Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-10-20
The Loss of the Arctic.

brief notice in our last issue. The ship Lebanon
arrived at New York early on Wednesday morn-
ing, bringing the sad intelligence that the noble
steamship had been sunk, by collision at sea, and
large number of her passengers lost. She had on
board 226 passengers, exclusive of children, It's EN-
ployees, a valuable cargo and heavy mail. On the
9th of Sept, in heavy fog, she came IN contact
with barque rugged iron propeller, bound East
The propeller apparently sustained all the damage,
and the Arctic prepared to succor her, until 1T was
found that she, too, had been injured in the bow,
and that the water was pouring in rapidly. At an
early stage all the officers sailors and engineers, with
the exception of the captain and third mate, left the
ship, in the life boats The attempt to run the ship
to land (Cape Race being about 40 miles dstan was
fruitless as the water pouring in put out the fires
and stopped the engines An attempt was made toI
rio raft BY flashing water casks and settees to the
main ward, two top. gallant yards and some smaller
perhaps the safety OF all might have bee"
| secured bu, for panic, which caused passengers,
6remen and others to make rush over the side, pre-
cn;tatine themselves headong the bulwarks, on
the raft and the boat containing the hands engaged
in its construction The raft crowded and upset.
and in few minutes after the stern OF the Ship sunk
the foam went boiling over the tumbllng mass OF
human beings, many of whom were dashed forward
against the pipe. Many yet chung to the mpertec'ly
constructed raft. The barque Huron picked up the
boat which had been engaged in the construction OF
the raft and, subsequently, one person was found still
alive and cnging to it. He stated that, when the
shin sunk he counted seventy two men and four "o-
men clingng to the raft, but that at 81 o'clock, he
was the only one alive Of the fate of the propeller
or even her name, little or nothing is known. The
underwriters at New York profess to have certain III
formation that the steam propeller that came in COL
lsion with the Arctic, the Cleopatra, which LETT
Quebec on the gath ult., with the list regiment OF
the British army aboard This seems to be the gen
eral impression
The following is the
STATEMENT BAHAM SECOND OFFICER OF THE ARCTIC
New York Oct. 1.-THE following statement of the loss
of the Arctic given by Mr. Baham second officer, who with
other officers and passengers saved in two of the
first boats reached the shore at Broad Cove and arrived at
On Wednesday the 9th noon Cape Race bearing n.
W. IS miles distant, while running in thick fog struck
arboard bow about 60 feet abaft of the cuwatcr p
steamer, which made three large holes the ship two
below the water which about 81 feet in length and
Il feet WIDE letting the whole cut and stem OF the IRON
steamer clear through the Arctlcs sides
The fog dense that the vessel could not be seen min
ute the collision The wheel put hard arboard
and the engine stopped and instantly backed at full speed
til clear of the other steamer which occupied couple OF min
The propeller believed be French vessel and was
sinking bow first Capt Luce Immediately gave orders to
clear away the quarter boats which being DONE omey the
chief officer the Arctic charge of the starboard boat
a Tna PTt Mr. Bam me- to 90
him Upon doing he ordered me to go over the steam
then und The holes above mentioned Upon informing him
the orders to the sails and try and
get around the bow endeavor stop the Leak which
promptly DONE but of no advantage Whatever so
much the bow broken off from the other steamer prec
ting the sails could not be brought close to the vessels
side The carpenter then lowedo over the vessels side
pillows and mattresses passed down to him t. try and
h water-line that they could not be got in.
Every exeron to stop the leak proved unaYalIlng Cap
@ Rn b Una" BR t Rs 1 d o sg
the chief officers boat and the other steamer which
0 posed to have sunk
fore boat and belonging to the other
vessel all whom perished with the exception of who
caught hold of rope hanging over the bow Directly the
boat orders given stop the engine which the
engineer said could not be DONE the ship fast
Ii sinking
In about 80 minutes all the lower fires and three
in the ship fore and aft By this time the contu
efforts to assist the crew keeping the deck pumps going
ns tn r a the nF m the inside It
found to be useless and numbers of them going into
- the boats, which were still hanging to the daVits
hold and informed the captain that the water leve
at leak then asked him what he thought would be thu
of the ship when he stated his belief that there was
hones saving her He then told my boats
L. On going to the boats the port side found them com
petey filled with and children, and possibli
y getting them immediately went to the sarboar
side and ordered two of the to lower the guard hpat
asked the Captain what were his intentions He said that tn
ships fate should be his then asked him if he would not al
low his son to He returned me answer that he shout
10 share his fate.
discovered that there hope of saving the Are
nd and the lady daughter and of E. X Collins with
era ladies, put board boat and III the act OF lower
ing it. of the tackles and ALL except one lady
who chung saOr who held fast to the boat prcta
nd ted into the and lost.
jumped into boat, and was ordered by Capt Luc
to cut the tackle falls and drop under the stern did
ne and the time bout 20 jumped overheard
CUhOT wore Ckp6 q
boat which had been lowered from the other side and light
ened her of of her complement, leaving 10 i'll her.
es- 26 in my boat.
he The last sight had of the ship her guards were level wit
the water and the surface of the srewn with huma
beings who had jumped overheard, to whom it mposs
BILE render assistance and lost sight of ALL
the fog continued very dense
We were about miles S E. of Cape Race and deemn
he duty to take the nearest for the safety of al
after pulling for forty hours, with nothing to guide us bu
the of the sea, which took to be heaving from til
OF southwark and in thick fog which lasted all the time
reached Broad Cove II miles north of Cape Race and the
proceeded by land Renems which reached Frda
~ last.
which hired and proceeded Immediately in search oft1
ria wreck boats crused around in strong gale of win
from northeast but discovered trace of the ship boat
lid word to Capt. Leitch, of the City of PHILADELPHIA
ro- steamer acquainted him with the catastrophe and
formed he sent off two vessels which he had engaged abol
-, his own ship.
No of the Attic boats could be found but he
were many vessels in the negh6orhood where the disa
occurred is not at all improbable that many lives
n have been saved No doubt however, is left in my mind
- to the total loss of the Artic.
PASSENGERS SAVED FROM ON BOARD ARCTI
o The following is list of the saved forwarded to
the telegraph from Halifax They only those saved in tt
her boat with the second mate, William Braham B. c. War
W. Gihon, Jr., w P. Rathbone, T Homesey; E. M Gus
Young Gb eGts Mhea Geo:
md Dowdt. c. Du Luenil.
The secretary the Board Underwriters at New You
received information that the steamer in wit
lily the Arctic the Cleopatra from Quebec LIVERPOOL