Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-09-29

"a ssfAL TRiF-fsRRIsLe ExPlosl0S on soARD--
/ lsTsaEsTisa psIAns.
Ths ALLOWING Interesting details Of the trial
trip of the Great Eastern. and The terrible sxpo'
sioz % board. are from the correspondent Vt the
Lesaen Times
ssYoaE AND DURING the DfsAsTER.
The visitors Who we're passengers on board mum
bered about 100, and, ns may readily be believed.
included among them sumo Of the most distin-
guished nnvigafors, engineers. and scientific men
In Europc. All. as usual. were assembled at
dinner at about halfpast5 o'clock on Friday,
when before the dessert came on two gentlemen
left the charman's table 10 look mt the const near
Hastings. Mr.. Campbell. the Marquis Of Stafford.
Earl Mountchar .es, Lord Alfred Paget, and few
others followed without waiting for dessert. Tho
departure Of these gentlemen from the saloon. as
it happened. broke up the dinner party. and in
stead Of retiring to the grand saloon, as usual,
nearly all the visitors came On deck and went right
forward IN the bows.
Abont 30 remained Mt the table, few were on
the bridge with Mr.. Cam pbeil. and thus by n
most nerciful interposition, it happened, for the
hfst time during the voyage, that there WAS no
lifting in the grand saloon and no one on the lit
ito raised deck round the foremost tunnel. One
or two gentlemen were congratulating MIR. Camp
bell Oh tho almost marvellous success Of the ship,
when in the space Of second there was n terrific
explosion. The forward part of the deck appeared
10 spring like mine, blowing the funnel up into
the mir. There was confused heavy roar. amid
which came the awful clash Of timber and iron
mingled gether with frishtiul nprOar and then
all was hidden IN n rush "t steam. Blinded and
almost stunned by the Overwhelming conclusion,
those Oh the bridge stood motonless il the " hite
yapor ill they were reminded Of the necessity of
seeking shelter bv the shower OF wreck lass,
gilt work, saloon ornaments, and pieces Of wood
which began to fall like rain in all directions,
After short interval, during which thu white
steam sill ohseured all aft the funnel, Capt Com
stock who was the bridge, tricd to see what
had occurred but be could only ascertain by peer
in. over the edge Of the paddle box that the vcs-
sells SIDES wc,o unn lutcd. aud The engines still
going. Gradually, them as the steam cleared off,
tho foremost funnel could be seen yng like n log
across the deck, which covered with bits Of
glass gliding. fragments of curtains and silk
hanrings window inne-, scraps OF wood blown in
to sI,linlers; and mass Of fragments, which had
evidently come from the cabin fittings If the lower
deck beneath tho grand saloon. Ia the middle
was IA great heap of rubbish where the funnel had
lust Il nod, from which the condensed steam was
rushing up in white, and therefore not hot Va
por bat enough 10 hide completely all that had
happened below la another minute, all the pas
sengers cam" rushing toward the spot.
The % or 30 who had remained at the table in
the saloon next that which blew up came on deck
nlso aud it will give your readers some nlca OF
the gigantic strength OF the vessel when | tell
them that these latter until they actually saw the
smash, were almost unaware TT the terrific exnlo-
SION which had occurred beside them. 1t WAY on
" the dull heavy roar. followed by the rafting If
fragments as they rained down ON and through
the skvghts, which warned them that something
u'cnd'", "o' "o"'''"' ',''' ',".o hhe" "n"t
hai rha''v ""PP'n'', "F ""'' INJURY Tue 'eSSel
l,h" SUSTAINED '"Pu"" ''n'''S'n VINO was a'' at
,he moment rn>','' '''""'" "n'" Se'"'hS s"p"
i""er'h "'th''h 'o"" ''"uS" NV s'o"n iito 'he
wreck I" the Grand t"''o"' ANA calling t" SIX men
To- '"'''W n'i'' h'E"h S''reh among 'he RUNS Tor
'hose "h' "''S'" ""'e "''' "''o"'
lhr "n,v one ~ 'ne apartment was ms own ut
tle daughter VINO h"t ln'' arrived NJ tue after
part ~ ',' n''n'''' vi INV 'Nl'"s'"',' anu "n''
completely sheltered by the wrought-lron bulk
h"n' WINS 10y mrnc'e "tu'y nhhn't. 'hl linr-
ris'n mrr''y gave ''o "fu'r l" pass h'r" mp through
the shE''gh'-' ana continued ,''s search lhlS
was no easy matter. lhn Wreck ana rubbish PIT
cd III AL directions III the 'ndrN small saloon Tor
ward to the lnRne'. hanc II d'ihfuI |" move about
The steam h'd almost every object. Tho place
was broken: the Moor npi',asou ana riven' so rs
to show siil more frishtiu smash IN the saloons
ann rahihS heiow.
Through these apcrtu~s the bright glare be
nehth the lower deck oi All showed that the iur.
mace doors had either been blown open or blown
away, AMI the tunnel beng gone. The draught was
down the remains "i the chimney forcing ont the
iiames AMI ashes ~ II hrrcc aud dangerous stream
This, as the "mbers touched water sent upa close
suhornuug ar--hnIi steam. hail Eas--in which it
WINS difficult t. Soennd almost impossible to breathe
In the meantime most on board, including the Wis
itors. to"k.Sters to restore order and confidence,
As hay" already snld. there were fortunately no
holiday tourists there or the'uatter would have
been much worse. Some OF the ablest engineers
ana ma'll'I'is's were ON deck, VINO could pretty
well guess what had happened and what worse
might follow.
:, '''''''''' "'Fd summary 70 'n'' "h'cn ""n
','"" up was o.'u'"''! S''''hS 'he"seiy h"' anu
~ 'nos' h''sr"' h'ho A"cW 10 Whht extent llS