Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-05-08
The Atlantic Wreck..-Down Among
the Dead.

On Saturday last a newspaper CORES
pendent procured a diving-suit, with the
permission and under the direction of the
Wrecker and divers who were at work
upon the hull, and descended into the in
terror of the wreck. He says: The waters
were clear, and every object plainly yisi-
bic around the ship where she lay on the
reef. 1t was the first time for the CORE
spOndent to seek information beneath the
waters, and the sensation is almost indie
scribable. The air from above, which is
furnished through the rubber tube, comes
with q kissing sound, producing a strange
feeling. ! shudder at the thought of be-
ing immersed so deeply, and how slight
an accident would insure instant dcstruc-
ton. All around the objects looked weird
like; the glasses in the casQue magnifving
the already bloated forms into twice their
size The waters are very cold and a
chilly feeling creeps over me at first, but
as | proceed it wears away, and | enter
upon the task | have undertaken with
more nerve than | fancied | possessed.
The immense hull lies we'll down on the
port side, which is broken in several
places from contact with the reef Fish
were swimming around, eagerly deyour
ing the particles of food which are to be
picked up. Picking my way toward the
hull, | catch hold of a rope and scramble
up the deck. The place where | have de
scended is where the ship parted, and a
sectional view of the hull and cargo
is obtained The forward hatch is open
spectacle is presented! The cargo has
broken bulk and lays heaped up in con
fused mass; bodies of men and women,
bruised and torn, were jammed among the
cases and crates. 1t is a horrible sight to
look upon, and the magnifying powers of
the orbs through which | gaze upon it
renders it all the more horrible. Fishes
swim III and out among the bodies and
boxes, feasting upon the bodies of the
dead. Limbs are strewn around, having
broken off from the body from the con
tinual action of the waters, which, when
agitated, drive against the ugly pieces of
the broken hull that stick up here and
render my movements very hazardous.
Having seen enough of this part of the
sunkcn horror, | proceeded toward one of
the steerage cabins, the one where all the
women and children were drowned as
they lay in their hunks. Scrambling along
the deck, guided by the rope above, and
assisted by one of the divers who had un-
dertaken to conduct me through the
wreck, [ reached the cOmpanion-way If
the sight in the hold among the cargo was
horrible, the one that now met my gaze
was ten times more 50. There, lying in
an immense heap, were hundred or more
bodies They looked for all the world as
if they were alive, with arms dislecated
eyes staring wildly, faces grinning as
if it were at you, and moving
backward and forward with the
undercurrent some were dressed, many
were half nude. Children were clinging
to their mothers, and stout men were
claspng their wives and seeming as if
they met their fate with calm resignation.
No description of the bodies brought to
the surface could convey an idea of the
horrid sight in that cabin. [ close nay
eyes and motion to my conductor my rea-
diness to leave | have seen enough Of
that charnel-house the recollection of
which will never fade. NV conductor
motions me toward the storage cabin,
where the men were by themselves, and
where there was such rush for the COM
panion-way. Peering down into that
cabin l saw similar picture of death.
Bodies of stalwart men, old and young,
were hustled together on the stairway,
giving-from their distended nostrils,
gaping mouths, and staring, CLASSY eyes
some conception of the terror which