Seldom does it happen that we are called upon to record the details of a calamity s0 serious as the utter destruction of a large steamer by fire, but such an event ocourred at Woosung on Friday night last, and, naturally enough, it has in the meantime been the subject of conversation whenever two or three have been gathered together. As but an imperfect idea of the catastrophe prevails, we will endeavour as briefly and succinctly as possible, to put before our readers the main circumstances of the occurrence as gathered by us from the officers of the ill-fated vessel, and from other enquiries made at Woosung, The steamer Bombay, well-lmown on the coast of China, in Japan, India and Australia, and in fact wherever the Peninsular and Oriental Company run their vessels, left Shanghai, bound for Swatow with a cargo principally consisting of rice, tallow and cotton, on Thursday afternoon, After crossing the Heaven-sent Barrier" at Woosung, she anchored opposite the Harbour-Master's house for the purpose of taking in botmeen three and four thousand bags of rice to complete her cargo. When she loft Shanghai, she had four if not five tiers of cotton bales on her deck, but after taking in the rice just mentioned, betieon two and throe hundred were stowed in the tween This work of completing the loading at Woosung was not finished till it was too late for the vessel to go out to sea on Friday night's tide, but everything was in readiness for her to leave on Saturday morning. Of those on board, only six were foreigners—tho captain, first and second mates, and three engineers, the sailors and firemen being Chinese, All told, the crew numbered about fifty persons, and in addition to these there were between twenty and thirty native passengers on board, fourteen of whom were children. Being ready for sea, the Bombay was the farthermost vessel from Shanghai of the ships lying at Woosung she was just ahead' of the P. and steamer Mirzapore, and in close proximity were the Great Northern Tele graph Company's steamer. C. Ocrsted, we or six Chinese men-of-war, and the China Merchants' Company's' steamer Pautah, the latter, while inward bound, having grounded on the Bar. Such was the its before the catastrophe The Captain, officers, and crew of the Bombay retired for the night shortly after nine o'clock, leaving the usual watch on deck. At five minutes to eleven o'clock flames suddenly burst out from among the cotton on the poop, near to the saloon funnel. The watchman at once gave the alarm, and the Captain, the first officer, and. the chief engineer, not taking time tu dress themselves, were on deck in a few seconds, The Captain, in the hurry and excitement of the moment, ran against the stays of the engine-room funnel, and so violent was the concussion that he fell on the deck in a semi-conscious state. His nose and face were lacerated and discoloured, as those who have seen him since
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.