The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-09-02
loss OF THE ATLANTIC


by coming in contact with the propoi'efog-
aensburgh. The Atlantic was % c"nnee.
ton with the Michigan Central Na'''o"u'
We make the following extracts IRON y
s.alemen, put forth By the survivors
Al tho time OF our collision with tue
pronallsr O.densburgh, Me were all IN our
s, ate Rooms, aud a~aking rushed oat mo
the Cabin, where all was soon ~ ne mos.
l1,eadlnl confusion, the lights having all
been pu, gu, by the cabin boysnnd The cry
Of fire. ana Eve are sinking" screams 81
women nd children making tho scene TOO
lheartrending to describe! A large pof'
lion Of us remained in our berths some mo
menls after tho COLLATION. although AWAKEN
ed 5, the shock, yet hearing tho engine
still in motion aud 10 bells being ruhs, OF
io,bcr instruction being given whereby We
might have been apPrzed OF tho calamity
aud the awful struggle ~ which we were
SO soon 10 be precipi,ated :
The total iacapaci,y displayed by the Of,
ficers OF the steamer 10 direct any methoo
for The preservation Of the lives OF those
n,ncea under their care shows too clearly
| their aniitness for the positions They oeeu-
pied: suffering the hands To seizs the boats
| aud capszing the life boat that was launch
ed iirst BY the Captains own hands, ren'
dering her useless BY the want Of coaness
and presence Of mind. Thus BY the inca
capacity of men holding the position ina.
these Individuals occupied, who II was eA-
fpec.ed would be equal to any emergency,
hundreds were hurried IN a moment iaio
eternity. III speaking Of the officers oil me
boat it is with pleasure that we make hn
exception Of Mr.. Gisou, The Clerk o. ina
boat. who, cool and collected, remained
upon the wreck aud was the last man 70
leave il. 70 bis noble exenlnns IN Their
behalf seyera are indebted for tier pres
ervation from wa,cry grave.
The boats were Of 40 benefit. The
FIRST VAS capsized by the Captain N lower
ing il into the water, portion OF the ere"
seized the .tLer two and smidst the plerc
ing aud agonizag cries OF tho sufferers.
who saw their last hope cut oil. LETT tue
sinking steamer 10 her fate. The night
was star light una the lights OF the Pro
pellor could be distinguished some t"t
miles atl'; which afforded tain; hope % tie
lew that vet renamed huddled together
Itpon the stern Of the hurricane deck, The
passengers we're divided intot~a groups
the one asiern mostly cabin passengers. A
large portion of the enIlsrsnls we're iafsafs
aud we're thu. drowned IN baly, Is the
I 4 l. l. .
ling waves The boa, filed rapldis--tu
about twenty or thirty feet Of the hatrteant
lieck remained above the water 20 support
THE SIR, wing few. lad she then SUNK
~ probably would have been the case ln :
hundred instances If the kind, some IiItcef
fer twenty alone would have beea lott L
tell Of the dreadful catastrophe.
+ The scconn, ,hen speaks of the insecu
ri,y oi tho stools with tin pan under The
seat, called life preservers, but which wer,
in fact li:e.des,roFers.
II Had the engines If the Atlantic beet
stopped, as they should have heeu, lhert
would have been but few lost; hui sUel
was net The case, az We must have gone
some 40 or three miles from the propelle
before we stopped. We understand Tia
The propeller had reversed her engine
, which he ped 10 widen the distance. +
1.-THE deci sion Of the captain 1T The propcle
We owe our iivos, who, although bis owl
boa, was leaking badly. Immediately re
turned 10 our assistance. As the Allan
SIC did not stop he supposed she had receIy
ed no injury. lie acted ike a msn and !
/. true sailor, aud We feel that 10 his cooincs
nd decision we owe our lives.
The following interesting incidents ~
take from the Chicago Journal:
The last persons taken from the wrecl
were Mr GivAN, the Clerk. Mr. BUELL.
The 1T Engineer, and gentleman frou
: Illinois. whose name is not known Thcst
r three were IN the water ciinging to th'
ropes, nnd when the shrieks IF The alright
ed passengers were hushed 10 death, the,
heard for the first time the voice Of a chiii
who was also clinging to the rppes al scrn.
! distance from them. The little fellow, wht
was boy al about seven years Old, ant
vas saying, as il talking TO himself, ooh
: | wish my papa was here to hold me OPP
, ! cannot bold my longer, my hands ar
80 tiredn The gentleman from Illinois,
lfine, stout, middle aged man, immedialel,
Expressed his determination To save th
! noble little fellow or perish himself. I'll
;, started down the ropo and reaching III
A Echiid, seized him just al the moment h
was abou, IL sink. He held him for som
), thine. aud Mr. GIvAN, the Clerk, eudcavor
led 10 get 10 him to relieve him. as he cs
pressed fear that his strength was falling
The noble little hero told his prcsorver I
lei him 60 il be was tired and take care d
Ihlnseif AT that moment the boat passed
Of loaded down 10 the waters edge with pas
-eigers, and Mr.. GrvAS hailing the mate
: en,reaied him TO save the boy ~ least Tn,
: male succeeded in reaching the rope ant
!. taking the child from the hsnds of the trn
mar who held him, paccb him IN tho boa
,r md he was saved The next boat took q
q the Illinois gentleman and the rest Tn,
hoy il is though, was With his Uncle, VIII
vas lost, and has parents in Massachusetts
j. iie il now with his preseryer probably il
81 Cleveland
One Young lady who WAS saved jimpe
from The wreck into The wstcr Sht
was drowning, when powerful man, son
posed % be M enigtant, who was eyida,tl5
Ia "a. M r. 4 4