The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-27 00:00:00

THE LOSS OP THE ARCTIC.

NEW YORK, Oct. 14.—1 t was not until the day
after the mails left for the late steamer from Boston
to Liverpool that the appalling news reached us of
the loss of the steam-ship Arctic, by collision, near
Cape Race ; and as we did not hear of the almost
unparalleled calamity until fourteen days after it
occurred it is probable that you received the
mournful intelligence in England as soon as we did
here.

Never do I remember an event that created a
m
greater sensation. The entire community was in a
plunged into grief and sorrow. The courts
were closed, business at the Exchange was sus-
pended, and the flags of all the. shipping in the
harbour were at half-mast. Many families mourn
the loss of near relatives, and even up to to-day
the offices of the Messrs. Collins and Co. aro be-
sieged by bereaved fathers, mothers, sisters, wives,
and children—all anxious to learn whether any
hope remains of the safety of those who were so
near and dear to them. The Arctic left Liver-
pool v4th 256 passengers and a crew of 175 men,
makind 431 souls. According to the reliable
accounts thus far received, more than- 300 would
appear to be certainly lost, G 4 of whom were
swept by the sea from a hastily constructed raft.
But as there are two, if not three,, boats yet to
be heard of, there is a possibility that more
may haveidea of. " The hope is faint ; still, it may be
been saved than we have now any
cherished. Tho Arctic was run into, during a
dense for", by the French etc ins-propeller Vesta,
which had 300 men on board, nearly thirty of whom
were lost in a boat by getting too near the Arctic's
wheel. Otherwise the Vesta is safe at St. John's,
Newfoundland, with loss of foremast and other
damage. But read the enclosed accounts. And
hero I would remark that great blame is justly at-
tributed to both the steamers, in consequence of
their going at speed across the ever foggy
ranks of
Newfoundland without the ringing of bells, the
screaming of the steam-vessel, or the firing: of
minute guns. The consumption of a few hundred-
weight of gunpowder would save life and prevent
disaster. But all precautions of the kind appear
to have been neglected, while, instead,
a spirit of
racing across the Atlantic has been indulged in, to
the utter disregard of human life. Again, when
the collision occurred the crew soon became unma-
nageable, and, in most cases, thought only of saving
their own lives, without even au attempt to rescue
the passengers. Thus it will be seen that out of
the first seventy whose names reached us as saved
only twenty passengers are included. Indeed, it
is said that one boat left the scene of horror with
but eight or nine persons on board, refusing to take
more, although they'
might have saved between
thirty and forty ; nay, a rumour obtains credence
that revolvers were threatened by the unmanly
ruffians in the boat to prevent others from board-
ing. One thing is certain, namely, that there were
boats enough to save 500' people, and yet a majo-
rity, mostly passengers, perished. The large boat
on deck, owing to the panic and confusion, was not
launched, and went down with the ship. Hopes
are expressed that she would float as the yessel
sank, and she was seen to be filled,
with
passengers.
But such hopes are pronounced by all shipmasters
to be vain, as the suction caused by the sinking
steamer would infallibly draw down the boat, espe-
cially as she was covered with a crowd of people.
Captain Luce behaved nobly, refused a rescue, and
went down with his ship. Mr:Dorian, the second
mate, exerted himself with humanity and courage
and saved many. But the conduct of the crew,
firemen, and engineers was, with a very few ex-
ceptions, perfectly disgraceful, cowardly, and atro-
cious. All discipline was set at defiance, and, in-
stead of the vaunted courage of the generous sailor,
a mean,
fright, panic, and selfishness wore displayed.
sneaking, and unmanly course of conduct,

THE VERY LATEST.
PORTIONS OF THE WRECK PASSED AT SEA.
BOSTON, Oct. 12, 1854.—8 y the arrival of the Europa
we have received the Keufoundler, published at St. Johns,
Oct. 5. It censures the conduct of Governor Hamilton
and the American Consul in not taking speedy and efficient
measures to search for the survivors of the Arctic. The
news of her loss reached St. John's, Sept. 30.
The ship Nautilus, which arrived at St. John's, Oct. 4th
from Mirainichi, reports that, about twenty-five miles
southeast of Cape Race, she saw a quantity of wrecked
materials, viz : —A portion of the railing and painted deck
of a large vessel, with a number of shoats, cases, casks, &c.
There can be little doubt that these were portions of the
wreck of the Arctic. The wind blew too hard to allow the
Nautilus to save any of them.
BOSTON, Oct. 13, 1854.—The Newfoundland papers re-
ceived here by the Europa make no mention of the pro-
peller Vesta having rescued thirty-one of the crow of the
Arctic. We have therefore no confirmation, as yet, of the
despatch received from Halifax yesterday,
HALIFAX, Oct. 13, Noon.—Nothing further as to the
Arctic has reached this port up to the present time.
THE PROPELLER VESTA AND THE ARCTIC'S CREW,
The fact that the Newfoundland papers of as late a date
as the sth inst. make no mention of the Vesta's having
brought in any of the crew of the Arctic, induces the be-
lief that the despatch from Halifax, on Thursday afternoon,
referred to the persons who were previously reported as
having bean landed near St. John's. Efforts were made
yesterday to have this point cleared up, but the Halifax
line cloned last evening before an answer could be obtained
from.our correspondent at that place.

TWENTY-SIX HOURS ON A RAFT.
STATEMENT OF PETER WOAD%
We left Liverpool on the 20th of September and up to
Wednesday, the 27th, nothing particularly worthy of note
occurred. About twelve o'clock of that day, when we were
about 40 miles off Cape Race, and enveloped in a fog, we
came in collision with some unknown vessel, which was
afterwards, however, found to be a propeller. The Arctic
was running at the rate of thirteen knots an hour, but the
concussion appeared so slight that no one on board, not
even the captain, supposed that the damage was so exten-
sive. His fears were only excited by the condition of the
other vessel, which it was believed must be in a sinking
state. Immediately after the collision, the propeller passed
us on the starboard side, when it was discovered that her
bows were completely stove in; and that she was otherwise
extensively damaged. Our course was instantly reversed,
by orders of the captain, and we went in pursuit of the
vessel, for the purpose of rendering her all the assistance in
our power, little imagining that we were so much in need
of jt ourselves at the time. On coming up with the pro-