Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-10-04
THE DIsAsrER TO THE GREAT EAST.

ERN.
The following in regard to the disaster to
the steamship Great Eastern Is taken from the
English papers:
The Great Eastern left her moorinss In the
rlvsr Mersey at IL o'clock on Tuesday, the
10Th sept, and all went we'll with her until 4
o OoeI~sk ON thursday, when q strong breeze
prevailing, tho aft tackle Of one Of the forward
boats on the port side became unlocked, leay-
Ing it suspended by one tackle. The Captain
endesvored to steady the ship while this was
reounsA, but found to his surprise that she
would not answer the helm. The fact WAS.
'thosBh 1t was not known at the time, the rud.
1e>pin was broken The fore stsyssil was
Sn up, but the wind Immediately split it into
noaons. The fore trysail was then run up,
but Ii Was blown away
The paddle engines were now stopped, and
TIE boat lashings ordered to be cut away,
when the Great Eastern once more started on
her course. The passengers then went down
70 dinner and from that moment commenced
aehaos Of breskages, which lasted without inter.
mission for three days. Everything breakable
was destroyed. Furniture, fittings, services of
plate, glasses, Piano1ell were involved in one
common fate. 1t now became known that tb a
rudder was unmsnageable About s o'clock
the vessel had 70 be stopped again owing to
two rolls OF sheet lead, weighing several hun
dred weight each, which were in the engine
room, rolling about with every oscillation of
the vessel with fearful force. These having
been secured, another start was made. when
tremendous grinding was heard under the
paddle boxes. The shaft had become twisted,
and the floats were grinding against the side
Of the ship.
The paddles were stopped, and thencefor-
ward the scene is described as fearful in the
extreme. The ship rolled so violently that the
ooats were washed away. The cabin, besides
Undergoing the dangers arising from the crash
~ rlA
nso snlPped, probably through the port holes,
A great deal Of water, and the stores were
1oatng about in utter confusion and ruin
come oil the chandeliers fell down with crash.
"A large mirror was smashed into q thousand
fragments, rails Of bannisters, bars, and nu-
merous other fittings, were broken into num-
oerless pieces. Some idea of the rouehuess
of the nights incidents may be gathered from
the fact that the chain-eables polished them
selves bright with friction on the deck.
spare riding bit gave way on the cable deck
and Knocked hole through the ships side.
IEo oil tanks, also on the cable deck, were 20
much damaged by another conclusion that 200
gaL9ns OF nse oil contAirs ed in them ran into
tae hold, and caused. during the rest of the
unhappy voyage, a most intolerable oder.
The luggage Of the passengers in the lower
attsr cargo space was lying in two feet of water.
and before the deliverance of the shin was sf-
iected the luggage was literally reduced to
rags and pieces Of timber. Twenty-Five frac-
lures OF limbs occurred from the conclusions
caused oy the tremendous lurching of the YES
sci. Cuts and bruises were innumerable. One
Oh the cooks was cast violently, by one of the
inrenes, against the paddle e-box, by which he
sustained fearful bruises on the arms putting
IL out OF his power to protect himself Another
iuron drove him against one of the staunch-
IONS, oy which conclusion one Of the poor fell
!oH legs was broken in three places The
baker received injuries of q very terrible char
scter In vital parts; and one of the most stri-
KING incidents OF the disaster was this Door
orsve man, crawling, in his agony to extin-
guish some portion Of the baking gear which
at that moment had caught fire. On Thurs
day night the gale was from the southwest. but
on Friday morning it had turned round TO the
northwest, and the ship was drifting an un-
manageable log in the trough of the sea. She
did not ship much water on deck
IL was soon discovered what was the matter
With the rudder. The pin upon which it turned
had broken of three feet above the point where
s, entered the stern Of the ship. 1t was
wrought iron, ten inches in diameter-sud the
iron appeared thoroughly good, breaking at
that particular point where il appeared the
strongest, which was one of the most curious
incidents OF the disaster. II was now found
necessary to rig up some kind of steering gear,
spar was thrown overheard with the anchor
luke attached, which, dragging in the water
behind the ship, might bring her head 10 the
wind; but the swinging of the rudder mado il
useless; and plan was then suggested to the
captain oy the passengers to which the escape
OF the vessel Is probably attributable. 1t was
70 pass two or three turns Of chain cable around
the rudder-pin, Immediately below the point
At which the breakage occurred, and secure IL
with wedges and small chains
By pulling either end of this chain cable, q
sirsular motion Of tho pin was produced, and
connection being effected With the usual
chain attached TO the rudder, and a Temporary
wheel rigged up below deck, q shift was made
once more to proceed, but the screw Of the
vessel, upon which the loeomotion now de-
Pended-hardly vestige Of the paddles re-
naining-soon stopped, being fouled by the
rudder, by which the rudder was prevented
from veering more than was necessary to steer
the ship.
All Of Friday was occupied with these ar
rangeuents. The ship had drifted up the west
coast Of ireland, out Of the ordinary track. On
Saturday night the brig Magnet, of Halifax,
hove In sight, hauled alongside, and lay TO for
the purpose Of rendering assistance.
Sunday, at 2 o'clock, the Great Eastern got
under way, the rudder was found 70 act, and
the vessel proceeded at the rate of nine knots
an hour with the crew alone
After meeting with Que or two other yessels
the ship reached Cork, from which she was 10
proceed to Liverpool Immediately after the re-
pair TO her rudder.