The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1854-12-02
ISrrRvlrw Win THE ARcTIc's PASSENGERS

1 ,
and | will therefore try TO give it to you,
For several days before We received the
news of the accident, ala attempt was made
to communicate the event TO my daughter,
as she had been year ago taught the
| wreck, the moment the idea was presented
to her Thus were produced confusion and
| anxiety, which interiercd with the clcarncss
Of the communication, though the idea Of a
wreck was frequently and wildly presented
to her.
On the day before the arrival Of the news,
she had call from a lady friend, who, in
the course Of her visit, became cntranccd
and gave graphic description Of some OF
the scenes which we afterwards learned
took place on b, ard the il-iatod steamer.
But the communication was INTERRUPTED, ahl
thus only AN indefinite apprehension Of
come impending misfortune was produced
| On the day after we received news Of the
wreck, returned home from my office late
| in the afternoon, and found my friend Mr.
! j. in my parlor with my daughter
| Soinc spirit was communicating through
him, gave my attention to il, and then
1 for about two hours through him, through
I Laura, through Mr. 4, who came in
/ during the evening, and through myself We
| had the intercourse with the passengers oI
the Arctic which mentioned to yon.
! ] imbibed the idea that there were present
| with us at least hundred Of them, though
, only few made themselves known to US, OF
! spoke TO us I..
y. b. Blunt, late District Attorney, Bish.
op Wainr;giit, Isaac 7. Hopper, DR.. Cory,
| and others Of our spfi, friends were also
present, aud occa,i nally spoke through, or
/ to some Of Us.
| plainly saw the whole asscmblagc, and
particularly one Of them, with whom had
/ been well acquainted He wss labering un.
| der great mental excitement. H. exclaimed
/ to me Good God, Edmoudo. Can this be
/ true is DEATH after all what you said i,
/ was, and is this death Can il hc possible
this is the change which death nakos"
! answered, "YOu See. You can judge
for yourself Bring your own clear intel
lect to bear upon II and you can understand
/ it,"
Bat, he said, where ami? What must
| do? Where am ! & ngi Is this 10 be al
4 ways sog''
told him. NO by no means is it to BE-
always So But it will be difficult for me tc
/ tell you what to do, for cannot know al
, Is one close eat az and %yfo can '2 I
! you aud who can assist YOU
"Who is that" lac asked.
! answered. "Our old friend, Blunt
lie said Nat: l. he here: Where
| Let nc see him Let me hear from has
I where ain AID what am TO do?"
This conversation had thus far been be
tween me and that Spirit direct, end now Mr.
Blunt came through my daughter and said
Judge, tell him arn near at hand, ready t,
assist him, aud he has only earnestly to wisl
il, TO see and hear me himself. Now, hi
mind is in such uncertainty and confusio,
I that neither his brother nor can make our
selves visible 20 him.
This being said to me in an audible voice
was also heard by the Spirit who no longer
paid any attention to me, but turned I,
where Blunt was, and soon engaged in con
versation with him.
I Others Of those then spoke to me. on
said 10 me, that his last thought on goini
/ down with the ship was, that in a few mo
mcutS he .hould be reunited again to his wli,
and children, who went down with him, bu
he said-and this so much astonishcd him
when awokt, | bcheld my wife and child
4 rlp passing away from me in different direc
tiuns, and am left alone so near the earth
H. this TO he always SO. Am never, ncvcl
TO see them again. And am always to no
ycr thus near the eaitht'
Another, whom had well known, said t,
me- with good deal Of emotion, "Fricn,
Edmonds, is il true. then, this which ] nj
ways thought an illusion of thy insane mind
Ii truly seems so. know have died bu
now seem as much upon earth as ever, an,
talk to thee as plainly as ever did. Oh
tell what all this means, and what am | t,
do?n
1refcrrcd him 10 Father Hopper, who wa
present, and who could instruct him bette
than could. He shrank from this, and re
minded me that he and Mr.. II. had not agree
very well on earth, having had some Difficult
ties with each other 'in meeting is il
their religious society.
Mr. Hopper then spoke to me ,hrougI
Laura, and badc me re assure him that n
unpleasant recollection of the past dwclt up
on hfs mind that he was ready to help him
and, be added, Tell him, Judge, that vii
be just rs quick, now, to take him in as Ii
was once TO turn me out Of meeting Tel
him so, Judge, will yOu:'
In reply, said, al need not repeat it, fo
he hears what You say through the medium
But your allusion to the old difficulties dis
turbs him"
"Tci him." he answered, "nevcr min
that it is only matter to be laughed at now
and desire only to betricnd him, and set hi
mind at casc'
"Ycs," said, cold friend that you hav
already done, for he holds out his hand (
You"
And they two passed away together fron
my vicw
One OF the sailors spoke to me, aud thousl
not n man of as much education as the 9th
crs, Lewas evidently more at home and NOR
at ease than they were. lie said that aIte
the collision, he had not thought of hmsc
until the raft showed of from the ship II
had been vcTy busy trying to stop the leak
and when all work on that ceased,
had occurred to him that he ought to sav
himself; that he had an aged mother, awii
and some children in New York, and he MS
ked hmsclf--"What will they do this wintc
without mei' And so he jumped from ii,
ship to reach the raft /; but he fell short, an
sank in the water. lie came up under tn
raft and his head pounded against it until h
was drowned.
There was much less agitation in him tha
in the Others and | obtained from him
clear account of several things.
lie spoke in great admiration oethe effort
on board the ship Of the one who first spok
to us; said he took command, and direct
, cd much that was done. He was cool, co
lcctcd, aud energetic, and made himself fe
| and obcyed wherever he went.
lie also spoke of the general dcportmcr
when all hope of saving themselves wa
abandoned. lie said tho sight was rcall
sublime. A dcathike stiffness rcigned, an
calm came over them all, as II each va
Quietly braciug himself to meet his destif,
3 .ii'i nskcd him how II happened that thcy $
Laanv Of ihnm ,.nmn ln IL and IL lac Ll