The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-04-26 00:00:00

THE REV. MR. ANCIENT AND THE WRECK OF THE

The following interesting item is from the New
York Tribune

Mr. Ancient's account of the part he played in the fearful
tragedy was vivid and Interesfing. When he reached the
wreck, which took pines about two miles from his house,
most of the saved had been landed. lie sought to
nod them shelter, till his attention was attracted by
man and the womau in the rigeing and a boy on the
wreck. Ile went to Sir. Ryan, the magistrate, and
said, "the water is smooth cough; you can get along-
side in a beat" They were then hauling the boats
on the shore. "But you cannot get at them when you
got out there," said Mr Ryan. "Give me a boat and some
men ; put me on board, and I will get them." A boat was
manned; but when they neared the ship the men would
not put him on board. They lured their pastor, and thought
it certain death to put him on the vessel. Mr. Ancient en-
treated them "John," he said to the most solicitous of
the crew, "It I am doomed, I won't hold you responsible.
Put me on board." While they were backing and
filling the boy fell off. They picked him up, wrapped
a coat around him, and landed him. Finally the
men agreed to put Mr. Ancient on board. The ship's
side WWI then at an angle of 50 deg.., and the tither-
men have not yet got over their admiration for their
pastor's skill in climbing it, and in running the rail
he found a piece of min of the braces in the main
rigging, made one end lest and carried the other along
with hint. When he reached the outer davit he shouted
to the man in the rigging, "You are an officer are you not:"
Yes," was the reply "Then you know how to make a
bowline ?" Yes, Sir." Mr. Ancient then threw him an
ene, of the rope, first taking a turn around the davit. ' Now
put confidence in me and move when it'll you' Slr Firth
followed his directions, and the miniater led him along by
the rope, taking in the slack as he went. Whenever he
slipped the turn around the ,lavit and the strong arm of hits
rester held him A great sea swept over and wasned the
officer off. "0 Lord," he miel ous, "1 have broken my
shins, I have broken my shins." " Never mind your shins,
man ! it is your life we are after." Finally beget him to the
main riggleg and to the vessel's side and let him into the
boat by a rope, and the man was saved.

Tine Tint(3 in a leader, aaakes the following remarks
upon the Was of the ill-fated vessel, and the inquiry
into her loss :
The terrible story of the wreck of the Atlantic has now
been told. The court charged by the Canadian Parliament
with the investigation of the disaster has delivered its judg-
ment, which visits the Captain of the vessel with the loss of
hie certi fleet° for two years, and inflicts scimitar punishment
on the Fourth Officer tor three months. This sentence was
pronounced avowedly ass mitigation of a more severe penalty
which might justly have been exacted, and a brief review
of the circumstances attending the catastrophe will enable
the reader to appreciate the ronclesions of the C
The Atlantic was a nue iron stemmion of the White
Star Line, which had already made eighteen or rifle'
teen succe Wel passages between Liverpool and New
Y. She left the Mersey on her lest voyage with up-
wards of a thousand souls on board, including 550 steerage
p iesengers. 'this was on Thursday, the 20th of last month,
mei all went well with her, save for head winds and rough
weather, up to the 31st. She was then eleven days out, and,
as her coal was running shirt, Captain Williams, her Com-
mander, feared that she might be unable to reach her desti-
nation. By his own account he had only 127 tons left,
whereas he was still 460 mile. from Sandy Hook. Moreover,
the Chief Steward reported that stores were running out also,
and that in two days' time Mead and rice would be the only
provish •ins remaining. Thus etre umstanced, Captain Williams
determined to char ge the ship's course and put into Halifax for
fresh supplies, this he did about lawn on the 31st of
March, arid the ship was steered for Halifax accordingly. It
happened that Captain Williams had laver taken a vessel
into Halifax before, nor, indeed, hal any 'it his officers with
the exception ef the I Mr, Officer, Mr. Brady, ever entered
the port. At midnight, however, on the 3151, the Captain
left the deck and went to bed, the ship twine then according to
calculation, some 39 miles from a certain light marking the
western side of Halifax Harbour, The Third Officer had
also been relieved, arid the vessel was in charge of the
Second and Fourth °dicers. Two hours later she struck
heavily upon a r..ck, and our readers know the rest.
The questions arising from this recital of facts are obvious.
The Atlantic was lost by striking on a certain rock, she
being at that time out of her regular course. Her course
had been altered because It was feared her fuel would not
suffice to carry her to her proper destination. According to
the Captedn'y own reckoning, the coals with which the ship
had been supplied at Liverpool would have been sufficient
except for the three days of heavy weather experienced on the
p MAO ; but, at any rate, the fuel did run abort, and it is
uot denied, BO far as we see, that the change of course
on which the Captain resolved was, under the circumstance.,
a prudent proceeding. Assuming then, that the abip,
apart from any error of reckoning, was where she ought to
have he, n, how came she to run on the rock? The answer is
that sufficient allowance had not been mada,for the current,
which carried the vessel no far out of her course that one
light was mistaken for another. How such a mistake became
possible, or how far it might be excusable, tremor°, probably,
than we shall ever know. Of the two officers incharge, one
perished with the wreck, and the other has been punished as
we have seen, butnehiher,L shoold be remembered, knew the
coast. nor, lodeed, did Ihe Captain himself. The judgment,
however, of the Court proceeded On the c 'ear and natural pre-
sumption thatom der the circumstances of the case, the Captain
should not have left the deck. He is reported, indeed, to
have said himself that if he had been called in time he might
have seen the land, and so averted the calamity, from which
it would certainly follow that the calauity miaht have been
averted had he remained at his post. In fact, it we. the
opinion of the Court that the evidence on this point would
Ii ire justified the absolute revocati oi of his certificate ; but
his gallant behaviour after the disaster had occurred—con-
emit which had been recognized by the surviving passengers
th.mselves—was allowed to operate in mitigation of the
sentence. . . .

Altogether, we are compelled to conclude that the loss of
the 11l Nted vessel won due, in its ultimate shape end with
its actual results, to a combination of errors and niisf ortatme.
She would in all probability never have been wrecked i/ she
had carried an adequate stock of coals, or if had weather had
not rendered her actual stock insufficient. She would. &gain,
perhaps have escaped if the officers in charge had possessed
a greater knowledge of the coast they were approachieg, or if
a better I mk.out had been kept, especially by the Captain.
Once more, had she been of a dderent build, there mightehave
been more time for saving life, though ori this point it should
be remembered that a bony of 800 or 900 passengers of dif-
ferent nationalities, suddenly roused in the dead of the
nieht and confronted with mortal peril, would be likely
enough to ruin by their disorder the most favourable chances
of rescue, hI e cannot doubt, indeed, that to this element
of confusion and danger we owe in no small degree the ter-
rible loss ,d life. Our latest intelligence, too, reveals another
source of mischief. Though not a word of reproach, except
for the filial act of negligence, seems to be levelled against
the Captain, and though the officers generally are praised
for their good conduct, it Is said their efforts were ill-
served by an indifferent crew. One witness, a cabin
passenger, had remarked from the beginning that the ship
woo nut well manned Uncover, though thus circumstance
rimy have ire reused, mrheps, the loss of life after the vessel
struck, it bad not, to all appearance, any share Ita the causes
of the wreck itself. The digester must be directly attributed
to a combination of Inexperience and negligence on the part
of those who were taklbg a vessel Into a strange port at mid-
night—faults which exemplary behaviour after the accident
could but partially redeem. We can only trust the story and
Its moral may not be speedily forgotten.