Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-02
A HORROR on THE SEA.
The Most Frightful Shipwreck Ever
& - 3 Recorded.
A White Star Steamer Sinks near
Halifax.
Seven Hundred and Fifty Lives Lost
Not a Single Woman or Child sased.
Most of the Victims Drowned in
their Berths.

HALIFAX, n. s., April i.-The White
Star steamer Atlantic, Capt. Williams,
from Liverpool for New York, while COM
ing into this port for coal, struck on
Meaeher's Rock, near Prospect, q miles
west of Halifax, and became total wreck.
OF about one thousand souls on board,
unwards of seven hundred were drowned.
The third officer, Brady, arrived In this
city this evening. He says that the Allan
tic left Liverpool on the 10Th OF March,
with upwards of nine hundred steer
age passengers and about nfty
cabin passenger. The steamer experienc-
ed boisterous weather during the passage,
but all went well until noon on Monday the
slst, when the supply of coal became near
ly exhausted, and the Captain determined
put into Halifax. The Captain and third
officer were on deck until midnight. Inc
position was then judged to be SamDro
Light bearing N. n. W., 39 miles. Inc
Captain then went into his chart room,
leaving orders to be called If there was any
change in the vessels position. They went
TO bed aheut the same the as the captain.
TIC next thing that he remembers is that
he Vas thrown out of his bunk, Cat 2:2O A.
NJ. and be heard the ship strike several
time, He then rushed on deck and found
the Captain and officers there and the deck
full of passengers. Ee got an axe and
commenced to clear away boat. The
Captain and other officers were busy doing
the same thing. Brady got this boat out
and put two women in it. A number OF
men attempted to get into it, and about q
dozen succeeded. Just at that moment
the steamer fell over on her beam end;
Only one boat had been out and that was
carried down by the steamer and all
in it were lost. Brady scrambled into the
mizzen rigging which was above the water,
and seeing that he could do 1]othE
ing there, he then went forward and
removed the hslyards, being assist
ed by Quartermasters Spearman
and Owen. Brady then took the halyards
and all three swan to rock, and then a
| line was hauled ashore and number OF
passengers landed by it. A number had
got on rock but as the tide was rising
their position was no better than on the yes.
sci. Just then some fishermen on
shore came out in boats and rescued those
| on the rock and large number from the
rigging. Brady remained at the scene IN
| til noon TO-DAY, when all who were alive on
| pOdru laQ DSeD bahtH iIOA OltO WASSo CA
cept the chief officer, Mr.. Firth, who was il
the rigging shouting for help. Grady
SAYS he tried to get the crew to
90 to the rescue Cf Firth, but
the sea was so heavy no one would volun-
teer. Altogether about $50 persons were
saved, including Capt. Williams, the fourth
officer, Mr.. Brown, and several OF the &C.
gineers and srilors. Not single woman
or child was saved. Most of them, as vel
as hundreds of men, were drowned in theil
berths. The steamer struck about
O'Clock this morning. The weather at tht
time was dark but not thick, and the Sc;
rough. Steamers are going down to-nigh
to render what assistance theJ can. Al
the people saved from the wreck, with th'
exception of Brady, are at Prospect, wher'
the fishermen are giving them all the at
tention they possibly can.
New YORK, April mo list Of tn
passengers of the Atlantic can be obtaine'
tonight. The lost steamer was built a
Belfast, Ireland, in 1871, was 420 feet long
40 feet beam, and % depth of hold, and re
gistered 3,723 tons. She was con
structed of iron, with four mast
and six water-tight bulkheads. Sh
was fitted with one boiler and for
cylipders on the compound principle, unde
which the average consumption of coal wa
only As tons. The disaster is believed t
be traceable to the carrying of an insult
cient supply of coal for voyage OF NOR
than 10 or IL days.