Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-10-27

The narrative below will be read with thrilling in
terest 1t is the same that was noticed under our
telegraphc head yesterday.
CAPT. LUCEs STATEMENT.
QUEBEC, Oct. 14th.
E. K. COLLINS, Dear Sir 1t becomes my painful
duty to inform you of the total loss of the steamer
Arctic, under my command, with your wife, and
daughter
l. The Arctic sailed from Liverpool Wednesday, the
Goth of September at IL A. M, with 233 passengers,
| and about SO Of q crew. Nothing of special noe
occurred during the passage until Wednesday, 9th,
when, at noon, were the Banks, in, lat. 46 45
North, and longitude So West, by compass. The
weather had been foggy during the day: generally
distance of half to three quarters of mile could be
seen, but al intervals of few minutes a very
dense fog, followed by being sufficiently clear to see
one or two miles. At noon left the deck for the
purpose OF working out the position of the ship In
about fifteen minutes heard the cry of "hard star
board' from the officers of the deck. rushed on
deck and had Just got out when heard crash for
ward. and at the same moment saw steamer under
the starboard bow and at the same moment she
struck against guards and passed astern of U.S.
The bows of the strange vessel seemed to be literal
cut or crushed Off for full len feet, and seeing that
she must probably sink in few minutes, and taking
hasy g,ance OF our own ship, and believing we
were comparatively uninjured my first impulse was
to endeavor 10 save the lives of those board the
sinking vessel.
The boats cleared, and the first officer and
SIX men left with one boat, when it was found that
our own ship was leaking earfully The engines
were sci to work, being instructed TO put on the
| steam pumps and the four deck pumps were worked
by the passengers and and the ship headed for
the and which judged to be about so miles distant
was compelled to leave my boat with the first officer
and the crew to take of themselves Several in
etfectua attempts made TO stop the leak by get
ting sails the bows, and finding the leak gaining
very fast, nowithsta 'ding all our very power
full efforts of keeping her free, resolved to get the
boats ready and many ladies and children placed
in them as possible But no sooner had the attempt
been made than the fremen and others rushed into
them in spite of opposition. Seeing this state of
things ordered the boats asern 10 be kept in read
ness until order could be restored, when, to my dis
may. saw them cut the rope in the bow and soon
disappear astern in the fog. Another boat was bro
ken down by persons rushing at the davits and ma
ny preciptaed into the sea and drowned-
This occurred while had been engaged in getting
the sarboard guard boat ready, and placed the sec
ond officer in charge, when the same fearful scene
with the first boat being enacted men leaping
from the top rail, twenty feet pushing and manning
those who were in the boat. then gave orders TO
the second officer to let go and after the ship
keeping up near the stern, to be ready to take on
women and children as soon as the fires and
engines stopped My attention was then drawn to
the other quarter-boat, which found broken down
but hanging by one tackle. rush was made for
her also, and some fifteen got in and the tackle
and were soon out of sight. found that not sea
tools 10 assist in building raft, as our only hope
and the only officer left was Mr.. Dorian, the third
mate, who aided me with the assistance of many
passengers, who deserve great praise for their cool
ness and energy, in doing all in their power up to
the very latest moment before the ship sank.
! The chief engineer, with part of his assistants
had taken smallest deck boat and before the ship
went down pulled away with about fifteen persons
We had succeeded in getting the fore and main yard
and two top gallant yards overheard, and such other
small spars and materials could collect. When
was fully cOnvined that the ship must 90 down in
a very short time, and that not moment was 10 be
lost in getting the spars lashed together to form
raft 10 do which it became necessary to get the life
! boat our only remaining boat INTO the waller. This
being accomplished, saw Mr. Dorian, the chief Of
hcer OF the boat, taking care TO keep the oars on
board to prevent them from leaving the ship. Ho-
ping still to get most of the and children in
this boat at last. They had made considerable pro-
gress in collecting the spars, when alarm was Civ
en- that the ship was sinking, and the boat was shov-
ed off without oars anything to help themselves
with, and when the ship sank the boat had got clear
probably an eighth of mile to leeward In an in
slant, about quarter TO five P. M l., the ship went
down, carrying every soul on board with her.
soon found myself on the surface, after brief strug-
Cling with my own bel pless child in my arms when
l again found myself impelled downward to a great
depth, and before reached the surface second time
had nearly perished and lost the hold of my child
AS struggled TO the surface of the water Il most
awful and heartrendipg presented itself 10 my
view-over two hundred men, women and children
struggling to geher, amidst pieces of wreck of eve
ry kind, calling on each other for help, and mpor-
ing God to assist them. Such an appalling scene
may God preserve me from witnessing again. | was
in the act OF trying to my child, when portion
of paddle box came rushing up edgewise, just gra-
Zing my head and falling with its whole weight upon
my darling child another moment and beheld him
lying lifeless in the water. | succeeded in getting
on the top of the paddle box in company with elev.
Ohor ho,Uov of
finding that it could not support so many The 9th
ers remained, until they by relieved by
death We stood IN water, at temperature of As
degrees, up to our knees, and frequently the sea
broke directly over u.s. We soon separated from
friend to other parts OF the wreck and passed the
night, each one of us expecting every hour would be
our last. AT last, the wished for morning came sur
rounded with dense fog, not living soul TO be
but our own party, seven now being left. In the
course OF the morning we saw some water casks and
other things belonging TO the ship, but nothing that
we could get or afford any relief Our raft was
rapidly settling it absorbed the water About
noon. Mr. s. M. Woodruff, of New York, was re-
lieVed by death All the others now began to suffer
very severely for want of water, except Mr. George
F. Allen and myself. In that respect we were very
much favored, although we had not drop on the
raft. The day continued foggy, except just al noon
as near as we cOnld judge. We had clear horizon
for about half an hour, and nothing could be seen
but water and sky. Night came on, thick and drea
ry, with minds made up that neither of us would
again the light of another day. for very soon three
more of our suffering party were relieved by death,
= leaving MIR. Allen. young man and myself
y Feeling myself exhausted, now sat down for the
first time, about o'clock in the evening" on trunk
which provdentialy had been found on the wreck
In his way slept little throughout the night, and
became somewhat refreshed. About an hour before
j day-light.-now, Friday, the 2ath,--we saw yes
sells lights near 20 We all three of US exered
ourselves to the utmost of our strength in hailing
: until we hecaIna unite eYhanstad In ahnnf q nnnr