The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1854-11-01
From, the Presbyterian.
The Wreck Of the Arctic

| LII our paper oI laSL week We gave
an account Of the loss Of the steamer
Arctic, on her passage from Liverpool
to New York, with p large number OF
her passengers. Since then further
particulars have been received. 1t was
stated by some Of the survivors who
hastily fled from tho scene of calamity
that they saw the wreck ,so down, and
that Capt. Luce was on board at iilc
time. Nevertheless, the Captain ar
rived i'll safety at Quebec, and with
him, nine of the passengers and crew.
a large portion Of the engineers and
the crew, as well Us one or two Of the
officers, were evidently false to their
duty, and deserted their posts ut an
hour when tIoir aid every WY was
essential. They behaved like towards
and wrctchcs rather than lncn-and
the llct that thus far We have not
heard OF the rescue of 1conluu or
ch'/d, is, perhaps, the Littcrcst and
most whitening commentary that could
be offered upon their atrucous con
duct
Captain Luce remained ON the Arc
| rio tn H., I,., W., a..
| INV, Lo ,.nmt i. ..;,t "p "e'''
coming to the surface again, gained u
tootllpld upon one of the paddle boxes
THAT tloated hy, from which, out of
eleven who snt there with him, he
| himself and Mr.. Gcor.,o Il Ala, u.,ro
alone preserved. IIo .]nos moi ,,;y,
The names of anv of The n,hcrs i'm,
simply SAYS they were con, Inv ,,r
relieved by DEATH" lie SAW when h.
first arose "ovcr two hundred mon
women and children STRUGGLING ,,rc,h
CT iii the watrr am;d yicccs w T,rri.
ot crcru k"l." lie SAYS :-"' was in
the act oi tryi, to sayo my chilI
] when Il portion of th, nni,,Lr hnr
came rushing up cducwise inst "r,,
| zing my head, i;.llinE with lis wE,l,
| weight upon the head Of nv d,rI;nu
child. Another mument | bchcl1 hin
| liicess in Tic water" Ills son who
! is lost, is .al,sut twplye wears Of ,uc
and :: cripple. Captain Luce was tn.
| kclr oiT by . pas,i,. vessel and con.
vcy*d to Quebec, and from there
wrote tu Mr.. Collins of New York
the owner, il letter ui some lcuutb
dctaiIin. Tic circumstances.
From the letter <sf r,,t,;n r.,,
| wc lcnrn lh,t -, ,h,. - a.,
lisiu no i;, h,d ,.y ,l,,', Wv, ,.,,;.'n, .u
MAS .,;::.,,lc,i o,, !#;r,} H.. ,,,.i -. ,t,.
reason of which was ,J,,t drr;n,, ,no M
day The weather had been nn,ri, w ~
| quite clear; ut ten O'Clock ,b.t ,Horu
ing it WAS SO much SO rs To- slInv. liz
to take an observation. and nm to ,l,.
time that h. went brI,w !, iii ~ I,a",, '
1T no time SO touyv rs tn r,n,l.r ,Lo..,
precautions necessary the foo w,,nlI
| it is true. occasio,ajIv wr,n ,hn,n
closely around for u few moments hnt
then it cleared nm npain s,",n ." ,I,"' '
the eye cuuId reach from ono milo =,
six. Captain Luce had boon lcIow
working his reckoning about tiftocn
minutes, during which time. unkuoxn
to him, the fog had bccom. yery dense
and tho two steamers cop,ipu IoaL nm
for each other, approached tInuorooi,.
ed to the fatal onset. Captain I,uco
heard The command to st,rLoard ,I,e
helm, and IAN upon deck lust in ,imc
to witnrss the collision. iic acknoal.
edges that the fatal step vas tic loss
oftilc chic! mate aud scaancn who &C.
companicd linn upon his humane cr.
rand. At Il very early period after
the collision the lircmcn and crew,
more especially the former, threw of
their allegiance to discipline, and look.
eel out for their own safety. The boat
on board the ship would, if properly
sto"en' nave snvtd 800 persons; but
tne orutai sei''si'hcss OF the crew