The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-10-16
aICH ID OED, VA.
The Wreck Of fthe steamship Arctic.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.

The Wreck ofthe steamship Arctic.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
STATEMENTS OF PERSONS SAVED FROM THE WRECK.
We annex some additional statements of persons
saved from the wreck Of the Arctic. together with
such particulars as have been received since our
last issue.
ADDITIONAL STATEMENT BY FRANCIS DORIAN.
Dorian says that if the officers and men had re-
manned by the ship all nearly all Of the passen
gers would have been saved. They fed, and it was
only until two hours after their desertion that the
main yard wss lowered to enable them to form a
raft. He says that with the masts, spare aud the
cutting off of the hurricane deck, raft could have
been formed cspa5le Of carrying the whole of them
He further states, that among the passengers on
board the Arctic he never saw men more coolly
courageous and that their quiet resignation and
implicit confidence in the captain and officers of the
ship We're such as it is impossible to surpass
One incident particularly attracted his attention,
and that was the fidelity exhibited by young gen
tenan named Holland OF Washington, who was
on board the Arctic for the purpose OF gaining n-
struction In engin eering. He had been deputed by
the captain to fire the signal gun (when all 9th ers
had fed and amid the melancholy wall be pursued
his duty When all hope had fled, and the ship near
ly level with the sea, Holland was seen busy at his
gun. His last shot doomed out as the Arctic sank,
and he went down with her-persevering in the
strict performance of his duty.
To the wholesale deserriop of the officers and
Dorian attributes the great loss of life that fol-
lowed.
Captain Luce ne saya, behaved nobly through.
out bot towards the close his voice lost its power,
aud he could scarcely lind uteraEce Tor his words.
The lasthe saw of him he was standing on the
starboard paddle box, and when the Arctic was
eugulphed he looked long, but looked Ia vain for
the floating form OF his commander.
When, finally, they left the ship, with thirty ono
In one OF Francis metallic life boats, it mecca.
sary to use despotic means to keep every in
the bottom OF the boat to prevent upset In this
croucbing position they were kept, with the water
within six inches of the gunwale, for twenty y.six
hours, and the msjority, when rescued by the Hu.
ron, we're unable to walk. On board that ship they
were treated with the greatest kindness, the cap
tain and ssilors sharing everything they had with
the unfortunate men.
PATRICK roBINs STATEMENT,
had just gone On the watch-at noon-when tho
two vessels struck. The shock to the Arctic was
not very sensibly felt by u.s. We felt no immed
ate alarm. The doors OF the fires were opened to
reduce the steam, and Mr.. Walker, one of the enpi
neers to whose watch belonged, sent me prompt.
ly to the pumps. l kept the steam pumps going
until they were unable to work. / was going on
deck when Mr.. Walker ordered me back |
went, and threw in some coal, but the water was
now near the top furnaces, and all further effort
was useless.
Mr.. Walker persisted in his duty, keeping up
steam until the water put out our fires. Der only
thoughts now were as to measures of Escape
When got on deck all was confusion; passengers
were working with desperate energy at the for.
ward pumps Frenchmen Germans and English
were all calling In their different languages to the
freinen to help them, and running to and f. on the
deck, sometimes rushing to the pumps and rushing
away again when relieved by others
Still the passengers seemed hopeful of being
saved The absence of Mr. Geurley, tn irst mate
was great loss. He had been sent after the col.
lison, to ascertain what damage had been done to
the French propeller, and when he returned he
could not be taken on board as we were making all
speed for the land. believe that if he had been on
to keep the sailors to their duty, and have RATS rig
ged, many more would have been saved
The second mate Edward Baaham actei badly
in my opinion. He lowered one of The quarter
boats about two o'clock-the ship did not 20 down
until about four o'clock-and himself and most of
the sailors got into it. saw nothing of them after
came on deck. Thirtytwo were savedIu our small
boat, and the second mate g boat might have taken
more than double that number
The departure OF Baaham and the sailors left
Capt. Luce without experienced hands at rigging
rats. as the remen knew little of what should be
done, Mr. Rogers. the chief engiaeer, seemed
most active in his efforts to reduce the leaks and do
all he could under the circumstances. He stai1 bv
The ship until 1t was dangerous to stay longer as his
boat was in imminent rick of being swamped
by persons jumping overheard, or OF being carried
down in the vortex made by the vessel sinking.
and spare spars, and lashed and launched. Seven
ty six persons-passengers, coal passers. &c,-aot
on the raft. They were all subsequently lost, ex-
cept one picked up by us The Afciic was struck
on the staroo ard side. little aft the bow Three
large holes were made in the side-one below the
copper, the two above.
Dorian, the third mate, was most active and a..;a
by the ship until she went down The passengers
with despairing energy, stuck to the pump to the
last They were working on them to the last mo-
.,l..l
mates boat just little before the final catastrophe
When hrst attempted to leave, the captain
caught me- and tore the shirt off my bach to preven,
my going, exclaiming, "Let the passeneers po in
the boat He also siezed kind of axe, and at
tempted to prevent the tiremen reaching the boat.
but it was every one for himself, and no more at,
tention was paid to the captain than to any 9th er
man on board. Life was sweet to us as to others
Captain Luce seemed like man whose judg
ment was parayzed. He paced the deck as If
there was no resort but to sink with bis ship He
could easily have saved himself had he sought his
own safety. l saw him few moments befo: e the
Arctic disappeared. She went down by the stern.
and with uplified hands and piercing yell, which
l cannot describe, the crowd OF human beings on
deck shsred her fate.
The raft had not been cleared away when tbe
ship Went down, and one of the spars caught under
the wheel, and portion of the raft was carried
awsy. have no doubt some who got on the raft
were lost in this way. Just before we pushed off
to dFOiu uetuS CdIileu OOWu Win the ehD. saw a
number of women in the cabin locked in each
Others arms, crying and exhibiting the most intense
signs of terror and distress. They were ali en-.
gulphed. The lamentations of tie French ana
Germans were most painful, as could easily dis
tinguish their cries and shouts.
After the Arctic disappeared we saw large num-
ber floating about, still alive, but we could save
none Our little boat was filed 10 its utmost capa-
city. SO we had to leave them to perish from the
cold-the water Is always cold on the banks-and a
prey to the fishes The one man out of the seven
~ six, the raft at first, whom we picked up al.
terwards, said that all his companions had perished
from the cold the shes-the raft being but poor.
ly constructed for their protection.
Next morning, at six clock our boat was picked
up BY the barque Huron, bound for Quebec. We
had passed fearful night the sea GOT rough, and
We had to use handspkes and bits of wood for oars
Our only food was q cabbage and some bits of tur-
nip, and most of us had tasted from the previous
morning Ont the Huron we were a. well treated
a. we could expect
we all regretted much that one fine Young man
oslonging to the Arctic was not saved: his name
was Stuart Holland. His father il Sereeapt a.
arms OF one Of the houses of Congress. lie could
not be Induced TO leave the ship his post was At
tne gun, firing signals; he kept firing the eun TIL
me vessel sunk; we saw him in the verv act of
nriag sthe vessel disappeared below the waters.
Besides the heart rending sight Of so many WOO