Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-12-09
Steamer Atlantic Wrecked!
25. to 80 Lives LOStl

/ 1V W OU LfYtO IUob &!
j Below will be found heart-rending
: uccount of the wreck of the magnificent
!. steamer Atlantic, plying between Aayn's
t Point, on the river Thames, in Connecticut,
and the city of New York, and the loss of
one-half her passengers. The Atlantic
was owned by the Norwich and Worcester
R. R. Co., and was supposed to be one of
the safest boats plying on our waters. She
was commanded by Captain DUsTAN, an
old an experienced navigator, and was
thoroughly furnished with life-preservers
and every thing that was deemed necessary
for the preservation of life in case of
accident. ..
New YoRK, Nov. % ,
81 o'clock, P. M.
Mr.. MARSH, passenger on the Atlantic,
gives the following account of the disaster.
The boat left Allyn's Point between 10
and l o'clock, Thursday morning. She
got we'll under way and was running along
finely, when the steam-chest exploded, and
almost at the same moment, the wind
shifted from the North East to the North
West, and blew almost perfect hurricane.
The steamer was thrown into the midst
of darkness and confusion, and the dir
resounded with the cries of the scalded.
1t was q frightful scene to behold. Cap
tain DUsTAN instantly called all hands to
the foredeck and ordered them to heave
over the anchors, but it was found almost
impossible for man to stand on deck, in
consequence of the violence of the gale,
the sea constantly making breach over
her bows. Owing to this it took nearly an
, hour to ge: over the three anchors.
The steamer worked heavily, plunging
, her bows under at every lurch, and dragging
$ her anchors between the time of anchoring
/ and daylight. 1t is thought that she
r dragged about eleven miles. The fires
E were oil put out at daylight on Thursday,
$ and from that time to the period Of going
3 ashore, the passengers and crew suffered
from intense cold, the only means Of keep
ing warm was to wrap themselves in
blankets and walk briskly around the steam.
, er. All at this time began to look to their
) own personal safety. All put on the life
f preservers with which the ship was so
, plentifully supplied, and prepared them
selves for any emergency. The doors and
settees were detached and cut away for
! RATS to drift ashore upon whenever they
should strike. The gale increasing in
.. violence, Captain DUsTAN, who preserved
, his sel-possession throughout the perilous
time, ordered forty tons of coal to be thrown
, overheard in order to tighten the vessel.
+ About noon on Thursday, the smoke
9 pipes, which were very large and heavy
' were ordered to be thrown overheard -
This was done, the Captain assisting, and
the steamer was eased for short time.
! The steamer continued to drift, however,
, and everything looked terrible, and the
!, danger increased so rapidly that between 2
and o'clock Capt. DUsTAN ordered the
decks to be cleared of all merchandise, and
every thing that was in the way. Cases
of boots, shoes. barrels of -four, stoves &c,
including one package said to contain seven
thousand dollars worth Of plate were
thrown overheard. There were from six
to eight thousand dollars worth of lace on
board, belonging to one of the passengers,
who had previously said that he would give
!, the whole to any one who would put him
ashore. This lace was afterwards seen
strewn along the beach. All these efforts
to save the steamer were unavailing. No
peesop worked harder than Capt. DusTAN,
and his Messengers and crew. After these
repested and united efforts had failed, all
hopes of saving life were over, and all were
anxious and desirous that she should strike
the beach. The feelings of those on boarc
: had been wrought up to such pitch that G
reaction camo over them, and they resign
ed themselves to their fate. About mid
: night she parted one of her cables, there
! being four out, one attached to 5000
. weight of furnace bars, and the others t.
!, anchors. After this, the gale continued t.
increase, and blow perfect hurricane. -
Il = She dragged still nearer shore but passed ,
: point that all expected she would strike
= against, until she dragged eleven miles
. farther, making in all about~22 miles.
II A tremendous sea threw her up to the
: very top of the ledge. This was the crisi:
y in the disaster In five minutes after she
u struck she was in pieces. In these five
" minutes, at least one half those on boart
the Atlantic were taken from time into
: eternity. The screams, the crash, the roar
y of the sea, we're dreadful. There were
. six females, four children, and seven infants
+ among the passengers. All the females
s were drowned or crushed to death.
Z. LosT.-Cuptain Dustan, of the Atlantic,
'e DR.. Haslin, Of the Navy, Lieut., Norton, Of
IS the Army, Rov. Mr. Armstrong, Secretary
of the American Board Of Commissioners
n for Foreign Missions, John Walton, Mrs
b. Jane Walton, and three children John
James. and Eleanor Jane, oil Of one family