New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-10-16
srATENENT OF JOHN DEGNON, SENIOR
FIRST ASSISTANT ENGINEER.

ElRSI Assist AM DNOlN@L0
On looking over the papers find wholly iocOr-
80, In pre sson has be en- formed respecting the sm4.
,op and condition Of the unfortunate beinss lost on
,ho steamship Arctic Although have already ms 10
statement feel 1t my du'y 70 Iopea inc sane' "in
he mspy particulars connected WITH IT, Eight oe.ls
had inst be. struck was standing in the passage
way leading from the deck to tie engine.room when
heard The cry Stop the engines" Immediately
after the ben rung Mr. koegers. the c9ei engineer
mo nlStfnm Mr.. Wilett, then on duty. had stopped
nc fpsines. The bell rung 10 back The engines -
which Wa dore. At this moment Nh Rodgers a1d
my,.H looked over the railing into the bil5e. IL
c,c,ailned Whai il that woterl" Yes replied,
@t il coming in torrents" He then gave orders to
open the biige injections. Thomas Brennan, "A oler,
and mystlf opened them, with Mr. X s assistance.
During this timo which vas about five minutes, the
engines had been backing; the sgoel was given 20 90
ahead: the engines sta Ell forward again Mr X.
then told me to run forward and see that tho NDS-
thBeion pumps were itar'eG Going INTO tho h!e
rooT I f,pnd Mr. Drown Junior first assistant
sineer and fireman, Pct. T0bn, engaged IN starting
tho port pump; jumped forward and stirtcd the
starbosrd pump-Mr. Walker, second assist1nt, and
John Holt, fireman, assisting ia opening tho b;lgo
valves &e-all this occupying 10 minutes; by this
fine tho water Uos MP over thefremcns floor. then
ran on deck md met C0Vt. Luce com NJ dOHn from
The unper deck on the siarboard side; said - him,
"Csiiaio. the ship is sinking: nothing can save Us,
,nlazs We manage 10 got siil over the boe in the
"sbips side" 81 will try what can be done, "a
he. i then ordered persuaded-sevcrai hfcmsn and
them that every thing depended on the pumps. Ga
going below found the water nearly to the CRATES Of
the lowe furnaces. / went around and CpeGot the
Yeuaiuder of the bilge Valvcs-'here bein- tx in ALL
In reaching down 10 them my face was under water
Within 30 MINUTES after the collision tho loyec fires
were all put out by the sea water We then broke IN
The upper side buhkers ! passed the coal down 10
fire the uuper furnaces The steam u this tune /
fallen from eighteen TO fourteen inches. then took
the workng plat from Mr.. Drown, junior fret as sia1
engineer berg in the freToom, standins mp to his
wait in water.
0rate-bars of the upper furnace the port side, the
ship having list 10 that sidol At this time Mr.
Baablom came below TO inquire what the chances
were with the pumps was then alone in the engine
room He then pointed 10 the fires aud said lou
sec these fires will all DC put out; unless you get
"sail over The ships side she will sink very soon
Ve vert on deck and directly after the water washed
the fires out sending up thrOul the hftcbes heavy
cloud Of smoke al d steam The steam was Thea only
one-spd a half pounds pressure. then wcnforward
20 fhe captain and told him all our chances were lost
with he pumps.
asked him il sail could not be got over the leak.
He replied il could not, for much of the bow of
"the propeller stuck ont from the side Of ship that
cit was impossible to get tho sail over it, The cap
tain then went aft and ondeavored 10 seat the
gers in the life boats. Most OF them were crowded
eloseIy together on the port quarter OF the ship.
mt Mr.. Drown, the assistant engineer on the up
Der deck, and proposed TO him TO get the men to-
petler 10 construct raft. lie would not agree with
me- say ing il would he of no use as they would sw amp
il Immediately. At this moment heard Mr. iah-
lams voice over the side of the ship giving orders.
looked over and saw Mr.. b., with five or six men,
lowering the boat The captain then stood on tho up
Der deck experimenting the same, and, as | thought
Intended the boat for an especial purpose weni o1t
on the O uard and asked Mr. Baahlam, Shall ! get
'into this boat T. He made no | asked him
al second time without receiving roply was then
convinced Mr.. Il. acting under The orders OF the
captain then the upper deck The act Of lowering
the boat was cool and deliberate. opened the door
of the wheel house ard looked in the shaft then be-
ing three feet above water. On turning rouno saw
come fourteen or fifteen persons in the boat / then
eauph, hold of tho tackle which held the boat to the
guaTd of the ship to let myself down into the boat
inst az my feet touched ,he gunwae Of the boat the
captain gave the order, Drop that boat astern.'
The tackle was cut letting do SD backward, whom
I was caught by the ankle by Mr.. Baahlam and
another who drew me into the boat.
We then picked up several from the sea, aud drftel
out OF sig OF the ship. Shortly fell in with another
boat from which we took fOur or Eve persons. All
then placed themselves under tho command OF Dir.
Baablam.
II is with the most heartfelt pleasure read the let
tiers published by the passengers saved in those boats
and most heartily join in their commentator so de-
servedly bestowed
will add, without the least hesitation or fear Of
contradiction that the saved in ihoso boats
Quoted themselves with tho greatest propriety and
order from the moment they entered those boots uotil
they reached New York. ions DEGNoS.