The Republican journal., 1870-03-24
THE LOSS OF THE ARCTIC.
A Mysterious and STARTLING Story,

\ THE LOSS OF THE ARCTIC.
AMysterious and Startling Story.
i A correspondent of the St. Louis Republi
can tells the following strange story, which
will be read with special interest at this time,
while the fate of the Boston is still involved
in doubt:
The summer after the Arctic was lost, the
writer visited New York, and at the Astol
House in that city was called upon by an old
friend and schoolmate who resided for sever
al years at Alton, ILL.,, and is pleasantly re-
membered by many of the older residents of
that place. This gentleman now lives in
Chicago and holds responsible position in
one of the leading railways of the Northwest
At the time the events occurred which am
about to narrate, Mr. M was private
secretary or foreign correspondent for E. K
Collins, the manager of the noble but most
unfortunate line of steamers bearing his name,
and an inmate of his office M was then
and is now, unless time and trial have sadly
changed him, q jolly, good hearted, clever
fellow, afraid of nothing, believing not much
in anything, and certainly the last person
likely to be at all tinotured with superstition,
His veracty is unquestionable. After long
conversation about our boyhood days, and
the companions whom we had both known
and loved in that era, l naturally made some
inquiries relative to the Arctic, knowing that
M, from his situation would be likely to
give some Incidents that perhaps had never
been made public. To my surprise, when
the subject was broaohed his face assumed
serious cast, his voice softened to a subdued
half whispering tone and he remarked:
'There is a mystery about that affair which
has always puzzled me, and which I do not
like to think Of. To my knowledge it has
never before been spoken of outside Mr.. Col
lins' office, or his immediate family circle
will, however, tell it to you but can give
only the facts as they fell under my own OBJ
servation, without attempting an explana-
tion."
Ms story was substantially as fol-
lows, barring the inaccuracies which must
necessarily accompany the effort to remem-
Der conversation transpiring 15years ago ::
II was," said he, "as you know clerk in
vorite with him, At any rate he allowed me
more liberties than most of the other en-
ployes, and frequently conversed about his
own personal matters in q seml-cOntidential
manner, which was very gratifying to one of
my age.
'Mr. Collins wife and two children, boy
and a girl went to Europe in the summer of
1854, and made quite an extended tour on the
continent. While absent, they kept for his
qualification journal, telling the places
through which they passed, the dates of their
visit to each locality, and a brief description
of the various objects of interest This jour
nal, in detached fragments, was regularly
transmitted to him, and he naturally perused
it with great pleasure. At that time spirit
ualism was creating quite an excitement in
New York, and some Of the clairvoyants, or
trance mediums, had gained considerable
| Mr. IOJ,t
he would give the phenomena personal in
vestigation, or at least submit the question to
sharp and satisfactory test He according
ly disguised himself, and went alone to the
house of a celebrated female medium in a re-
mote part of the city. Sending up a fictitious
name, he was ushered into the presence Of
the woman He stated to her that he desired
to know the whereabouts of a middle aged
lady, u young lady and boy, and described
as nearly as possible the appearance of his
wife and children. The medium, after the
usual prelminaries, lapsed into the trance
state, said that she saw the party distinctly
that they were in an old town, she did not
know the name, and just at the time visiting
an old church. OF this church she gave a
sufficiently minute description, which Mr.
Collins noted down, together with the date of
the interview, and departed. In due course
of mail, several weeks after, the journal ar
rived, and on examination verified exactly
the particulars furnished by the clairvoyant
| "Of course Mr.. Collins was surprised at
the curious revelation, but the press of bus-
ness soon drove it from his mind, and he for
got it altogether. Meanwhile the summer
passed and September came. Mrs. Collins
and her two children were to return on the
Arctic, according to previous arrangement
and sailed accordingly. This steamer was
noted for the quickness and regularity of her
voyages, and was due at New York, if | re-
member rightly, on Saturday evening. Mr.
Collins resided out of town that night, how
| ever, he remained at his brothers in the city,
| but the Arctic did not arrive. He came down
| to breakfast next morning, and, looking sad
and thoughtful, was rallied by his brother on
| account of his gloomy countenance, and ask
ed if he slept well. He replied that he had
not, that his sleep had been broken by bad
dreams, and that he had dreamed the Arctic
| was in trouble. He was laughed at for per-
hitting such a thing to disturb him, but Sun
day went by and still no Arctic, and when he
reached the Office Monday morning, he relat-
ed the dream to me. urged. him to think no
more of it; that the steamer would probably
get in that day or the next, and he ought not
to allow himself to be worried by the vision
of an anxious brain. But the steamer did
nOI come, neltnef were any uulnSS nelfd
from her, and the alarm became general
In this emergency, Mr.. Collins bethought
him of the clairvoyant and paid her a VISIT
taking the same precautions as on his pre-
vious call. He again asked if she could see
the lady and children, and the medium again
subsided into trance. But this time she
seemed disturbed and perplexed, and said
that she could not see clearly for everything
appeared to be enveloped in mist or fog.
(The collision which sunk the Arctic, it will
be remembered, occurred in thick fog off
Cape Race) At last she exclaimed that she
saw them; that the lady and two children
were standing on the quarter deck of a steam
er, that the vessel was apparently in distress,
sailors and passengers were running to and
fro, and the whole scene indicated impending
disaster. Here ended the vision-the woman
could discover nothing more, and Mr. Collins
left her with heavy heart
Perhaps it was the next day. Or the second
one after this interview, about noon, when,
as we were all sitting in the office, dozen
Or twenty Of us, engaged in writing or other
business, that well-dressed gentleman
rushed into the front part of the room from
Broadway, bare-headed, and evidently in
state of the widest excitement. He asked
for no one, but throwing his hands over his