The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-01-10

Accident to the u s. Steamer Iroquojs
The Trenton Gazette, in a letter from Genoa,
dated December l6th gives the following ac.
count of an accident to the United States
steamer Iroquo
AT $50 r. NJ. the Genoa light was In sight !;
fifteen minutes afterward the order was passed
for all hands on deck to bring snip to anchor,
which was t,o soon done. My station as
"junior of watch I" was TO pass orders to en-.
sineer In charge; itwas pitch dark, and wind
blew directly in our faces, and it rained very
hard The light from being on our port bow,
became changed to nearly a-beam, but it
seemed to be much further off than it should
be- for the entrance TO the harbor is not more
than one hundred rods wide, and artificially
formed by two moles, without which it would
be OILY an linden tation OF the shore, and ex-
posed TO the sea.
Suddenly the light disappeared, and at the
same instant the pilot, who was standing on
the top-gallant forecsstle, made an ontcry
which startled every bod y-"Stop her J" BACK
her p came in the same breath, and passed
the order, giving the proper signal with the
bell but though the engine was reversed in
less than twenty seconas, the ship struck with
u heavy thump, giving everybody an involun-
tary start, then a less violent shock and though
the engine was backed with full power, we
were firmly fixed on q Tock-the ship had ru n
on one third her length at the time we struck,
our ship was running at full speed-ten knots
an hour. The shock was not so violent as nigh t
be supposed, owing to the fact that the ship is
W.
the keel touching lightly at first, ran upon the
rock as upon an iuclined plane. That rock
was our salvation; 1t was not more than one
hundred and fifty feet from The shore, which
was Il solid wall Of ragged rocks. forty or fifty
feet high. Had not that rock happened To be
Just where il was, we should have eunavoidably
run plump upon that shore OF nearly perpen-
dicuIar rock, and You may be sure mat W hen
running at such "a speed it would have been
no joke-we should have been wreck
1t was SO dark that the piiotand officers al tue
bows could not see the danger until an nstant
before she struck. Such Il Thing was, OF course,
ruin TO the pilot, and l never saw such q
change come over mani thought ne would
Jump overheard. He had, from some unac-
countable cause, missed the entrance OF the
harbor by near three miles to the ristht, and
was taking the overland route to Genoa. The
discipline of q man -ot-war, OF course, don'l
allow OF much expressed excitement; orders
To ''lower away the boats" "get out the kedge
anchor !" "send the carpenters mate 10 see II
the ship is making water throw the lead,
ETC., ETC., followed each other in quick and
regular order; there was deep water on eacn
side of the rock; the ship commenced 10 leak
some, but il was easily kept down by the steam.
pump. Although the wind was strong, IL for
tunately blew off the shore, and there was
not much swell, otherwise the ship, and per-
haps some OF US. would have suffered So
Serely.
After finding that nothing could be done
with the kedge anchor and engine, an officer
was spa tched to Genoa for assis tance; mean
| time, all sUrts of means We're reSOrted to-tne
| guns were run aft-the shot and shell were
| taken out of the ship, and put IN shore boats
| which came alongside; the rock was directly
| under the keel for about one third Of hel
| length, and the ship rolled and pitched easily
| as if upon pivot. All the men were called
| forward and then ordered to run aft In
| bLdy then they ran in body from one sld'
| to the other the engine being put in motion a
| the same time, trying IL the ship could b.
rocked Off but without success, which made /
,t,lf h
| it would 60 hard with the 1roquDis. Aoou
| midnight, u stean-tug arrived from Genoa;
| was ABOUT as powerful machine as tea
kettle and coffee mill, still it Was better thai
nothing; for three long hours we k1pt at 1t
the niIle spit fire blowing and putting mos
| uergetlcally, starting on Il short ruh fcr tn
length of the haWser. and our engine working
at the same time; we tn us did our best 10 star
| the ship. At little past three O'Clock. q
| we were on he point OF giving up the attemp
| until the arrival of the flagship Richmond
| from Genoa, the ship made sudden jump
| and the cry "she's off !" made every body
| breathe easier.
| The rising sea started Off the ship, rathe
| than the tug or our efforts; we were III q shor
| time steamiDg along on our way to demos
| where We arrived safely half an hour later. =
| The divers, upon first examination. decide
| that the damage was trifiing, only part {
The false keel and q few feet of copper bein
started; but after three or four days worl
| found il necessary to take the snip into DIR
| dock for repairs, in order TO do winch, 1t WI
| be necessary to take out all the guns, sho
| she'll, stores and coal, which will be Il serlou
| and tedious jeb We shall have to RENAL
| here three or four weeks, aud may winter her