Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-10-15

two vessels met In any way tnat IL was posi-
BILE. except that which caused the calamity, the
Arctic would have come out with but compare
lively triAing damage. If the Vesta had struck
the Arctic even square amidship, the damage
of the latter might have been small. But the
blow coming obliquely, the sharp iron prov Of
the Yesta must have cut into the planking Of
the Arctic like chisel driven vertically into a
piece Of wood, and, tearing it from the timbers,
produced Immediately one ofthe worst kind Of
leaks. The vesta, also, like most Of the iron
steamers, was probably built in water-tight
compartments, which kept her afoat until she
could make port---B Bali. american.
From the New York Evening Sun. H,
STATEMENT OF DoBBIN CARNAGHAN.-On the
day of the collision was on duty as fireman,
from until IL o'clock. When bells az
o'clock. noon) struck, went between the en-
pines as usual to wash myself had just got
well into soap-suds--face and hands-wher the
engine bell struck to stop. The engineers hav-
ing many times told me that if hard the bell
that way, any time when | could shut of steam
before they could, to do it, ! ran Just as was,
and shut it off on the port side and then started
for the starboard, butsonc of the engineers was
before me. immediately the bell rang;to back;
/ brushed the soap off my face, and ran on deck
TO see what was the matter. No. $3.50
None of us in the engine room thought OF q
collision, for we did not feel the slightest shock
tosindicate it; but, when l reached the deck,
there was a French propeller just clear of our
starboard, with her cut-water and large piece
of her bow gone, so that we could look right
into her hold and the water pouring in at the
opening. then got partly over the side, to
see what damage was done to us, and discovered
the Frenchman's cut-water and bow sticking
into us. There were two large holes in our
side above the water line, and one just below.
About this time, Mr.. Gourlie, the chief Off
Ger, started off with one of the boats for the
Frenchman, while the rest Of the hands set to
work to repair our damages The passengers
were ordered aft and to the port side, left hand
side. the starboard anchor and chain were
hove overheard; water casks were filed and
run down to port, and everything done to make
her list to larboard, so as to bring the holes
above the water line. But all did not do. We
couldn't get at the leak.
The bailing and pumping were carried on as
fast as possible, but seemed TO do no good.
went below and worked at the fires until the
lower ones were put out by the water, and then
some
the ceiling SO as TO get at the leak inside, but
we did not succeed In doing much before we
were called off with the word that she was 60
ing down. j then turned to and helped to get
over spars for q raft, and to lash them together
With the loose spars about deck, and the yards
taken from the masts, we got eight or ten spars
overheard. ~ aWslth sats ne fa8
i should think that, passengers and crew,
there were 100 at work on the raft toward the
last Of the time There were SO many that no
one could work to advantage, and no, one had
control and management Of what was doing
.sa Nc y 4 saslDutN iaGa ioTHgi
GourHe; the chief officer, we had not
stopped to pick up in our haste to make for
the nearest land when the accident hrst hap
pened; Mr.. Baalham, the second officer, was
already off with small number OF persons IN
a boat which ought to carry 60 or 10; Captain
Luce was on the quarter deck, but seemed 10
have lost if he had not given mp, all control
over the movements either Of crew or passen-
gers; Mr.. Dorian, the third officer, was in one
of the smallest boats working 70 get the spars
dashed together, and the empty casks secured
70 them. IA rera
While things were in this state, there was
cry that she was going down, and rush for
the halfmade raft. Dorian had cut bis boat
adrin, and as selfpreservation is the first law
of nature, j jumped overheard and went after
him. The boat was already full, but yet we
took in more. The steamer was. NOW going
down very fast-stern foremost. The scream
ing and wailing and confusion were horrible.
Most of the passengers, those not at work,
had put on ife-preservers, but / don't think
the rubber ones were of much use--they leaked
out the air about as fast as you could blow It
in. The tin cans were better. There was
plenty Of both kinds to be had. But then the
best Of preservers would do but little good.
They might keep person up a few hours, but
that would be all. cannot believe that any
were saved who had nothing else TO depend
npon. rsl sis
The last man we took from the steamer was
Richard McKim, a fireman like myself. He
has gone TO Quebec in the Huron. He jumped
from the top Of the wheel-house just as the
Arctic was making her last plunge. When
she did 90 down 30 that her smokepipe began
TO cover, the roar of the air, rs 1t escaped out,
drowned all other noises-it was awful to hear,
We we're now packed so close in our little boat
that il needed constant care TO keep her ahoat
aud right side up.
Il was not far from four o'clock, in the after
noon. We padded with our hands, just enough
20 keep clear Of the scattered pieces of wreck,
having no oars or other peans Of getting along.
The fog had cleared up so that we could see a
pretty good distance. Night came aud went
how, 4 cannot say. The next day we were on
the lookout for vessel. We hadneither pro-
visions nor water.
During the day we came across poor Peter
McCabe, one Of the walters, dashed to one OF
the spars Of which we had tried TO make the
raft We could not help him then, but did so
aferward One or two other spars were near
him, and some dead bodies. He said that
the night before there were seventy persons on
those spars. What had become Of them he
did not know. The next afternoon, twenty-six
hours after the Arctic went down, we were
taken on board the Huron.
STATEMENT OF THOMAS BRExNlY.-The pas
sengers behaved most nobly under the trying
circumstances in which they were placed. /
have been present on vessels under similar cir
cumstances before, and never saw persons
act with greater presence Of mind than did the
,aa6anoers on this occasion. They manned