Sir:--I have to state, with deep regret, that the United States steamship Monongahela, under my command, is now lying on the beach in front of the town of Frederickstadt, St. Croix, where she was thrown by the most fearful earthquake ever known here. The shock occurred at 3 o'clock, P. M., of the 18th inst. Up to that moment the weather was serene, and no indication of a change showed by the barometer, which stood at 30 degrees 15 minutes. The first indication we had of the earthquake was a violent trembling of the ship, resembling the blowing off of steam. This lasted some 30 seconds, and immediately afterward the water was observed to be receding rapidly from the beach. In a moment the current was changed, and bore the ship toward the beach, carrying out the entire cable and drawing the bolts from the kelson, without the slightest effect in checking her terrific speed toward the beach. Another anchor was ordered to be let go, but in a few seconds she was in too shoal water for this to avail. When within a few yards of the beach, the reflux of the water checked her speed for a moment, and a light breeze from the land gave me a momentary hope that the jib and foretopmost staysail might pay her head off shore, so that in the reflux of the wave she might reach waters sufficiently deep to float her, and then be brought up by the other anchor. These sails were immediately set, and she payed off so as to bring her broadside to the beach. When the sea returned, in the form of a wall of water 25 or 30 feet high, it carried us over the warehouses into the first street of the town. This wave in receding took her back toward the beach, and left her nearly perpendicular on the edge of a coral reef, where she has now keeled over to an angle of 15 degrees.
All this was the work of a few moments only, and soon after the waters of the bay subsided into their naturally tranquil state, leaving us high and dry upon the beach. During her progress toward the beach she struck heavily two or three times; the first lurch carried the rifle gun on the forecastle overboard. Had the ship been carried 10 or 15 feet further out, she must inevitably have been forced over on her beam ends, resulting, I fear, in her total destruction, and in the loss of many lives. Providentially only four men were lost; these were in the boats at the time the shock commenced. The boats that were down were all swamped except my gig, which was crushed under the keel, killing my coxswain, a most valuable man. During this terrific scene the officers and men behaved with coolness and subordination. It affords me great pleasure to state, that, after a careful examination of the position and condition of the ship, I am enabled to report that she has sustained no irreparable damage to her hull. The sternpost is bent, and some 20 feet of her keel partially gone; propeller and shaft uninjured. The lower pintle of the rudder is gone, but no other damage is sustained by it. No damage is done to her hull more serious than the loss of several sheets of copper, torn from her starboard bilge and from her keel.
She now lies on the edge of a coral reef, which forms a solid foundation, on which ways may be laid. She can thus be launched in 10 feet of water at 100 feet from the beach. Gentlemen looking at the ship from shore declare that the bottom of the bay was visible where there was before, and is now, 40 fathoms of water.
To extricate the ship from her position I respectfully suggest that Mr. I. Hanscom be sent down with suitable material for ways, ready for laying down, and india-rubber camels to buoy her up. I think there is no insuperable obstacle to her being put afloat, providing a gang of ten or twelve good ship carpenters be sent down with the Naval Constructor, as her boilers and engines appear to have sustained no injury. A valuable ship may thus be saved to the navy, with all her stores and equipments.
S. B. BISSELL, Commodore Commanding. Rear-Admiral J. S. Palmer, commanding H. A. Squadron, St. Thomas.
The survey of another trans-continental railway route, which shall follow mainly the 35th parallel of latitude, is nearly completed. Its projectors claim this as the most feasible one across the continent, and even if the northern and southern roads are constructed, this would still be the favorite popular thoroughfare, and the easiest and cheapest built.
The Chilian gun now being built at Pittsburgh, is 22¼ feet in length, being two feet longer than the famous Rodman gun at Fort Hamilton, this harbor, but of exactly the same bore, twenty inches. Its greatest diameter is 5 feet 4 inches, its least diameter, 2 feet 9 inches. The gun is designed for garrison or naval service.