New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-23
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
LOSS OF THE ARCrIC-CAUSES OF THE
DISASTER.

SIR: Perhaps no marine disaster in the history OF
commerce has given wider field for he exercise OF
sofroE and regret than the loss of that proudes spe
Gin en- of nation skill She ste ,mer Arctic, with her
most precious freight Of human lives. providence
90 vast and astounding should If possible, be cor.
reeily Interpreted and the true lesson taught be laid
up for our guidance in the future To aid in pointing
out this lesson is the object OF this communication.
L.tme first give brief st ,iement of series OF cir
oumstsnces and 6luRders which, following each other
in mos, remark able way eliminated at last in the
losses that we so much deplore. Aud then following
hese, let where, if possible culpability shall
rest.
Ist It is in evidence that there was not used, on
the fatal day, the means provided for the ship to
guard against surprise and accidents OF this nature.
ID. II is also stated by officer in evidence that ut
the first moment Of surprise at the appearance of the
Vesta, she was standing nearly headon, and IN the
act of passing by the port left side of the Arc tic.
The officer OF the deck, on the first sight of the
stranger instead Of ordering the helm apOrt-vhich
wOud have, in great probability, caused them to pass
the steamer with al least rub, or At most ruunlng
of Der under the wheel OF the Arcc-hs ordered tue
helm G.sdrbOard, the consequence Vt which was that
she turned across the track of the Nesta. The
fret officer, who was alarmed by the sudden order,
ran upon deck, and seeing the danger and the neces
ty of prompt acton az the wheel reechOed, instead
Of correcting, the fatal error.
Sd. The collision having occurred, another error
sequence in allowing the frst officer rather than
subordinate TO leave the ship an erand TO the in
jured stranger.
4ih The n ost astonishing and, for the ship, most
fatal error in not instantly stopping and sending
boat with the carpenter to examine the extent of
their oUn injurt-an error which was in no good
sense remedi.d by putting him in a sling over the
bows while the ship was dashng through the sea at
the top OF her speed.
5th. must regard ss the next in the chain Of
talties the leaving Of the injured steamer before
il was known that they might not have afforded ma-
tual assistance TO each other while at the same time
they lost boat and two valuable officers of the ship
by running aEay from them also
9Th In less tn half of no ar it wss demonstrated
by the water rsi in the ship at the rate Of one foot
in ten minutes potwthstandin all the pumps we're
at work, that they could not steam more tn All two
hours before the nres would be extIngushed yet
they utterly and than wasted their most yaua-
BILE time in mad ana hopeless endeavor to run her
ashore.
7ih The only effort to stop the leak in the ship sp
pears TO have been TO draw sail over the bows of
the ship while she was pressing her way through the
water At the top Of her speed Notwithstanding 1t was
at that fragments Of the other vessel, as
well splintrs OF their OVID, would prevent the sad
from being of use, and that at any rate i could not
be made TO sink 70 as TO reach the leak while the ship
was going ahead.
sh All hopes Of going to the shore Of saving the
ship having been abandoned, We another officer
OF The ship-and that one again the highest remsniog
oicer-oroered 10 one Of the boats with orders 10 fa
officers were detached from duty board the wreck
with at least edozen Of the best seamen with one or
quarter masters and two out of six OF the boats
gone. Two more of the boats were soon after dis
patched such OF the passengers aud crew az ap
peared the most anxious 10 save themselves.
9th. We now see the ship sunk to the upper dead
lights but without any water being in her main cab
ins, and yet no efficient plans for forming raft. At
sst II is decided TO bring Gown the yards and by
one TO launch them, TO construct raft; and one of
the boats and the last one-Or the fth hsd beer
taken by the chief engineer and his party-gLs
6uDched 10 aid in its construction and the high
est officer detached from the wreck 10 its command
For The purpose of getting down these spars, the
ain dependence appears TO have been the passen
gers for the seamen with their officers were nearly
all detached for other purposes, OF had one by one
dropped into the 10 secure place in what they
knew must be their only hope of safety. OF ma,iay
there yet appears no evidence.
10TH Ii Is now about three hours from the fatal col
lsion the officers Of the deck all gone, and Ell rt is
now for the first time, seriously set on foot 10 make
raft from the spsrs which, until now hal repOsed in
their places upon the masts. These nov 70 be
taken under the greatest Disadvantages down By the
passengers, hremen and oal-heayers aud launched
overheard, where Mr.. Dorian, with the aid ri his
boats crew Of sailors and 6remen, received them snd
attempted 10 make them into rattan srduous task
To b. undertaken when the hope was not encouraged
that even ole half hour remained for its accomplish
ment.
Thus we have no less than ten errors committed
and yet nothing done that resulted in the saving of
more than one individual.
Now let what might have been done hal
there been wise cOunses and panic among her
officer:
Let. Had the Arctic been wisely stopped to inquire
what were the chances necessities of the lille
steamer they would nave seen Capt. Duchesne cooly
stopping and setting to work To repair bis damages
before he attempted 20 press his damaged bow into
the sea. They sOuid thus have avoided the necessity
of leaving the first officer and boat TO the merces or
chances Of the OF running do w the b)at-osd
of human beings from the Vesta.
I'd. Had this tine been wisely employed the ca--
peDier with tle aid Of boat you I have found
leak III the nearly vertical SIDE of the Arctic less than
Elk feet under water whieh, in every probability
gent. 0reTcCa would have sufficiently closed 10
bring tie leak within The control Of the pumps Of the
ship, and have been sufficiently secured by. being
crven into the hole by the rushing water and retained
by the pressure Of the wafer and the imoaipp of the
sIiv.Is, or st - could have been staunched by a
t0sk 81 tllsts and sheets forced into the h1les nv
tie sid Of Al oar or BY dU,Ag WIKI the haHds Aboye
water be woulo have found hole eaily covered WIKI
blankets, sails or boards, sufficiently secure 10 have
msde voyage around the earth; and one hour would
have been probably an ample allowance Of time 20
make to- se repairs.
30. AIoNing that have been mistaken ia the na-
tyre o. extent Of the injury which no man exo-ri.
eneed in such matters IN clloE AMI that tie hin
was doomed 10 siEk By Treparabs injury, a. All
seen Ell 10 1eAeve, very much mikLt have been jone
IL he tDr.e LOurs after Ier en- mes stopped ~ form
NC nonlla nom her splrs yards and other timbe-
asr CASKS, hatch cOvsrings all d by the farnifura
oI Der cabins, bad ia officers OF the ship been k.o
on BOARD - duecs TIE aD1ious Crew and pa..kugsr.
mere vas Lo'hlog IN tls safe q the weather or 49,
I'd prevent inc nos arpe provisions beiug thus N IA
ND heTs oe-o IN order given % c1n-sr,rs,s sf,ts
ii "a = D An .aH.a