The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-04-11

TERRIBLE

TERRIBLE CALAMITY.
The steamship Atiantic Wrecked on h
Nova cot Coast-Over roo Lives Sent
to q Watery Grave. an. .
y from the Halifsx IN. S) Chronicle, April IL
I 1t is our painful duty this morning to record
the most terrible marine disaster that has ever
occurred on our. coast-the loss of . great
ocean steamship with about gao lives. Yester-
day afternoon a report became current that Q
steamer had been wrecked somewhere on the
coast, and one or two lives lost. The report
Was regarded al oneiof the canards put ahoat
on AL Fools day and little regard was paid to
it.. Soon the report became more definite, ana
We knew that the steamer Atlantic, OF the
White Star line, was ashore near Prospect, and
that several lives had been lost. Even yet the
public were inclined to regard the story as
A MALICIOUS HOAX. p
A little later, however, it became known that
the report was well founded, and that but a
small part Of the story had been told, the fact
being that the Atlantic had been wrecked on
Meagher's rock, near Prospect, % miles west
of Halifax, and out of about 1000 souls on
board $50 were lost. Need we say that the
terrible announcement created
~ PROFOUND FEELING OF HORROR
throughout the community.
Having ascertained that one mar from the
wrecked ship had arrived in town q reporter
went in search Of him. He proved to be Mr..
Brady, the third officer of the Atlantic, bruised
and worn out, and almost speechless sitter the
terrible events of the morning. Nevertheless
he cheerfully gave such information as he
could. The Atlantic, Brady said, left Liver
pool on Thursday, March 20, forNew York, and
touched at Queenstown the next day toreceive
the mails and passengers, after which she
started on her voyage across the ocean. She
had a f6ll cargoof general merchandise and a
very large number Of passengers. ~Bradycould
not give the number, but thought there were
more than 800 in the steerage and about 80 in
the cabin. These, with her crew, would
probably make the total not less than ], 900
souls. She was commanded by Capt. James
Agnew Williams, oIa..t.dv5 s:ta.f
ROUGH WEATHER
was experienced, but nothing worthy Of note
occurred until noon OF Monday, the als,
when coal being short, Capt. Williams re-
solved to put into Halifax for a supply Of coal.
The captain and Mr.. Brady had the night
watch. mp to. midnight, and they were re-
iieyed by the chief and fourth officer.
At that time they judged that sambro
light then bore N. N. W. thirty-nine miles.
The sea vas .ropghsapd the night dark. The
chief and fourth officers having taken charge,
brady went below and turned into his berth.
The captain at the same time went 10 his room
to lie DOWN. whak occurred between midnight
and Q O'Clock; the time of the disaster, Brady
cannot tell, as he was sleeping. He was awak-
THROWN OUT OF HIS BUNK
by the shock when the steamer struck. She
struck heavily three or four times. Brady ran
up to the deck and found it full OF passengers.
He found an Ak, and with it commenced to
clear away the starboard Ife-boat. He OBJ
served that the captain and other officers were
engaged in clearing the other boats. Brady
succeeded in getting the life-boat out. This
was ,
FL THE ONLY BOAT LAUNCHED, 2
and it had no sooner touched the water than Q
crowd made a rush to get into it. Brady had
to use force 70 proven. them crovdiny in. He
put two women and about q dozen men into
1t, and also got himself in. just then the
steamer fell over and sank The poat. with its
living freight, was .
CARRIED DOW WITH THE STEAMER,
and all In 1t were drowned, except Brady.
The hull Of tho steamer became almost
wholly submerged, and only the bow and
maats remained above water. The greater
part Of the, passengers were in their rooms
below at tho time, and were immediately
drowned. Indeed, so soon after the striking
did the steamer sink, that many OF the passen-
gers were no doubt sleeping peacefully, in
blissful ignorance OF all that was going ON
around them, and
PASSED INFO ETgsxIrr lwITnour ~AtsrBuaoLE.
or those on deck, numbering several hun
dred, many were washed overheard when the
ship fell over, and their cries for help a. they
struggled in vain for life we're most heartrend-
ing. Many had taken refuge in the rigging
and on tho bow, and were still living, but with
the prospect Of almost certain death before
them; for they knew not where they were, and
were ii m~omentary expectation of the ship
sinking further and enguling them all. Even
as they were clinging in desperation to the
rigging, while the sea was washing them con-
t~innally, their situation was most trying, and
every few minutes ZONE Of them, benumbed
blythe cold and exhausted from their struggles,
loosed their hold and persisted. ~i
4ID THE CHARACTER or THE vPaspr