Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-12-05

lCtOb tue NuNy uuu.l
rEaaiBLE DasAsrER.
Wreck Of the sssas.sr As'Ansss--oreas Lose
We have 10 record acceaass sf disaster in the
Losa Islaed Sound, which recalls vividiy 70 snind
shs fearful fate o: the steamboat Lexinetsn, and
which, We have great fears, will even exceed !"
Who dsstructioa Of lfe the terrible record Of that
wreck He- eft
The new and magnificent steamer Atlantic.
Cap,aia Dusfaa, was driven ashore At Fishers
leland, nearly opposite New London. Q" her way
20 ,his city, In the gale Of Thursday and on ff''
Say morning went to piecea
The loss Of tie. shossh the extent 10 Jet M.
known, must be very great, fscenty-"ine dead
b,,1;es having already been recovered. and this
aamber, I, 10 apprehendsd, will b greatly ia.
creased.
The following particulars were furnished BY
Mr. James Stetson, the second Captain sf tAs
steamer. published In IN extra Herald:
The Atlantic leit Allyn's Point about halfpaN
II Wednesday night, with an unusually small
uumber Of passengers, Numbering with the crew,
s.rvanss and eifieers Of the steamer, IN all undsr
one hundred persons. She got we'll under way,
aud while going finely, the steam pipe rsnoins
ioto the steam chimney burst, rendering the en-.
eine entirely useless. At about the same time
the wind chopped round suddenly from the N E.
TO the N. w. and blew hurricane.
The anchors were Immediately hove over, At
which the steamer rode through that night. which
was very dark and stormy.
At daylight she wss abreast Of the New Lon.
don light, drifting all the way toward the shere
The steam pipes were 6rst cut away, aext the
pitot-house, and then :he bulk. heads, 90 as to
give the wind clear sweep through the vessel,
and render less surface to its attack
The cohors were hoisted half-mast, but on the
Mohegan's attempting some measures to 60 to
her assistance, were hauled down by orders Of
Capt Dustan, who knew that her efforts would
be Intellectual. Thus the steamer remained all
Gay, till towards Eve in the afternoon Of Thurs.
''ay the wind lulled, and hopes weie raised that
all danger was over; but not long after the wind
shifted two points. and blew with more than
previous violence.
The Atlantic gradually drfted nearer and
nearer 10 the shore all Thursday night, and for
two hours, from 2 till o'clock on Friday nom.
ing, lay within cables length Of the breakers,
held by two anchors. At about half past four
the stern touched, and both cables nstantaneously
parted, and she broached to. lying broadside to
the shore. in heavy surf
The coast was bold and rocky inside ofa raey
reef; had she broaehed to the other way, 90 tha,
her bow would have reached the breakers, per.
baps not life would have been saved. The
vessel went to pieces Immediately; within FIVE
minutes Of her striking, nothing was left Of her
entire but her engines. The freight bad mostly
been thrown overheard some time previous.
Capt Dustan was last seen BY our informant
when the latter received orders from him to 20
forward, and at the proper moment let 90 the
chains. At the time the Captain stood upon the
after promenade deck, giving his orders as calm.
ly, and with as little apparent emotion a. il upon
shore. All his efforts seemed to be for the pre-.
tervation Of his pa,sengers-his own fate was
Joined with that ofthe vessel he commanded
Mr.. Stetson went rward with Mr.. Kingston
hrst mate, Mr., Boyle, the clerk, and Chas. Chris.
'ian, deck hand the latter was lsshed to long
rope, and lowered, so that q communication
could be had with the shores; but the violence
Of the waves tore him from the line. and he him.
self was saved with great difficulty. The Others
mentioned were, when she struck. washed over.
board, and all reached the land in safety.
II is impossible to arrive At full list ~ yet
Of the passengers saved and lost. There were
in all OR board, about 70 persons, OF whom 81
were passengers from Boston. We give below
the names as far as heard from.
Mr.. Stetson, who, from all accounts, aete.
like man from the beginning to the end Of th'
trying scauc. states that to every passenger wa
given one or as many life preservers a. he nigh
choose to take. and they were the means of saw
ing many lives. By direction OF Captain Dus
tan, p!anks were strongly lashed together ant
pointed out to the passengers. In word, every
thing was done that conld be done. The passen
gers, says Mr.. s., acted nobly there was N
confusion, no selfish excitement; each one seem
ed to regard more the safety of bis neighbo
than Of himself He speaks In the stronges
terms Of their conduct.
Capt. Van Pelt, OF the Michigan, and Captain
Williams of the Cleopatra, furnished every a.
distance that lay in their powers; clothes, provi
sions, every thing needed in fact, was given wit
an unsparing hand. Mr.. Tarbox, Of Norwich
also lavished his hospitality upon each and ever
sufferer that he met; his kindness is most high
iy spoken OF by many who were the subjects q
Il.
Bot one scene in the drama, our duty. thoug