deg 80 min. W, aud 40 deg. II min, n. The coal
was nearly all consumed and the water gained
on the pnmps, in spite OF nuremittiDg exertoDs,
80 that there was but listle hope of reaching q
western port with the fuel then left. The passenr
gers were divided into two watches, in order to
assist tho crew at pumping and haing, which
latter was done by means of large hogsheads,
hosted by the donkey engines on deck; but all
these ezertions were not sufficient to Keep the
water from 80 far gaining on them that it eXtin.
gushed the fires Of the after boilers on the port
side.
Dec 17.-Heavy gales. The after bunkers were
so fall of water that it was impossible to get TO
the coal; none of the steam pumps drew any atsr.
The vessel shipped a tremendous sea, throwing
her on her beam ends. At 10 A. NJ, saw q three
mssted vessel going by the wind The Weser was
headed towards the stranger, but in the same mo-
mept the fires went out, and the ship lost her
steerage way. Several sails were blown away
Signals Of distress were made to induce the other
vessel to remain near the steamer, which WAS
then in the greatest danger of laundering, but no
notice was taken of them. The steamer settling
gradually to port, part CT the cargo was thrown
overheard; another part was put INTO the steer-
age-after the passengers had been removed TO
the second eabin-in order to counteract the list
to port, without, however, righting the ship
which, in fact, continued to settle, 30 that the
waterways were submerged. The situation Of the
people on board was then truly desperate.
The 10Th was less dismal; the pumps were part
ly kept at work. soon, however, the gale recon
niebced, ahd incre eased to hurricane. Every soul
prepared for tie worst, when. at the time of
the highest need the wind changed from north.
west to southwest, thereby materially relieving
the vessel. But the dangers were not a. an end
Gale and sea ragged fearfuily, tho deck was contin.
usiy swept by furious seas, so that there was 30
possibility of retaining hold; the ratings were
torn away, as we'll as nearly everything else on
deck; but the crew succeeded in saving all the
boats with the exception of two. In the mean
time officers and men under deck were undaunted
aud busly ell ployed devisiug means of saving the
ship. The forward band pump was brought into
the engine room. and, carrying out a most happy
idea of the chief engineer, Garette, large pump
was made ont of a steampipe
On the 22d of December the water was seen TO
decrease. On the Esd the floor of the boiler room
became visible, and ut eight o'clock on that night
the engine RECOMMENDED TO work 20 degrees w
On ths same day the gale went down. The pas
sage to Cork was comparatively prosperous, al
though the pumps had to be continually worked.
During the last sixteen hours the fires were kept
up with wood from the steerage.