American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-11-30
TERRIBLE CALAMITY!
WRECK OF THE ATLANTIC!
Loss OF FORTY LIVES!

The New York papers of Saturday record &;
steamer Atlantic, Capt. Dustan, left Allyn
Point, for New York at IL o'clock on Wednes
day night, with an unusually small number o.
passengers, mostly from Boston,, which with
the officers and crew numbered about 50, and
in the gale on Thursday was driven ashore,
nearly opposite New London, and on Friday
morning went to pieces, about forty other pas
sengers and crew finding a watery grave,
while those who escaped, had to endure intense
suffering. The New York Herald, extra, gives
the following particulars;
The Atlantic got we'll underway, and was
manning along finely, when the steam chest
exploded, and almost at the same moment the
wind shifted from the northeast to the north
west, and blew almost perfect hurricane.
The steamer was thrown into the m DIST OF
darkness and confusion, and the air resounded
with the cries of the scalded. 1t was a fright
full scene to behold. Capt. Dustan instantly
called all hands to the fore deck, and ordere /
them to heave over the anchors, but 1t was
fouad almost impossible for man to stand OF
deck in consequence of the violence of the
gale, the sea continually making breach over
her bows. Owing to this, it took nearly an
hour to get out the three anchors.
The steamer worked heavy, plunging her
bows under at every lurch, and dragging her
anchors. Between the time Of anchoring and
daylight, it is thought that she dragged about
eleven miles. This was terrible time to all
on board
The fires were all put out at daylight, on
Thursday, and from that time to the period Of
going ashore, the passengers and crew suffered
from the intense cold. The only means OF
keeping warm, was to wrap themselves in
blankets, and walk briskly around the stea-
mer.
All, at this time, began to look at their
own personal safety. All put on life pre-
servers that the ship was so plentIfulIy sup
piled with, and prepared themselves for any
emergency. The doors, shutters, settees, &c.,
&C., were detached and cut away, for RATS
10 drift ashore upon, wheneVe, size should
strike.
The gale increasing in violence, Capt. Dus-
tan, who preserved his selfpossession through
ont the perilous time, ordered about forty tons
Of coal to be thrown overheard, in order to
tighten the vessel.
About noon on Thursday, the smoke pipes,
which were very large and heavy, were order
ed TO BIO thrown overheard This was done,
the Captain assisting, and the steamer was
eased for short time. There was less offer
ed TO the force of the wna.
The steamer continued to drift however, and
everything looked terrible and hopeless.
The danger increased SO rapidly, that be-
tween and o'clock Capt. Dustan ordered
the decks to be cleared of all merchandise, Of
every thing that was in the way. Cases of
boots, shoes, barrels of -four, stoves, &c , SC :,
including one package said TO contain 81, 200
worth ofplate were thrown overheard There
were six to eight thousand dollars worth of
lace on board, belonging to one OF the passen-
gers, who had previously said that he would
give the whole to any body who would put
him safely on shore. This lace was afterwards
seen strown along the beach.
All these efforts, however, to save the stea-
mer were unavaIing. No person worked
h Nder than Capt. Dlstan, and his passengers
ana crew. II was for life or death. Alter
these repeated and united efforts had failed, a
hopes NJ safety were over, aud all felt DESTROYS
and anx Qas that the steamer should strike The