Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-09-29
FOREIGN NE WS.
dom

The Steamship Vanderbilt with advices to
/ the 18th inst, arrived at New York, on Sun
day last The Intelligence is of the highest
interest
AS of more immediate concern at the present
moment the precedence is due to a sad cal
amity that has befaen the Great Eastern in
the course cf her experimental voyage not,
happily, affecting the programme of her coming
trans Atlantic trip but attaching melancholy
interest to the early story of the ship On the
9th inst, while off Hastings, en- route to
Plymouth, feed-ppe casing, leading through
the main saloon, suddenly exploded, causing
the death Of four assistant engineers, and dan
gerously, if net fatally, woundng eight others.
The interior of the great saloon was entirely
torn to pieces the lower tier of staterooms
destroyed and the interior arrangements and
decorations for some distance from the spot.
sadly injured and defaced The accident by a
fortunate chance, occurred just after the pas
Sengers had retired from the dining tables and
sought the deck, else the calamity would have
been greatly more distressing The fault of
the accident is imputed to the economy of the
managers in employing what they were ad
vSed to be defective and undesirable piece
Of workmanship. The vessel, notwithstanding
the shock. was not interrupted for moment
in her progress; nor was her hull at all dam
aged. No delay in the departure of the ship
was anticipated in consequence of the accident
the only change of plan being the substitution
of Portland for Holyhead as the point of de-
parture.
The French and English Envoys to China,
who were proceeding in all haste to Pekin,
bearing the solemn treaties Of peace so lately
celebrated by their respective governments
with the Emperor of China, have met with
sad reverse and have retired leaving the dogs
of war loose behind them. On the 18th of
Jnne, Admiral HOPE, with the conjoned fleet
of large vessels, and of gun-boats, the latter
designed for conducting the Plenipotentaries to
Pekin, arrived at the mouth of the Peho ;and
prepared to enter After seeking in vain to
communicate with the authorities on shore ::
and after satisfying himself that although the
Taku forts had been rebuilt and strengthened,
they were neither armed nor manned, he order
ed the squadron of gun-boats to advance
Their advance was very soon obstructed by
formidable boom stretched across the stream
and as they drew up along it, a murderous fire
was opened from the forts on either side, which
suddenly swarmed with troops and bristled
with heavy artillery. After a gallant, but
HOPELESS struggle, the boats hauled off, the
American steamers in company assisting to
save them but not before three of the boats
were destroyed, and nearly FIVE hundred men
had been killed, wounded or drowned A large
number of men, including the Admiral were
in the category Of wounded. In view of this
unexpected disaster, the French and English
ENJOYS had returned to Shanghae. Mr.. WARD,
the American Minister in the meantime had
met at Pekin with gracious reception, dis
tinction which the English press bitterly re-
sents. The affair causes the utmost excite
ment in England.