The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-10-14

bly, continue its dcprc'la'ions OF the whrat.'
TOTAL WRECK or THE ARCTIC.
Probable Less Of 100 Lives!
Loss Of. British Steamship v.ith
Il Regiment GfTrCoDs o.. Board.
.... LIST OF TIE RESCUED.
The Ship Lebanon arrived at New York
carly Wednesday morning. bringin. the sad
intelligence that the noble American steam
ship Arctic, Of the Collins line had been sunk
by 4 collision at sea, and large number Of
her passengers lost. II c Lebanon brought
twenty survivors from the Arctic. The loss
of the President and the City of Glasgow, and
now the sinking Of the Arctic. form Nolan,
choly epochs i'll the history of Atlantic steam
ships.
The following detailed account of the ter
rblc catastroplcto the Arctic is furnished By
Mr.. Geo. H. Burns, the express messenger of
| Adams & Co., who was OF board, and ior,,:-
, natcy escaped the l.criis Of the disaster.
STATEMENT OF Mr. BuLSs.
The steamship Arctic with 22G passengers,
exclusive Of children, Id employees, a valua-
bic cargo. and heavy mail, is lost. or the
pool on the Gotta ult., full Of hope. gaycty
and health, many returning from an European
tour of pleasure, only thirIy-two arc known
to have been saved, and certainly not more
than one hundred can, by any possibility
have escaped u watcrv grave.
In addition to this, another large steamer,
ircghtcd with hundreds d hun,an Lcins<
has, in all probability, met like fate. The
Il. ,ft Il L., Il q I
Wednesday, September 9Th, precisely
at T. o'clock NJ, in a d, mSc fog, We came in
contact with bark rigg,d iron prol clor,
with black hull, salmon colorcd lotion, lead
colorcd poop and boats and black pipe. She
was bound eastward, and had all sail set
with strong. fair wind. The speed Of the
Arctic at the time was about l. kno,S an
hour. Tie shock to us appeared slight, but
the damage to the other vessel was tlghtfu.
Capt. Luce instantly ordered the quarter
boats cleared away, and the chief mate, boat
swain and three sailors went to hcrrvliyf, be-
fore other boats left, Tic order was counter
mandcd. The Arctic then described circle
twice round the wreck. during which time
caught glimpse of more than two h,lAdr,d
peoi lie clustered on her hurricane deck.
AT this junciu,c 1t was first aScrrtaiu,d tliat
we had sustained njnry, and the water wa;
pouring in at our bows. When the first Of
licer came along side to report, the captain
was unable to take him up, but headed \.
n. W., in the hope making land Our posi-
ton on the previous day, at II o clock, was
latitude As 80, longitude Is 81. We had run
about three hundred and ten miles from the
time Of is observation Gnil the moment Of!
collision, and were supposed to be about A.
miles from Cape Race. The pumps were
vigorously worked, and an anchor chain
thrown overheard, but in spite Of all cxcr
tons, the engines stopped, and the water OK
tinguishcd the fires. Four of tho five Other
life boats, believed to have been well proyi-
stoned, containing the engineers, sailors, a
few passengers and all the officers, except the
captain and third mate, left the ship at all
carly stage. The majority Of the passengers
were working the pulnps-some firing til,
signal guns, and others launching slars. TN.
der the direction Of Captain Luce and Mr.
Dorian, the third mate, TO form IL raft.
In order to facilitate this latter work tlt
sixth and last boat was lowered. Dorian
one or two lircncn, three Of the other paSSrn
gers saved, and myself, were busily engage
flashing water casks and setlccs to the n.ail
yard, two top-gallant yards, and smaller
spars; the captain, with number of gcntle
men, protecting the work by keeping back
the crowd-whcn a panic seized all on board
a rush was made, passengers and ircmrl
precipitated themselves hcadong over the bull
warks on to the raft, and in moment oul
little boat was full, and in imminent danger
of being sunk. In this emergency, Doria,
ordered the rope which holds us to the steam
er to be cut, and with our hands and axes We
padded from the raft s side. The mate VIII,
throughout preserved great presence of mind
and labored with heroic cncgry, cried out
''For Gods sake, captain, clear the raft, S,
that we can work. l won't desert the shil
while there's u timber above water"
But the sea was now flush with the dead
lights. In less than three minutes from thu
time he spoke, the stern Sunk-the foam wen
boiling over the tumblng heap of human be
ings-many were dashed forward against tn
pipe. | heaId one wild yell, (still ringing il
my ears,) and saw the Arctic and the strug
Cling mass rapidly engulphcd. Numbers yc
chung to the impefcctly constructed raft; bu
alas, we could render them no aid. Our owl
situation was no less prccarious and crue
as it seemed, we were forced to abandon then
to fate. Heaven forbid that should eve
witness such another scene. We howeve
picked up two more men, and then, with al
overloaded loat, without oars, thelopios, foot
or drink, avoiding with difficulty the fag
ments of the wreck, and passing many dca
females, prepared for night upon the ocean
We secured floating pumpkin and cabbag
to guard against immediate starvation, lash
cd spar to the bow Of the boat to keep he
head to the wind and sea, and thus drifte
until daylight; the night was cold and fosgy
with heavy swell, and, in cralnped
drcnchcd and half naked condition, VIC suffer
cd terribly. ,... ..a. 81.
Without dwelling upon our miscrics, allie
waited much by the consciousness that we ha
cndcavorcd to do our duty to our fellow men