The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-10-20
AWFUL CALAMITY AT SEA!
LOSS OF THE STEAMER ARCTIC!
Great Loss Of Life!!l
New YORK, Oct. IL.

oss Of the steamer: On Wednesday Sept.
9th, reeisely at II o'clock NJ, in a dense
fog, we came in contact with bark krlgged
iron propeller, with black bull, salmon color
ed deck and boats, and black pipes. She was
bound eastward an, had all sails set, with a
strong, fair wind. The speed Of the Arctic
| at the time, was about thirteen knots an
hour. The shock to us appeared slight, but
the damage to the other vessel was trightful.
Cal t. Luce instantly ordered the quarter boats
cleared away, and the chief mate, boatswoin,
and three sailors went to her relief. Before
other boats left, the order was countermand-
ed. The Arctic then described circle twice
around the wreck, during which time caught
II glimpse of more than two hundred people
clustered on her hurricane deck. At this
juncture j! was first ascertained that we had
sustained injury, and the water was pouring
in at our bow. When the first officer came
alongside to report, the Captain was unable
to take him up,Ibut headed N. N. w. in the
hope OF making land.
! On the previous day, at twelve o'clock,wGs
in latitude 3s deg 80 min, longitude 45 deg.
81 min. We had run about three hundred
and ten miles from the time Of this observa-
tion until the moment Of the collision, and
were supposed to be forty miles from Cape
Race. The pumps were vigorously worked,
and an anchor chain thrown overheard, but in
pte o! all exertions the engines stopped, and
the waters extinguished the fires. Four Of
the five other life boats, believed to have been
well provsioned, continuing the engineers,
sailors, few passengers, and al the officers
except the captain, and third mate, LETT the
sip at an early stage.
Ths m, jornv O. the passengers were work
ing at the pumps, some firing the signal guns,
and others launching spars, under the drec-
ton If Captain Luce, and Mr.. Dorain, the
| third mate, to form raft. In order to faCii-
tate this latter work, the sixth and last boat
was lowered. Dorain, one or two cremer
three of the other passengers saved and my
self, were busiy .lashing water casks and
scttees to the main yard, two top-gallant
yards and several spars. The Captain, with
n number of gentlemen ,Iwere protecting the
work by keeping back the crowd, when pa
mic seize, all on board. A rush was made,
passengers and fremen precipitated them
selves over the bulwarks on 10 the raft, and
in moment our little boat was lul and in
imminent danger of being sunk.
In this emergency, Dorain ordered the
rope which held US to the steamer, to be cut,
and with our hands and axes, we padded from
the raft's side. The mate, who throughout,
preserved great presence of mind, and labor
ed with heroic energy, cried out, "For Gods
sake Captain, clear the raft so that we can
work. | won't desert the ship while there
is timber above water" but the sea was
now flush with dead lights. In less than
three minutes from the time he spoke, the
steamer sunk. The foam went boiling over
the tumbng heap Of human beings. 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 enguied. The contents of the other
boats are supposed to be saved. About thirty
are known to be safe: other boats not yet
heard from. Most of those saved in the 9TH
cr boats were attaches of the Arctic, but
few Of the passengers were vita them. Cap
tain Luce, wifs, daughter aud son Of Il. X. !
Collins, were lost.
The following additional particulars are
furnished by Mr.. Baalham, I'd mate:
So dense was the fog that the We, sci could
not be seen minute before the COLLISION
The wheel was put hard up, the starboard en-
gine stopped and instantly backed ut full
speed until clear Of the other steamer. In
couple of minutes the French steamer seem |
ed to be sinking, bow first, Capt Luce i'm !
mediately gave orders to clear away the
quarter boat, which was done, and the Chief
officer left the Arctic in charge of the star
board boat. On lowering the port boat, Capt. !
Luce exclaimed: "Hoist up that boat again,
Mr.. Baa ham," and beckoned me 10 90 to
him, and upon my doing so, he ordered me
TO go over the boat to ascertain, if possible,
what damage had been done. then found |
the holes above mentioned. Upon informing
him of the facts, he gave orders TO get sails !
up, and try to get them round the bow, to
endeavor TO stop the leak, which was prompt |
ly done, but to no advantage whatcver--so !
much of the bow and iron broken of from the |
other steamer projecting, that sails could not
be brought close to the vessels side.
The carpenter was then lowered over the
vessels side, and pillows and mattresses pass.
cd down to him, and he tried to force them in,
but the leak was found to be SO far below wa
ter that they could not be got in. Every ex.
ertion to stop the leak proved unavaling.
Capt, Luce then ordered the ships head to
be put TO land, which bore N, W. by w
BY this time we had lost sight OF the chief Of
fcer's boat and the other steamer which we
supposed had sunk. We had not been on our
course more than five minutes, before we ran
over the boat and crew belonging to the other
vessel, all of whom perished with the excep-
tion of one, who caught hold of a rope hang
ing over the bow, Directly the boat was
seen, orders were given the chief engineer,
which could not be done, as the ship was fast
sinking. In about three minutes, all the
lower fires were out, ano three feet water