New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-13
NETWORK DAILY TRIBUNE, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1854

"spars, and the cutting of OF The hurricsne-deek
a rsff could have been formed, capsule Of carry
" ing the whole of them.' There was certain
ameunt Of sea on, but by no means very heavy one
All the focts Of the would appear 10 coanrm mr.
Durian's account. There was tue intefVs ~ntcn
elapsed between the collision and the sinSIng-the
r,sut of the efforts actually inside IN t'e cpa-trnetDn
OF an imparfec, rst-the fact that the heavily laden
boats which escaped actually did live through the
weather and reached place at safety. lhus lere
was time 70 construct ran, means TO consuae' II
sid wesher in which even an lmp-rleS y rtn ss
raft ms BIT have supported ia living freisht UNI IS
sistapce arrived Mr. Bsahams defense = inst ne was
ordered into the boat the captain and thar M SOONER
did she touch the water than pen from the snip 'nre"
themselves into her and around her IN All uies
Those who fist gained place in the boat picked up
tbo<s Who were nearest 10 them, without stopping 10
examine whether they were seamen or passs 1se1s.
The seamen naturally we're the strongest, snd came
first; when the boat was hed WIN snese 'no ~ ~
troll had passed out of the hands OF The mate anu ne
hin self was in the hands of desperate men. Wo 20
not stand forth rs Mr.. Bsahlsms accasers our an
awful responsibility weighs upon ms heai- ron
which be would do well 10 purge himself Slnout us-
isv Tha fact remains as at present that the Arctic
messengers were drowned through the desertion OF
the crew.
We cannot but make brief mention OF the recital of
Peter MCabe the solitary survivor OF the ran. la
common with the rest OF the crew and passengers ne
seems at first 10 have had no idea that the sup hti
encountered serious damage by the collision, bat
when he came deck be vas scon undeoe'ved.
raft as mace, and seventy persons chung to H.
Peter Meade was busy With the work, when mere
came dull rushing sound and long wal, and the
Arctic went down. He was himself ngulied IN tue
vortex If the sinking ship, and gave himself up Tor
lost. The waters had closed over him. out presently
he perceived, Us il were, Ohm lIsht over ms head
and he rose 10 the surface he caught noi OF adoor
then of barrel then ne swan TO the ran tn whlch
the seventy poor creatures were ciinging. Toe sea
was roughRot strong; but in the confusion me rAit
had been so mperfecily constructed that the waves
dashed over H. and the miserable passengers were
swspt from their hold. What follows we will not
attempt to parapbrase. Hes human eye ever W.T.,
messed a scene of more awful and more proIacted
agony
Tbo,e who had life pre.ervers did not sink su aoated WITH
their ,bssy sces upward reminding those WHO ST asined
alive OF the that awaited them 10 the midst o. all THIS
ihaph heaven never hope but courage 60
he last One ~ one saw my ,nioas drop
OF. OF them aOated Oa and were eaten and snt~ei
with II rescued could zee n IL faces m ne osn
in they sawed 10 and fro oy IN. wave. "heu
tbrs .tsprd every oh Toe ran :. ono
ded that man, bad to nod on ~ ure nsl
Very few words wsTs SssE % any soS ~. T S a
Of the poor sufferers, they tired to recover their breath ater
wsve mad pa.e ss fec nculS ~S great aaeaty keep
their sds above the surface Tn" women wer, the nst %
ionr hour. They al Tell without word. except
one poor s who ersS GU N lntsn's ,I'oy 1n S SS.
on The rsft there than three OF four lef'
One Of these three or four gave to Peter McCabe
psper, which be describes a. like small map,
and which, as he thought, was some kind OF title
deed few minutes after he had given II, as though
ell energy had been exhausted in the preservation OF
that precious document, which he had at length been
compelled TO eonsigD To rho CUSTODY oil anotoer, MS
grasp gave way and the owner of the title deed was
washed away. IL is strange enough that McCaoe,
despite of all his efforts, could not succeed IL preserv-
ipg that precious paper he made Intellectual efforts 10
yet il into his pocket he swan with II some time be-
tw cen BIZ, teeth but all was in vain; the deed which
Rad been dearly priced Was carried ava. from his
mouth and added for a moment tn the relics ~ inc
wreck-tbeB seen no more. ll''ie incident ot TINS
kind seems to bring tho before ONES eyes with
more vivid reality than the recital Of the great
er and more sweeping destruc Ion.
Nothing could have been more exemplary thsn
the resignation of the women. the ready obedience
splayed by the passengers. II all had acted as they
did upon that fatal day should now be CON nent-
ing upon far less distressing tale. Accounts vary as
to the degree of presence OF mind shown by captain
Luce but at least be had the merit of remaining by
bis ship TO the ast ana of sharing her fate Nor is
it fair Ia TX him with the responsibility OF neglected
precautions Doubtless in carrying ON at al azards
without any regard 10 DAls or precautions, without
previous preparation in the shape OF boats for all the
Contingencies Of an Atlantic rum he but folio we'd the
custom q the line. Had the Arctic been provided
with sufficient number Of boats, there would not
have been any undue precpitancy on the part OF the
crew TO break discipline, or effect their escape at
the expense of the passengers When 400 people
are struggling for possession OF boat which will
contain but 90 80, and life is the prize of
sucoess-ceath the penalty Of failure, Il Is not
difficult 10 that not every man will remain
martyr to duty. Had the crew but felt reasonably
safe if they remained by the ship, they would not
have away and left the passengers to destruction.
Now, man need no, be a Sc imsn to know that
passenger steamship should be allowed to depart for
an Atlantic from any port of Great Britain the
United States without sufficient supply of boats to
contain every living soul on board IN of emer-
geLcy; and, what is more the crew should be con.
stsntIy trained in the lowering and management Of
them. The undue speed, the total absence OF fog
province of the owners. More than 800 valuable
lives have been lost through the neglect of the own
ers, the evil customs of the line and the wardy de-
sertion by the crew Of the Arctic.