Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-04-17
WRECK OF THE ATLANTIC,

ANXIOUS 10 OBTAIN view of the ship below
Inc water, the Herald correspondent poured 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
interior of the wreck The waters were clear
and every object plainly visible around the
snip where she lay on the reef. The immense
nun lies well down on the port side, which is
broken in several places from contact with the
reel. Fish are swimming around eagerly de-
vouring the particles Of food which are to be
picked up. Picking my way towards the hull,
/ catch hold Of rope, and scramble up the
deck. The place where have descended is
where the ship parted, and sectional view of
the hull and cargo is obtained. The forward
hatch Is open, and peer down into the hold.
"oh what spectacle Is presented, The
cargo has broken bulk and lays heaped up In a
confused mass bodies of men and women,
bruised and torn, were jammed among the
cases and crates. 1t is horrible sight to look
upon; ana the magnifying power Of the orbs
through which gaze upon it renders it all the
more horrible. Fish swim in and out among
the dead 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 ofthe waters, which, when agitat-
ed, drive against the ugly pieces of the broken
hull that stick up here and render my move
ments veiy hazardous. Having seen enough
| OF this part of the sudden horror, proceed to-
wards one of
"THE sTEERAGE CABINS,
the one where all the women and children were
drowned as they lay in their hunks. Scram-
bling along the deck, guided by the rope from
above, and assisted by one of the divers who
has undertaken TO conduct Inc through the
wreck, L reach the eoinpanion-way. If the
SIGHT III the hold among the cargo was horrible
the one that now met my gaze was ten times
more 50.
There, lying in all immense heap, were a
hundred Or more bodies. They looked for all
he world As il they were alive, with arms dis.
located, eyes staring wildly, faces grnning as il
were at You and moving backward and forward
WITH the indercu;rent; some were dressed many
malt nude. Children were clinging to theil
| wives ard seeming as if they met 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 my eve.
and motioned TO my conductor my readiness t.
| leave. have seen enough in that charne
| house, the Recollection of which will neye
fade. My conductor motioned me towards tn,
steerage cabin, where the men were by them
selves, and where thore was such a rush for thu
complimentary. Peering down into that cabiI
| l saw singular picture Of death. Bodies O
stalwait men old and young, were hustled TO
gether ON the stairway, giving from their dis
tended ncstiils, gaping mouths and starini
| CLASSY cyes-some conception of the telTo
which seized them as they vainly struggled (,
reach the deck, but they We're prevented by the
waves which swept over the ship as she heee,
over and filled the cabin. From another par
of the vessel obtained view of
''THE SLEEPING ABATEMENT,
"liere, piled up in heaps on the port side
were numbers of bodies of men, and strewI
among them bed clothing Of one kind and an
other. From continual knocking against tn
stanchrons and sharp, jagged woodwork which
is spntered and broken from the Innings oftb
hunks, the faces and limbs of these dead ar,
more gllastly than any have ever seen. I'm
agination cannot picture anything more terri
Bile than what was in this compartment. Th,
flesh is torn from the faces ofmany off the dead
Others again are bruised and battered abou
their heads and faces, which are red and bloody
| and in striking contrast to the pale, liyid fea
| lures OF others, which the action of the water
has not disturbed.
While l stand here another of the divers de
| sends and commences to send up some of thu
bodies. He, however, is more intent upon Sc
! curing the cargo than sending up the bodies
and only does so now TO gain access to I'M,
boxes and trunks which lying beneath them
Having seen enough Of the horrors beneath TIN
| water on that fatal rcef-horrors of the deel
| which will never he erased from my vision
| decided TO go above, and motioned according
ly to the men who were above in the boat, AM
pumping down to me the necessary supply O
air to sustain life. In few minutes / wa
once more at the surface gazing upon the ligh
OF heaven and experiencing sensation of re
lief at having left the chambers of death in the
cabins Ofthe Inflated Atlantic"