The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-10-26
Loss of the Steamer Arctic.

were in good part filled with various oe-
tails of the disastrous wreck of the steam
er Arctic, from which, we compile the
following:
The Arctic on her homeward passage,
when within 65 miles of Cape Race, at
noon on the 9th of September, while
running in very thick fog, was struck
on the starboard bow, about sixty felt a
baft the cutwater, by an iron steamer,
which made three large holes In the ship,
two below the water, one of which was
about five and half feet in length and
one or one and half feet wide, leaving
the whole cutwater and steam of the iron
steamer clean through the Arctic's side.
So dense was the fog that the vessel
could not be seen minute before the
collision. The wheel was put hard to
starboard, the engine stopped instantly,
and backed at full speed until clear Of
the other steamer, which occupied cou-
Pile of minutes.
The carpenter was then lowered down
over the vessels side, and pillows and
mattresses passed down to him, to try if
possible to force them III; but the leek
was found to be so far below the water
line that they could not be got in, and eve
ry exertion to stop the leek proved una
vailing.
Capt. Luce then ordered the ships head
to be kept for land, which bore N. W. by
W. By this time they had lost sight of
the Chief Officers boat, and the other
steamer, which it was supposed had sunk.
She had not been on her course more
than four or five minutes before she ran
over a boat and crew belonging to the
other vessel, all of whom perished, with
the exception of one who caught hold of d
rope which was thrown to hin. Directly
the boat was seen, orders were given to
stop the engine, which the Chief Engineer
said could not be done, as the ship was
fast sinking.
In about thirty minutes all the lower
fires were out, aud at least three feet of
water in the ship fore and aft. By this
time the confusion among the passengers
was very great, but they used all efforts
to assist in keeping the deck pumps 60
ing, and in tightening the ship forward
for the purpose of endeavoring to get at
the leak from the inside, which vas found
to be useless.
Some idea of the extent of the leak may
| be formed when We state that in little
more than four hours, notwithstand the
efforts of two bilge injections, each throw
ing out body of water as big as bar
rel, four steam pumps of six-lnch bore,
and four hand-pumps on deck of like
calibcr, this mighty vessel of 5000 tuns
filed and sunk.
The Arctic, it seems, had six boats
The chief officer, Mr.. Gourley, with the
boatswain and three sailors, took one to
them to aid the iron steamer, before it
was known that the Arctic was Injured
on returning, the boat could not be hoist
ed, and SO far as we learn has not since
been heard from Mr.. Baablam, the Sec
ond officer, afterwards took one of the
other boats on the starboard side, and
picked up eighteen or twenty persons who
jumped overheard on seeing it lowered
be also fell in with another boat which
had been lowered on the other side full
of persons, part of whom were transferred
to his boat. These two boats, one con-
tanning nineteen and the other twenty-six
persons, t0rty fre in all, were landed near
Cape Race and the names of the survivors
are known. A fourth boat had been low
cred for the purpose Of constructing raft,
and was cut loose from the ship her
Mirty-tloo passengers were picked up by
the ship Huron, and part taken to Que
bee, and part, including Mr.. Burns, sent
to n York by the Lebanon.
From the lips of Capt. Luce (says the
Tribune:) We learn that at very early
period after the collision the fremen and
crew, more especially the former, threw of
their allegiance to discipline, and looked
out for their own safety. The boats on
board the ship would, if properly slowed, F.,
have saved 300 persons; but the brutal
sel6shness of the crew thrust the MAORI
ty of that number out to die. In the first
boat that was lowered for the purpose of
saving passengers were several ladies, the
only one of whom Capt Luce remembers
by name, is Miss Smith, daughter of
Mr.. G. G. Smith. of n Y City. Except
in this boat, no other ladies were saved
All of the families on board gathered on
the quarterback, and after the first shock
of terror, became comparatively calm and
collected. In the only boat that remain
ed, the largest life boat on deck, Captain
Luce placed Mrs. Collins and her family,
the Brown family and many other ladies;
and but for the unfortunate necessity that
this boat was required to assist in the
construction of the raft, they would un-
doubtedly have been saved. The passen-
gers, when all hope was past, gathered
upon the quarter deck: but instead of
exhibiting external signs of terror and de-
spair, they nearly all assumed cheerful
ness that beautifully bespoke the sublime
power of mind over matter. Ere they
departed for that long and dark journey
they bade each other farewell; and yet
not Jare1ceH, but kind and gentle '.gootl
mlght," that spoke of the sublime hope of
soon greeting each other with bright
''good morning" before the gates Of Par