Arkansas true Democrat., 1861-10-24
The , saster to the Great Eastern.

" Il.
 The following, in regard to the disaster 10 the steam hip Great Eastern, is taken from tht English papers:
 The Great Eastern left her moorines in the rver Mersy at o'clock on Tuesday, the l0ih 1 Seplemb-r, and all went we'll with her untll i o'clock on Thursday, when, q strong breeze ore, vailing, the aft tackle ot one of the forward oats on the port side became unhuokrd leaving II suspended by one tackle. The captain endrav- ored to sieaiy the ship while this WAS rectlfieti but found to his surprise, that she would not answer the helm. The fact was, though it wa, not known at the time, the rudder- pin was brok, en. The fore stayaai was run up, but the wind immediately split 1t into ribbons. The fore tr, sail Was then run up, but 1t was blown away
 The paddle engines were now stopped and the boat lt>hings ordered to be cut away, when | he Great Eastern once more started on her coarse. The passengers then went down to dnntr, and from that moment comn .nced d chaos of breakages, which lasted, without inteh mission, for three days. Everything breakabt was destroyed. Furniture, fittings, services ot plate, glasses, plane-alt were involved in one common fate, 1T now became known that the radder was unmanag able. About 6o'ciock tht vessel had to be stopped again, ow.nr to tw rolls of sheet lead, weighing several handred weight each, which were in tic engine room rolling about with every oscillation of the vessel with fearful force These having been secured another start made, when tremendous grinding was heard under the paddle b ,xeS- The shaft had become twisted, and the fl )at~ were grinding against the side Of he ship
 The paddles were stopped and thencef,rwar1 the scene Is described fearful in the exireme The ship rolled 50 violently hat the boats were washed away. The cabu besides undergoine the dangers arising from the crash and coIlI- sous which were constantly going 0n had ,hip ped probably through lhe port holes, a gr-a' deal of water, and the stores were floating about in utter confusion and run. Some of the chan deers fell down with crash. A large mirror was smashed into a thousand tragm Auts rllls Of bauniaters, bar3 and numerous other fttngs. were broken iuto numberieSs pieces. Some idea of the roughn ss Of the nights incidents may be gathered from the fact that the chain-cablp> polished themselves bsisht with trict on on the terk. A spare riding bit gayewa on the ca H.. deck and knocked hole thrpu h the ship side Two oil tanks, also on the cable de"k. war- so much dam aged by another concus~inn thar 20n gallons Of Ii ,h oil contained in them ran into lhe hold, and cansed, during he rest of the un- happy voyage, q must ntDlerabie odor.
 The luggage of the passengers in the lower atier-cargo space was lying in two feet of water an before the deliverance of n" shlp WAS feel ed the luggage was literally reduced to rag, ana pieces of timber Twenty five fraotur-s O tmbs occurred rom the corcus>ions caused D, he tremendous lurchng of the vessel Chs and bruises wtr, inuum-r4be. One of th cooks Was cast vi lentlv bv one of the urche against the padlleb,x, by which he suStained fearful praises O. The arms putting 1t out of hi power tp pro,e | himself. An0fhpr lurcn drrv, him against one of he stlnnchiuns " which on. of he pnpr itiInw's e z. was broken in places The baker received ir url-s of very terrlhl character in vital part; and one Of the m .~ striking inrjdent, "t h- disaster WAS this pop~ brave man, crawling, in hs agony t, extngui> ; me portion of rhe htlug gear which at tha n 'mrnt had caughr fir. On Thurs !av nigh Fhe galt. wts from the s,uth west but on Friday morning It ha turned rouni to the north West. .and The ship was drifting unrnanagrablt lo. .in the trough If the sea. Soc did not ship muct water on deck
 It wls >on discovered what WIS the matter with rhe rndi fer. Tn pin upon which ii turned had br ken off three leet above the point wher' t entered th- stern If the ship. IL WIS wrou n, iron, ten inch-s in diam-tcr-and the iron a,- pearnd thor rlu ghlv good, breaking Ut that parti iuar point where it aprelrcd the strongest which va. one of he m st curipuS incidents o he disaster It was now touui necessary t. rig up some kiod of steering aear spar wa, thrown overb )ard with the auch 1T fl ike attach ea, which, drag ling in the 'vAer hehnl the sh ?. might bring her head 10 the wind: but the swing ing of the ru1der made it us s-lrss; anl pal was then suggested to the captain by the pas sengers, to which the escape ol the vessel is pro- bably attributable. l. was to pass two or three turns of chain cable around the rudder- pin, i'm medatey below the point at which tue break age occurred, and secure 1t with wedges and small chains.
 By pulling either end of this chain cable. circular motion of the pin was proiaced, and connection being effected with the usual chaiI, attached to the rudder. and a temporary wheel rigged up below deck. shift was made to pro- cted, but the screw of the vessel upon which he locomotion now depended hardly vestige of the paddles reuaiuing-sJon stopped, being touled by the rudder. by which the rudder WAS prevented from veering more than was neces sary to steer the ship.
 All of Friday was occupied with the arrange ments. The ship had drifted up the west coas of Ireland, out of the ordinary track. On Sa turday night the brig Magnet, of Halifax, hove in sight, hauled alongS de, and lay to for the pur pose of rendering assistance.
 Sunday. at ? o'clock, the Great Eastern got under way, ihe rudder was found to act. and the vessel proceeded at the rate of nine knots al hour with the crew alone.
 After meeting with one or two other vessels, the ship reached Cork. from which she was tp proceed 10 Liverpool immediately after the re pair of her rudler.