The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-10-12

SDAY, OCTOBER IL, 1854
had also been taken On board ~. ou' mao ec
up to the city BY pilot boat on the pa, s''.A'
MI Dorian did not form of the party, bu. w.
on board until the vesie reached her dock One Of
reporters him immediately on bis arrival aud bsn
In his company while crossing the South ferry glsane
frem HIM some additional facts connected with the aI
paling catastrophe.
II DO not know" said Mr.. Dorisn to our repor.s,
THAT can tell you sny thing more than is contained
the statement Of Mr. Burns IT IL perfectly correct
every particular, 80 far as can judge
mt. Burns had much better oppoltun'tythan ba
OF noticing what occurred, for was engaged ali tn
time IN helping to construct the raft"
Our reporter, however, propounded . variety Of oues
tlons to Mr. Dorian, which he answered With aando
and modssy. We viii not attempt 70 use hi, own word.
ip much a. tbs inquiries were not put in chronolosics
order but win conne ourselves to simple slucidstioD
Of send roints on which his statement may tend Ia
throw some additional Light
First - to the colhding vessel: Mr.. Dorian CONFIRMS
our opinion that the propeller with which the Arctic
came into collision not the Charity, bound from Mon
treal to Liverpool as supposed BY Mr. Burns; was
she one Of the Liverpool and Quebec line Of steamers
She appeared to him to be vessel Of osy 200 tons
burthen One Of her had manned the boat which
capsized by the paddles of the Arctic had saved
himself BY cling.ns to rope, and had got on board
He was unacquainted with the English language an
French cock belonging to the Arctic him as
countrJman Of his All the information elicited from
him. in the terrible confusion incident to the ssene was
that the propeller from st. Georges whether from
Newfoundland Nova scotia Ii not known. In all pro-
liability she was bound to French port. Poor fellow
he aAd had narrow escape from the enguphing waves
but 1t was only to pfoopg his existence for few abort
hours more Lsnsvitabs destiny WAS not to be evaded
He had escaped peril, only to bs reserved for
another from which there escape. He went down
with the Arctic.
Captain Luce comported himself, under the terrible
circumstances, with camness and intrepldity which
deserved better fate. No thought Of self for moment
ntervered to away his from his passengern
Alas how fruitless all those cares and exertions
Three four hours spent nstructng raft and
yet 1t the of preserving but singe lfe Had
his officers and stood by him to the last the result
might not have been deplor able But they did not
Yielding to the natural impulse OF SELF preservation they
ignored their duty to their commander, and, thinking
only OF their own safety they took to the boats aban
doniDg the vessel and the hundreds Of helpless beings
who throngsd her deck 1t is hard to fnd fault with
for yielding to that strongest impulse Of humanity and
yet when their conduct contrastsd with the
fcipg nobility Of soul which characterized the recent
wreck Of British troop ship the coast Of Africa
when every woman and child ON board passed into
the boato and saved the remaining to meet their
death with uLqusilinc 6rmneCswe say when that heroic
incident is remembered and conrastsa with the spirit Of
seshness which prevailed among tho OF the Arctic
men viii be apt dsnounce the latter as unworthy and
diahonoratls. ocers, engineers sailors, freIaen and
walters had monopoly Of safety; while the gallant
captain alone refneedto desert his post and remain
ed to share the fate Of his vessel and of the
hundreds OF nebe hearts whose last throb beat upon
her futmerged deck. Mr. Dorian Was the only enc u
the officers and sailing hands Of the ship re mained
with the captain up to tho last fearful moment The
Others had left the ship long before He was engaged
up to that time in constructing ths raft actively as
sisted By many Of the passengers. M. Dorian him
self had idea Of sef.preservation when hp stepped
into the boat, and had the painter cut loose It Was
necessary act in the discharge Of his duty. and to
save the lives Of others But lis own lie ives saved
by 1t. While he still within some twenty yards Of
the vefsel she disappeared from his sight, sinking by
the stern st angie Of about twenty ave degresr Not
single soul Of the hundreds then board was seen
alive by him after tho vessel sunk. Still IL is not
impossible, he says, that some one may have
saved Il emselves By clnging water barrels spars
and other floating substances that ashed together
in expectancy Of that terrible moment.
The further incidents connected with the rescue Of
this last boat by the bark Huron and the transfer Of
eighteen Of it's thirty occupants to the ship Leba
non have been already fully detailed in this statement Of
Mr. Burns. At least, Mr. Dorian had nothing to add to
that narrative. He il modest ~ he Is proved to be
intrepid and rather avoided than volunteered the nara
tion Of anything which reflected credit upon himself.
He spoke highly to the calmness, cours So and self
possession evinced by the passengers Even the ladies'
exhibited the mcs admirable coonss and stared death
in the face with heroism which should hAve put the
blush the who deserted and left them - their fas
He thinks that there cannot have than from
thirty {, forty passengers saved. E r
Mr.. Dorian contradcts the statement OF the second
mate Mr. Baahlam, in respect to the fate Of Mrs. K
Collins and family to whom II s said that they were
in boat Of the tackles Of which gave way In the
act of lowering, causing their precipitation into
the sea- Mr.. Dorian did not know the personal
appearance Of Mr.. Cons family, but he was aware that
at the time he left the ship three minutes before she
sunk, they aboard. He had just momsnt before
inquired from M. Burns whether Mrs. G. was furnished
with life preserver and Mr.. Burns informed him that
he had placed one her. Therefore the ladies whom
Mr. Baahlam precpitated out Of the boat were not
Mrs and Miss Collins.
Mr. Dorian not acquainted with many Of ths pas
seDgsrs, and could give little information In re-
spect TO them There was . gentleman, resident Of
New York, and o native of Ireland, who had been
turning from visit to hs brother ct Rome and he
Of the victims Of the awful casualty. There
other person Of whom he could speak positively.
He picked up telescope which he found floating In
the fes and retains memento Of the tragedy He
thinks It belonged to Capt Luce.
Mr. Dorian Is native Of Belfast in Ireland, and has
been for time connected with this line Of steamers
He has wife and family residing in Hudson street. New
York.
MR.. DORIAN, OF THE ARCTIC.
NEW YoRK, Oct. IL, 1854.
THE EDITOR THE HERALD.
Francis Dorian, the officer OF the unfortunate steam
ship Arctic, who has nob'y distinguished himself Is
Irishman BY BIRTH born Of respectable PARENTS
at little place called Ratala, the iron bound coast Of