The Press. — London, England, 1854-11-11 00:00:00

NOVEMBER 11, 1854. artlaa The appeal on behalf of the Patriotic Fund is meeting with a very liberal response in Ireland. The City of Dublin collection exceeds 2,0001., including 5001. from the Bank of Ireland. A meeting to promote the object of the royal commission is shortly to be held in the metro politan county, under the direction of the Earl of Howth. Three sisters of the Order of Mercy left Cork on Monday under the care of the rev. superioress of the convent of St. Manes of the Isle, and proceeded by train to Dublin, where they were to join some ladies of the Order of Mercy from Kinsale Convent, m well as two from Carlow, and two from Naas. Mrs. Bridgman, superioress of the Kinsale Convent, has gone to London to make the necessary arrangements for their departure to the East. The defalcations of Mr. Edmund O'Flaherty are stated to amount to more than 15,0001. upon the bills to which he attached the names of his friends and acquaintance without authority. - • The Mountgarret Peerage case will be again con tested, a conditional order for a new trial having been granted by the Dublin Court of Queen's Bench on Saturday last. Since the first verdict in his favour Colonel Pierce Somerset Butler has assumed the title of Viscount Mountgarret. The new trial was moved for on the pleas of surprise, misdirection, and admission of legal evidence. - - • The Mayo estates of Lord Oranmore were sold in the Encumbered Estates Court on Tuesday, and realised no less than 125,3001. The rates of purchase generally surpassed the present marketable value of land—in most instances exceeding thirty years on the annual net rental. On Sunday last, the sth of November, three persons abjured the errors of Popery, under the care of the Priests' Protection Society, and received the Holy Communion in St. Thomas's Church. One of them had heen a studentin the colleges of Maynooth and Tuam. --- Another attempt to upset a train is reported in the Clonmel Chronicle. An up-train on the Great Southern and Western Railway was passing near Ratheommon, in Tipperary, on the 28th ult., when it came into collision with some large stones that had been placed across the rails, evidently with the inten tion of throwing the carriages off the line. The train fortunately escaped without any further injury than the breaking of one of the guards of the engine. The perpetrators of this horrible act are unknown ; but a reward of 201. has been offered for such information as may lead to the arrest of the guilty parties. ADRIFT ON A RAFT. As a pendant to the narrative of M'Cab whose de scriptions of his sufferings on a raft when escaping from the wreck of the Arctic was given in our last number, we extract the following account related by a fellow-sufferer in that catastrophe, and whose rescue was accomplished in a very similar way. The narrator is a native of Mississippi, named James Smith. He recounts the incidents that accompanied the wreck, and which have already appeared, and thus continues : I dro t med down on a small raft of three planks about a foot wide each, ten or twelve feet long, and an inch in thickness, lashed together with some rope and four handspikes, which I had just previously helped to lower into the water for the purpose of working from about the bow of the ship. Finding it bore me up I shoved off. I had crossed the Atlantic nine times now, and nearly every previous time have had in my charge one or more of my f or near relatives, but now I thanked God that I had not even an acquaintance with me in this my adversity. I tightened up my little raft aswell as I could, so as to make it withstand the buffettings and strainings of the heavy rolling sea, and, with the aid of a narrow long piece of plank, which I tore up off the others, using it as a paddle, I kept hovering within about 200 or 300 yards of the sink ing ship, watching operations there, and keeping myself from being drifted out of sight, so as to have what company there might be left on rafts like my own after our doomed vessel had sunk beneath the surface. In this position I saw three different small rafts like my own leave the ship, one of them with three and another with two of the fire men standing erect on them, the third with the old French man we had picked up, and one of the mess boys of the ship sitting on it. Those three rafts all drifted close by me, so near that I was hailed by one and another of them, with the request for us all to keep near together, to which I assented, but told them that we had all better try and keep by the ship till she went down. As near as I can judge, at about half-past four the ship began to dis appear ; stern foremost she entered under the surface, her bow rising a little as she slowly went under, and I dis tinctly heard the gargling and rushing sound of the water filling her cabins from stem to stern as she went under, taking, I should think, from thirty seconds to a minute in disappearing, with a large number of people still upon her deck. Thus went down the noble Arctic, leaving nothing behind but a mixture of fragments of the wreck and struggling human beings. T saw one large half round fragment burst above the surface, and several of the ‘lrnggling follow.mortals get on it; thin and the ra4 of THE PRESS. spars, with several on it, and the boat full of people, was all that I could distinctly make out as being left in the neighbourhood of where the ship went down to wind ward, and the three small rafts to leeward along with my own were left to pass the night, now beginning to close in upon and hide away from my sight—l wish I could say from my memory—this dreadful day ; but such a night of extreme melancholy despair and utter loneliness I hope I shall never again experience. 1 had, it is true, become familiarised with death, and felt as if it would be great relief to go immediately, like the rest ; and for this end I, with some what of satisfaction, thought of the phial of laudanum in my pocket, previously intended for a better use; but, oh! how unprepared was I to see my God, and for my family's sake how necessary I felt it was for me still to live a while longer, else would I have emptied that phial or rolled over the side of my plank most willingly. The night was cold and chilly, the dense fog was saturating my already wet clothing. I was standing up to the ankles in the water, with the waves every now and then washing me up above the knees, no hope in my mind of being drifted to the laud, and in a part of the ocean where it is believed a thick fog continually hangs over the surface, precluding the hope of any chance vessel in passing near us being aware of our situation—all circumstances seemed to say, it is but a question of how long the physical frame can endure this perishing state, or how long before a more boisterous sea turns over or separates the slightly-fastened planks. Thus reflecting, I offered up to Him Li ruleth the winds and the waves—to Him unto whom we all flee in our deepest dis tress—a sincere petition for mercy, that, as I had now been called to account, I might, notwithstanding my unworthi ness, find an acceptance through the merits of Him who suffered for us, and who stands ready to aid, and who says " Knock and it shall be opened unto you "—unto whom can we look, Oh, our God, but unto thee? Our whole life is, after all, but as this hour—a mere question of a few short days ; and what are all the mere vanities transpiring during an ambitions and short existence compared to an assurance which maketh our latter end a fearless one ? Relieved. and consoled by this, my last petition, I was somewhat calmly resigning myself to await my time as long as my strength and power of endurance could hold out, when I discovered close by me a large square basket lined with tin, floating lightly by—one of the steward's dish baskets it proved to be—and paddling up to it 1 got it on board, and, with the help of a piece of small rope I had round my shoulders, I lashed it pretty firmly on top of the planks, thus not only tending to make my raft more secure, but affording me a comparatively dry place to sit on the edge of it, and with my feet inside form ing a shelter for my legs up as high as my knees. After get ting this all arranged, and while sitting watching the water every now and then dashing over the top of it, and becoming convinced that it would soon be partly filled and add to my discomfort, as well as to the weight of the raft, I was again surprised to hear a rattle against the side of the raft, which, proving to be a small air-tight tin can—a part of a set of such used as a life-preserver—l seized hold of it as an additional token of the presence of a protecting Pro vidence. It cut out one end of it with my pocket-knife, and found it answer the purpose of what above anything else I then needed—a baling-pot--and by which I was enabled to keep my little shelter clear of water ; and so acceptable as a protection from the cold, damp blast did I find this little willow house, that I soon found myself cramped down into the inside, thus keeping not only my feet and legs, but the lower part of my body somewhat warm. In this sort of situation I wore away the tedious night, and the breaking dawn revealed to my sight nothing but thick mist, the unceasing rolling waves, and my own little bark, not a single vestige of all else that the night closed upon was now to be seen. About midday the sun cleared away the mist, and the beat of his rays was truly grateful, but oh how desolate in its very cheer fulness seemed the prospect he thus unfolded ! Over the whole broad expanse of waters not a sail could be seen, not a thing save the figures of the two firemen, about half a mile distant, still standing erect and showing themselves at intervals, as every heavy swell raised them on its crest. 1 had not yet felt either hunger or thirst, for which I was truly thankful, for I had but a handful of dry broken crackers in my hat, which T felt determined to save to the last, and, of course, no water. I dreaded the craving of either. - - ----- - The day wore on still clear until about an hour before nightfall, when the two firemen ( within hailing distance of whom I had worked my way again) discovered a ship under full sail broadside towards us, but it was with faint hopes of success that I hoisted my handkerchief, tied to the end of the strip of wood I was using as a paddle, the firemen doing the same with a shorter piece of wood in their pos session. The ship at one time, we noticed, lay to, or altered her course for a moment, giving us a hope that she had discovered something, but the night closed in again, and with it all hopes of a rescue. I passed through this night in a dozing, dreary, shiver ing, half-sensible sort of state, with all sorts of fancies before my drowsy and somewhat disordered mind, and all sorts of pictures in my wakeful moments, both of a pleas ing and of a revolting character, floating before me on the dark surface of the water. Now and then, during the night, I fancied myself hailed by various surrounding par ties, convinced as I was, at the same time, that none others were within hailing distance but the two firemen. My dis ordered fancy, however, kept me for more than half the night in an agreeable state of excitement, under the firm belief that companies of boats' crews were on the search for us, and most lustily did I answer every fancied or real signal. The morning dawned again, and with it a horrid scene of despair at the gloomy prospect of the same dense foggy atmosphere, now and then fully developing to view the same to erect figures dancing about on the rolling surf, and, in my selfish liberality, I bargained with myself that would endure still during this day, seeing that my two companions, who were obliged to be on their feet, sup poraog each other is a vez7 prosatiou-looking, back-to. 1071 back attitude, were able still to exist. I felt a little hungry this morning and ate half a biscuit. While warming my self by about two hours' paddling up towards them, during which the log parually cleared away, and while close to them we all became excited at the sight of a sail far to the south as I thought, but broadside towards us. Like the one on the pievious evening, 1 had little hope of her coming much nearer, but being determined to leave no effort untried which might possibly attract their notice, I stripped myself, and, taking off my shirt, tied it by the sleeves to the end of my paddle, and, with my handker chief on a small strip of wood tied on above it, I thought I had a tolerably conspicuous signal, and waved it to and fro for more than an hour, until the ship was nearly out of sight; and just as I had lowered it in utter hopelessness we all descried at the same instant, in the opposite direct • tion, another sail, end on to us, just entering, as it were, into our grand amphitheatre through a cloud of mist that seemed to rise and clear away above the vessel, forming a grand triumphal archway around, our eureka, like a tower of promise, in the centre. When within three miles of us, and about an hour and a half after the first hove in sight, we were relieved by her backing her sails, altering her course, and lying to for a while ; then, hoisting a signal upon her spanker•gaff, she put about and bore away, on and on far in the distance on the opposite tack, until my heart began to fail again, doubting whether she was beat ing to windward for us, or had gone on her way, rejoicing in the discovery and rescue of only a portion of the un fortunate wretches within range of her. But again how light and buoyant was the joy as she at last put about, and stood directly for us ; and on and on she advanced like a saving angel, until we could see her noble-looking hull distinctly 'rise and fall within little over a mile distant from us, when she backed her sails and waited for some time in the prosecution of her mission of mercy, no doubt relieving some of our scattered companions from a like precarious state. Soon she tilled away again, and at last, lying to close by the two firemen, I saw her boat lowered with five men in it, who, picking up the two firemen in their course, came dashing along direct for my raft, and, soon bouncing alongside, I allowed myself to tumble on board of them, unable physically to adopt anything of a graceful action, and morally overpowered with gratitude to God and to those His instruments. I remained speechless until I got on board the ship. Before getting on board, however, the boat went away off some distance to windward, and picked up the three other firemen whom I had seen leave the Arctic, but who had been ever since out of view. We all got huddled upon the deck somehow, although rather awkwardly, and, making my way down to her neat little cabin as well as my stiff feet and legs would allow, I had the pleasure of paying my respects to Captain John Russell, and found myself on board the ship Cambria, of Greenock, bound from Glasgow for Quebec. Captain Russell, the Rev. Mr. Walker, of the Free Church of Soot land, and his very kind and attentive wife ; Mr. Sutherland, of Caithnesshire, in Scotland; Mr. John M`Naught, and several passengers of the steerage paid us every attention that I could have desired, Captain Russell giving me up the berth he had been using himself, and putting every thing on board in requisition that might tend in the least to relieve and make us comfortable. I was surprised to learn that the old Frenchman whom we had picked up from the Vesta was our good genius on this occasion. Being directly in the track of the approaching Cambria he was picked up by the second mate, Mr. Ross jumping overboard with a line, end, seizing hold of the old man, they were both pulled on board, and the rescued French man, in the best English he could muster, made Captain Russell aware that others were near. He then went to the masthead, and with his glass made out the other four pieces of wreck which we were all on, and, making his long tack to windward, came back in the midst of us, picking up first, from that half-round piece of wreck that I saw burst abeve the surface at the time of the ship going under, Cap tain l,uce, Mr. George F. Allen, of the Novelty Works, and a young German, a passenger of the Arctic, by the name of Ferdinand Kaye. They, along with eight others of those who went down with the ship, had gained this piece of wreck, which turned out to be a segment of one of the paddle-boxes ; and, singular it seems, that Captain Luce, who had stuck by his sinking ship to the last minute, was thus saved at last on the very boards which, as commander, were his poet of duty. The same thing, however, bad caused the death of an interesting son, by striking or falling on him as it burst above water. The eight others who had gained it wi . .h them had from time to time perished on it, and Mr. Kaye was on the point of making the ninth when the Cambria hove in sight. He had become almost a lunatic from extreme thirst, frtm eating biscuit soaked in sea water and attempting to quench it by blood sucked from veins of his arm, opened with his penknife, and at tempted to drown himself several times. He had been prevented by Captain Luce and Mr. Allen, until longer endurance seemed impossible with him, when the Cambria appeared. Mr. Allen, too, although saved himself, had too much reason to fear the loss of his wife and several other relatives who were on board with him, and whom he saw placed on the raft of spars before the ship went under. I found those three, my companions, in the cabin of the Cam bria, and beinglattendeikto like myself. The old Frenchman and the five firemen were comfortably quartered away in the forecastle, all suffering much, the old man having lost hi s c o s pagnon do voyage, the mess•boy, who held out as lung as he could, but finally rolled oterboard. In the course of a few days we all began to get round and feel pretty well with the exception of the seven, pates •es in our feet, which continue with very little intermis sion, and at the same time it is most congenial to our feelings that, through the leadership of Mr. Walker, we • have the daily opportunity of rendering praises and thanks givings to a gracious God for His mercy and goodness to wards us. • Two RUSSIAN PLICES Or CANNON, taken at Bomarsund, have lately been forwarded from Brest to Paris. They will probsby be placed en Oa esplanade of the invelidee , •