The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-10-30
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

THE North STAR was originally
owned by the Atlantic Mail Steamship
Company. The company sold out some
time since to the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company all their steamers, consisting
of seven. She was built in 1853, and re-
built in 1862, tons 1867. Two ma
rine engines, nine hundred horse
power each, cylinders sixty inch bore
by ten feet stroke; machinery built at
the Affair Works, New York. The in
spector's certificate allows her to carry
pressure of twenty pounds OF steam;
the boilers were tested to thirty pounds,
and in case of emergency that amount
could have been carried by gradual in
crease. The steamer is naturally slow
in her prime, never having made more
than ten knots. During the gale of the
Oath she carried nineteen pounds of
steam, an amount found amply suf-
ficient to keep her head to the terrific
sea. 1t must become evident to every
sensible mind that the more q vessel is
pressed against a heavy head sea, the
more it strains her; therefore, if she
lowed it would have been nugatory and
hold Oh to steerageway with nineteen
pounds, at times, but averaged eighteen
as the force of the wind subsidized BY
an increase of her speed the momentum
of the sea would increase in pressure
against the ship; therefore, the harder
she had been forced the greater her
danger of laundering, as the hull could
not have stood the momentum of the
sea and the power of her machinery.
She would have foundered beyond all
hope of safety. y
r. B. Mitchell, her Chief Engineer,
says that during the gale her machinery
worked perfectly. The gale was very
heavy one, and from the particular
locality she encountered it, a terrific sea
was running, caused by the current of
the Gulf stream, and the contrary direc-
ton of the winds. There is no truth in
the report that her Engineers refused to
go in her. Charles Conklng, her former
chief, was left in New York sick, and
Mr.. Mitchell was placed on board in his
place by the experimenting Engineer
of the line, Mr.. Vanderbilt, to take the
ship out.
The vessel has $50 tons of freight on
board loaded full to her load line, and
drawing Is feet. The freight will all have
to be taken out, rs the leak Is yet undis-
covered; but it is evident that she leaks
in her butts and seams. When light,
with fuel and water on board, she draws
is feet. She leaks about 1000 gallons a
minute, requiringher donkey pumps on
all the time and her bilge injections
worked by the main machinery every
half hour to keep her free at the wharf.
She has seven life boats, metallic, made
by Francis Il Raymond. The two largest
would carry so passengers. The other
five are capable of carrying 50 people.
She had OH board, all told, about $50
people. The vessel is also amply sup
piled with life preservers. All of these
would have been of no avail had her
fires been eXtinguished. She would
have fallen off into the trough of the sea
and foundered in shorter time than it
hope of safety would have been to cling
to the upperworks which would have
been washed clear by the first sea that
swept her deck.
The vessel labored heavily and is bad
ly warped, and her decks twisted in
several places. She appears swaged
amidships, which we are informed is
natural, as her extremities drop. The
officers are all able and competent sea.
men.
The Costa RIGA is expected from New
York to-day to take the passengers to
New Orleans, and as much freight as
she can; the rest will be shipped by
other means. When her freight is all
out and the vessel down to her light
water line, it may be developed that the
leak is between that and the load line.
At all events she can be taken to New
York and kept free by the addition of
steampum 4.