The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-13 00:00:00

LOSS OF TBE UNITED STATES
STEAMER ARCTIC, AND UPWARDS OF
300 LIVES.

The Canadian Steam-ship Company's screw-staar aer
Cleopatra, Captain 11. Salt, arrived at Liverpool yes ter-
day morning from Quebec, after having put into St. JO
Newfoundland, for coal. She made the passage frot a St.
John's in seven days and a half.
By her we have received St. John's papers of he 3d
inst., which give the melancholy details of the tot al loss
of the American steamer Arctic, Captain 'Luce, 'with a
fearful sacrifice of life, off the banks. We take the fol-
lowing details of this distressing caastrophe front the
onrth edition of the Liverpool Times of yesterday :--
It is with the greatest sorrow that we announce that the
United States mail steamer Arctic, Captain Luce, was lost
on Wednesday, the 27th ult., on her voyage from Liverpool
to New York, about 65 miles from Cape Race, on the
coast of Newfoundland. This terrible event was the conse-
quence of a collision in a dense fog. There were from three
to four hundred persons on board, including passengers,
officers, and crew, of whom only fourteen passengers, three
officers of the ship, and twenty-eight seamen are known to
have been saved, having arrived at Newfoundland, but it
is possible that some others may be picked up.
The following is the statement of Mr. Baahlam, the
second officer of the ship, copied from the St. John's (New-
foundland) Public Ledger of the 3d October
St. John:s, Tuesday, Oct. 3.

The following is the statement of Mr. Baahlam, second
officer of the ill-fated steamer Arctic, who was despatched
from Renews in search of the unfortunate ve.sel, or her
boats, and who arrived in St. John's this morning at ten
o'clock, which statement is given in his own words :
"On Wednesday, at noon, Cape Race bearing S.W. by
, 65 miles distant, while running iu a very thick fog,
were' struck on the starboard bow, about 60 feet abaft the
cutwater, by anhironrsteamer, iron steamer, which made three large
holes in the ship, two below the water, one of which was
about five and a•half feet in length, one or one and a-half
in depth, leaving the whole cntwater and stem of the iron
steamer clean through the Arctic's side. So dense was the
fog that the vessel could not be seen a minute before the
collision.
"The wheel wasputhard to starboard, the engine stopped
instantly, and backed at full speed, until clear of the
other steamer, which occupied a couple of minutes. The
French steamer seemed to be sinking, bow first. Captain
Luce immediately gave orders to clear away the quarter
boats, which was done, and Mr. Gourley, chief officer, left
the ship in charge of the starboard boat; and in lowering
the port boat the captain exclaimed, ' Hoist up that boat
again, Mr. Baahlam,' and beckoned me to go to him. Upon
doing so, he ordered me to go over the bow to ascertain, if
possible, what damage had been done. I then found the
holes above mentioned. Up.m informing him of the facts,
he ordered the ship's head to be kept for the land, ..ech
bore N.W. by W. By this time we had lost sight of the
officers' boat and the other steamer, which we supposed
had sunk. We had not been on our course more than
four or rive minutes before we ran over a boat and crew
belonging to the other vessel, all of whom perished, with
the exception of one, who caught hold of a rope hanging
over the bow.
"Directly the boat was seen, orders were given to stop
the engine, which the chief engineer said could not be
done, as m ship was fast sinking. In about 30 minutes
all the lower fires were out, and at the least there were
six feet of water in the ship fore and aft. By this
time the confusion amongst the passengers was very great,
but they used all efforts to assist the crew in keeping
the pumps going, and in lightening the ship forward,
for the purpose of endeavouring to get at the leak
from inside, which w: s found to be useless, and num-
bers of them got into the boats, which were still hang-
ing to the davits. In 45 minutes after the collision I came
up from the forehold, and informed the captain that the
water was on a level with the lower deck beams, and that
it was impossible to get at the leak. I then asked him
what he thought would be likely to be the fate of the ship,
when he stated his belief to me that there was no hope of
saving her. He then told me to see to my boats.
"On going to those on the port side I found them com-
pletely filled with men and women, and no possibility of
getting near them. I immediately went to the starboard
side, and ordered two of the crew to lower the guard-boat,
and asked the captain what his intentions were, who re-
ti plied that the ship's fate should be his. I then asked him
if he would not allow his son to go with me, as I intended
to take a boat, but he returned me the answer that he
should share his fate. I then jumped into the boat, and
was ordered by the captain to cut away the tackle falls, and
drop under the stern. I did so, at which time about 20
persons, as I supposed, jumped overboard, of whom 17' or
18 were picked up. Fell in with another boat which had
been lowered from the other side, and lightened her of
part of her complement, leaiing 19 in her, and 25 in my
own boat,
" The last sight we had of the ship her guards were
level with the water, and the surface of the sea strewed
with human beings who had jumped or fallen overboard,
to whom, however, it was impossible for us to laud any
assistance, and we soon lost sight of all, the fog continuing
to be very dense.
" I then asked the boats' crews whether they were will-
ing to be governed byme, which was unanimously approved,
and I was put in complete command of both boats.' We
were then about 60 miles S.E. of Cape Race. Deeming it
my duty, for the safety of all, to take the nearest course
for the land, and after pulling 42 hours, with nothing to
guide us butthe run of the sea, which I took to be heaving
from the southward, and in a thick fog, which lasted all
the time, we reached Broad Cove, some 12 miles north of
• Cape Race.
We then proceeded by land to Renews, which we
reached on Friday last. I there obtained and took charge
of a small schooner, which was hired by the purser and
myself, and proceeded immediately in search of the wreck
or her boats. We cruised round until yesterday in a strong
gale of wind from N.E., but could find no trace of ship or
boats. I sent word to Captain Leitch, of the city of Phila-
delphia steamer, acquainting him with the catastrophe,
who, I am informed, sent off two vessels which he had em•
ployed about his own ship. Mr. Alan Goodridge, of Ite.
news, also sent away vessel on Saturday evening, bul
she has not yet returned. It is with the greatest regret
• have to report no trace of the Arctic or her other boats
could he found ; but as there were very many vessels in the
neighbourhood where the disaster occurred, it is not im-
probable that many lives may have been saved. No doubt,
however, is left on my mind as to the loss of the steamer
Arctic."
The following are the passengers who are known to be
saved :
Passengers Saved—Messrs. C. De Possiur or Dupasseur,
W. A. Young, W. W. Gilbert, J. Bogart. C. T. Mitchell,
E. M. Tuss, W. P. Rathbone, J. Hennesy, H. More,
De Meyer, W. Gihon, jun., J. M`Math, George Dobbs,
and the Duke de Grammont's servant.
Crew Saved—Sir. Geib, purser; Mr. Baahlam, 2,1 officer ;
Mark Graham, 4th officer; and twenty-eight seamen.