Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-04-03

enyelOping the SnOre almost COLI
tinually in clouds of glistening
spray. The business of the vessels was
TO get on board the passengers and 9TH
ers who had been rescued from the
wreck and put them on shore, where
with such large a number in so small
a place, not even the large-hearted gem
erosity and kindness of the fishermen
could make them comfortable. The
Delta and Lady Head being unable
to venture near shore came to anchor
and the Goliah, with life-boats, went
in to embark the shipwrecked people.
No time was lost, and the Goliah and
boats soon returned filled with men,
who proceeded to get on board the Del
Ia. Such a motley party of English,
Irish, Scotch, Welch, German, Dutch,
Norwegians, Swedes, Swiss, indeed,
representatives from every country in
EuroDe and of the United States, were
huddled together, talking, laughing,
CRYING. praying and thanksgiving, pro-
ducing the greatest confusion. Scarcely
one half of them had complete and
respectable-loOking suit of clothes. The
wealthy merchant of London and New
York, the professional gentleman and
the lowest of emigrants appeared in
clothing which had been given to them
by the good people of Prospect. Some
were without coats, many without hats,
Others without boots, and all with the
absence of some comfort in the clothing
line. The scene may be more easily
imagined than described. All the
sufferers were very warmly welcomed
ON board of the Delta, and no
pains were spared to make them COM
Portable as possible. The GOliah return
ed to the shore and was soon back
again with just such crowd as the pre-
yious one. There were several affecting
scenes on the Delta as the passengers
were collecting in her from different
points where they had been stopping.
Friends who had been separated from
each other after the Atlantic struck,
and never expected to meet again in
this world were brought face to face in
the Delta's cabin, where they grasped
hands and wept for joy, and returned
thanks to him whose mercy had spared
them while so many of their comrades
had been sent into eternity.
Those who walked inland were taken
on board the steamers Delta and Lady
Head, the former having about three
hundred and twenty on board, and the
latter seventy-seyen. A calculation
was made by Captain Williams, show
ing that the loss of life, though immense,
was not so large as has been reported.
The Atlantic had on board thirty-three
cabin passengers, eight hundred steer
age passengers, and a crew OF, officers
included, one hundred and forty-three
men. making a total of nine hundred
and seventy-siX souls. The number lost
is supposed to be five hundred and forty
Nj har ~ or he,
Iy correct, but is nearly so. The wreck
remained in the same position as before
reported, the bow and masts only above
water and the sea breaking so rough
that boats could not approach with
safety. She was broken in some places,
and few packages had washed out and
drifted to sea, but the bulk of the cargo
appeared to be undisturbed.
j. w. Firth, chief officer of the Allan
tic, made a statement in substance as
follows: My watch ended at twelve
o'clock Monday night, when the second
and fourth officers took charge and l
went to my berth. l was aroused by
the shock of the vessel striking. The
second officer came down to my room and
said the ship was ashore, and he was
afraid she was gone. put on few ar
tieles of clothing, got an oar, and went
on deck to clear the boats. The ship
had careened over before l reached the
deck. l cleared two starboard boats.
A heavy sea then swept the boats away.
l was holding fast to the mizzen mast
rigging, and now climbed higher for
safety. The night was so dark and the
spray blew so thickly that we could not
see well what was going on around us.
saw men on rocks, but did not know
how they got there. All who Were
alive on board were in the rigging.
When daylight came counted thirtY=
with me, including one woman. When
they saw that there were lines between
the ship and the shore many of them
attempted to go forward to the lines,
and in so doing were washed overheard
and drowned. Many reached the shore
by aid OF the lines, and the tishermen's
boats rescued many more. At last all
had either been washed off or rescued
except myself, woman and boy. The
sea had become so rough that boats
would not venture near US. Soon
the boy was washed off, but he swan
gallantly, and reached one OF the boats in
safety. got firm hold of the woman
and secured her in the rigging.
| could see people on the shore
and in boats and could hail them, but
they were unable to help US. At two
o'clock in the afternoon, after we had
been in the rigging ten hours, Rev. Mr..
Ancient, a church of England clergy
man, whose noble conduct / can never
forget while live, got crew of four
men to row him out to the wreck. He
got into the main rigging and procured
a line, and then advanced as far as he
could toward me and then threw il to
me. l caught it, made il fast around
my body and then jumped clear. A sea
swept me off the wreck, but Mr.. Ancient
held fast to the line and pulled me back,
and got me safely in the boat. | was
then so exhausted and benumbed that I
was hardly able to do anything for N.Y.
self, and but for the clergyman's gal
liant conduct must have perished soon.
The woman, after bearing up with re-
markable strength under her great trials,
had died two hours before Mr.. Ancient
arrived. Her half nude body was still
fast in the rigging, her eyes protrud-
ing and her mouth fOaming. A terribly
CHASTITY spectacle, rendered more ghastly
by contrast with numerous Jewels which
sparkled on her hands. We had to
leave her body there, and it is
probably there now. The scene
at the wreck was an awful one, such as
l had never before witnessed and hope
never to witness again. Comparatively
few bodies have drifted ashore. Most of
them, with such articles as came out of
the ship while was on her, were carried
out to sea.
The steamer Delta arrived this after
noon with the survivors from the wreck, |
and arrangements are being made to
have them well cared for. She reports |
that the Atlantic has not broken up,
and her cargo, which is large and |
valuable, not, therefore adrift, with the
exception of that on deck. Vessels |
with diving apparatus had arrived at |
the wreck and commenced operations |
for the removal of the dead bodies and |
the cargo. The sea was still rough, but |
the wind had gone down so that they |
could approach the locality without dam |
ger. The CarlOtta's passengers, who |
got in early yesterday morning, say that |
the night was very dark, rainy and |
windy, and that they were very uneasy. |
She saw nothing of the Atlantic. The |
disaster was so soon over that hundreds |
could know nothing of it. OF the three
hundred women and children, a ma
iOrity were swept out of the steerage
and drifted beyond the vessel on the |
immense waves and carried seaward, !
and were seen no more. The bodies re-
covered will be buried at Prospect.
NEW YORK, April 2.-The At
lantic was built at Belfast. |
Ireland, in 1871; was four hundred and |
twenty feet long, forty feet beam, and |
twenty-three feet depth of hold, and |
registered three thousand seven hundred |
aud twenty-three tons was constructed
of iron and had four masts and six |
water-tight bulk-heads; was fitted with |
alaNen hoiIers and fnIIr cylinders ON the |