Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1852-11-06
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LOSS OF THE ATLANTIC.

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The following touching description
of the fearful scene on Lake Erie, at
the collision Of the Atlantic and og-
densburg, is from the pen of Rev.
Samuel Haskell, Of Detroit, one ofthe
survivors. 1t appeared in the Miehi-
gan Christian Herald. -
Mr.. Editor-The following is in
compliance with your request that |
should furnish your readers with a
narrative Of the fearful destruction of
tho Atlantic, and Of human lite upon
her, on the morning Of August goth.
The solemn eyenta hope to be ableto
survey from "a and-point above the
arena of wangling, selfshand secular
interests into which no man with the
heart of a man can be found descend
ing, when such an oyerawing proyi-
dence is the subject in contemplation.
The number ofthnman souls with
which we left Buffalo seemsnow COM
ing to be fixed at between four and
five!hundred. While the bridegroom
tarried, we all slumbered and slept
Between two and three O'Clock infhe
morning, when off Long Point, and
four or six miles from the northern
shore, we .were awakened by a terri
fic concussion. (which look place d.
rectly opposite my state:room, a little
forward ofthe centre of the forward
cabin. The noise Of massive timbers
successfully and continuously pound
ing against and crushingthrough each
other with shiyering force, was like
that Of thunder in ones own dwelling
to our startled cars. Myself and
room-mates Immediately sprang from
our berths, commended ourselves to
God, aud commenced dressing. The
bell struck for a moment, giving aswe
interpreted it, the signal of distress.
The boat lurched slightlyupon her
side, and we feltthat she was rapidly.
sinking under our feet. Taking the
stools from our room in our hands,
two of which were supplied with air.
vessels attached, designing to make
them serve as -buoys, we, went from
ourroom.a The sounds which imme-
diately struckiupon ourearsIwere such
as | had not expected toihear till the
great day of God Almighty. Every
kind Of cry and shrek, prayer and
wall, made our sinking vessel tcrrif-
cally vocal. One Of our rooms com
pany disappearing, myself and the
other, a Christian man, agreed that
we would keep together, and went
out upon the guards Of the after cabin.
The first thing that struck our atten-
ton were struggling men and women
and gurgling groans in the dark wa
tiers around us. We looked around,
and could discover nothing near us
but the persons and fragments which
were scattering of. fiom our boat
These; we could see at a number of
rods distant from us, though light
mist lay nponihe surface ofthe water,
through which the stars looked clear
ly down from above. Concluding
that, if VIC had struck another vessel,
we had run her down, we supposed
ourselves far. beyond the sight or
knowledge Of any human being but
ourselves, and sinking rapidly into
that behighted sea. i5
We returned into the cabin, and
endeavored to force n door from its
hinges, but were unable. and almost
were driven from our eff
fort by the water rolling oyerour feet
across the cabin floor. We returned
upon the guards, and with our little
stools threw ourselves upon the rail-
;no nm unon the hurricane deck. The
sns small nj bop,s opc" haJ besn launched bv the
sn.as .ra,n ou' oUd filsd M hy ,hemseIyes md
s,s% S,s%' o,har. l"u 'I =. h,nn.rsJ to he near
sIsn ,Is ,o;n, on,,y oflarnsbipa or bad been tn.
ln1 Isn s,n, {rom ,he J, water and we're foatinc
ne" ss. :. ,'o sn,,,a .as a;.,anas @ Gom the wrect
a, A, lsna,h :, Ssh'I ,be water bsJ risen So that
;,s ,' asn5ls .sns ,innls rim broks over the bnrri.
s oans J.,S 1ael tppe II, ,sssn ,Ss ,ybssI.Lonses
Iufs e,,s asvn ,are ee ~ ,bs ,vbesl.bonses s AMI