Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-10-17
Mashingtoil Sentinel.
From DE BaIli@ore American.
THE ARCTIC pIsAsTER.

Statement OF Captain Luce, and Partfeu-
lars OF his miraculous Escape.
New YORK, Oct. l5.-The following is the
substance Of Captain Luce's statement as tele-
graphed from Quebec to Mr.. Collins.
Captain Luce, at the time of the collision
was below working out the position of the
steamer. He Immediately ran on deck, and
saw the iron steamer under the starboard bow,
and passing astern, grazing and tearing the
guards, in her progress. The bows of the
strange vessel seemed to be literally cut or
crushed off for ten feet, and seeing that she
must probably sink in ten minutes, and taking
a glance at our own ship, and believing that
we were comparatively uninjured, the boats
were cleared, and the first officer and six men
left with a boat TO board the stranger, and as
certain the extent of her damage.
The engineers were Immediately instructed
10 put on the steam pumps, and the four-deck
pumps were worked by the passengers and
crew. The ship was at once headed for land,
and several Intellectual attempts were made to
stop the leak by getting sails over the bows.
Finding that the leak was gaining on them
very fast, Notwithstanding the very powerful
efforts to keep her free, the Captain resolved to
get the boats ready, and have as many ladies
and children placed in them as possible. No
sooner, however, had at attempt been made to
do this, than the fremen and others rushed into
the boats in spite of all opposition. Seeing
this state of things, ordered the boats astern
to be kept in readiness until order could be re-
stored, when to my dismay saw them cut the
rope in the bow and soon disappeared astern in
the fog.
Another boat was broken down by persons
rushing in at the davits and many were preci-
pitated into the sea and drowned. This oc-
Cured while had been engaged in getting the
starboard guard boat ready. / had placed the
second officer in charge, when the same scene
was enacted as with the first boat. then gave
orders to the second officer to let 90 and row
after the ship, keeping near the stern, to be
rehdy to take the women and children as soon
as the fires were out and the engine should
stop.
NY attention was then drawn to the other
quarter boat, which found broken down, but
hanging by one tackle. A rush was made for
her ALSO and some fifteen got in and cut the
tackle, and were soon out Of sight Not sea-
man was left on board or carpenter, and we
were without tools to assist us in building
raft as our only hope, and the only officer left
us was Mr.. Dorian, the third mate, who worked
nobly for the succor Of all.
Many of the passengers who deserve great
praise for THEN GOODNESS and energy, did all
in their power until the latest moment before
the ship sunk. Mr.. Rogers, the chief engineer,
with part of his assistants had taken one Of
the small deck boats, and before the ship went
down, pulled away with about Is persons.
To form q raft it became necessary to get the
only remaining boat, the life boat, into the wa
ter. This being accomplished, Mr.. Dorian, the
chief officer of the boat, taking care to keep the
oars on board the steamer, to prevent those in
the boat from leaving the ship, proceeded to
St. h., IL ~
and children on board his boat at last. They
had made considerable progress in collecting
spars, when the alarm was given that the ship
was sinking, and the boat was showed off with
out oars OF anything to hold themselves.
In an instant after, at about quarter past 5
o'clock, p. m, the ship went down, carrying
every soul on board with her. / soon found
myself on the surface, after a brief struggle
with my own helpless child in my arms, when
j again found myself impelled downward TO
great depth, and before i reached the surface
the second time i had nearly persisted, and
lost the hold Of my child as ! struggled mp.
wards.
When got upon the surface of the water
the most awful and heart rending scene pre-
sented itself to my view. Over two hundred
men, women and children were struggling to-
gether amid pieces Of the wreck, calling upon
each other for help, and imploriDg God to as
sist them. Such an appalling scene may God
preserve me from Witnessing again.
Amid this struggling mass Of human beings,
! discovered my child, and was in the act of
trying to save him, when portion Of the pad
die box came rushing up edgewards, Just
grazing my head, and falling with its whole
weight upon the head of my darling child
] then succeeded in getting on top Of the
paddlebox, in company with eleven others.
One, however, soon left for another piece, and
others remained until relieved by death. We
stood in the water up to our knees, the sea
frequently breaking over rus. We separated
from our friends Of the wreck, and passed the
night, each expecting every hour to be his
last.
The morning came, but not living soul
could be seen but our own party, consisting of
seven men. About noon, Mr.. S. NJ. Woodruff,
Of New York, was relieved by death, and all
the others, now began to suffer severely from the
want Of water, except George l.. Allen, and
myself. Night at last came on thick and
dreary, with our minds made up that neither Of
us would see the light Of another day. Very
soon three more Of our suffering party were re-
Ieved by death, and Mr.. Allen, young man,
and myself were all that was now left, and we
were much exhausted. We slept for a while
during the night, and became somewhat re
freshed
About an hour before daylight on Friday,
fhe 18th we saw vessels light near us We
all exerted ourselves to the utmost Of our abili-
6es in hailing, but the light disappeared to the
eastward Of Us. Soon after daylight, a barque
hove in sight to the northwest. The fog having
hghtened little, we observed that she was
steering apparently for Us, but in short time
she appeared TO have changed her course
again, and we we're doomed to bitter disap-
pointment yet ! feel hopes that some Of our
fellow sufferers have been seen and rescued by
them.
Shortly after a ship was discovered to the
eastward, steering directly for us. As she APP
preached, they fortunately discovered man on
raft near them, and succeeded in saving BIN.
This man saved is a Frenchman, who was
passenger on board the steamer with which we
came In collision. He informed the Captain
tain that others we're on pieces Of the wreck,
and be proceeded 10 cruise around in search Of
them. We were taken on board al about three
o'clock, p. M, after an exposure Of forty-six
hours, in most exhausted condition.