Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-04-03
LOSS OF THE STEAMER ATLANTIC,
FURTHER PARTICULAS.

Halifax. n. s., .. The following is an
extract of the captains statement:
Sailed from Liverpool March goth. Dur.
ing the first part of the passage had favor
able weather and easterly winds. On the
the oath, 18th, and 26th, experienced heavy
southwest and westerly gales which brought
the ship down llS miles day. On the 3lst
of March the engineers report showed but
l27 tons of coal on board. We were then
AGO miles east of Sandy Hook, wind south
west and high westerly SWELL and falling
barometer. The ship steaming eight nots per
hour and considered the risk too great to
push on, as we might find ourselves in the
event Of a gale shut out from any port of sup
ply, and so decided to bear up for Halifax. At
one o'clock T. NJ, on the 3lst, Sambro ISL
and north degrees east was distant 10
miles, the ships speed varying from 8 knots
per honr to y. The wind was south during
the first part with rain and veered to the
westward at s P. NJ. with clear weather. At
midnight l judged the ship to have made l22
miles hich would place her 4S miles south of
Sambro. then left the deck and went into
the chart room, leaving orders about the
look outs and to let ME know if they saw
anything, and call me at 8 A. NJ, intending
then TO put the ships head off to the south
and await daylight.
My first intimation Of the catastrophe was
the striking of the ship on Mars Island and
remaining fast. The sea Immediately swept
away all the port boats. The officers went to
their stations and commenced clearing away
the weather boats Rockets were fired by
the second officer. Before the boats could be
cleared, only 10 minutes having elapsed. the
ship kee!ed to the port, rendering the star
board boats useless. Seeing that no help
could be got from the boats, l got the passen-
gers into the rigging and outside the rails,
and encouraged them to go forward where the
ship was the highest and less exposed to The
water.
The third officer, Mr.. Brady and quarter
masters Owens and Speakman, by this time
having established communication with the
outlaying rock about 10 yards distant, by
means of a line got four other lines to the
rock along which about two hundred persons
passed. Between the rock and the shore
there was passage one hundred yards
wide. A rope was successfully passed across
this, by which means about 80 got to the
land, although many were drowned in the at
tempt. At five o'clock the first boat appear
cd from the island, but she was too small to
be of any assistance. Through the exertions
of Mr.. Brady, the islanders were aroused and
by six o'clock, A NJ, three large boats came
to our assistance. BY their assistance all that
rock were landed in safety, andcared tor by a
poor fisherman named Clancy, and his daugh
ter. During the day the survivors to the
number of 429, were drafted off to the
various houses scattered about the
resident magistrate, Edmund Ryan, render
ing valuable assistance. The chief officer
having got up the mizzen rigging, the sea cut
off his retreat. He stood for six hours by
woman who had been placed in the rigging.
The sea was too high to attempt his rescue.
At 8 +. NJ, a clergyman, Rev. Mr.. Ancient,
succeeded in getting him a line and getting
him off. Many of the passengers, saloon and
streerage, died in the rigging from cold,
among the number the purser of the ship.
Before the boats went out placed two ladies
in the life boat, but finding the boat useless
carried them to the main rigging, where
left them and went aft to encourage the
others to go forward on the side of the ship.
At this juncturc the boilers exploded and the
boat rolled over to the leeward. The ship at
this time was Oh her beam ends. Finding
myself useless there, went to take the la
i dies forward, but found them gone, nor did
see them afterwards. Many passengers at
this time could not be stimulated to any eff
fort to save themselves, but lay in the rigging
and died from fright and exposure. l re-
manned on the side encouraging, helping and
directing until about fifteen were landed, and
finding that my hands and legs were becom-
ing useless left the ship, two other boats
being close to and embarked the remainder
On reaching the shore despatched Mr.
Brady, the third officer, off to Halifax, across
the country, to telegraph the news Of the