Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-10-18
lass of the Steamer Artic.


Loss of the steamer Attic.
The American steamer Attic was
wrecked on on her late passage from Liy-
erpool by coming in collision with the
propeller Vesta, which was supposed
to have on board a regiment OF brush
soldiers. The collision occurred on the
9th ultimo, at noon, in dense log
The propeller was bark rugged, iron, with
black hull, salmon colored bottom, and
had colored boats. The Attic was going
at the rate of thirteen knots an hour
Upwards of 900 persons were seen on the
propeller. The Attic commenced 10 rem
der assistance to the propeller, but soon
discovered her own leak, which gained
fast and extinguished her fires. Boats
were launched and filled by the crew and
passengers. Rats were constructedo when
a sudden panic took place on the Attic
and numbers got on the raft, ana in the
| life boats, and in three minutes alter the
Attic sunk. All in the life-boat were sa-
we'd, but only one out Of the seventy-two
on the raft.
At 5 P. NJ, on the eth, the bark HUI
ron of St. Andrews. N. B.. Capt. Stal, for
Quebec, picked up the boat. The Huron
fred rockets, hung out lights, and kept
blowing her horn throughout the night OF
the 2sEh, in hopes of falling in with the
remaining boats, but all endeavors were
fruitless.
On the evening Of the goth, she spoke
the ship Lebanon, Capt. Sterrett, bound
for New York, to which were transferred
10 passengers, who reached this city in
the pilot boat Christian Berg. He spoke
the propeller and FIVE other boats, but did
not know what their names were.
On the morning Of the 98th, the Huron
paw a singular looking craft, which it is
thought might have been the propeller
Mr.. Comsteck, brother to the comman-
der of the Baltic, WAS drowned by the
capsi2ing of boat whilst being lowered
George II. Buras. of Adams Express,
furnishes the above particulars. He says
the Government dispatches from France
and England, given him by Mr.. Buchan
an, could not be saved.
! A dispatch 10 MIR. Collins from Halifax,
states that the two boats Of the Artic. with
the passengers saved, had reached Hall
! fax.
Several vessels have been dispatched
to the scene Of disaster, with the hope
Of picking up persons anoat on pieces OF
the wreck.
The following statement of the loss Of
the Attic is by Mr.. BALKAN. Cd officer :
BALKAN and the officers and crew and
passengers saved in the two boats reached
shore at Broad Cove, and arrived at St.
Johnson Tuesday.
On Wednesday the 9th ut noon, OF
Cape Race bearing N. w. IS miles dis
tant, while running ina thick fog, the Ar
tic was struck on the starbOard bow.
about six feet abaft the cut water, by the
iron steamer, which made three large
holes in her, two below the water mark.
one of which is about 81 feet in length
and l J feet wide, leaving the whole cut
water and stem Of the iron steamer cleaI
through the Artic's sides.
The fog was so dense that the vessel
could not be seen fifteen minutes beEorr
the collision. The wheel was put hard a.
starboard, and the engine instantly stop
ped and WAS backed at full speed unit
entirely clear Of the steamer, which occu
pied couple of minutes. The Frencl
steamer seemed to be sinking bow frs
Capt. Luce Immediately gave orders tt
clear away the quarter boat, which done
generally chief officers left the Attic H.
charge of the starboard boat. On low
ering the port boat the captain exclaimed
hoist up that boat again to Mr.. BALKAN
and beckoned me to go to him. Upon
doing so he ordered me to go to the bow
and ascertain, if possible. what damag,
had been done. then found the hole,
above mentioned. and upon informing him
of these facts he gave orders to get the
sails up and try and get them round t,
Z n E,,w IN IL,
which was promptly done, but to no ad-
vantage whatever so much iron broken
off from the other steamer and projecting
that the sails could not be brought close
TO the vessels side. The carpenter was
, then lowered over the vessels side and
f mattresses passed down to him to try and
force them in, but the leak was found &C
be so far below water line that it could
not be got at. Every exertion to stop the
leak proved unavailing.
Capt. Luce then ordered the ships
, head to be kept for land, which bore N
r w. by w. BY this time we had LOST
sight of the chief officers boat and
, the other steamer, which we suppo.
sed sunk. We had hot been on oul
course more than five minutes before we
ran over the boat belonging to the other
vessel. the crew of which persisted with
, the exception of one man, who caught
hold OF rope hanging over our bow di.
rectly after the boat was seen, orders were
!, given to stop the engine, which the chic
engineer said could not be done, as the
ship was fast sinking in about three
minutes all the lower fires were out, and
three feet water on the lower deck, and
it was impossible to get at the leak. The
captain. in the belief that there was nc
means of saving her. said, that the ships
fate should be his and his sons 1t was
sc.,r, .L;....,:.......l =. IL