Demoine courier., 1854-10-19
HEW0TME gmUHFER


two below the water, Que of which was
about five feet in length and one and 4
hall fee. wide. leaving the whole cu,wa.
ter and the s.eame clear through The
Arches side.
So dense was the fog that The vessel
could not be seen a minute before the
collision. ThA helm was ,pu, hard a
s!arboard, the engine was stopped and
backed at full speed until clear of the
other steamer, which occupied a couple
of minutes. The French steamer ap.
peared to be sinking bow hrst.
In lowering the por, boat the Captain
exclaimed, hoist up lha, boat again.
MI. BALKAN beckoned me 10 90 when
upon so doing he told me to go over the
bow and ascertain, il possible, what
damage had been done. | then found
the holes above mentioned. Upon in
forming him Of The fact he rave orders
to get up sails and try and gel them about
to endeavor TO stop the leak. which was
promptly done but 10 no purpose what
ever, so much of The bow and iron brok
en off and The other projecting. lba, The
sails could mol be brought close 10 the
vessels side.
The carpenter was then lowered over
the vessels side, aud pillows and mat
rasses passed down 10 him TO try If pos
slble To force them In, but the leak was
found TO be SO far below the water line
,hs, j, could no, be go, to, and every ex
cr,ion 10 stop The leak proved "unavail
ing. sFaa
Capt. Luce then ordeie.t the ships
head 10 be kept ahead, which bore n.
w. BY N; by this time los, sight Of The
chief officers boa, and the other steamer
which We supposed had sunk. W. had
mol, been on the course more than four or
five minutes before she ran over a boat
and crew belonging to the other vessel,
all Of whom persisted with the exception
IF n who caught hold of a rope hang
ing over the bow. Directly the boat was
seen and orders were given To stop the
engine, which the chief engineer said
could not be done as the ship was lael
sinking. aae rf..r s.as. ra.
In about 80 minutes all the lower fires
were OUT and al least three fee, Of water
IN The ship fore aud cit. BY This time
the confusion among The passengers was
very great bu. they used all efforts TO as.
s'sl the crew in keeping the deck pumps
going. and in lighting the ship fore and
af, for The purpose OF getting a! the leak
from the inside which was found 10 be
useless, aud numbers Of them going into
the boats which were still hanging to the
darts. GOA a.
In "a minutes after tie collision | came
up from The fore head and informed the
captain that water was on a level with
the lower deck, that 1t was impossible TO
ge, at The leak. and then asked him what
he thought would be The fate Of the ship.
lie stated to me his belief that there was
no hope of saving her. He then told
me 10 see my boats, and On going to those
on the port side. | found them complete.
iy filled with men, pine and children.
No possibility of getting near them, |
Immediately went TO The siarbcord side
and ordered the crew 10 cover the guard
boat, and asked the Capt. wha, were his
intentions. He replied that the ships
fate should be his. | then asked HIM if
he would not allow his son 10 60 as | in.
tended TO lake a boat, but he returned me
the answer iha, be should share his fate.
II was soon discovered that there was
no hope of saving the Arctic. and the
lady, daughters aud son OF K X Collins,
with several other ladies', were pu, on
board a boat, in the act Of lowering
which one of The tackles gave way, and
all except one lady, who clung 10 a sal
lor, held fast TO the boat and were precip
iia,ed into the sea and losl. | then Jump
cd into a boat and was ordered by The
captain TO Gu, away The tackle and fall
aud drop ern. did SO, and al The
same time abou, twenty persons, | sup
posed, jumped aboard, of whom seven.
teen or eighteen picked up. We fell in
with another boa, which had been lower
cd. a
New YoGK, Oct. IL. &
The Secretary of the Board Of Under
writer's has received information that the
vessel sunk by the Arctic was the steam
ef Cleopatra, bound from Quebec 10 Liy-
erpool.