CAPT. MATHEWS:

AT SEA, on Board of Steam-ship, }

GREAT WESTERN, Sept. 28th, 1846.

Sir. As Chairman of the Committee appointed by the Passengers on board of this ship, I have now the pleasure of informing you, that the sum of £200 10s. have been subscribed by them, to be presented to the "Captain, officers and crew of the Great Western," as a token of the estimation which is entertained of their valuable services during the late perilous scenes through which we have passed. To those services, as well as to the great strength and other admirable qualities of your noble ship, we are (under Providence) indebted for the preservation of our lives.

To yourself in particular (without overlooking the meed of praise due to others) we would express our feelings of admiration of the coolness and skill displayed by you during the trying period of peril when, while endeavouring to prevent alarm among us, you did not, when called on, withhold from us your sense of the danger to which we were exposed.

Of the above subscription, in behalf of the passengers, I ask your acceptance of the sum of £80, now presented to you by the Treasurer, in the beautiful purse which has been worked for the occasion by one of our fair passengers; and to distribute the remainder, which is contained in another beautiful purse presented by one of our fair passengers, among the officers and crew under your command, agreeably to the schedule which accompanies it.

At the same time it gives me pleasure to inform you, that a liberal contribution has been made, with the view of creating a fund for the relief of families whose heads and supporters have been lost at sea; and that in compliment to yourself and this ship, as well as in commemoration of the signal mercy we have experienced in her, it is to be called the "Great Western Fund."

With sincere wishes for your continued health and prosperity, I remain, with great regard, Respectfully yours,

ARCHIBALD GRACIE, Chairman.

To this letter Captain Mathews returned the following an

swer:

To A. GRACIE, Chairman, &c.

a,}

GREAT WESTERN S. S., at Sea,
Sept. 28th, 1846.

Sir: Your letter to me in behalf of the passengers by the Great Western steamship, under my command, I feel as a very great compliment to my ship, officers and self; and in reply, I beg to tender most gratefully our best thanks and warmest regards.

It is to Divine Providence alone that we are all indebted for our safety. For during my long experience at sea, I never witnessed so severe a storm, and were it not for the good qualities of my noble ship, under the direction of God, she could not have weathered it.

I am more than pleased at the step your Committee have taken to promote the interest of the widows and orphans of seamen and others lost at sea. And I am sure that the Directors of the Great Western S. S. Co.. with myself, and all interested in this ship, will consider it a high compliment which you have conferred upon her. And I, for one, will contribute my mite to this glorious undertaking, and I have no doubt but my officers and crew will follow my example.

I have the honour to be.
Sir, your ob't serv't,

BARNARD R. MATHEWS.

Mr. Gracie also handed to Mr. Balch, as one of the Trustees of the Great Western Fund, the following letter:

On board the Steamship Great Western,
Sept. 29th, 1846.

Gentlemen-I have been directed to inform you, by the Committee appointed by those passengers on board of the Great Western, who have made a contribution for the purpose of forming the nucleus of a fund "for the relief of the families whose heads and supporters have been lost at sea," and which, in compliment to the Captain and ship, as well as in commemoration of the signal mercy we have experienced in her, is to be called the "Great Western Fund”—that they have unanimously named you Trustees of said Fund.

The subscription now amounts to $580-which sum will be handed over to you by the Treasurer, Robert Hutchison, Esq., to be invested in such manner as you may deem best, in order that the interest accruing from this and subsequent subscriptions, may be applied to the object proposed.

We doubt not you will lend your valuable co-operation to the furtherance of this noble charity, which deserves, as doubtless it will receive, the cordial support of the community at large.

I have the honour, gentlemen, to remain,

Your obedient servant,

ARCHIBALD GRACIE.

To Messrs. James Boorman, Pelatiah Perrit, Rev. Lewis P. W. Balch, James Lenox and Robert B. Minturn.

The following resolution, expressive of our gratitude to Almighty God, and of regard for the Captain, officers and crew, was subsequently adopted.

At a meeting of the passengers held on board the Great Western, Sept. 29th, 1846, and unanimously adopted,—

Resolved, In review of the perils of the late gale, which threatened the termination of our earthly plans, and endeared social relations for the allotments of eternity, and of our deliverance with the cheering prospect of restoration to our families and friends, we desire with grateful hearts to render to God the homage of our devout thanksgiving; with our supplications that He will sanctify to us the admonitions of His providence, and render them subservient to our present and future well-being. We would also render praise to Him for the calmness and decision and endurance granted the captain, officers and seamen of the ship, through the whole period of the protracted storm; and for the solemnity, and equanimity, and good conduct which, amidst such protracted and appalling dangers, characterized the passengers and inmates of the ship.

So closes the record of this memorable storm. But never can its recollection be effaced from the minds of those who were exposed to its perils.

When the danger had all passed, said the Captain to me, "Thrice on deck I thought destruction inevitable. Each time a sea of such magnitude and power came at the ship, that I thought it was all over with us. But unexpectedly each broke just at the side of the ship. Sir, the hand of the Lord was in it." Yes, the hand of the Lord was in it-may we never forget 'twas the hand of the Lord.

The above narrative, correspondence, letters and resolutions having been submitted by the Committee and unanimously authenticated at a public meeting of the passengers, held on board the Great Western, Sept. 29th, 1846, the meeting directed that

the whole should be published in the papers of New-York and Liverpool, and a copy forwarded to the Directors of the Great Western Steamship Company. The meeting then adjourned, sine die.

ARCH. GRACIE, Chairman.
LYMAN BEECHER,
LEWIS P. W. BALCH,
JOHN MARSH,

JAS. A. WASHINGTON,
W. DETMOLD, M. D.,
A. HUTCHISON,
THOMAS RAWLINGS,
JS. MATHIEU.

DR. BEECHER'S ADDRESS TO THE MEETING

CONVENED ON BOARD

THE GREAT WESTERN,

SEPTEMBER 22, 1846,

To offer Thanksgivings to God for their Preservation through the recent protracted Storm.

I have never before been called to speak in circumstances like these. A few days since, we stood here before God, to supplicate deliverance from a threatened speedy death. I have before supposed myself not far from the grave, but it was at home, surrounded by my family and friends, and whatever could cheer the dying hour. But never, till recently, did I realise, that probably there might be but a step between me and death; and in full health, amid the war of elements, await in suspense the stroke which at any moment might fall upon us all. But the storm is past, and we are all alive, to praise him who heard our supplications and preserved us. And what direction of our thoughts can be more proper, than a brief review of the perils we have passed through? The evidence of the Divine interposition in answer to prayer to save us, and the returns which it becomes us to make for our signal and merciful preservation.

In respect to our dangers, I need not say to you who passed through them, that they were great.

For thirty-six hours the wind raved and the waves rolled with a fury and power unknown, for so long a time, to the most experienced navigators on board. Travelling mountains, with the power of the Iceberg, the Avalanche or the Niagara, for one day and two nights, as far as eye could reach, covered the surface of the deep; thundering loud and unceasingly around us. The onset commenced on Saturday night, and raged increasingly till Sabbath morning, when, instead of mitigation, it gathered new power, and then commenced the work of desolation.

The sails on the fore yards, clued down, burst from their fastenings, and roared and flapped furiously, defying control. In the meantime, the sea rose rapidly, breaking over and against the ship. At 4 A. M. it had risen to a hurricance gale, and veering to the Northwest; the ship at the same time broke from her course into the trough of the sea; a condition of imminent peril, during which a sea broke in upon the main deck, and drove a great quantity of water into the engine room; a stroke at the heart of life, our machinery.

At 11 o'clock, A. M., a heavy wave broke over the fore part of the starboard wheel-house, and drove the iron life-boat and the ice-house-of some six or seven tons-furiously against the wheel-house and side of the ship; and before they could be fastened, the careening of the ship sent them sundry times back and forth, threatening instant destruction. Such, and so rapid, were the successions of disaster, that an attempt was made to wear ship, as less perilous than her present condition; but finding her uncontrollable, she was permitted to return to her course; probably our greatest danger escaped.

About noon, a mighty wave struck the starboard wheelhouse, and tore up the fastenings of spikes, and iron bands and bolts; throwing off the whole top and outside covering, breaking the under half of the spring beam, and shook to their foundation, and lowered perceptibly, the timbers which sustained the wheel. Thus enfeebling the arm of our power in the climax of our danger. The wave, with portions of the wreck, rolled deep and dark over the quarter-deck; one of which struck the Captain on the head, while the wave drove him insensble to the stern of the ship, where the network did but barely save him from an ocean grave.

About 1 o'clock, while many were seated in the lower cabin, a sea struck the ship. A tremendous crash was heard on deck, and instantly the cabin was darkened, and torrents of water came pouring down through the sky-lights; all sprang to their feet; and a scream of terror rang through the ship. At this time, the ship pitched and rolled so fearfully, that with no little difficulty we could maintain our position upon our seats, and not a few received bruises and contusions, notwithstanding their efforts.

In these circumstances, you remember, a proposition was made, and accepted, I believe, by all who could attend, to meet in the lower cabin for prayer. It was prayer, not in words and forms merely, but the importunity of the heart; crushed by perils from which it could not escape, and pressed by the complex interests of time and eternity; looking up to the only power in the universe that could save. Subsequently to this meeting, in the evening, Dr. Balch concluded to administer the sacramental communion in his own room, for his own, and the consolation of a few friends; but his purpose becoming known, the number who desired to unite so increased, that the service was administered in the cabin. Having no knowledge of the change of place, myself and some others of my ministerial brethren were not present. In the mean time the storm raged on; but from the time of our public supplications, the desolations ceased.