Washington sentinel., 1856-03-15
Ths Steamship Pacinc-Propeller Arctic
MtssinR.


The New York agent of the Collins line
states that the ornamented doors reported to
have been seen on the ice at sea by the steamer
Edinburg, correspond with those in use in the
deck cabins OF the Pacific, but as they are also
common to most Of the transatlantic packet
ships, it is quite possible that they may have
belonged to some sailing vessel. 1t is now fifty
one days since the Pacific sailed from Liver.
pool, and the only hope for her safety is based
upon the supposition that, having become Grip
pied in the ice, she made for the Azores or
Western Islands. The New York Tribune
says:
If she has attempted this, five aud twenty
days would be fair allowance of time for her
to reach Fayall. Supposing her to have ar
rived safely there in that time, we could scarcely
hear from her in less than thirty days more.
and might rot under forty or fifty. The com
munication with the Western Islands is wholly
by sailing vessels, and the intercourse unfre-
quent. We ought not, therefore, to consider
the safety of the Pacific wholly out of the ques-
ton before the FIRST week in April.
But, notwithstanding the cherished hopes of
her safety, based upon highly probable mode
of proceeding in case of the breaking of
shaft or other serious damage in her machinery,
her continued absence fills the mind with ap-
prehension. She had been out, at the sailing
of the Arabia, five days longer than was the
Atlantic at the time of her memorable disaster;
the latter having reached Cork on the thirty
second day after leaving port. 1t seems hard
to admit the loss of this noble ship, but while
we consider the chances of her safety, we must
not forget the circumstances under which she
was making her voyage. She had new mas
ter and new engineer. Both were undoubt-
edly competent, but both, Of course, ambitious.
The new ship Persia was behind her but three
days distant, and with the highest reputation
for speed and great expectations of her per-
tormance on her first trip. 1t is natural to
suppose that both master and engineer would
strain every nerve to make the Pacific do her
best, and to lose as little time as possible from
any precautionary policy on the voyage. The
ocean was filled with vast fields of floating and
berg ice
The concurrent testimony of numerous arri-
vals goes to establish that scarcely ever was
the usual path between this coast and England
ever before SO obstructed. Is it not to be
feared that, ignorant perhaps of the extent, or
1t may be OF the existence of this unusual i'm
pediment at this season of the year, the eager
commanderofthisi ill-fated ship, hiseye strained
behind him as well as before, may, in the dark
Less of night, have driven his craft straight
upon the desolate and turbulent masses OF
Arctic ice, and ere he was aware, found him.
self and all on board suddenly being engulphed
in the angry and sullen and darkened sea? If
this sad possibility be the fact, who shall ever
rise to tell the tale of the Pacific?
new anxiety has taken possession of the
public mind in reference to the propeller
Arctic, Com. Hartstein, which was sent in
search OF the Pacific. Her instructions were
to run pretty far to the north after leaving
Halifax, and the fear is, that in executing
orders she has encountered similar perils to
those which are supposed to have environed
the Pacific. The Arctic has not been heard
from since she sailed from Halifax. It is sup
gested that the Arctic may have discovered
the Pacific, but, so far, has been unable to ap
proach her. The New York correspondent of
the Philadelphia Ledger writes
few days since mentioned the fact that
the head fireman Of the Pacific, Mr.. Havens.
had family residing at Hoboken. The poor
woman despairing Of ever again hearing other
husband, has sold her house, and with her
children, gone to reside with her relatives.
Woman like, she went to fortune teller's the
other day, and was there informed that the ship
was lost with all on board.
A sing piece Of gossip in this connection,
you may have noticed, appears in the Jersey City
Telegraph, to the effect that an experienced
engineer who had taken passage in the Pacific,
from Liverpool, declined doing so, in conse-
quence of being satisfied that there was some
thing wrong about the engines We shall
probably hear more from that engineer, as the
Messrs. Collins are making an effort to hunt
him up for further explanations