Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1852-09-02
More Of The atlantic

We have carefully examined the different state
ments in relation to the sinking of this Inflated
boat, in order to arrive as near as possible to the
facts relative TO the number of lives lost. From
the most reliable accounts, we cannot believe the
first statement, (250) below the number, who
found a watery grave Mr.. WALTER OsBoRS, of
Milwaukee, who was on board the Atlantic at the
time of the collision, gives somewhat lengthy
account OF the heartrending scene the Sentinel,
in which lie attaches much blame 10 the officers
OF the Atlantic The statements made by the
passengers are somewhat confictngb but il is very
evident that there was carelesness somewhere
The following extracts copied from Detroit
papers. The Free Press says;
II is due to Capt Petty that should state the
version OF his conduct given by his friends in this
city. They represent that when he found the boat
sinking, he prepared the life boat for the pas
scngers' security. In getting out the boat Capt.
Petty fell and severely injured on the head :
and that from the injury thus received, he Is now
lying very Ill at Buffalo, Responsible men, and
those worthy OF credit, state it their firm belief
that Capt. Petty did his whole duty up TO the mo-
ment in which he received his injury The fall
of the Capt rendered him wholly Insensible for a
considerable time. " hen ne recovered he may
have been unfit for business. There Is this in the
character Of Capt Petty; he is a sailor bred to
his profession, and has been deemed thoroughly
qualified We had formed favorable impression
OF the man from personal acquaintance.
The same paper, nevertheless, speaks as follows
of the catastrophe and its cause:
The passengers unite in saying that after the
collision the steamer kept on her course; and from
that fact many were lulled into a fatal disregard
of exertions Of safety. A lady told us that the
regular motion of the vessel caused her to neglect
all exertion for safety until a miracle was requir-
ed 10 save her and her family. No alarm bell 1gas
rHng; lcarning 10 passengers ,cas giUen The
Atlantic running array from s1sccoTi The pas
sengers were permitted to sleep on TO death while
the officers were running the boat away from the
means of escape An awful responsibility rests
somewhere, and we trust there viii be full and
searching investigation, which shall expose every
fact of commission on the part of those to whose
care had been committed so many precious lives.
Subjoined are the statements of Capt Ward and
Mr.. Givan.
STATEMENT OF MR.. GIyAN.
As many conflicting and in many cases errone-
Gus reports afloat, regarding the late I'M
fortunate collision Of this ill-fated steamer with
the propeller OgdeaSbwgh on the morning OF the
20th inst have thought proper to throw togeth-
er few facts in the case, as they came under my
own eyes, or have vouchers far beyond contradIc-
ton.
The Atlantic was on her usual course from Buff
talo 10 Detroit when about two clock in the NOR
ming and four miles above Long Point light and
about the same distance from shore, she was run
into by the propeller, striking her forW ard OF her
wheel on her laTbOard SIDE causing the steamer TO
sink in about o minutes, IN 80 iathoms water
On my reaching the pilot house, | heard as |
then thought, our mate giving orders to head her
for shore, and | viii simply remark here that our
bnll 10 haJ
4IG persons on board ali told, 10 of this number
were cabin, crew 40, about % local Storage and
! the remainder were consignee or emigrant pas
sengers; lost nine of the crew, and about fil-
teen cabin passengers. the remainder OF the suffer
( ers were emgrants and probably of this class So
viii cover the loss. The propeller came to ouI
assistance in about half an hour. Capt. Petty re
ceived severe injury IN the head which will prob
! ably prove fatal.
! The Ist mate, Mr.. Blodgett, put forth almos
superhuman efforts in saving sufferers, and to his
indomitable spirit and perseverance, (et others say
what they may,) | attribute the saving OF the ma
iority. that otherwise would have been lost The
( propeller was bound from Cleveland to the Wei
land Canal, and consequently must have been al
least 25 miles out Of her course which in the
course of halt an hour would have carried hcI
{ ashore on Long Point. | state these facts the
more willingly, because ! did not belong to the
boat, and when | say that so Tar as my observation
promptly did his duty know that, by all who are
personally acquainted with me- | shall be believ
ed.
am no sailor, but [ wish to call the attention
OF the public to one fact, and ask them TO look al
II well before they pass sentence; that Is, when
the light of the propeller was first seen she was
! on the Iarboard bows OF the atlantic and there
fore the consciousness on the part OF the officers
IN command OF the atlantic that they were all safe
and they could not think il possible that the pro
peiler was running for the shore, Ga perfect will
demess,) only four miles distant from our star
board. TINS Is an Important fact look at n.
GEO {. GIyAN.
BUFFALo, August %.
There were one hundred and 1hlrty-one lives Io.l
fifteen IN the cabin, and the remainder cmigrants
he propeller was entirely in the fault, the titan
TIC was IN shore; the propeller put her helm a,
starboard. the .4tia~ie put hers aport The pro
peller struck the atlantic square IN side Our OF
hcers behaved well. The life preserver saved Tor
ty persons. The boat sunk in twenty-five fathoms
water l. W,up
From Mr.. Holman, Michigan Central Railroad
Office, we receive information that the following