Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1861-10-05
THE EenEATEAsTERN D1sAsTER.
Terrible Seen es on Board--ThrIIIIng
NnrrntIHc OF the Voyage.

Narrative OF the Voyage.
FATHER POINT, Tuesday Oct. L, 1861.
The following in regard to the disaster
to the steamship Great Eastern is taken
from the English papers:
The Great Eastern left her moorings in
the river Mersey Mt J o'clock on Tuesday,
the 10th of September. The pilot left her
at o'clock. She Immediately put on full
speed, and all went well with her until A
O'Clock on Thursday, when, II strong breeze
prevailing, the aft tackle of one of the for
ward boats on the port side became nn-
hooked, leaving it suspended by one tack
lie. The Captain endeavored TO steady the
ship while this was rectifcd, but found to
his surprise that she would not answer the
helm, The fact was, though it was not
known at the time, the rndder-pin was
broken. The fore staysail was run up,
but the wind Immediately split it into rib
bons. The fore trysail was then run up,
but it was blown away. The paddle en-
gines were now stopped, and tho boat
lashings ordered to be cut away, when the
Great Eastern once more started on her
course. The passengers then went down
to dinner, and from that moment commen-
ced chaos of hreakages, which las
ted without intermission for three days.
Everything breakable was destroyed
Furniture, fittings, services of plate,
glasses, piano-all were involved in one
common fate. It now became known that
the rudder was unmauageable. About six
o'clock the vessel had to be stopped again
owing to two rolls of sheet lead, Weighing
several hundred weight each, which were
in the engine room, rolling about with
every oscillation of the vessel with fearful
force. These having been secured, anotk-
er 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
thenceforward the scene is described as
fearful in the extreme. The ship rolled so
violently that the boats were washed away.
The cabin, beside undergoing the dangers
arising from the crashes and collisions
which were constantly going on, had ship
ped, probably through the PORTFOLIOS, a
great deal of water, and the stores were
floating about in utter confusion and ruin.
Some of the chandeliers fell down with a
crash. A large mirror was smashed into a
thousand fragments, rails of bannisters,
bars, and numerous other fittings, were
broken into numberless pieces. Some
| idea of tho roughness of the nights Incl.
dents 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 the ships side. Two oil
tanks, also on the cable deck, were so
much damaged by another conclusion that
200 gallons of fish oil contained in them
ran into the hold aud caused, during the
rest of the unhappy voyage, most intol-
erable odor. The luggage of the passen-
gers in the lower after cargo space was ly-
ing in two feet of water, and before the
deliyeranee of the ship was effected, the
luggage was literally reduced to rags and
pieces of timber. Twenty-Five fractures of
limbs occurred from the conclusions caus-
eddy the tremendous lurching of the yes
sci. Cuts and bruises were innumerable.
One of the cooks was cast violently, by
one of the lnrches, against the paddles
box, by which he sustained fearful bruises
on the arms, putting it out of his power TO
protect himself Another Iurch drove him
against one Of the stanehions, by which