The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-04-02
Terrible Disaster at Sea


Terrible Disaster at Sen
Steamship Atlantic Lost of Halifax.
| Over Seven Hundred Lives Lost.
J Heartrendiug Scenes and Incidents.
Vessel and Cargo a Total Loss.
HALIFAX, April 1.-The White Star
steamer Atlantic, Captain Williams, from
Liverpool for New York, while coming
into this port Tor coal, struck on Meghers
rock near Prospect, % miles west OF Hal
lux and became o total wreck. OF about
1000 souls on board upwards Of 700
were drowned. The third officer,
Brady, arrived in this city this
evening. He says that the Atlantic left
Liverpool on the Goth of March with up.
wards Of nine hundred steerage passen.
gers and about fifty cabin passengers.
The steamer experienced boisterous
weather during the passage, but all went
|
when the supply OF coal became nearly
exhausted. The Captain determined to
put into Halifax. The Captain and Third
4 Officer were on deck until midnight.
The position was then judged to be
Sambro Light, bearing N. N. W. 80 miles.
The Captain then went into his chart
room, leaving orders to bo called II there
was any change in the vessels position.
Brady went 10 bed about the same time
as the Captain. The next thing that lie
remembers Is that he was thrown out Of
his bunk, and he felt the ship strike sev-
eral times. He then rushed on deck and
found the Captain and officers there, and
the deck full Of passengers. He got an
ak and commenced to clear away a boat.
The Captain and other officers were busy
doing the same thing. Brady got his boat
out and put two women in 1t, and mum.
Der Of men attempted TO get into 1t and
about dozen succeeded. Just at that
moment the steamer fell over on her
be Am ends and sank. Only one boat had
been got out, and that was carried down
by the steamer and all In 1t were lost.
: Brady scrambled into the mizzen rig.
giug, which was above the water and see'
| Ing that he could do nothing there be then
went forward and removed the halliards
being assisted by quarter.masters Speak
man and Owen. Brady then took the
halliGrds and all three swan TO the rock,
and then line was hauled ashore and q
number oI the passengers landed bylt. A
number had got on the rock but as the
tide was rising their positions was no bet.
fer than the vessel. Just then some fish.
ermen on shore came out in boats and
rescued those on the rocks, and a large
number from tho rigging. Brady re-
mained at the scene until noon to-day,
when all who were alive on board had
been taken from the wreck, except the
chief officer, Mr.. Firth, who was in the
rigging shouting for help. Brady says
he tried to get the crew 10 go to the
rescue Of Firth, but the sea was so heavy
tbst nobody would volunteer. Altogether
about 250 persons were saved, including
Captain Williams, q fourth officer, MIR.
Brown, tho doctor, and several oi the
engineers and sailors. Not woman or
child was saved, most Of them, as well as
hundreds Of men being drowned
In their berths. The steamer struck
at about two o'clock this morning.
The weather at the time was dark but not
thick and the sea rough. Steamers are
going down tonight 70 render What as
sistance they can. All the people saved
from the wreck, with the exception OF
Brady, are still at Prospect, where the
fishermen are giving them all the atten'
tion they possibly can.
1ATRn AND FULLER ACCOUNT,
The following Is the Chronicles report
OF the disaster: II Is our painful duty TINS
morning, to record the most terrible
marine disaster that has ever occurred on
our coast. Tho loss Of great ocean
steamship with about 750 lives. Yester-
day afternoon report became current
that A steamer had been wrecked some
where on the coast and one or two lives
lost. The report was regarded as one
of the canards put afloat on all Tools day,
and little regard was paid to 1t. AS soon
as the report became more definite and we
knew 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 a malicious hoax. A little later
however 1t became known that the re-
port was well founded, and that but q
small part OF the truth had been told,
the TACT being that the Atlantic had
been wrecked on Meahers rock
near Prospect, twenty-five miles west
of Halifax, and out Of about 1,OOO
souls on board, 750 were lost. Need we
saw that tho terrible announcement crea-
ted a profound feeling OF horror through
out the community.
Having ascertained that one man from
the wrecked ship had arrived in town, o
reporter went IN search OF him. be
proved to be Mr., Brady, the third officer
Of the Atlantic, bruised, worn out and al.
most ecchless after the terrible events Of
. the morning. Nevertheless, he cheer
Cullv gave such information as he could
The Atlantic, he said, left Liverpool on
March Goth ior New York. Touched at
Queenstown next day TO receive mails
and passengers, after which she started on
her voyage acres tho ocean. She had q
fulI cargo Of merchandise and very large
number of passengers. Brady could not
give the precise number, but thought
there were more than eight hundred IN
the steeFage and about fifty In the cabin.
Thee with her crew would probably
make q total number Of not less than
one thousand souls. She was command
ed by Capt. Jas. Williams. Rough weather
was experienced, but nothing worthy ol
motto occurred until noon on Monday, 3lSt,
J when, coal being short, Captain Williams
: resolved to put into Halifax for supply.
The Captain and Mr.. Brady had night
watch up TO midnight, when they were
relieved by tho chief and fourth officers.
: At that timc they Judged that the