The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1861-10-11
The Great Eastern Disaste,.

/ OF the rudder pm. que MAS Tor SOME lime
entirely unmRnsgabe and rolled at the
mercy of the waves for nearly three days.
Everything breaksb!e in the cabins was
destroyed. The boats were washed away
| Two oil tanks on the cable deck were burst
end over 200 gallons of fish oil poured
over everything and ran into the hold
causing an intolerab,e odor. Water was
shipped through the port holes. The lug
gage of the passengers was under two feet
of water, and was utterly smashed and
ground to pieces. Twenty FIVE fractures
of limbs occurred among those on board
from violent conclusions caused by the
tremendous lurchings of the vessel The
accident occurred on Thursday. On the
following Sunday steering apparatus had
been got in order, and the vessel arrived
off Cork the next Thursday.
The Great Eastern has proved a mag
nifcent failure. She neither realizes the
expectations of her builders in speed or in
safety.
The following in regard to the disaster
is taken from the English papers:
The Great Eastern left her rnooring in
the river Mersey at half past one o'clock
on Tuesday, the 10th of September The
pilot left her at four o'clock She immedi
a'ey put on full speed, and all went we'll
with her until four o'clock on Thursday
when strong breeze prevailing. the aft
tackle Of one of the forward boats on the
| port side became unlocked, leaving it
suspended by one tackle. The Captain
endeavored to steady the ship while this
was rectifed, but found TO his surprise that
she would not answer the helm The fact
was, though it was not known at the time.
the rudder-pin was broken. The fore
siaysail was run up, but the wind immedi
ately split it into ribbons The fore try
sail was then run up, but it was blown
away. The paddle engines were now
stopped, and the boat lashngs ordered TO
| be cut away, when the Great Eastern was
once more on her course
!
ner, and from that moment commenced
chaos of breakaces. which lasted without
| in'ermission for three DAYS. Everything
breakable was destroyed. Furniture, fit
tings services of plate. glasses. piano
all were involved in one common fate, It
now became known that the ruGder was
unmanageble. About six o'clock the YES
sci had to he stopped again, owing to two
rolls of sheet lead, weighing several hund
red weigh! each, which we're in the en-
CINE room, rolling about with every oscil
lation Of the vessel. with fearful force -
These having been secured. another start
was made, when tremendous grinding
was beard under the paddle The shaft
| had become twisted, and The floats were
grinding against the side Of the ship
The paddles were stopped, and thence
! forward the scene is described as fearful
IN the extreme. The ship rolled SO VIC
| emily that the boats were washed awav.
The cabin, beside undergoing the dangers
arising from the crashes and collisions
which were constantly going or, had ship
ped, probably through the portfolios,
great deal of water. and the stores were
| floating about in utter confusion and ruin.
Some of the chandeliers fell down with
Il crash. a large mirror was smashed
mo thousand fragments. rails, bansters,
bars, and numerous other fittings, were
broken into numberless pieces.
Some idea of the roughness of the
| nights incidents may be gathered from
| the fact that the chain cables polished
themselves bright with friction on deck
A spare riding bit gave WAY on the cable
deck, and Knocked hole through tn.
ships side. Two oil tanks, also on the
cable deck, were SO much damaged by an
other conclusion that 300 gallons of fish
oil contained in them ran into The hold
and caused. during the rest of the unhappy
voyage, most intoIerable odor. The lug
gage eff the passengers in the lower after
cargo space was lying in two feet of wa
| ter. and before the deliverance of the ship
WAS effected, the luggage was liteNly re
| duced to rags and pieces Of timber
Twenty five fractures of limbs occurred
from the conclusions caused by the tire
mendeus lurching Of the vessel. Cuts and
| DEulseS were lUUUlueTdUio. On6 or Che
cooks was east violently, by one Of the
lurches, against the paddle box, by which.
be sustained fearful bruises on the arms,
putting it out of his power to protect him
self Another lurch drove him against
one of the stanchons by which concu.s
ion one Of the poor fellows legs was bro
ken in three places. The baker received
injurie, of terrible character in vital
parts; and one of the most striking insi
denis Of the disaster was this poor, brave
man, crawling in his agony. to extinguish
some of the baking gear which a, that mo-
ment had caught fire On Thur.day night
the gale was from the south west, bu, on
! Friday morning it had turned round to
the North west and the ship was drifting
An unuanagable log, in the trough O: the
sea. She did not ship much water on
deck.
1t was soon discovered what was the
matter with the rudder. The pin upon
which it turnei had broken off three feet
above the point where it entered the stern
ofthe ship. 1t was wrought iron, ten in
| ches in dia aier-apd the iron an,a,roJ