Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-05-08
Horrors OF the Atlantic.

We extract from the Hudson Star Of
April 27th, a private letter received in
that city, under date of April 9th, from
a gentleman who had just returned from
the wreck of the Atlantic, which gives
a graphic description of the terrors at
tending the recovery of the bodies of the
lost passengers. Mr.. Dorr OF Rutland
is spoken of in the letter. as among the
anxious searchers, as will be noticed.
The gentleman writes as follows:
| returned home on Thursday from
the wreck of the Atlantic, where | have
been spending three weeks searching for
the bodies of Misses Barker and Brodie.
and John II. Price of New York-the
latter we having found and sent home
the second day we were there, left the
two ladies bodies to be recovered. |
was at the wreck nearly every day. all
day, and saw sights that would have
chilled the strongest heart. Little babies
six months old, women. men and bag
gage, in an almost indiscriminate mass,
brought to the surface by the divers,
were the daily sights. You can form
no idea of the horrors that were brought
forth from the sulken charnel-housc it
almost sickens me TO give the details.
To see the tug at the lifeline OF the
diver, "a signal to pull up,) and then
slowly the rope come up with a human
form at the end of it, the face. perhaps,
torn and discClored or dead-white. the
eyes wide open, staring as if TO pene-
trate the deep blue water of the ocean
and descry some means Of egreSs from
the watery prison. Then would come
some little child, with its pale face, Civ
ing no token of suffering, only calm.
sleep-like expression then another, with
its face torn past all recognition unless
by the clothing.
While sitting looking at the workings
of the different divers, the one in whose
boat | was came to the surface to rest.
after two hours work Doctor, said
he, "there is sight down there that
would make your heart ache | will
send it up when | go down again" He
kept his word, and up came the rope, at
the end of which was man about thir-
ty-fiye years of age, closely clasping TO
his breast little white haired girl about
three years of age, her tlaXen hair hid
ing his face rs we drew them into the
boat. They were not separated, but
were placed as they were found, and a
rough pine box concealed them from hu-
man eyes. a picture more touching than
this | never saw Some two hours after
wards we brought up an old man, who
had evidently been leading a little boy
to some place of safety when the water
overcame them. lie kept hold of him
and they were broughC up together to
the surface and placed in the boat. |
sat in the boat and saw one hundred and
eighty. nine bodies brought up, and it
seemed as though each one made deep
er impression on me than the one that
preceded it, until was fairly worn out.
and went ashore to rest.
| found among the gentleen lookingm
for friends, Hon. S. NJ Dorr, formerly
of Chatham, but now of Rutland. Vt.
a brother of DR.. Dorr, of Hillsdale. He
was looking for Mr.. and Mrs. Fisher.
Day after day, in the wind and rain, he
was looking, hoping, for some token of
the lost ones. He was there when left
for home, having recovered nothing but
one trunk and a few small articles.
Since the fourth day of the wreck no
cabin passengers have been recovered
all steerage-and | am afraid they never
will recover any more. The divers went
into the state rooms of several, and they
are empty, nothing but the trunks re-
naming. You cannot imagine how many
touching incidents have occurred since
the wreck-cases of recognitions. of dis
appointment at not finding friends. etc.
One poor fellow came from New York.
expecting to find his sister among the
saved, as some who could read English.
told him she was. His agony was indies
cribable when he found her among those
lying on the rocks. Many such scenes
have occurred here, aud there is no
Knowing the scenes on the other side of
the water. | am unable, even now, to
realize all l have gone through; the
whole thing seems like horrible dream.
that hangs to one in their waking hours.
! have in my.possession a photograph al
bum that was washed ashore, belonging
to one of the steerage passengers, and
from letter found in it there is no
doubt but that his friends in Chicago
are entirely ignorant of the fact of his
having been on board the Atlantic |
shall send the book along tomorrow.