Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-10-21
RESCUE OF CAPT. LUCE, AND HIS ACCOUNT OF
THE LOSS OF THE STEAMER ARCTIC.

A@NSo
Since the issue of our last paper the gratifying
intelligence has been received of the rescue OF Capt
LUCE the noble commander of the unfortunate steam
er Arctic together with several of herpasscngers and
crew, by the ship Cambria, which arrived at Que
bee on Friday night. The persons thus saved from
death were picked up at sea, upon RATS and frag-
ments Of the ship the second day after the disas
ter. Their names are:
JQ LUCE, late captain of the Arctic; GEoneE F. Al
LEM Of New York JAS SMITH, Of Mississippi; and FaED
ERIcK all passengers the Arctic and j. A. GoyET
FnASdoIs, of the Vesa Ase, the following fremen be-
longing to the Arctic: Patrick Moran, Alex Grant Mi
chael Russell, John Riley, and John Patterson.
Cspt. LUCE has forwarded to Dlr. COLLINS, by
Telegraph, from Quebec, a statement of the incl
dent Of the wreck and Of his own suferings and
rescte, of which the following is the substance:
At Me time of The unfortunate collision was below,
working out the position Of the steamer Immediately
deck and saw the iron under hestarbcard
bow and passing sstern grazing and tearing the guards
her progress The bows Of the strange vessel seemed
to be literally cut crushed of for ten feet and seeing
that she must probably sink in ten minutes and taking
glance at own ship, and believing that COM
paravey uninured the boats we're cleared and the FIRST
officer and six left with boat to board the stranger
and ascertain the extent Of her damage
The engineers Immediately instructed to put on
the pumps and the four deck pumps worked
by the passengers and The ship at head
ed for land and several Intellectual attempts were made
to stop the leak by getting sails ovei the bows
Finding that the leak gaining on them very fast,
Notwithstanding the very powerful efforts made to keep
the ship free, resolved to get the boats ready, and
have as many ladies and children PLACED in them as pos
L. NJ I.1 80 Laa. nla
to do this than the iremen and others rushed into
the boa in spite of oil opposition Seeing this state Of
things ordered the boats asern to be kept In readiness
until order could be restored, when to my dismay
them cutthe rope in the bow and disappear sstern
in the fos
Anothr boat was broken down by persons rushing in
Mt the dats and many were precpitated into the sea
and drowned. This occurred while had been engaged
in getting the starboard guardbo ready had placed
the second officer in charge, when the was
enacted al with the first boat then gave orders to the
second officer to let go and tow after the ship keeping
the ern to be ready to take the women and child
STOP
My atteiton was then drawn to the ouarter-boat,
which found broken down, but hanging by one tackle.
rush made for her also and some fifteen got in
and cut thetackle, and were out Of sight Not
seaman wasleft board or carpenter and we. were
without toos to assist in building raft only
hope; and be only officer left us was Gr ariap, the
'.'1 A1'' IL =. .su .outy lor the success Of all.
Many Of he passengers who deserve great praise for
their coones and energy did all in their power until
the latest moment before the ship sunk Mr. Rogers,
the chief engineer with part of his assistants, had
taken one of the small deckboats and before the ship
went down palled away with about eighteen persons.
To form araft il became necessary to get the only re-
naming bost "a life boat into the water. This being
accomplished Mr.. Dorian, the chief officer OF the boat
taking to keep the board the steamer toPrc
those in the boat from LEAVING the shin. proceeded
to work, sal hoping 70 De able TO get the women and
Ne Ia Thau hud
siderable progress in collecting spars when the alarm
was given that the ship sinking, and the boat was
showed off withou oars any thing to hold themselves
In an instant after at abouta quarter past five o'clock
p NJ the ship down. carrying every soul on board
with her sooI found myself on the surface, after
brief struggle with my helpless child in my arms
then again found myself impeed downward to great
depth, and before reached the surface second me:l
had nearly persisted and lost the hold OF my cnno ass
struggled upwaris
When got upon the surface Of the water the most
awful and heart-rendng presented itself to my
view Over two hundred men, women, and children
were struggling together amid pieces Of the wreck call
ing upon each for help and mporing God to assist them
Such an appalling may God preserve me from Wit
Messing again
Amid this struggling mass Of human beings discover
ed nv child and was in the act Of trying to save him,
when portion of the paddlebox came rushing up edge
wards Just grazing my head and falling with its whole
weight upon tie head Of my darling child.
thensucceeded in getting on the top Of the paddle
left for smother piece and others remained until relieved
by death We stood in water up to our knees, the sea
frequently breaking over We separated from our
friends ii the wreck and passed the night each expecting
every hbur to be his last
The morning came but not living soul could be seen
but party consisting Of seven men, About noon
Mr. s. NJ Woodruff Of New York, relieved by death,
and allhe others now began to suffer severely from the
want water, except George T. Allen and myself Night
at last came on thick and dreary with our minds made
up tht neither Of would the light Of another day
Very boon three Of suffering party relieved
by death and Mr.. Allen, young man, and myself were
all that we're now left, and were much exhausted
We dept for awhile during the night and became some
what refreshed.
About an hour before daylight Friday the 29h, we
sawa vessels light We all exerted ourselves to
thentmos Of our abilities in hang, but the light dis
APPEARED to the eastward Of Soon after daylight
baraue hove in sight to the northwest The fog having
liritened little observed that she steering ap
paienty for u.s. but in short time she appeared to have
changed her again. and were doomed to bitter
disappointment yet feel hopes that some of our fe
low sufferers may have been seen and rescued by her.
shortly after ship discovered TO the eastward
steering directly for As she approached they fortu
nately discovered raft near them, and suc
ceeded in saving him. This saved is Frcnchman,
who was passenger on board the steamer with which
we came in collision. He informed the captain that
Others we're on pieces Of the wreck and he proceeded to
cruise around in search Of them We were taken on
board at about o'clock P. NJ after exposure Of for
ty six hours, in most exhausted condition.
Shortly after Mr. JAMES SMITH, Of Mississippi was dis
covered and rescued About dusk another piece of the
wreck on which were FIVE of frenen, discover
ed and the sufferers rescued None others could be
found. III
Capt. JOHN RUSSELL. of the Cambria, proves to have
been the captain of the Jesse Stevens whose memor