River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-04-18
THE ATLANTIC DISASTER.

Statement OF Captain Williams.
We sailed from Liverpool March 30.
During the first part of the passage we
had favorable weather and easterly
winds. On the oath. 25th and Goth
experienced heavy southwest and west
erly gales, which brought the ship down
] to 11S miles a day. On the 31st of
March the engineers report showed
but about 127 tons of coal on board.
We were then $50 miles east of Sandy
Hook, with the wind southwest, and
high westerly swell and falling barome-
ter, the ship steaming only eight knots
per hour. / considered the risk too
great to push on, as we might
/ find ourselves, in the event of gale,
shut ont from any port of supply, and
so decided to bear up for Halifax. At
one O'Clock on the afternoon of the
31st Sombro Island was distant 40
miles, the ships speed varying from s
to II knots per hour wind south, with
rain, which veered to westward at s
P. NJ, with clear weather At midnight
l judged the ship to have made 122
miles, which would place her 48 miles
south of Sombro, and [ then left the
I deck and went into the chart-room,
leaving orders about the lookout and
to let me know if they saw anything
and call me at 3 A. NJ, intending then
to put the ships head to the southwark
and await daylight. My first intima
ton of the catastrophe was the striking
of the ship on Mars Island and remain
irrr kba,o F,a+ 20 Tho cao ip,r,a1iato1v
swept away all the port boats. The
officers went to their stations and COM
menced clearing away the weather
boats. Rockets were fired by the Sec
ond officer Before the boats could be
cleared, only ten minutes having
elapsed, the ship keeled heavily to
port, rendering the starboard boats
useless. Seeing that no help could be
got from the boats, / got the passen-
gers into the rigging aud outside the
rails, and encouraged them TO & for
ward, where the ship was highest aGd
\ less exposed TO the water. The third
officer, Mr.. Brady, Quartermasters
\ Owens and Speakman, by this time
having established communication with
an outgrowing rock, about forty
/ yards distant, by means of a line
got four other lines to the rock, and
passed along with about two hundred
people. Between the rock and the
shore there was passage one hundred
yards wide. A rope was successfully
passed across this, by which means
about fifty got to land, though many
were drowned in the attempt At 8 in
I I
from the island, but she was too small
TO be of any assistance. Through the
exertions of Brady, the third officer, the
i islanders were aroused, and by them
+ three larger boats came to our assist
auce. BY their efforts all that remain
ed on the side Of the ship and on the
rock were landed in safety and cared
i for by fisherman named Clancy, and
i his daughter During the day surviv-
ors to the number of 400 were drafted
off to various houses scattered about,
+ the resident magistrate, Edmund Ryan,
rendering great help. The chief off
Ger having got up the 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 3 p. NJ q
+ clergyman, Rev. Mr.. Ancient, succeed
\ cd in getting him n line and getting
him Off Many passengers, saloon and
steerage, died in therigging from cold.
Among the number was the purser of
/ the ship. Before the boats went ont |
placed two bodies in the life-boat, but
finding the boat useless, carried them
to the main rigging, where | left them
and went To encourage others TO go
forward on the side of the ship. At
this iuncture the boilers exploded and
the boat rolled over, the ship at this
time being on her beam ends. Finding
myself useless, | went 10 take the Ia.
dies forward, but found them gone
nor did | see them afterwards
Many passengers at this time could not
be stimulated 10 any effort to save
themselves, but lay IN the rigging and
died froEl fright and exposure. | re-
manned on the side encouraging, help
ing and directing until about fifteen
were landed, when, finding that my
hands and legs were becoming useless,
/ l left the ship, two other boats being
close 70 her. and embarked with the re-
mainder. On reaching the shore /
despatched the third officer to Halifax
across the country to telegraph news Of