The North-Carolinian., 1854-10-21
have escaped y watery


can, by any possibility, have escaped watery
grave.
In addition to all this, another large steam
err, freighted with hundreds of human beings,
has, in all probability met like fate. The de-
tails of the horrible disaster are as follows:
On Wednesday, Sept. q, precisely at -
O'Clock NJ. in dense fog, we came in contact
with bark-rgged iron propeller, with black
hull, salmon-colored bottom, lead-colored poop
and boats and black pipe. She was bound
eastward, and had all sail set, with strong
fair wind. The speed of the Arctic at the
time was about thirteen knots an hour. The
shock appeared to US slight, but the damage to
| the other vessel was frightfn Captain Luce
| instantly ordered the quarter boats cleared
away, and the chief mate, boatswain and three
sail9prs seat g aer relief; before other boats
tic then described circle twice around the
wreck, during which time Icaught ghsapses
of more than two hundred people clustered du
her hurricane deck.
At this juncture it was first asccrtained that
we had sustained injury, and the water was
pouring in at our bows. When the first officer
came alongside to report, the captain was ua-
be to take him up, but headed n. N. w. in
hope Of making land. Our position on the pre-
vious day, at - O'clock, latitude 4S 80,
longitude 45 81 We had run about three
hundred and ten niles from the time of this
observation until the moment of collision, and
The pumps vigorously worked, and an
anchor chain thrown overboard but in spite Of
all exertion, the engines stopped, and the water
extnyushed the fires.
Fonr of the five life boats believed to have
been well prUvisioned, containing the engineers,
sailors, few passengers, and all the officers ex-
cept the captain and third mate, lett the ship
at an early stage. The majority of the passen-
gers were working at the pumps-some firing
the signal guns, and others launching spars,
under the direction of Captain Luce and 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 firenscn, three of the other passengers
saved. and myself, were busily engaged lashng
water casks and scttees to the main yard, two
topgallant yards, and several smaller spars-
the Captain with number of gentlemen, pro-
! tccted the work Ivy Keeping back the crowd
when panic seized all on board, rush vas
| made, passengers and firemen precipitated them
| selves hcadlong over the bulwarks on to the
raft, and in a moment our little boat was full,
and i'll emmincnt danger of being sunk
! In this emergency, Dorian ordered the rope
which held us to the steamer to be cut, and
with our hands I'D axes we padded from the
! rats side. The mate, who throughout preserv-
| ed great presence of mind. and labored with
heroic energy, cried out: "For Gods sake,
Captain, clear the raft, that work.
| won't desert the ship while there's a timber
above water"
| Bnt the sea was now flush with the deac,
lights. In less than three minutes from the
! time he spoke, the stern sunk-the foam went
boiling over the tumbling heap of human beings
I-many were dashed forward against the pipe.
| heard one wild yell, (still ringing in my
| ears, and saw the Arctic and the struggling
mass rapidly enguphed. Numbers yet clung
to the i,nperfectly constructed raft but, alas,
We cotld render them aid. Our situa-
| ton was no less precarieus; and, cruel as it
seemed, we were forced to abandon them to
fate. Heaven forbid that l should ever wit
ness such another scene. We however picked
up two more men, and then, with an overload
Ell ooat, without oars, thoepins, food or drink,
avoiding with difficulty the fragments of the
wreck, and passing many dead females prerar-
| eo lot night upon the ocean. We secured
| HoatIng pumpkin and cabbage to rnardeaganst
! immediate starvation, lashed spar to the bow
OF our boat to keep her head to the wind and
sea, and thus drfted until daylight; the night
was cold and foggy, with heavy swell and in
a cramped, drenched and half naked condition
we suffered terribly.
| Without dwelling upon our mseries, aIevia-
ted much by the consciousness that we had en-
dcavored to do our duty to our fellow men.
suffice it say that at FIVE o'clock on the after
! noon of the 2Sth, we csped a sail, and raised
a handkerchief to attract attention We
successful. With the rude substitute for oars
which had constructed during the day by
lashing planks to capstan bars, with view Of
attempting to gain land when the sea subsded
We pulled towards the ship. On way we
I passed the remnant of the raft, with one man
on it apparently alive.
; The bark proved to be the Huron, of St An
J drews, n. b., Capt. A. Wall, bound for Que
bee. Our men safe on board, the noble hearted
Dorian, with some Of the IIuron's crew, return
ed to the raft, and rescued the poor fellow who
for twenty-six hours bad clung to the spars
He states that after the steamship sunk, he
counted seventy-two men and four women Oh
the raft, but at 81 o'clock he was the only one
alive In the morning two bodies were beside
him, much eaten by fishes, and at the time he
saw our boat he was on the point of voluntarily
, dropping into the to end his agony. Com
, ing from the raft, Dorian encountered and ex-
| anlined the life of the Arctic: it contained
!, | A bottle Of water, some cheese and Iadys gar
ment.
BY the humane captain of the Huron, and
RI Mr. Wellington Cameron, son of the owner,
! we were received with great Kindness our
! wounds dressed, fires kindled, and food and
! clothing provided in abundance. During the
night of the 29tb Capt. Wall hung ont extra
lights, fred rockets and kept horn blowing,
;. in hope Of falling in with the remainder of the
: boats. But his endeavors were frutless. o.,
- the evening Of the 29th he spoke the ship
4 Lebanon, Capt Story, bound for New York
bv whom eighteen of our number were taken
of, kindly welcomed and we'll treated. We
have this moment reached New York, by
| L>.+ Cbr;c<;op Rorr M IA IN which