The daily union., 1854-10-17
ruE DISASTER TO THE ARCTIC.-CAPTAIN LUCEs
STATEMENT.
ouEREo, October "A, 1854.

wife son, and daughter "A, o..
Tbe Alcje sailed from Liverpool Wednesday, sept
20 at H. a. M with 233 passengers and about 100 OF
crew Nothing of special note occurred during the passage
until wednesday Sept 81 when at noon we were on lhe
banks in lat 40 deg 40 MIN hof1hi anu A""S - e' 7
steering west by compass
The weather had been foggy during the day generally
distance of half TO hreeguarlers OF mile couu &c
but at intervals of few minutes very dense log loo
ga by being sufficiently clear TO see one or TWO miles "
noon left the deck for the purpose OF working ous .e po
sition of the ship la about hiteen minutes neiu
Of hard starboard from the officers OF he deck Iushe
an deck and had lust got out when ielt ersh lor"
and at the same moment steamer under te
bow the next moment she slruoA "s'is, "a, gu, 'i
and passed astern of The bows OF the sahge fsse
seemed to be literally crushed of for iul ter eeti
and seeing that she must probably SINK IN rev minutes
and taking hasty glance at our own SNIP u
that we were comparatively uninjured my hrs impulse
was 10 endeayor to save the lives of those on board the
sinking vessel The boats cleared and the nrst ofee
and six left with boat when IL was iouhu our o"
ship was leaking earfnlly
on the pumps and the four deck pumps were worked
by the passengers and crew. and the ship headed Tor the
land which Judged 10 be about fifty miles distant
was compelled TO leave my boat with the hrst ocer ana
crew 10 take OF themselves
Several Intellectual attempts made to stop the leak
by getting sails the bows but finding the leak gam
inc ON us very fast Notwithstanding all our very powerful
efforts keep her free resolved to get the boats ready
and as many ladies and children placed in them as posi-
BILE but no sooner had the attempt been made than me
freen and others rushed into them ia spite Of opposition
Seeing this of things ordered the boats asern TO
be kept in readiness until order could be restored whe
to my dsmay them cut the ropes IN The 6oe and soon
disappear he fog Another boat was broken down
by persons rushing the davits and many were prectaeu
into the and drowned This occurred while had pee
engaged getting the siarboara guard boat ready and
placed the second officer in charge ehen ne same yeaul
scene as nth the first boat bstg enaetsdnen fedpn9
from he top Of the raR t'ceny fee pushing and manning
those nho oe The boat then gave orders TO the second
officer let go, and after the ship keeping under
near the to be ready to take board women and
children as soon as the fires out and the engine
Mvateu was thpu draw IN he
terboat which found broken down, but hanging by one
tackle rush made for her also, and fifteen got
in and cut the tackle, and o Of sight found
that seaman was left on board or carpenter, and we
were WITHOUT any tools to assist building raft,
our only hope The only officer left Mr. Dorian the
third mate who aided me- with the assistance of many of
the who deserve great praise for their GOODNESS
and energy in doing all in their power up tc the very la
test moment before the ship sunk.
The chief engineer, with part Of his assistants, had
taken smallest deck boat and before the ship went
down pulled away with about fifteen persons.
We had succeeded IN getting the fore and main yard
and topgallan yards overheard and such other small
spars aud materials could collect, when was fully
convinced that the ship must go down in very short
time and not moment to be lost in getting the spars
shed together to form raft to do which it became
cessary get the lfeboa only remaining boat into
the water.
This being accomplished Mr.. Dorian, the chief
officer of the boat taking to keep the board to
prevent them from leaving the ship hoping still to get most
of the and children in this boat at last They had
made considerable progress in collecting the spars when
an alarm given that the ship was sinking, and the
boat showed of without anything to help
themselves with and when the ship sank the boat had got
clear, probably eighth OF a mile to leeward
In instant about quarter 10 fre, p M the ship acent
dorm, carrying srery soul on board uih her.
! soon found myself on the surface after brief strug-
Cling with my helpless child in my arms when again
felt myself impelled downwards to great depth, and
before reached the surface second time had nearly per-
shed, and lost the hold Of my child As again struggled
the surface of the water most awful and heartrendng
presented itself to my vieworer vo hundred men,
-
Of erery kind calling each other for help and mporng
God TO assis, them Such appalling may God pre-
me from witnessing again
was in the act of trying to my child when por-
on OF the paddlebox rushing up edgewise, just
grazing my head falling with its whole weight upon the
head of my darling child. Another moment beheld him
feess in the water succeeded in getting the top
Of the paddle-box in company with eleven others; one
however soon left for another piece finding that it could
not support so many. Others remained until they were
one by one relieved by death We stood in water,
perature of forty degrees knees and frequent
F the sea broke directly We soon separated from
oar friends on other parts of the wreck and passed the
night each one OF us expecting every hour to be last
AT last the wished-for morning came, surrounded with
a dense fog-not living soul to be but own
party-seven men being left In the course of the morn
ing water-casks and other things belonging
to our ship but nothing that could get to afford us
any relief
Our raft rapidly settling as it absorbed water
About noon Mr. S. NJ. Woodruff, of New York. was re-
heyed by death All the Others began to suffer very
severely for want of water except Mr. George f. Allen and
myself In that respect very much favored although
We had not drop the raft The day continued foggy
except Just at noon could Judge, we had
clear horizon for about half hour and nothing could bt
seen but water and sky. Night thick and dreary
with our minds made up that neither Of would again
the light of another day Very three of
suffering party relieved by death, leaving Mr. Allen
young man, and myself Feeling myself getting exhaust
ed down for the first time about eight o'clock il
the evening" trunk, which proyidentally had been
found on the wreck In this way slept little through
ont the night and became somewhat refreshed
About hour before daylight---now Friday the 10Th
we vessels light u.s. We all three of
erted ourselves to the utmost OF strength in haing
her until we became quite exhausted in about quarter
an hour the light disappeared to the east of Soon
after daylight barque hove in sight to the norhwesht
fog having lghtened ie--steering apparently for
but in short time she seemed to have changed her
and again We doomed to disappointment; yet fell
cops .a ol fsllow-sueres may have been
ana rescued by them
Shortly after had given up all hopes Of being rescued
ny The harque, ship discovered to the east Of us
steering directly for We watched her with the
most intense anxiety she approached. The wind
changing caused her to alter her several points
About noon they fortunately discovered man raft
near them and succeeded in saving him by the second
mate jumping the side aud making a rope fis,
around him, when he got on board safely This
.-aa So ea pFpTel - be Fffnchman who passen-
beoh BOARD the steamer which in collision with
~ informed the captain that others pieces
OF The wreck and going aoft he and three 9TH
us we were the first to which the boat sent and
S1a'eig 'aSeh on board about p The next Mr.
James smith of Mississippi second-cass passenger The
ls saved were iiye of our fremen Tie ship proved TO
o 'ne oaofia OF this port from Glasgow bound to Mon
eai, td' John Russell cho commanded ne 5arqe yssu
cetsHs ana vas Ftscud by Capt Me- of The Pdcfc OF
app husseiit would scarcely be possible say enough
~ nus plase iof INC Kind treatment. every of
Neu iroha MN during the time have been board
MS ship His own comforts he gave up in every respect for
our relief The Rev. Mr. Walker and LADY and another