The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-10-18
Loss of the Arctic.

Mr. George IL. Burns, the express messen-
ger OF Adams g. Co, who was on board,
and fortunately escaped the terrible perils
of the disaster:
The steamship Arctic, with 226 passcn-
gers, exclusive OF children, i75 empioy eTs,
valuable cargo, and heavy mail, is lost -
Of the more than four hundred souls who
left Liverpool ON the goth ult full of hope,
gayety and health, many returning from
nm European tour Of pleasure, only thirtytwo
are known to have been saved, and certain
ly not more than one hundred can, by any
possibility, have escaped watery grave.
In addition to this, another large stea-
mer, freighted with hundreds of human be-
ings. has, In all probability, met like fate.
The details Of the horrible disaster are AS
follows
On "Wednesday, September 27, precisely
mt IL o'clock NJ, in u dense fog, we came in
contact with bark-rigged iron propeller,
with black hull, salmon colored bottom,
lead col"red poop and boats and black pipe.
She was bound eastward, and had ali sail
set, with strong, fair wind. The speed of
the Arctic ut the time was about thirteen
knots an hour. The shock to us appeared
slight, but the damage to the other vessel
inshtful Capt Luce Instantly ordered
the quarter boats cleared away. and the chief
her relief; before other boats left, the order
was countermanded. The Arctic then de.
scribed circle twice round the wreck, dur.
ing which time | caught glimpse of more
than two hundred people clustered on her
hurricane deck.
Al this juncture it was first ascertained
that we had sustained injury, and the wate.
was pouring in at our bows when the hrs,
ofiicer came along side to report the captain
was un"ble to take him up, but headed n
N. W., in the hope of making land Our
position on the previous day, ut Ia o'clock,
was latitude 4S 80, longitude AS 27. We
had run about three hundred and ten miles
from the time OF this observation until the
moment Of collision, and were supposed to
bo forty miles from Cape Race. The pumps
were vigorously worked. aud an anchor
chain thrown ovcrboard but, in spite of all
exertion, the engines stopped, and the water
extnguished the fires.
Four of the five other life boats, believed
70 have been well provisioned containing tn,
engineers, sailors. a few passengers and nIl
the officers, except the captain and third
mate, left the ship at an early stage. he
majority OF the passengers were WORKING al
the pumps, some firing the signal guns, and
others launching spars, under the direction
ofCaptain Luce ard, Mr.. Dorian, the third
mate, to form raft.
In order to facilitate this latter work the
sixth and last boat was lowered Dorian.
one or two fire men, three Of the ether pas.
sengers saved, and myself, were busiy en-.
gagged lashing watercasks and settees TO the
main yard, two topgallant yards and several
smaller spars.-the captain, with number
OF gentlemen, protecting the work by keep
ing back the crowd, when panic seized all
on board, a rush was made, passengers and
firemen precipitated themselves headlonu
over the bulwatks on to the raft, and in a
moment our little boat was full and i, i'm
minent danger of being sunk. In this emer.
gency, Dorian ordered the rope which held
US to the steamer TO be cut, and with our
hands and axes We padded from the RATS
aide. The mate, who throughout pres. eyed
great presence of mind, md labored with he
roic energy, cried out: "For Gods sake,
captain, clear the raft, so that we can work.
iwon't desort the ship while thorc's n tim
Der above water"
But the sea was now flush with the dead
lights. In less than three minutes frnm tho
time he spoke the stern sunk-the fonm
went boiling over the tumbling heap of hu-
man beings-many were dashed forward
against the pipe. heard one wild yell
(still ringing in my -ears) and saw the Arc
tic and the struggling mass rapidly engulph
ed. Numbers yet clung to the imperiectly
constructed raft; but, alas, we could render
them no aid. Our own situation was no
less precarious; and cruel as it seemed, We
were forced to abandon them to fate. Hea-
ven forbid that should ever witness such
another scene. We however picked up two
more men, and then, with IN overloaded
boat, without oars, tholepins, food or drink,
avoiding with difficulty the fragments Of
the wreck, and passing many dead females,
prepared for night upon the ocean. We
secured floating pumpkin and cabbage to
guard against immediate arvation, laslied u
spar to the bow Of our boat to keep her
head to the wind and sea, and thus drified
until daylight; the night was cold and foggy
with heavy swell, and in cramped,
drenched, and half naked condition, we suf-
fered terribly.
Without dwelling upon our miseries, al
leviated much by the consciousness that we
had endeavored to do our duty to our fellow
men, suffice it to say that Mt 8 o'clock on
the afternoon Of the 2sth we espied sail,
and raised handkerchief to attract atten-
ton. We Were successful. With the rude
substitute for oars which we had construc-
ted during the day by lashing planks TO
capstan bars, with view Of attempting to
gain when the sch subsided, we pulled 10.
wards the ship On our way We passed the
remnant Of the raft, with one man on IL up.
parently alive.
The bark proved to be the Huron, of st.
Andrews, N. h., Captain A. Wall, bound for
Quebec. Our men safe on board, the
nobie-hearted Dorian, with some Vi the
Huron's crew, returued to the raft and res
cued the poor fellow, who for twenty.six
hours had clung to the spars. tie states
that after the steamship sunk no counted
eeventy-two men and four women on The
raft, but at 81 o'clock he was the only one
alive. In the morning Two bodIes were be-
side him, much eaten by fishes, aud at the
time he saw our boat he WAS on the point
OF voluntarily drappng into the sea to end
his agony. Coming from t.e raft, Doriaa
encountered and examined the life cur of the
Arctic. IL contained bottle of water,
some cheese and alsdy's garment
by the humane captain Of the Huron and
Or. Wellington Cameron, son Of th.
owner, We were received with great KIND.
Hess, our wounds dressed, fires EIndIed, aud