New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-17

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the leaking by dropping sail down over ths bow
were made, and the engines were kept WORKING the
ship ahead toward the land, bat in the course OF
bour, should think. from the time Of the collision
the lower furnaces were drowned out and tn -;san
pumps stopped. Then il seemed 70 become only q
question OF how many bours or minutes would
be above water. The fret officer with MS boats
crew we had Jeff behind from the first The second
officer with lot Of tue sailors had lowered another
boat and left the ship, and 8 general scramblng
seemed 10 be going As 20 who should have places
in the only two remaining boats thai saw on deck.
The stern taoklng Of another bad given way from
the weight OF persons in il while Il was swinging over
the side and think several must have been lost with
that saw one Lady hanging TO the bov tGckie Of j,
after the stern had broken lOoe. One Of those still
naming large one on the quarter deck occupied
by ladies and chiliren and some few gentlemen The
other wss on the upper deck forward end in the pos
session Of lot Of irenen. Things were In this con-
diiion about two hours after the accident. Capt.
Luce was experimenting the lowering Of spars and
yards aided mostly by passengers for the purpose Of
making raft and complaining III al all hs officers and
men had left him lost oftbe women and children we're
collected round the boat OF the quarterback seemingly
resigned to their fate. some few gentlemen eIerung
all their powers to prevail others to work on at
the pumps, but all ID no purpose, the ship kept on
gaining in quantity as steadily as time progressed.
The engines bad stopped working, and seeing that
the chief Engineer with Of his assistants
and fIemen had got the forward boat in the
wa:o over by the bow, under the pretence saw
OF working at the canvas which was hanging over
X
but seeing a. thought, symptoms OF their real :nteo
tiop to get off from the ship without too many in the
boat dropped myself down near By them on a small
raft Of three paDks about foot vide each and 10 or
~ feet long and en- inch in thickness, lsshed together
with some rope and four handspkes, and which had
Just previously helped 10 lower into The water fo the
purpose OF working from about the bow Of the ship.
Finding it b ore up showed of, intending TO get
alongside Of the engineers boat but as soc|sl on
several fremen and one two passengers dropped
down info the boat the engineer protesting
against their doing So and at the same tune
puzzled of and pulled well away from the ship,
with about twelve fifteen persons in his boat,
declaring TO tboPe board at the same time that he
was mo- going of but would stay by the ship to the
last. At the same time be or those ia the 6oh with
him continued to pull away IN what considered was
the direction OF the land, and were in feg minutes
lost in the fog. / now saw there was no probable
chance for but to remain where was, on my fran
little raft until could some better chance aiter
or before the chip went down She had now settled
down 10 the wheel houses. The upper furnaces had
Sor come time been drowned out People on oosrd
were doing nothing but firing signal guns OF distress
trying 10 get spars overheard and tearing doors ON
the hinges nothing else seemed TO present useii ~
means Of saving fhe lives o. some three hundred
souls still on board have crossed the Atlantic nine
times now, and nearly every previous tlne nave
bad in charge one or more OF my family or near
relatives but now thanked my God that had not
even an acquaintance with me in this my adversely.
frightened up my little raft as well as could 50 "a 20
make il Withstand the buetings and srainings of the
piece Of plank which tore up Off the others using it
as a paddle 1 kept towering within about 200 or
300 yards OF the sinking ship, watching operations
there ana keeping myself from being drif ed out OF
sight 80 ss to have what company there might be LETT
en- RATS ike my own after our doomed vessel had
SINK beneath the surface. In this post on saw three
different email RATS like my own leave he amp one OF
them with three ard another with two OF the nremen
standing erect them the third with the old French.
mBn we had already picked up, and one OF the mess
bows of the ship sitting on IT, Those three rata all
drted close by me- that was hsled by one and
another of them with the request tor Us all to keep
near together 10 which asserted but cold them that
we had all better Try and keep by the ship till she
went down At this time noticed that the large boat
which had been the quarter deck wa ia the water
and being freghted pretty iuy TO al appearance
with several females, and good nuinber Of males
and that the raft Of Spas was at the slime time being
dashed together and several getting GA it. noticed
also a couple of large empty water oask, lashed TO-
geiher with five on them apparently passengers
leave the ship and drifting toward ms, while within
about 50 wards they capsized with the force OF
heavy swell giving their living freight an almost i'm
mediate wa,ery grave. Three OF tsosi 1 noticed re-
gaiIed the top side Of the casks only to be lu-
mediately turned over again, and the casks
separating l more Of them Ny heart
sickened at so much OF Immediate death
and It'll almost loDged to have been one OF them
for at the same instant and as can Judge at
about a the ship began 10 disappear; stern foremost
she entered under the surface, her bow rising tIe
as she slowly went under, and distinctly heard the
cabins from stem 10 stern she went under, taking,
should think, from 80 seconds to minnie 10 di-aP-
nearing with large number OF people still upon her
deck Thus went down the noble Arctic, leaving
nothing behind but mixture OF fragments OF the
wreck and struggling human beings saw one large
half round fragment burst above the surface ana
sey eral Of the struggling fellow moras get on IT; this
and the raft of spars with several on H. ana tne ooas
full of people was all that could distinctly make out
as being left III the neighborhood OF where the snip
went down TO wipdwsru and the three small rats to
leeward along with my OWE, were leit 70 pass lhe
night now beginning 10 close III upon, ana hloe away
from nv sight ! wish could say from my memory,
this dreadful day; but such night OF extreme me-
lancholy despeir and utter Loneliness, nope 1 shsu
never again experience. had, II Is true become Ia
miiarized with death and felt as II would be great
relief to 90 Immediately like the rest and for tins
end with somewhat of satisfaction, thought OF the
phial of laudanum In my pocket previously intended
Tor better use, but oh how unprepared was 70 see
NV God, and for my family sake how necessary
felt it was for me still to live while longer else
would have empted that vial or rolled over the sac
of my plank most willingly The night was cold and
chilly the dense fog was saturating my already WEI
clothing. standing TO the ankles IN me wafer
with the waves every now and then wasnlns me
ND above the knees, no hope IN my mnd
Of being drifted 20 the land. and IN part
Of the ocean where il is expected thick log conti
ualy hangs over the surface, precudlng tue nope Oh
apy chance vessel in passing near us beng aware ei
our situation--a circumstances seemed 10 say II Is
but question of how long the physical frame can
endure this perishng state, or how long before more
bo;sterous sea turns separates the slightly
fastened planks. Thus rejecting, offered VI, 10
Him who ruleth the winds and the waNes-to hiul
unto whom we all fee in deepest di.tress-a sin
cere petition for mercy, that, as | had now been
called TO account, might notwithstanding my IN
yorthiness find an acceptance through the merits OF
Him Who suffered for and who stands ready To AID
and who SAYS. Knock and it shall be opened unto
yop-urto whom can we look, oh our
God but unto thee i-our whole life Is after all
bat a. this hour. mere question OF lew short
DAYS and What al the mere yanities TansPrihs,