Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-10-12
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
TWO MORE BOATS HEARD FROM


HALIFAX, 11.-No intelligence has been
received Of the missing boats of the steamer.
The following statement of the loss of the
Arctic, by Mr.. Baaklan, I'd officer, appeared
in an extra CT the Halifax Ledger ON Tuesday.
Mr.. Baaklan and the other officers crew and
passengers saved in the two boats, arrived at
Broad Cove, and arrived here in the course of
Tuesday.
On Wednesday, 9th, at noon, Cape Race,
bearing N. w. by W.. 60 miles distant, while
running in a very thick fog, were struck on
the larboard bow about 60 feet abaft the cut
water by an iron steamer, which made three
large holes in the ship, two feet below the
water, one Of which was about five feet and
half i'll length, and one or one and
half in width, leaving the whole cutwater and
| stem of the iron steamer clean through the
Arctics side. So dense was the fog that the
vessel could not be seen minute before the
collision. The wheel was put hard to the
starboard, the engine stopped instantly, and
backed at full speed until clear Of the other
steamer, which occupied couple of minutes.
The British steamer seemed to be sinking
bow first.
Capt. Luce Immediately gave orders to clear
away the quarter boats, which was done, and
Mr.. Genelay, chief officer, left the ship in the
starboard boat; and on lowering the port
boat, the Captain exclaimed, "hoist up that
boat again, Mr.. Baaklan," and beckoned me
to go to him. Upon doing so, he ordered me
to go over the bow, to ascertain, if possible,
what damage had been done. l then found
the holes above mentioned. Upon informing
him of the fact, he gave orders to get the sails
up from below, and endeavored to place them
over the bow, so as to stop the leak, which
was promptly done, but with no advantage,
so much Of the bows and iron which had been
broken from the other steamer adhering to the
Arctic and projecting beyond her planking,
that the sails could not be brought close
against the vessels side.
The carpenter was then lowered over the
side, and pillows aud mattresses passed down
to hun, to try, ifpossble, to close the hole with
them; but the leak was found to be so far be-
low the water line that they could not be got
i'll, and every exertion to stop the leak proved
unavailng.
Captain Luce then ordered the ships head
to be kept for the land, which bore n. w. by
w. By this time he had lost sight of the chief
officers boat and the other steamer, which we
supposed had sunk. We had not been on one
course more than four or five minutes, before
we ran over boat and crew belonging to the
other vessel, all of whom persisted, with the
exception of one, who caught hold of rope
hanging over the bow. Directly that the boat
was seen. orders were given to stop the en-
CINE, which the chief engineer said could not
be done, as the ship was fast sinking. In
about 80 minutes all the lower fires were out,
and there were at least six feet of water in the
ship, fore and aft
By this time the confusion amongst the
passengers was very great, but they used all
efforts to assist the crew in keeping the deck
pumps going, and in tightening the ship for
ward for the purpose of endeavoring to get at
the leaks from the inside which efforts were
found to be useless, and numbers of them 60
ing into the boats which were still hanging
to the davits. In forty five minutes after the
collision, came up from the fore hold, and
informed Capt. Luce that the water was on
level with the lower deck beams, and that
1t was impossible to get ut the leak, and then
asked him what he thought would be likely
to be the fate Of the ship, when he stated his
belief to me- that there was no hope of saving
her. He then told me to see to my boat.
On going to those on the port side, found
them completely filed with men and women,
and no possibility of getting near them. |
Immediately went to the starboard side and
ordered two of the crew to lower the guard
boat and asked the captain what his instruc-
tons were, who replied ''That the ships fate
should be his then asked him if he would
not allow his son to go with us, as l intended
to take boat, but he returned me the answer
that che should share his fate
1t was soon discovered, however, that there
was little hope of saving the Arctic, and the
lady, daughter and son of Mr.. Z. X. Collins,
with several ladies, were put OH board boat,
in the act of lowering which one of the tack
les gave way. and all except one lady, who
chung to sailor holding fast to the boat, were
precipitated into the sea and lost.
then jumped into boat, and was ordered
by the captain to cut away the tackle falls,
and drop under the stern. I did SO, at which
time about twenty persons, as l supposed,
jumped overheard, Of whom IL or is were
picked up. Fell in with another boat, which
had been lowered from tile other side, and
lightened her of part of her complement
leaving 10 in her, and &c in my own boat.
The last sight we had of the ship, her