Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1854-10-20


yell (still ringing in my ear,,) and saw
the Arctic and the struggling mass rapid
ly engulphcd. Numbers yet clung to tl!is
imperfectly constructed raft out, alas, We
could render them no aid. Our own stu
alton was no less precarious; and, cruel a.
it seemed, We were forced to abandon them
to fate. Heaven forbid that should evel
witness such another scene! We, howev
er, picked up two more men, and then
with an overloaded boat, without oars
tholepins, food or drink, avoiding with
difficulty the Fragments of the wreck and
passing many dead females, prepared for q
night upon the ocean. We secured a aoat
ing pumpkin and cabbage, to guard against
immediate starvation, lashed spar to the
bow Of our boat to keep her head to the
wind and sea, and thus drifted until day
light. The night was cold and foggy,
with heavy swell, and, in cramped,
drenchcd, and half naked condition, We
suffered terribly.
Without dwelling upon our miseries,
alleviated much by the consciousness that
We had cndeavored to do our duty to our
fellow men, suffice it to say that at five O.
clock OH the afternoon of the 2Sth We es.
pied sail, and raised handkerchief to
attract attention. We were successful.
With the rude substitute for oars which
we had constructed during the day by
lashing planks to capstan bars, with a
view of attempting to gain land when the
sea subsided, we pulled towards the ship.
On our way We passed the remnant Of the
raft, with one man on it, apparently alive.
The bark proved to be the Huron, Of
St. Andrews, n. b., Capt. A. Wall, bound
for Quebec. Our men safe on board, the
noble hearted Dorian, with some of the
Huron's crew, returned to the raft and
rescued the poor fellow who for twenty
six hours had clung to the spars. He
states that after the steamship sunk, he
counted seventy-two men and four women
on the raft, but at 81 o'clock lie was the
only one alive. In the morning two bodies
we're beside him, much eaten by fishes,
and at the time be saw our boat he was on
the point Of voluntarily dropping into the
sea to end his agony. Coming from the
raft Dorian encountered and examined the
life car Of the Arctic. 1t contained a
bottle of water, some cheese and lady's
garment.
BY the humane captain Of the Huron,
and Mr.. Wellington Cameron, son of
the owner, we were received with great
kindness, our wounds dressed, fires kind
led, and food and clothing provided in
abundance. During the night of the 2sth,
Capt. Wall hung out extra lights, fired
rockets, and kept horn blowing in hopes
of falling in with the remainder of the
boats But his endcavors we're fruitlcss.
On the evening of the Goth he spoke the
ship Lebanon, Capt. Story, bound for New
York, by whom eighteen of our number
we're taken off, kindly welcomed, and we'll
treaded. We have this moment reached
New York, by pilot boat Christian Berg,
No. 16, to which we we're transferred from
the Lebanon, and to the crew Of which
we are under great obligations.
The fate of the propeller and our FIVE
boats is unknown. If the steamer was, as
l have reason to think, the Charity, from
Montreal to Liverpool, she is, l believe,
built with watertight compartments, or
bulkheads, and will float, notwithstanding
the damage to her bow. The fact that
boat left her, which was capsized by our
paddles, augurs i'll for her buoyant condi-
tiOn, though Capt. Wall, of the Huron,
on the morning Of the 2sth saw a singu-
lar craft far to leeward, but was unable to
tell whether she was a steamer or sailing
vessel. He says she had a nondeseript
appearance, and may have been the wreck
of the propeller.
Government dispatches from France
and England, entrusted to my care by Mr..
I could not save
The boat in which we escaped was one
Of Franciss patent metallic, No. 727, from
which her capacity can be ascertained, and
with the number rescued.
Respectfully,
GEO. Fl. BURNS, Adams & Co.'S Ex-
press, Philadelphia.
New York, Oct 10, 1854.
QUEBEC, Oct. 1.-THE ship Cambria
arrived here last evening, having picked
up Capt. Luce, eight passengers and five
If the crew of the ill-fated steamship Arc
tic. They saved themselves by cliuging
to the raft. As yet We have not heard of
my of the lady passengers or children be-
ing saved.
CCaptain Luce's narrative substantially
confirms Mr.. Burns statement with regard
to the bad conduct and desertion Of the
iremen and crew and then proceeds rs
follows
Not seaman was left aboard or car