Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-12-03
TERRIBLE CALAMITIES.
From the Boston Atlas.
THE CALAMITOUS WRECK OF THE
STEAMBOAT ATLANTIC,

had the painful duty Of announcing, in brief mag
netc despatch, the wreck of the magnificent
steamboat Atlantic, with the loss of Capt. Dustan,
and many other lives and in postscript edition
of that mornings paper, some additional particu
lars were given from the New LONDON News Of
Friday. The complete wreck Of the noble Steam
er. and the loss o! many valuable lives, is the
most awful and heart. rending calamity that has &c
Cured in our Eastern waters since the burning OF
the Inflated Lexington, in the same vicinity, In
which the Atlantic has Just been wrecked.
BY this terrible visitation Of the Almighty Pow
er that rules over ALL several Of our own citizens
have met with violent and uutimcy death. Three
OF those belonging TO this city, who thus lost,
were most esimabe young men, in the active pur-
suits OF life, with everything, as far as the things
OF this world considered, promising well for the
future. They left their relatives aud friends IN
this city, in The full vgor of life and manhood, with
buoyant feelings aud high hopes and, in a few
hours, they have passed away from the busy scenes
Of his life, with scarcely warning vOce of The
approach OF death, down to The grave. "lnscruta
BILE are Thy ways, all-wise, and all-seeing Proy-
dence" The names of these young men were Or
lando Pitts, Secretary of the Boyston Insurance
Company, Charles French, Clerk OF the Merchants
Insurance Company, and A. F. Cullamore, part
ner in the Crockery ware house Of John Co'lamore
Jr. g. Co.
The passengers for the Atlantic left this city on
Wednesday afternoon, at 5o'clock, and proceeded
over the Boston and Worcester and the Norwich
and Worcester Railroads, md reached Allyn's
Point about half past III o'clock that evening"
There they embarked on board the Atlantic aud
she shortly after left for New York. On her way
down the Thames river, she stopped at New Lon.
don and left that port between IL and o'clock
on Thursday morning. When about 8 miles out
side the lighthouse the steam pipe, running into
the steam chimney, burst, rendering the engine en-
trey useless. The anchors were Immediately
hove over, ut which the steamer rode through that
MA c dar nd div
light she abreast of the New London light,
drifting all the while toward the shore. The smoke
chimneys were first cut away, next the pllot-house,
and then the bulk heads, so as to give the wind
clear sweep through the vessel and expose less sur
face tn Its attacks.
The coors were hosted half mast, but on the
Mohegans attempting some measures to go to her
assistance they were hauled down by order of
Capt Dusan, who knew that her efforts would be
intellectual. Thus the steamer remained all day,
till towards five in the afternoon of Thursday when
the wind lulled, and hopes raised that all
danger overs but not long after, the wind
shifted two points and blew with violence than
before. The Atlantic gradually drlited nearer and
nearer to the shore all Thursday night, and for two
hours, fiom I'LL o'clock, on Friday morning, lay
within cables length of the breakers, held by her
two anchors and Hedge About BALI past the
stern touched, and the cables instantaneously part
ed and she preached 10, lying broadsde TO the
shore in a heavy surf. The coast was bold and
rocky, inside of u shelving reef Had she preached
to the other way, tina, her bow would have
touched the breakers, perhaps not life would
have been saved. The vessel went to pieces i'm
medIdtely Within five minutes Of her striking,
nothing was lett of her entire but her engines The
freight mad mostly been thrown overheard some
time previous
We find in the New York Herald extra, the fol-
lowing particulars derived from Mr.. Varnum
Marsh of Haverhl Mass who was one of the pas
I.,,, A ftart nla
sion OF the sleam-ppe, at which time what with
the darkness, the Increasing force OF the wind, and
the screams of the scalded the scene was ter
rble one, Capt. Dusan caused The anchors TO be
hove over the fore deck which was done as prompt.
ly as possible.
The steamer worked heavy, punging her bows
under at every lurch, and dragging her anchors.
Between the time of auchoring and daylight, it is
thought she dragged about seven miles. The fires
were all put out at daylight, Thursday, and
from that time to the period of going ashore, the
passengers and suffered from the intense
cold. All, at this time began to look to their own
personal safety. All put on the life preservers that
the ship was plenufuy supplied with, and pre-
pared themselves tor any emergency. The doors,
shutters, settees &c, detached and cut y,
for RATS to drift ashore upon, whenever she should
STRIKE The gale increased in violence, Capt. Dus-
tan, who preserved his self possession throughout
the perIous time, ordered about fifty tons of coal
to be thrown overheard, in order TO tighten the YES
sci. About noon, on Thursday the smoke pipes,
which were large and heavy, were ordered to be
thrown overheard. This was done, the Captain as
sstlng, and the steamer was eased for short time.
There was less resistance offered TO the force of
the wind The steamer continued to drift, howev-
er, and every thing looked terrible and hopeless
The danger increased rapidly, that between 9
and O'Clock, Captain Dus an ordered the decks to
be cleared OF all merchandise, OF every thing that
was in the way. Cases OF boots, shoes, barrels of
a, Ryc 4, l,,Iip DO,
to contain $1,000 worth OF plate, were thrown over
board. There were SIX to eight thousand dollars
worth of lace on board, belonging to of the pas
scngers who had previously SAID that he would
give the whole TO any one that would put him
safely ashore. This lace was afterwards seen
strewn along the beach. About midnight she par
ted one of her cables, there being four out, one
attached to thirty hundred weight of furnace
bars, and the others TO anchors Alter this the
gale continued to increase and blew perfect hur-
rcane. She was driven still nearer the shore, but
passed point that all supposed she would strike
upon. She then drted about eleven miles more,
making in all twenty one miles, which occupied a
bout forty eight hours, of terrible uncertainty and
suffering She then struck, stern first, on ledge
of rocks Fishers Island A Tremendous sea
threw her p on the very top of the ledge; so far
up, indeed, almost to throw her over 10 the
other side. In fire minutes after she struck she ,rus
in pieces. There were SIX iemales four children
and two infants among the passengers. All the fe-
males were drowned or crushed to death. Only
one of the children was saved, and he was the only
, one of the family Of which he member. HIS
father, MOTHER married sister, and younger sister
and two young brothers were on board. The poor
little orphan thus saved and thus thrown alone on
the world, Is only twelve years of age The two
infants were drowned, frozen, crushed to death
All this occurred at halt past o'clock M Friday
The Clerk of the boat states that there were be-
tween 20 and 80 belonging to the boats company
! the officers, engineers, crew, walters, &c &c
Thirty passengers came on board from the Boston
train at Norwich; five from Norwich, and three
, from New London, making thirty eight passengers
In all, from hundred and ten to one hundred
and fifteen persons were board.
: |: is impossible to ascertain the names of al
4 those who the victims of this disaster, and il
all probability the extent of the loss of life may no
h, knnAvn fnr Innn dnus Vol If NIL ll--na Thor.