ruction
was universal. The largest mirror in the grand saloon, which was about
twelve feet high, was smashed to pieces by a gentleman going head
foremost into it. Although much bruised and cut, strange to say he was
not seriously injured. The chandeliers fell from the ceiling, and the
crashes they made in falling added to the general din. One of the other
mirrors was smashed by a large stove. Some of the passengers escaping
from the dining-room were dashed against the iron balconies, which gave
way with the pressure, and falling on the glass flooring at the sides,
dashed it to atoms. The noise and turmoil of destruction below,
together with the howling of the tempest above and the dashing of spray
over the decks, whence it flowed in copious streams down into the
cabins, formed a scene which cannot be fully conceived except by those
who witnessed it.

On deck, the confusion was equally great and destructive. Many of the
boats were carried away. The great chain cables rolled from side to
side, until they were actually polished bright by the friction, while
they were a source of perpetual danger to the crew in the performance of
their duties. The oil-tanks broke loose, and after tumbling about for a
time, fell down through the upper hatchway. And the two cows that fell
with their cow-shed down into the ladies' cabin were killed by the
violence of the shock. The chief cook was flung against one of the
paddle-boxes, and having put out his hand to save himself, had his wrist
sprained. He was then flung towards the other side, and coming against
a stanchion in the way, had his leg fractured in three places. One lady
had a rib fractured; another her shoulder dislocated; another her wrist.
These are only specimens, selected to show what the poor people were
subjected to. It is said that there were twenty-two fractures
altogether, among passengers and crew, besides innumerable cuts and
bruises. The cabins were flooded to the depth of several feet, and
broken articles of furniture floated about everywhere. The luggage in
the luggage-room, which had not been secured, was hurled about, until
trunks, boxes, valises, etcetera, striking against each other, and
against the sides of the compartment, were utterly destroyed--the very
leather of the trunks being torn into small shreds.

Throughout all this terrible scene, the passengers behaved, with one or
two exceptions, admirably. The ladies especially displayed great