American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-11-30


beach 1t was a frightul sight, but the fee
lngS OF those on board had been wrought I
such pitch, that a reaction came over them
and They were resigned to their fate.
About midnight she parted one Of her cables
mere being four out, one attached to thirty hun
dred weight of furnace bars, and tho Others to
anchors After this the gale continued 10 in
crease ana blow perfect hurricane.
She was driven still nearer the shore, blu,
passed point that all expected she would
strike upon She then drilied about clever
miles, making in all twenty-five miles, which
occupied about lorty-elght hours, of terrible
uncertainty and suffering. She then struck
stern tlrst, on ledge Of rocks on Fishers Is
iahd' "A tremendous sea threw her up on to
'ne very top OF the ledge; so far up, indeed, as
almost to throw her over on to the other side.
ms was lhe crisis IN the disaster. Ii was
terrible and heart-rending in the extreme. In
hVe inmates alter she struck, she was in pieces,
10 these five minutes at least one-haDf of
those on board the Atlantic were taken from
time INTO eternity. The screams, the crash.
the roar OF the sea was dreadful.
There were six females, four children. and
two infants among the passengers All the
females were drowned or crushed TO DEATH
Only one of the children was saved, and to
was the only one of the family Of which he
was member. His father, mother. married
sister, and younger sister, and two young
! brothers, were on board. The poor little or
phan thus saved, and thus thrown alone Oh to
The world, is only twelve years of age. The
TWO infants were dfowned, frozen, or crushed
TO death.
All this occurred at half past four o'clock on
Friday morning.
The particulars givel by our informant, Mr.
Varnum Marsh, Of Havchill, Mass, are pain
fully thrilling. When the Atlantic struck he
was setting IN the gang way; his first impress.
sion was that heavy sea had struck the steam
or. In moment after, however, (altHough
every moment was an age to those on board,
the sea stove in the side Of the vessel at his
back, aud swept him along, and dashed him
against the sound side of the steamer Before
he could .rCCovDr himself, another Tremendous
sea came and threw him aglinsl the upper side
OF the vessel Thence he was thrown in among
every thing movable on deck, and consdera
bly, bruised as we have seen After he was
thrown up the third time, he succeeded in
catching hold Of the sky hight frame, and there
remained tor a few moments, and the only
person near han 10 bO seen or heard was the
small boy who was saved. He was on the top
OF the ledge amongst the wreck. Our iAior-
mant here discovered that he was made fast 10y
an iron hook, on bar OF IRON which had be-
come entanglrd III one OF his life preserveIs;
after great exerlIouS he made to throw one OF
the straps over his head, which drew The other
still tighter. He then thought that all was
over with him; but by an almost superhuman
effort he succeeded in drawing that off. He
then found that the other pair of preservers,
which he had on, were entangled with those
he had thrown off. To e1tricale himself from
this difficulty, he laid down, and drew all off,
over his feet, and threw them away. All this
had to be done in very few minutes; and what
must have been his feelings in that time.
During this time the sea was breaking up
the steamer, and dashing The pieces OF the
wreck about, at one time against Mr.. Marsh
and at another crushing either poor passenger
or an unfortunate sailor to death.
After Mr.. Marsh had thrown away his life
prGserVer, he saw gem OF light from the up
per side of the vessel The Atlantic was then
lying on her beam ends, and her decks covered
with ice. BY some means, wholly unacCounta-
BILE at this time tosMr. NJ, lie made his escape
through the side Of the vessel through which
this CLEAN OF ligEt came. Before he reached
that point, however, he saw human beng
standing near the aperture.
After reaching to within six feet Of the out
side, he called ~ the person, whom he saw,
and who proved to be the little boy, to pass
him piece of board, or something else, 10 en-
able him to get over the ice. The boy thought
that Mr.. NJ. told him to leave the place. This
induced tn boy to leave, and Nh Marsh crept
out over what he supposed to be dead body;
it was too dark to tell with certainty. Then
ha took hold pT n pI "a mrpCk tho no,
ofthe ladies' saloon, and walked on the edge Of
the vessel. On looking up, he saw the mast,
with several pieces OF timber or spars attached
swinging 10 and fro. At this moment ire
mendUus sea came and washed Mr. Marsh back
into the sea. Then he found it necessary To
swim as rapidly as his bl used lmbs would per-
init him through the swell Of the sea, ice and
broken parts of the vessel, to avoid the falling
mast, and ped by few feet only. He then
made for the shore as quickly as possible, which
he finally reached in safety, after being driven
back several times.
After Mr.. Marsh turned towards the shore
he heard some one cry "oh what shall | do?
shan't get ashorem Mr.. Marsh encouraged
him to strike out through the surf, and he had
the pleasure, III the midst Of his pain, to see the
little fellow land Oh the beach.
As Mr.. NJ. was thrown up for the last lime
he caught hold Of a small sharp rock and held
on till the sea left him. Then he Crept on his
hands and knees from the beach over rocks
Till he reached q large rock which sheltered
him from wind. Twas very dark and intense
ly cold at this time.
Shortly after tins, Mr.. NJ. heard man speak, !
and enquire "Who is therein Mr.. NJ. made an
exertion to speak, and probably made some
sort OF noise; for the man told him 'sto hold on
to bis DRESS" to be led 10 his house. Finding
himself very weak and cold, he could not walk
without falling. Just then, two other men
came up, and conveyed Mr.. NJ. to the house
This was about O'Clock in the morning, and !
from that time to about O'Clock, Mr.. NJ was
insens,bie.