The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-11-29
HIS NOBLE CONDUCT.
LIST OF THE DROWNED,
AUTHENTIC PARTICULARS
OF THE
d. s. a g = u r.
&c. &c. &c.

she had been rs crowded as she usually has been,
the disaster would of course have been more
dreadful and terrible in its results.
Tie passengers for this Inflated steamer
left Boston at half past five o'clock on We'd
nesday afternoon. They proceeded over the Wor-
cester and Norwich Road, and reached Allyn's
Point at half past eleven on that night. There
they went on board the Atlantic. She left Tor
New York between twelve and one O'Clock on
Thursday morning.
here were between seventy and eighty per-
sons on board gin all, including passengers, off.
GERS, crew, and servants.
The Atlantic got well underway, and was
running along finely. when the steam chest ex-
poded; and nearly at the same moment the wind
shifted from the northeast to the northwest and
blew almost a hurricane.
The steamer was thrown into the midst of dark.
ness and confusion, and the air resounded with
the CRIES Of the scalded. twas frightful scene
to behold Capt. Dustan instantly called all hands
to the fore deck, and ordered them to heave over
the anchors, but it was found almost impossible
for a man to stand on 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 an.
chors.
The steamer worked heavily, plunging her bows
under at every lurch, and dragging her anchors.
Between the time Of anchoring and daylight, it is
thought that she dragged over the distance of
about eleven miles. This was terrible time to
all on board.
The fires were all put out at daylight, ON Thurs
day, 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 steamer.
All, at this time, began to look to their own
personal safety. All put on the life preservers
that the boat was so plentfuly supplied with, and
prepared themselves for any emergency. Some
put on one, some two and some four life preser.
vers. The doors, shutters, settees, &c, &C., were
detached and cut away, for RATS to drift ashore
upon, whenever the steamer should strike.
The gale increasing in violence, Capt. Dustan,
who preserved his self possession throughout the
perious time, ordered about forty tons of coal to
be thrown overheard, in order to tighten the YES
sci.
About noon on Thursday, the smoke pipes,
which were very large and heavy, were ordered
to be thrown overheard. This was done, the
short time. After this less resistance was offer
ed to the wind.
The steamer continued to drift, however, and
everything looked terribly hopeless.
The danger increased so rapidly, that between
and o'clock Captain Dustan ordered the decks
to be cleared of all merchandise, of every thing
that was in the way. Cases of boots, shoes, bar
rels of flour, stoves, &C., &C., including one pack
age said to contain 81 600 worth of plate, were
thrown overheard. There were six to eight thou
sand 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 safely ashore. This lace wasiaf
forwards seen strewn along the beach
All these efforts, however, to save the steamer
were unavailing. No person worked harder than
Capt. Dustan, and his passengers and crew. 1t
was for life or death. After these repeated and
united efforts had failed, all hopes of safety were
over, and all felt DESTROYS and anxious that the
steamer should strike hobeach 1t was a fright
full sight, but the feelings Of those on board had
been wrought up to such PITCH that reaction
came over them, and they were resigned to their
fate
About midnight she parted one of her cables,
there being four out, one attached to thirty hun.
bred weight of furnace bars, and the others to
anchors Alter this the gale continued to increase.
and now blew perfect hurricane.
She was driven still nearer the shore, but passed
point that all expected she would strike upon.
She then drifted about eleven miles more, making
in all twenty two miles, which occupied about
forty-eght hours of terrible uncertainty aud suf-
fering. She then struck, stern first, on ledge
OF rocks on Fishers Island, when tremendous
sea seemed to lift her up on to the very top of the
ledge; 50 far up, indeed, as almost to throw her
over to the other side. This ,Sas the crisis in
the disaster; IL terrible, and heart-rsxding in
the extreme. In fve minutes after she struck, she
in pieces. In these five minutes at least o~s-haif
of those on board the atlantic yere taken from
time into eternity. Some ,rus droscwcd some crush
ed, and sons frozen to death. The screams the crash,
the roar of the sea, ,cere 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 he, we learn, was the
only one saved of the family Of which, he was a
member. His father, mother, married sister, and
younger sister, and two young brothers, were
on board; all are dead. The poor little orphan
thus saved, and thus thrown alone on to the
world, is only twelve years of age. The two
infants were drowned, frozen, or crushed to
death.
All this occurred at halEpast four O'Clock on
Friday morning.
The particulars given by our informant, Mr.
varnum Marsh, OF Haverhil, Mass, are pain
fully thrilling. When the Atlantic struck he wa.
setting in the gang way his first impression wa.
that heavy sea had struck the steamer. In a
moment after, however, (although every mo-
ment was an age to those on board,) the sea
stove in the side of the vessel at his back
swept him along, and dashed him agains