Year: 1861

aser to the Great Eastern is taken from the
English papers,


The Great Eastern left her moorings in the
river Mersey at half past one o'clock, Sep
tember 10Th. The pilot left her at four
O'Clock. Immediately putting on full speed,
all went well with her until four o'clock on
Thursday, when a strong breeze prevailing,
the aft tackle of one of the forward boats on
the port side became unlocked, leaving it
suspended by one tackle. The captain en-
deavored to steady the ship while this was
rectitied, but found to his surprise that the
ship would not answer the helm. The fact
was, though it was not known at the time
the rudder pin was broken. The forestav
sail was run up, but the wind Immediately
split it into ribbons. The fore trysai was
paddle engines were now stopped and the
boats 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 commenced
chaos of breakaoes which lasted without
intermission for three DAYS. Everything
breakable was destroyed. Furniture, fittings,
services of plate, glasses, piano-a were in
voked in one common fate. 1t now became
known that the rudder was unmanagable.
About six o'clock the vessel had to be stop
ped again, owing to two sheets of lead i,
weighing some hundred weight each, which
were in the engine room, rolling about with
every oscillation of the vesse', with fearful
force. These having been secured another
start was made, when tremendous grinding
was heard under the paddle poxes, which
had become twisted, and the floats were
grindinL 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 besides un
derroing the dangers arising from the crashes
and collisions which were constantly going
on, had shipped, probably through the
port holes, a great deal of water, and the
stores were floating about in utter confusion
and ruin. Some Of the chandeliers fell down
with crash A large mirror was smashed
into a thousand fragments, rails Of bannis
ters, bars and numerous other fittings were
broken into numerous pieces. Some idea Of
the roughness of the nights incidents may
be gathered from the fact that the chain
cables polished themselves bright withfrction
on the deck. A spar riding pit gave way
and knocked hole in the ships side. Two
oil tanks, also on the cable deck, were so
much damaged by another conclusion that
two hundred gallons Of fish oil contained in
them ran into the hold, and caused during
the rest of the unhappy voyage most in
tolerable odor. The luggage of the passen.
h, o(t I.,,r


in two feet Of water, and before the deliver
ance of the ship was effected the luggage
was literally reduced to rags and pieces of
timber. Twenty five fractures of the limbs
occurred from the conclusions caused by the
tremendous lurching of the vessel. Cuts
and bruises were innumerable. One of the
cooks on board was cast violently by one of
the lurches against the paddle box, by which
he sustained fearful bruises on the arms,
putting it out of his power to protect him
self Another lurch drove him against one
of the stanchions, by which conclusion one
of the poor fellows legs was broken in three
places. The baker received injuries of a
very serious character in vital parts; and
one of the most striking incidents Of the
disaster was this poor, brave man crawling
III his agony W eAtluSuiSh SoHo poTtloH Vi
the baking gear which, at that moment, had
caught fire. On Thursday night the gale
was from the southwest, but on Friday morn.
ing it had turned round to the northwest,
and the ship was drifting an unmanagable
log in the trough of the sea. She did not
ship much water on deck. 1t was soon dis
covered what was the matter with the rudder.
The pin upon which it turned had broken off
three feet above the point where it entered
the stern Of the ship. 1t was wrought iron,
ten inches in diameter, and the iron appear
ed thoroughly good, breaking at that par
ticuar point where it appeared the strongest,
which was one of the most curious incidents
of the disaster. 1t was now found necessary
to rig up some kind of steering gear. A
spar was thrown overheard with the anchor
fuke attached, which, dragging in the water
behind the ship, might bring her head to the
wind, but the springing Of the rudder made
it useless, and a plan was then suggested to
the captain by the passengers to which the
escape of the vessel is probably attributable.
1t was to pass two or three turns of chain
cable around the rudder pin Immediately
below the point at which the breakage oc-
Cured, and secure it with wedges and small
chains by pulling either end Of this chain