Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-10-13
STATEMENT.

nished us with the following statement:
@ STATEMENT.
rThe Arctic left Liverpool on the goth Of
September. The ship proceeded at the rate of
thirteen miles an hour for seven days. On the
night of the 9th, about midnight, eight bells
having just been struck, the weather being
very thick at the time, the vessel came into
collision with a vessel steering northeast. The
Arctic was first struck within two feet of the
stern-quarter, and the second time near the
guards. The vessel which came in collision
with the Arctic was then aft the starboard side.
Captain Luce instantly commanded the Arctic
to be backed, which she did for ten minutes |;
the propeller then came off the starboard side
round to the larboard quarter; she then steered
off and was lost entirely out of sight; at this
time, a boat came round from the propeller on
the Arctic's larboard side, the boat coming un-
der the wheel was struck by it, and every sonl
on board the boat persisted except a French
man who climbed up on the Arctics sides-he
was rdowned, however, when the Arctic finally
sank.
After the ship struck, Mr.. Gourlay, the first
officer, was sent in boat with three sailors to
ascertain what damage the steamship had sus-
tanned; after while Mr. Gourlay pulled again
towards the ship, but the Captain, trying to
MAKE Sdpc lSdCe, anu SOihS az tnO ioeo Va II
teen miles an hour, motioned him to keep of,
and he and his boat were soon lost sight of.
The water now rushed in rapidly from the
starboard side, and both the upper and lower
rows Of fires were totally extinguished. The
engineers had left the engine room long
before, but the iremen brayely remained at
their post doing the utmost toward saving the
ship though standing up to their waists in water.
Mr.. Carnegan all along had worked at the
pumps and the constructing of raft till with
in ten minutes of leaving the vessel. Seeing
that all the boats but one had left, be deter
mined now to look after his own safety, and,
with his brother Dobbin, went into the last
boat, commanded by Mr.. Dorian; the officers
and crew of the Arctic, Mr.. G. states, did not
do their best toward saving the vessel, leaving
it too early. The walters, however, exhibited a
good deal of energy, working continually at the
pumps with the aid of few of the passen-
gers
Five minutes after leaving the vessel the
Arctic went down. Mr.. c. stood all the time
on the guards of the boat, seeing the vessel go
down. The people on board the Arctic did not
seem to be aware how close they were standing
on the doors Of eternity, and no cries or yells
we're heard. Ten minutes after the ship went
down the boat pulled to the place where the Ill,
fated vessel had gone down; nothing, however,
was encountered but the bodies of several ladies
with lfe-preservers on; among them that of one
of the eolored stewardesses. Being without
oars, they picked up a spar which they fastened
to the boat, and rode thus in rough sea till
10 o'clock the next morning. Mr.. G. suggested
then to cut some pieces of wood on board the
boat into oar-blades, and thus try 10 reach the
shore. The spar mentioned was also cut into
two parts, and this gave them four sweeps.
They pulled then for the shore for two hours.
A vessel now heaEing in sight, they changed
...-;r course and pulled towards her. They
reached ,s,Ar about o'clock, p. M, on the 2sth,
having been fourteen hours out She proved
70 be the barque Huron, Capt. Walker OF St.
Andrews, bound for Quebec.
Mr.. Carnegan speaks in the highest terms
of Captain Walker, who, Ike Captain CFeigh-
ton, of San Francisco celebrity, is Scotch
man, and was, like him, short OF provisions
and water having been twenty days out from
Bristol. The captain received and treated
the shipwrecked with the utmost kindness, fur
nishing great part Of them with clothes. His
men, likewise did their best to make their lot
as easy rs possible On the 29th they fell in
with the Lebanon, Captain Storey, from Pro-
violence, Wales, bound to New York. Eighteen
then left the Huron, Mr.. @. aud his brother
among the number, while fourteen remained
on board. On the Lebanon they met the same
kind treatment as on the Huron, and remained
on her till they were spoken by the pilot boat
Christian Bird, No. l6. The Lebanon being
short Of provisions, they went on board the
pilot boat, and made, forty-eight hours later,
New York harbor. From the pilot boat they
we're Wednesday morning transported to the
Staten Island ferry boat, which landed them at
New York at 81 o'clock, ., m. Mr.. Carnegan
and his brother estimate their loss at about
$500.