Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1846-12-09
Loss Of the steamer Atlantic.
TERRIBLE DESTRUCTION OF LIFE.

bOSs Oh the Steamer Atlantic.
TERRIBLE DESTRUCTION OF LIFE.
Below will be found a heart-rending accoun,
=, ,ne loss OF the magnificent steamer Atlantic
Eylng between Allyn's Point, on the river
Adn'es, IN connecticut, and New-York. and
'oss OF one half her passengers. The At
sant'c was owned by the Norwich and Wor-
Sester Railroad Company, and was thoaght to
oe one OF the safest and most magnificent stea-
mers plying on our waters. She was comman-
aed by Capt. Dustan,an oldand experinced nav
'gator, and was thoroughly furnished with life
Preservers, and everything that was deemed
necessary for the preservation of life in case of
accident.-.4dv.
NEw-YoRK, Saturday evening,
Nov. %, 81 O'Clock, p. Nj. -
MI: MARSH passenger on the Atlantic gives
tne following account of the disaster: The boat
IeIt Aliyns Point between u and o'clock.
thursday morning. She got we'll under way
ana was running 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 a perfect hurricane
The steamer was thrown into the midst OF dark
ness and confusion, and the air resounded with
the cries of the scaltled.
1t was frightful scene to behold. Captain
Dustan instantly called all hands to the fore
deck and ordered themto heaye over the anchors
pnt u was found almost impossible for man to
stand on deck, In consequence Of the violence
vi sne gale, the sea constantly making breach
over her bows. Owing to this, it took nearly
IN hour to get over the three anchors.
Inc steamer worked heavily, plunging her
lows under at every lurch.and dragging her an
Snors, between the time Of anchorage and dav-
hght' 1t IS thought that she dragged about II
MICS The fires were all put out at daylight
on Thursday, and from that time to the period
ofgoing ashore, the passengers and crew suf-
fered from intense cold, the only means of keep
ing warm being to wrap themselves in blankets
and walk briskly around the steamer. All at
this time began to look to their own personal
safety. All puton the life preservers that the
chip was so plentifully supplified with. and pre-
pared themselves for an emergency. The doors
and settees were detached and cut away for
sufts to drift ashore upon whenever she should
strike. The gale increasing in violence, Capt |
Dustan, who preserved his self-possession
throughout the perilous time, ordered forty tons
of Goa. to be thrown overheard, in order to ligh-
ten the vessel.
About noon on Thursday the smoke-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 be-
tween two and three O'Clock, Capt. Dustan or
dered the decks to be cleared of all merchandise
end every thing that was in the way. Cases of I
boots, shoes, barrels of flour, stoves, sc. inclu-
ding one package said to contain seven thou
sand dollars worth plate were thrown over
board. 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 to any one who would put him
safely ashore. The lace was afterward seen
strewn along the shore.
All these efforts, however, to save the steam
Ct were unavaIling No person worked harder
than Capt. Dustan, and his passengers and
crew. After these repeated and united efforts
had failed. all hopes of saving life were over.
and all were anxious and DESTROYS that she sho'd
strike the beach. The feelings of those on board
had been wrought up to such a pitch that
reaction came ove- them, and they resigned
themselves to their fate. About midnights she
parted one her cables, there being four out, one
attached to 5000 weight of furnace bars and
the others to anchors. After this the gale con-
tinued to increase, and blow perfect hurricane
She dragged still nearer shore, but passed a
point that all expected she would strike against
until she dragged eleven miles farther, making
in all about twenty-five miles.
A tremendous sea threw her up to the very
top of the ledge. This was the crisis in the
disaster. In five minutes after she struck, she 1
was in pieces. In these five minutes, at least
one half of those on board the Atlantic were Ia
ken from time to eternity. The screams, the
crash, the roar of the sea, were dreadful. There
were six females, four children and seven in
fants among the passengers. All the females
we're drowned or crushed to death.