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

an account Of the loss Of the steamer
Arctic, on her passage from Liverpool
to New York, witha large number of
her passengers. Since then further
particulars have been received. 1t was
stated by some Of the survivors who
hastily lied from tho scene of calamity :,
that they saw the wreck ro down, and
that Capt Luce was on board at the
time. Nevertheless, the Captain ar
rived in safety at Quebec, and with
him, nine of the passengers and crew.
A large portion Of the engineers and
the crew, rs well as one or two of the
officers, were evidently false to their
duty, and deserted their posts ut an
hour when tlloir aid every WY was
essential. They behaved like towards
and wrctchcs rather than mcn-apd
the Fact that thus far we have not
heard Of the rescue of wonun On.
chila, is, perhaps, the bittcrcst and
most wlthcrinS commentary that could
DC offered upon their atrocious con
duct
Captain l.ucc remained on the Arc
tic to the last. When the ship went
down hc went down with her, and ON
coming to the suriape again, gailpd
tooilptd upon one Of The paddle boxes
THAT floatel by, from which, out Of
eleven who got here with him, he
himself and Mr.. George i. Allen wore
alone preserved. Ito does not give
the names Of any Of the othcrs-but
simply says they were zone by one
relieved by death" lie saw when he
first arose "ovcr two hundred men.
women and chldrcn struggling togcth-
CIR IN the wafer amid pieces IF arycck'
"t crcry kind" lie says :-"'I was in
the act OF trying to save my child,
when portion Of the paddle box
came rushing up cdgewisc, just gra-
zinS my head, falling with its Whole
weight upon the head Of my darling
child. Another nnmen, bchcll him
litclcss in tie watpr." Ills son, who
is lost, is alrsut Twelve years Of are.
and L cripple. Captain Lace was ta.
ken oil by > passing vessel, and con
vcysd to Quebec, and from there
wrote to Mr.. Collins of New York,
! The owacr, Il letter OF some length,
detailing The circumstances.
From the letter OF Captain I,lc.
We learn that 1t aln time ~ Lla. col
lisiun no fog belI or alarm whistle
MAS suuln led o', board ,lc Arctic the
reason ol WHICH WAS ikat during the
day the weather had bccn ncariy or
quite clear; ut ten O'Clock that morn
'llS it MAS SO much SO as to alIuw him
to take IN observation, anu up to the
time that he went below it had been
at no time SO ioggy rs to render these
precautions necessary the fog would,
it is true, occasionally wrap them
closely around for few moments, but
then it CLEARED up again soon, SO that
tho eye could reach from one mile to
six. Captain Luce had boon below
working his reckoning about fifteen
minutes, during which time, unknown
to him, the fog had become very dense.
and tho two steamers coming head on
for each other, approached tlnporooi,
ed to the fatal onset. Captain Luce
heard the command to starLoard the
helm, and IAN upon deck Just in time
to witness the collision. lie acknoal-
edges that the fatal step vas the loss
OF the chief mate aud sca:ncn who ac
companicd him upon his humane or,
rand. At very early period after
the collision the iremci, and crew
| moro especially the former, threw of
their allegiance to discipline, and look
cd out for their own safety. The boat
on. board the ship would, if properly
slowed, have saved 300 persons; but
the brutal scIiislncss OF the crcw
thrust the minority hack to die. In
the first boat that was lowered for the
purpose Of ls'vns passengers were
several ladics. All OF the families on
board gathered on the quarterback,
and after the first shock Of terror, be.
cannc comparatively calm and collect.
| ed. In the Only boat that remained.
the largest lie boat on deck, Captain
Luce placed Mrs. Collins and her imi
Iy, the Browne family, and many other
| ladies; and but for tho unfortunate
necessity that this boat was required
to assist / tho construction Of the
raft, they would undoubtedly have
been sayc1. AS it was, he launched
tho boat, intending after the raft was
made, 10 again place The ladies in it,
How bis iutcntiOns were frustrated is
too well known. The passengers, when
all hope w;is past, gathered upon the
quarter deck but instead Of exhibiting
external signs of terror and despair,
they nearly ali assumed chccrfulucss.
AT length, with sigh Of fagony and
wall that pierced tho heavens, the
great hull reelcd to and fro, and set.
tied down boncath the dark waters