Nebraska palladium. [volume] (Bellevieu City, Neb.) 1854-1855, 1854-11-01
FURTHER PARTICULARS OF TEE Loss OF
THE ARCTIC,
Can't. Luce's statement.
QUrDrc, Oct II

tal loss OF the Arcic, un,iyr my com
mand. with your wife son and dnigh'er.
The Arctic sailed from Liverpool, ON
Wednesday, September 20, at II a. NJ.
with 233 passengers and about 100 Of %
crew. Nothing Of a special note occur
red during the passage, until Wednesday,
September q, when, at noon, we were
on the Banks, in lat. 46:45 north, and lon
giule 81 west, s~tearing west by compass.
The weather had been ioggy during
the day; generally a distance Of a half 70
three quarters Of a mile could be seen, but
at intervals Of a few minutes, a very
dense fog, followed by being sufficiently
clear to see one or two miles. At noon
leh the deck for the purpose Of work
ing ont the position Of the ship. In about
fifteen minutes, | heard the cry Of "hari
starboard' from the officers of the deck.
[ rushed on deck, and had just got on
when | felt a crash forward, AMI at the
same moment saw a steamer on the star
board bow; and at the next moment she
struck against our guards, and passed as
tern Of us. The bows Of the strange yes
sci seemed 10 be literally cut or crushed
of for full ten feet; and seeing that she
must probably sink in a few minutes, and
taking a hasty glance at our own ship, and
believing that we were comparatively un-
injured, my frs; impulse was 10 endeavor
10 save the lives Of those on board the
sinking vessel. The boats were cleared,
and the first officer and six men left with
one boat, when it was found our ship was
leaking feariuIly.
The engineers were set TO work, being
instructed to put on the steam pumps, ana
he four deck pumps were worked By
he passengers and crew, and ihe ship
headed for the land, which | judged to be
about fifty miles distant. I was compell-
ed 10 leave my boat with the first officer
and crew TO take care Of themselves.
Several Intellectual attempts were made
to stop the leak, by getting sails over the
bows but finding the leak gaining on us
very fast, notwithstanding all our very
powerful efforts 10 keep her free, ire
solved 10 get the boats ready, and as many
ladies and children placed in them as pos
,iJlc; but no ooner had The attempt been
made. than the Grrmea aud others rushed
into them IN spite Of opp lsifiys.
Seeing this state Of ,hings, | ordered
he boats astern 10 be KEEP in readiness,
NATL order could We restore I; when. 20 my
ilslnay, saw them cur me ropes m he
Jow and soon disappear astern in The fog
Another boat was broken down by per
sons rushing al The daNi,s, aud many were
precipi;aied into The sea and drowned
This occurred while ! had been engaged
IN getting the slarboard guard boat ready
and placed tie second officer in charge.
trhsn The sam {eartll scene as wih tn,
first Joal was being enacied-mta ieaping
from The top 0 fHe raR tcenty feet, pub.
ing and naming those uho were ia The
boat. | then gaze orders to The second
officer to let 90, and row after The ship,
keeping under or near the stern, 10 be
eady to take on bolrd women and child
ZEN, as soon rs The fires were out and the
engines stopped. NJ attention was then
lrawn TO the other quarter boat, which |
ound broken down, bat hanging by one
ackle. "A rush waS made for her also
and soHs fifteen gbt IN and enf The foekle
and wers soon out Of sight. found Ia
lot a seaman was left On boIrd, or car
penier, and we were without any lods TO
.ssist US in building a raft, as our only
rope. The only officer left, was Mr.
Dorain, the third male, who aided me-, with
NE assistance OF many OF lie passengers.
who deserve great praise for their cool
ness and energy in doing all in their pow
er up 10 the very latest momen before Tic
ship sunk.
The chief engineer, "'i.h part Of his as
s%isianls, had taken our smallest deck boat,
md before the ship went down pulled
away with about fifteen persons.
We had succeed in getting the fore and
main yard and Two top gallant yards over
board, and such other small spsrs and ma
erals as we could collect, when wa,
fully convinced that The ship must z,
down in a very short lime, and not a mo.
ment was to be los, in getting the spar
Iashed together 10 form raft, to do whicl
it became necessary 70 get the hre-boat
our only remaining boat in the water.
This being accomplished, saw Mr
Dorain, the chief officer Of the boat, TAX