Rensselaer Union, Volume 5, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1873 — The Wreck of the Steamer Atlantic. [ARTICLE]

The Wreck of the Steamer Atlantic.

Captain James A. Williams, of the 11-fatcd steamer Atlantic, recently wrecked off Capo Prospect, near Halifax, makes the following statement: “We sailed from Liverpool March 20. During the first part of the passage we nad favorable weather and - easterly winds. 9ii the 24tli, 25th and 26th We experienced ncavy southwest and westerly gales, which brought the ship down to one hundred and eighteen miles a day. On the 31st of March the engineer’s report showed but about one hundred and twenty-seven tons of coal on board. We were then four hundred and sixty miles enst of Sandy Hook, with the wind southwest and a high westerly swell and falling barometer, the ship steaming only eight knots per hour. We considered the risk too .great to push on, as we might find ourselves, in the event of a gale, shut out from any Jiort of supply, and so decided to bear up for Halifax.'At one p. tn. on the 31st Sambro Island was distant one hundred and seventy miles, the ship’s speed varying' from eight to twelve knots per hour, wind south, with rain, which veered to Westward at eight p. m., with clear.weather. At midnight I judged the ship to have made one hundred and twenty-two miles, which would place her forty-eight miles south of Sambro, and I then left the deck and went into the cliartroom. leaving orders about the look-out, and to let me know if they saw’' anything, and call me at three a. m., intending then to put the ship’s head to the' southward and await daylight. My first intimation of the catastrophe was the striking of the ship on Meagher’s Island and remaining there fast. The sea immediately swept away all the port boats. The officers went to their stations and commenced clearing away the weather boats, Rockets were fired by the second' officer. Before the boats could be cleared, only ten minutes having elapsed, the ship keeled heavily to port, rendering the starboard boats useless. Seeing that no help could be got from the boats, I got the passengers into the rigging and outside rails, and encouraged them to go forward where the ship was highest and less exposed to the water.. The third .officer, Mr. Brady, and Quartermasters Ow’ens and Rpeftk'man, by this time having e»* tablished . communication with the outgoing rock about forty yards distant by means of a line, got four other lines to the rock, along which about two hundred people passed. Between the rock and the shore Was a passage one hundred yards wide. A rope was successfully passed across this, by which means about fifty got to land, though litany more were drowned in the attempt. At five a. m. the first boat appeared from the island, but she was too small to be of any assistance. Through the exertions of Mr. Brady, the third officer, the islanders were aroused, and by them three larger boats came to our assistance, By their efforts all that remained on the side of the ship and on the rock were landed in safety, and cared for by a«fislrorman named Clancy and bis daughter. During the day survivors to the number of four hundred and twentynine were drafted off to various houses scattered about, the resideut magistrate, Edmund Ryan, rendering valuable assistance. The chief officer having got up the niizzen rigging, the sea cut off liis retreat. lie stood for six hours by a woman who had been placed In the rigging. The sea was too high to attempt his rescue. At three p. m. a clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Ancient, succeeded in getting him a line and getting him off. Many of the passengers, saloon and steerage, died in the rigging from cold. Among the number was the purser of the ship. Before the boats went out I placed two ladies in the life boat, but finding the boat useless I carried them to the main rigging, where I left them, and went aft to encourage others to go forward on the side of the ship. At this juncture the boilers exploded and tiro boat rolled over to leeward, the ship at this "time being off her beam-ends. Finding myself useless there I went to take die ladies forward, but fbund them gone, nor did I see them afterward. Many passengers at this time could not be stimulated to any effort to save themselves, but lay in the rigging and died from fright and exposure. I remained on tiro side encouraging, helping and directing until about fifteen were landed v when, finding that my hands and legs were becoming useless, I left the ship, two other boats being close to her, and embarked the remainder. On reaching the shore I dispatched the third officer to Halifax, across the country, to telegraph the news of the disaster, and to obtain assistance. Mr. Morrow, the Cunard line agent, promply responded, and sent two steamers with provisions to convey survivors to Halifax, where they will be cared for and forwarded to New York tiro first opportunity in charge of the first and fourth officers, the third officer and four men being left at the island to care for the dead as they come ashore.”

John Faxley, chief engineer, says: “A great number of passengers were drowned while going from the vessel by rope to the rock. The cokl was so intense .that some of them, being benumbed, were unable to bold on to flu* rope, and they let go, and we were unable to render them any assistance. The rock that we were on is covered with seaweed, which made it very dangerous to stand upon, and the edges of the rock were round. All on the rock with ourselves being soaking wet and cold, were unable to render any assistance to those who were in the greatest of peril. A number of them were washed off the wreck and drowned, and a number who were trying to get from the rock to the island by a line were also washed from it and drowned. We could see people falling from the ship’s side and rigging. Several persons who became completely .exhausted lay down on the rock and diet! ’’ .

Faxley, who remained on the rock lor several hour# assisting passengers to land from the ship, says it was extremely harrowing to behold the suffering of the unfortunate creatures even after they were rescued. Many of them became insane, frothed at the mouth, and toppled off the rock into the water and were drowned, -while others were so chilled and exhausted with the cold that they lay down and died. They would wander about, incapable almost of helping themselves, and perish. Some died after they had been taken to the mainland. All the passengers speak In the highest terms of the gallant conduct of the third officer and first engineer in particular, who remained on the wreck for hours assisting the passengers to reach the rock. Two lady passengers came on deck in great excitement, and were standing near the wheelhohse; they hesitated a moment as if panic-stricken, and returned lo the comfSuuon- way as if looking for something, then came out and endeavored to reach the forward part of the ship, where the passengers were sent ashore on lines. At that taonient a huge wave swept over the ship’s quarter; the men

I- ..r-. r -'"-Tr ■ "... .. ■.„%+ /£X--v*' r K r .T.. ... .. .. -JLI'M! 1 !' clinging to the rigging, heard two heartrending shrieks, and when they Idbted again the women had disappeared. A BOV’S FRANTIC STRUGGLE FOR LIFE. The little fellow, the only child saved from the wreck, ran upon deck with a stream of passengers when the first alarm was given. His parents and other members of liis family were still below, and evidently perished when the ship filled and fell over on her side. Huddled about among that struggling mass of excited hipmanity, the piteous screams of the poor little fellow went to the stoutest heart. He had leaped upon the back of one ofthe men, in hopes of saving himself, but in that frightml crisis, when everybody was intent upon saving himself, few paid attention to the wails of the boy and man upon whoso,back he was clinging as if for dear life. He made several ineffectual attempts to shake the boy off. The cries of the boy at last attracted the attention of the captain, who; perceiving the tesfccions manner in which he was struggling for life, called out to the men wlio were surrounding the lines that led to the rock _and safety, to endeavor, if possible, to save the boy, and’tlro poor Tittle fellow was immediately passed over the heads of the struggling mass of beings, and placed In the boat. Men who were exerting themselves to save their own and other lives, wept almost for joy as they saw the brave little lad safely landed on shore. INCIDENTS. Some incidents of the disaster, as related by the survivors, are harrowing. At one time during the weary watch before dawn, the fore-boom broke loose from its fastenings, and, swinging around, instantly crushed to death about 200 persons gathered on the deck. Several passengers are reported drowned by the life-boats, which, not being properly managed, overturned and drowned the unfortunates before assistance could be rendered. Some who had life buoys, and endeavored to reach the rock by means of the lines from the vessel, not having them properly adjusted, but on the lower part of the bodies, were floating with their heads down, and in tliis way many were drowned before reaching the rock. One young man, with no clothing save a shirtand vest, ana two" life-buoys fastened around hi* body, leaped into the wafer, and attempted to reach the rock. The passengers who gave the statement, say they endeavored to dissuade him from the attempt, but ho hesitated, and when finally they were reseTied and landed on shore, the body of the young man was the first they saw, and the life-buoys were still on his laxly. Among the passengers was a native of the Old Country, who had been in the United States for some time, and lately returned to England to bring bis wife and family of five children to his home in the New World. The father, mother and children all perished. The survivors say it was a frightful sight to witness tlie manner in which many of the unfortunate persons met death. Unable to reach the deck in consequence of the jam in the gangway, several rushed through the port-hole, ordy to be dashed to death against the sides of the ship. _ _ '