Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-04-10
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
FOREIGN


A decree has been poblished by the Span
ish Government, ordering elections Tor the
Constituent Cortes.
The Republic was declared for by meet
ing of English workingmen held at Sheffield,
q few days ago.
NJ. Felix Pyat, an ex-Communist, has been
sentenced to death by a court-martlal sitting
at Versailles.
Adyices from Barcelona, in Spain, show
that the partisans of Don Carlos in that Vi
cinity are rapidly gaining strength. They
recently captured the town of Berga, place
of considerable Importance from strategic
point of view, taking about five hundred
prisoners At other places in that neighbor-
hood they are reported to have gained some
advantages.
Senora Olozaga has resigned as Spanish
Minister at Paris, because he disapproved OF
the insufficiently conservative policy pur-
sued by the Spanish Government.
Spanish advices of the 31st announce the
burning by the Carlists of the captured
town OF Berga, who, before applying the
torch, saturated number of buildings with
petroleum. The town contained hospital
and several converts, and had over 5000
population. The news created great ex-
element in Barcelona, and reprisals were
threatened against the clergy and known
Carlist sympathzers. Ten thousand armed
citizens maintain order in the city of Malaga,
but refuse to admit regular troops or Gov
eminent customs officers, nor will they allow
vessels containing soldiers to other points to
remain in the port. They provide for their
expenses by taxing the wealthy residents.
The steamship Atlantic, of the White Star
line, Captain Williams, from Liverpool,
March 20, for New York, running short of
coal on the 31st, made for Halifax. When
about twenty miles from that port, off Cape
Prospect, at $50 O'Clock on the morning of
the LIST, she ran ashore on Meagher's Rock,
becoming total wreck. She had on board
over 1000 men, women and children, of
whom only $50 succeeded in landing. The
remainder, including all the women and
children, were lost. The captain and third
officer We're saved. The first officer was
drowned. The following account of the
disaster is given by the third officer, Brady.
He says: The Atlantic left Liverpool on the
Goth of March with upward Of 900 steerage
passengers and about 80 cabin passengers.
The stea amer experienced boisterous weather
during the passage, but all went we'll until
noon On Monday, the 31st, when the supply
of coal became nearly exhausted, and the
captain determined to put into Halifax The
position was then judged to be Sombro
light, bearing n. n. W., 80 miles. At about
midnight the captain went into his chart
lars RI hn lad her
was any change in the vessels position.
Brady went to bed about the same time as
the captain. The next thing that he re-
members is that he was thrown out of his
bunk, and heard the ship strike sew
eral times. He then rushed on
deck, and found the captain
and officers there, and the deck full of pas
sengers. He got an oar, and commenced to
clear away boat. The captain and other
officers were busy doing the same thing.
Brady got one boat out and put two women
in it, A number of men attempted to get
into it, and about dozen succeeded. just
at this moment the steamer fell over on her
beam ends and sank Only one boat had
been out, and that was carried down by the
steamer, and all on it were lost Brady
was above water, and seeing that he could
do nothing there, he then went forward and
removed the halliards, being assisted by
Quartermasters Spearman and Owen. Brady
then took the halliards, and all three swan
to the rock, and then a line was hauled
ashore and number of passengers landed
by it. \ number had got on the rock, but
the tide was rising, and their position was
no better than on the vessel Just then fish
ermen On the shore came out in boats. Those
on the rock and large number from the rig
ging were taken off. Brady remained at the
scene till noon, 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 crew to 20 to the rescue Of
Firth, but the sea was so heavy that no.
body would volunteer. Altogether about
$50 persons were saved, including Capt,
Williams, the fourth officer, Mr.. Brown, and
several of the engineers and sailors. Not a
single woman or child was saved, most of
them, as well as hundreds of men, being
drowned in their berths. On the first receipt
of the news of the disaster, Cunard and
government steamer started from Halifax to
the assistance of the Atlantic, but too late,
it was feared, to do any good, as the vessel
and cargo were total wreck. All the peo-
pie saved from the wreck, with the excep-
ton of Brady, were taken to Prospect, where
the fishermen gave them all the attention
they possibly could.
The populace of Barcelona, Spain, en-
ragged at the burning of the Berga, and SINH
lar acts of the Carlists, have attacked sew
eral Catholic churches, doing much dam
age.
NJ. Grevy, on the I'd, resigned the Presi-
dency of the French Assembly, was again
reelected by vote of $40 against Isl, but
1t was thought would peremptorily decline
to accept the position.
Captain Williams, of the lost steamship
Atlantic, states that the number of passen-
gers on the Inflated vessel was about as fol-
lows: Cabin, SO; steerage, 500; besides the
officers and crew, numbering 143-makiHg a
total of 976 souls on board. He puts the
number lost at SAC. The names of the cabin
passengers lost are as follows: Cyrus NJ
Fisher and wife, Vermont; Miss Brodie and
Miss Barker, Chicago;J. Fl. Price, Isl Broad
way, New York; Mr.. Kruger, 81 Exchange
Place, New York; Albert Sumner, San Fran
cisco; Henry T. Hewitt, of w. j. Best & Co.,
AS Broome street, New York; Mr.. Merritt
and wife. New York; Miss Scrymser and
Miss Merritt, New York; Mr.. j. Davidson
and daughter, London; w. B. Wellington,