The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-28 00:00:00

ferzE LOSS OF THE

0

The following extracts are from a, letter written
by one of the passengers on board this ill-fated
1 vessel to his father, who resides iu Glasgow
! " About three minutes after she struck, word was
brought to the captain that she was rapidly filling.
He went down to see what was wrong, and in a few
minutes more the steerage passengers came running
up on deck, as the water was already two feet in the
steerage, and so rapidly did the water rise that some
passengers were drowned before they could get up
on deck. For some time after she struck I had hopes
that, being built in compartments, she would float
for some time, so with Mary Anne in one hand and
little Katie in the other, I remained quietly en the
deck. By this time all the life-preservers had been
secured by the passengers; but being too clumsy to
take into lifeboats, they were nearly all afterwards
dispensed with. One gentleman had an airtight
preserver wrapped round his chest, which saved his
life, as he was some timein the water. Immediately
on seeing the extent of the damage, the captain had
given orders to get the eight boats ready, and, as it
turned out, there was net a minute to spare, as had
there been the least delay in launching them the
loss of life would have been much greater. When
the boats were pretty well filed with passengers I
stepped. up to the captain on the bridge, and asked
him if I should get into the boat, hen he said,
Hold on a little.' Mary Anne and I were about
the last to get into the captain's boat. After I had
put them in, they refased to admit me,. as she as as
full. I said I must follow my wife and child. I can
assure you, in moments like these, every one looks
to himself. The captain and two or three more (sot
in after me, and, being quite full, orders were given
to shove off. They took some few minutes to get
of the tackling, as the sea was running pretty high.
The steamer was now going down fast, and the
anxiety became very great to get clear of the ship,
as had we remained by her two or three minutes
more we should all have been lost. She imme-
diately went down, head foremost, with a great
plunge, and, when she struck the bottom, the stern,
which all this time had been out of water, sunk in
a moment. Then followed a loud explosion, leaving
the sea foaming and gurgling, and all you could see
of the wrecked steamer was a few spars and a few
bodies floating about, and one boat turned upside
down, with a man sitting astride on the keel. But
our danger was not yet over. In fact, the impres-
sion was that we should be swamped in tee whirl-
pool ; but, by pulling desperately at the oars, we
got clear of this other danger. We were now adrift
on the Atlantic. The land was only about five
miles off, but the north of Newfoundland is inha-
bited only by a few fishermen, so that we were in
danger of starvation from hunger and cold, and
this might have been our fate had we not been
picked up by four vessels, which very remark-
ably hove in sight just as we were wrecked. The
captain, as soon as possible, chartered one of the
vessels to bring us here. I will not now describe
our passage, but I can assure you we had to put
up with no small amount of discomfort. The first
night we slept on deck, and a bitter cud wind
chilled us through. In the cabin there were only
five beds for about 20 ladies, so that a few hours
at a time was all that any one could get. All the
sailors and passengers, excepting a few ladies who
slept sitting or lying about the cabin, went into the
ship's hold at night, and slept there, with a few
hoops and sails spread over a cargo of salt. It was
a strange sight to see about 160 of us lying in the
hold, with sails for a blanket. Such a noise and
confusion—some grumbling that they had not
enough room; some that they could not stretch.
themselves; some were frightened, even strong-
looking men, that some nights when we were among
the ice they were running up on deck every ten
minutes. I believe ono night we were in some dan-
ger, being in the midst of icebergs, and I was told
that in one instance we passed between two almost
near enough to reach them with the hand. Some
of these icebergs were of immense size, not unlike
Ailsa Craig. There has been an unusual quantity
of ice on this coast this spring. I will only further
remark, in relation to our shipwreck, that Captain
Graham conducted himself with perfect coolness and
judgment during so dreadful a scene ; and it was no
doubt a good deal owing to his presence of mind in
immediately launching the boats that so many lives
were saved. There was little of that excitement
and terror which we frequently hear of on such oc-
casions, and which greatly increase the risk of loss.
The only exception to this was the cowardly conduct
of some five of the crew, who went off in one of the
boats, instead of waiting for others who were as
anxious to escape as they were. The mail conduc-
tor, a very nice man, was lost in his over-anxietv
to save the mails."