The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-10-17

THE ARCTIC CALAMITY.
STATEMENT OF CAPT. LUCE, AND PARTIc.
ULARs or HIS MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
The narrative below will be read with thrill
ling interest. 1t is the same that was MOTTO
ed under our telegraphic head, yesterday.
CAPT. LUcE's STATEMENT.
QUEBEC, Oct 14th.
z. X. COLLINS, Dear Sir:-It becomes
my painful duty to inform you of the total
loss Of the steamer Arctic, under my COM
mand, with your wife, son and daughter.
The Arctic sailed from Liverpool Wednes-
day, the Goth of September, at II A. NJ. with
233 passengers, and about $50 of a crew
Nothing of special note occurred during the
passage until Wednesday, 27th, when, at
noon, we were on the Banks, in lat. 46. As
compass. The weather had been foggy dur
ing the day; generallya distance of half to
three quarters of a mile could be seen, but
at intervals of few minutes a very dense
fog, followed by being sufficiently clear to
see one or two miles. Atnoon left the deck
for the purpose of working ont the position
of the ship In about fifteen minutes l heard
the cry of "hard starboard'' from the officers
of the deck. rushed on deck, and had just
got out when l felt crash forward, and at
the same moment saw a steamer under the
starboard bow and at the same moment she
struck against our guards and passed astern
of US. The bows of the strange vessel seemed
to be literally cut or crushed off, for full ten
feet, and seeing that she must probably sink
in few minutes, and taking hasty glance
at our own ship and believing we were com.
paratively uninjured, my first impulse was to
endeavor to save the lives of those on board
the sinking vessel.
The boats were cleared, and the first off,
Ger and six men left with one boat, when it
was found that our own ship was leaking
fearfully. The engines were set to work,
being instructed to put on the steam pumps,
and the four deck pumps were worked by the
passengers and crew, and the ship headed
for the land, which 1 judged to be about so
miles distant. l was compelled to leave nv
boat with the first officer and crew to take
care of themselves. Several Intellectual at
tempts were made to stop the leak, by get
ting sails over the bows, and finding the leak
gaining on us very fast, Notwithstanding all
our very powerful efforts of keeping her free,
resolved to get the boats ready, and as many
ladies and children placed in them as posi-
BILE. But no sooner had the attempt been
made than the firemen and others rushed into
them, in spite of 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 disappear as.
tern in the fog. Another boat was broken
down by persons rushing at the davits, and
many were precipitated into the sea and
drowned. This occurred while had been
engaged in getting the starboard guard boat
ready, and placed the second officer in
charge. When the same faarfnl scene as
with the first boat, was being enacted, men
leaping from the top of the rail, twenty feet,
pushing and manning those who were in the
boat. 1 then gave orders to the second Off
Ger to let 90 and row after the ship, keeping
under or near the stern, to be ready to take
on board women and children, as soon as the
fires were out and engines stopped. My at
tention was then drawn to the other quarter.
boat, which l 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. l
found that not a seaman was left on board
or carpenter, without any tools to assist US
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 of the passengers, who deserve great
praise for their GOODNESS and energy, in doing
all in their power up to the very latest mo-
ment before the ship sank
had taken our smallest deck boat, and before the
ship went down pulled away with about fifteen per-
sons. We had succeeded 10 getting the fore and
main yard and two top gallant yards overheard,
and such other small spars and materials as we
could collect When was fully convinced that
the ship must go down In very short time, and
that not moment was to be lost in getting the
spars lashed together to form raft to do which it
became necessary to get the life boat our only re-
manning boat, into the water. This being accom-
r,t;c had / vr chi of foff1 roftb
boat taking care to keep the oars board to pre-
vent them from leaving the Ship. Hoping still to
get most OF the women and children In this boat at
last They had made considerable progress in col
lecting the spars, when alarm given that the
ship sinking, and the boat showed off with.
out oars or anything to help themselves with.
and when the ship sank the boat had got clear pro-
badly eighth of mile to leeward In an instant,
about quarter to i've P. NJ, the ship went down,
carrying every soul on board with her. l soon
found myself on the surface after brief struggling
with my own helpless child in my arms, when
again found myself impelied downward to q great
depth, and before reached the surface q second
time had nearly perished and lost the hold Of my
child. As struggled to the surface Of the water
most awful and heart rending presented itself
to my view-over two hundred men, women and
children struggling together, amidst pieces OF wreck
of every kind, calling on each other for help and
imploring God to assist them. Such an appalling
scene may God preserve me from witnessing sgain
was In the act of trying to save my child, when
portion OF paddle box came ruehing up edgewise
just grazing my head and falling with ifs whole
weight upon my darling child another moment
and behe!d him lying lieless In the water sue
ceeded In getting on the top OF the paddle box in
company with eleven otherS-one, however, soon
left for another piece finding that it could not SUP
port many. The others remained until they
were one by one relieved by DEATH We stood ia
water, at a Temperature Of 45 degrees, up to our
knees, and frequently the sea broke directly over
us. We soon separated from our 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 surrounded
with dense fog, not living soul to be seen bat our
own party, seven now being left. nthe course OF
the morning we saw some water casks and other
things belonging to the ship. but nothing that we
could get or siiord us any relief Our raft was rap
Idly setflinR a. 1t absorbed the water About noon
Mr. .. d. woodruff, of New York, was relieved
by DEAN. All the others now began to suffer very
severely for want Of water, except Mr.. George s.
Allen and myself In that respect We were verv
much favored, although NE had not I drou ON the
raft. The day continued fogzy, excert jun n no0d
a. near q We could judge We had ciear NORTON
for about half m hour, ard nothing could Be- eeen
but water and shy. Night came on. tbick and
dreary, with our minds msde mp that neither al ~
would again zee the light Of smother day Tor very
soon three more Of our suffering party were reliev
cd BY death, leaving Mr. Aiieu, young man and
Feeling myself exhau.tod. now sat down for The
first time about oclock II the evening, on truuk
which providentially had been found on the wreck.
La this way slept lltie throuRhoutthe night, and
becsme soinowhal Tcfreshed. About a hour helOro
davlieht -novv Fridav the Q9fh -ve eane v.e..ls.