Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-09-28
LETTERS FROM ABRoAp.-NoI2I
THE EXPLOSION ON THE GREAT eastern
Correspondence of the Worcester Spy.


THE EXPLOSION ON THE GREAT EASTERN
Correspondence of the Worcester Spy.
ST. JAMES, LONDON, ENG, Sept II, $50.
So many things have occupied and absorbed
my attention since last wrote you that have
not found time since to inform you of current
events. 1 only seize little time, now, from
an uninterrupted confusion of fastening hours,
because l knew you must sympatbize with
the British nation i'll their intense and almost
overwhelming interest in the project, construc-
ton and success of the "Great Eastern" AS
your correspondent had the pleasure of receiv-
ing an invitation to partake of the Inequalities
of The "Great Eastern Steamship Company"
during the trial trip of their magnificent craft,
which he did not take the liberty of refusing
he believes he may postpone the mention of
many other things, of much interest to detail
briefly, tile incidents of that trip. The scheme
Of the Great Eastern Steamship, the unanti-
cNated procrastination of completion, and its
ultimate success are of worldwide notoretv.
and need no mention in this connection the
great event only claims attention. AT half
past eight O'Clock on Thursday morning the
Sth inst, the Great Eastern freed herself from
her moorings at Greenwich, seven miles from
London and proudly sailed down the Thames
amid the enthusiastic and prolonged huzzas of
ten thousand people, who thronged the banks
of the river, and pressed to their guards myri-
ads of boats, that foated in the stream. The
sight provoked the enthusiasm of Americans
and English alike, who buried their national
pride i'll their mutual congratulations The
afternoon and evening were delightfully."- spent.
High spirits, convivality, and good fellowship
reigned supreme, and every thing went merry
as marriage bell Music cheered the heart.
and filled the feeting hours with harmony
The big drum was more ambitious than usual
and the buge and trombone sent forth clearer
and more resonant blasts. The night passed on
and previous to the small hours of the morn
ing, anarchy and misrule prevailed. Courtesy
and politeness English characteristics were
protuse. interchange of inequalities was of
frequent occurrence. Berth No. 200 visited
103. 104 called in and all went to 2l0, with
er hied 81, 20, ct cetera-Lords mobiles, scrib-
blers, scientific men, &c, all mingling in con
fused hospitality. Want of time will prevent
me from giving anything like a narrative of
the various events OF the trip but compeIs me
to hasten to the great soul-absorbing occur
renee of the trip.
Fairly out to sea the wind became heavier,
rising almost to gale. Still the good ship
neither rolled nor pitched, but firmly and
steadily maintained her course. There was
scarcely motion, although at the bows the
wind which seemed to blow up from the wa
ter, was powerful enough to sustain the weight
OF ones hand, unassisted by muscular exer-
ton. Indeed the ladies, of whom there were
goodly number, declared that they could
''sit upon the breeze" or "sa in the air."
After an elegant and congratulatory dinner On
Friday, the 9th the happy guests were gath
cred in groups in different parts of the ship,
the dinner and galaj saloons being quite de.
serted. Complimentary sentiments and con-
gratulatory speeches, were the order of the
hour, and hilarity pervaded the ship. Suddenly
tremendous explosion was heard. Then sue
ceeded crash not hollow, as of thunder, but
solid as of objects that offered resistance then
sweeping, rolling, rumbling sound, as of can
non balls scudding along the deck. The rum
bling noise was followed by the crashing of the
saloon glasses; and the eruption of vast
mass OF wood and iron, followed by thick
cloud of powdered glass and penetrating coal
dust All fled as if to escape this yawning
gulf Of destruction and ruin unconscious of
the real nature of the accident which rolled
the thick steam upon them. But when danger
seemed passed, all FASTENED to gain glimpse
of the ruin that had invaded large portion of
the ship. The forward funnel and its fange
which last should have been dozens of feet be-
low, were lying on the raised centre of the
foredeck, and forward of the great staircase
the breeze was playing fast and turiously down
the cavity where the funnel had been down.
down, into hldeous pit of flame. The shin
thank God ! was not on fire but in conse-
quence OF the loss of the funnel, which had
shot upward-some say ten, some twenty, and
some thirty feet into the air-the flames of the
furnace below were spreading out in myriad
tongues OF hire. Although everybody supposed
the snip on lire, not a timber was scorched.
The approaching close of the American mail
VIII only permit ME to hastily and briefly state,
as far as l can learn the cause and extent of
TINS melancholy accident. 1t seems that the
forward funnel was surrounded by a tank ex-
tending twenty or thirty feet below, between
and above the decks, answering the double
purpose OF absorbing the heat from the tunnels
and furnishing hot water for the boilers. 1t
seems that there was valve connected with
this tank which was intended to act as a safety
valve, but which, from the carelessness of some
person connected with the ship, did not act at
ALL This tank being nearly a foot in thickness,
surrounding funnel seven feet in diameter
and of the length above described, formed
quite formidable boiler the explosion of
which was calculated to spread destruction on
every side Five persons-all hands on the
ship--have died of injuries received by this
accident, and this magnificent enterprise has
experienced shock from which it NAV not
soon recover. A. S. ID.