The great Eastern in a Storm — she Experiences a terrific gale and Breaks her Rudder, &c.
The steamship
Great Eastern arrived at
Queenstown on the 17th ult. She experienced a terrific gale when two days out, about two hundred and eighty miles west of
Cape Clear.
The furniture and luggage on board were mostly destroyed, and some of the passengers injured.
It was expected every moment that the ship would go down, and in that case the loss of life would have been very large.
Temporary steering gear was finally fitted, and the ship put back with her crew, going at the rate of nine knots an hour.
A correspondent from
Liverpool writes as follows:
‘
Further details of the disaster to the
Great Eastern indicate that the calamity entirely arose from the breaking of her rudder.
The scene on board the vessel was fearful in the extreme.
Everything breakable on board was broken.
She ship rolled so violently that her boats, although placed thirty or forty feet above water, were washed away.
Twenty-five persons sustained fractures from concussions, and cuts and bruises were innumerable.
Hardly a vestige of the paddle-wheel remained. After three days of intense anxiety a temporary steering gear was constructed, and the ship proceeded towards
Queenstown.
When the Persia, in answer to signs from the
Great Eastern approached the latter, circumstances were such that the
Great Eastern's engines could not be slackened, and the Persia made off.
At a meeting of the passengers the exertions of
Captain Walker to save the ship and those on board were warmly eulogized, but severe comments were passed upon the condition of the ship, the strength of her paddles, and the way in which she was ballasted.
As the rudder was sufficiently repaired the ship would proceed to
Liverpool soon.
’
