Litchfield enquirer., 1852-09-09
T9e Catastrpphe On Lake Erie.

Sesosay WY VI 10AO E8bOs
 The following account of the cirsum-
 stances attending the loss of the steamer
 AtlaPtic, is contained in letter from wrler 0sbOrn. Esq. tO his brotteE, the editor of the New Haven Register;
 O. BQara Steamer May Eower, !
 E Augnst 2l. 1882. z
 Dear Rrother--T Will ROY epdesyor to give you a short account Of the disaster
 which befel us. I arrived ip Buffalo.
 having in charge little daughter of A.
 D. Seaman. E'q, of Mjlwa1kee. We
 took passage on boat4 the Atlantic for
 Retroit getting op hoard iE time to
 secure q berth in a state room with two
 other gentlemen. Before retiring to my
 berth. saw her taken care of by the maid of the ladies cabin. As was very
 Raach iatigaed. I slept soundly-the
 collision failing to wake me, although the
 propellsr struck tho larboard bow of the
 sieamer. directly opposite to my state roaga. earrying away berths and doors.
 The sc,eams which followed roused me to . copscionspess of danger. Igot out Eofmy berth. opened the state.roon, door. and satisfied myself that the collision had been severe, but I apprehended no inns mediate trouble: On the contrary, as the engine was in matiaR, and the boat moved thraugh the water as # nnthing had Happened. ! very deliberately pro ceeded to search for my clothes, which, after much difficulty, (lhe cabin not be. ing iigbsed.l I foand seat,ered on the aoOr. was probably occupied about twenty minutes in dressing myself. while the passengers were groping their way n utter da'kRsss. seeking their friends. aad vainIy eadeavoring to ascertain the extent oi the calamity. at length found the forward cabin door. The cries and screams now proceeded from every
 part of the boat-which were made more horrible by the intense darkness in which we were iRyaPPed. l forced open the door, and ta my surprise and horror ! found the boat was rapidly siaking. Al. Ter several attempts, l at length sue. ceeded in climbing one of the for. ward stancheons which supported the promenade deck. which had no sooner gained thaa | found the wEole of the forward part of the vessel had already &led,, and tEAt the water covered the whole lower deck. ' hastened aft, and descended tha sternmost stancheon, to seek and save the dear little girl I had left in ehAEgs o9 the maid 10 my grief and astopishment. found the rush of the SatsE ,|,I bad beer, So sudden as to. drown and the maid, who were bork slasSee-lb slaSe baby the. lest moment, Aon1e one. caught them and drew them to, the uPPer deck. So had the boat settled, that near tE all the. ladies and genlleWen whe sue. ceeded in reaching the hawricane dock. were in their night clothes. ! ascended the stanchion again with a sorrowful hea,t. apA wish tho. full copSiction, that nothing but the interfeIence oG Divine Providence could save soul of us. The propeller was a mile or two from us. and. for aught we knew. badly damaged --perhaps like ourselves sinking. II thought qf my pooy wife and chiIdven, and consigned them to the care of Him ! !" who doeth all things well," and took my place on what was now our only re- treat. the hurricane. deck, and, calmly waited, the result. The boat now fay at at angle. .of about 20 degrees. the water covering the haFriesns. deck some dis. tance abaft the ehimneys. Our situation at this time was surely peFilous in the extreme. It was perhaps. g. o'clock; the uncertainty Of the propeller coming fo 0n! rescue 1dO of us cxaFdsd to- lgelher iA a small space on tho Anrricane deck: the shrieks of the drowning on each side of us. with an occasional cry, of " God save us r or "Gpd have meisN | lam sinking r made scene of terri. ble interest: one you cannot imagine. or I describe. Scores ol unfortunate be- ingg Rexe pfsrishing, and none could help. A laid, my lfe-pHeserver dpwuns moment, and some one seized it so that ! should have had to trust entirely to what could have picked from the boat. Whore, ] eto0ds were husbands with their wives. some of whom, had little ones clinging to. theme awaiting the dreadful inomens when they should sipk into their wategy, grsyes in saeh osher's embrace. Some were earnestly engaged in. prayer. others fransicslly jumping from the deck into che water. One gentleman was eating .foE bis twO sisters who probably perished in their stats.roam,, weeping bitterly for their lDss. One family I watched with deep interest. ihe husband had two .lifs. pressrvsrs: while securing one of them axonnd his wife, some one ssised the other, he then. lashed, two chairs together and let his wife into the water-sbe taking the little babe. and himself little FSank' as Le called him --(s 6he elili. about tso years old. )- and guided shem some distance from the hnmi UMtsSah MR Aksa a;sne sva aasnnAae6