Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-04-03
The Wreck sf the Atlantic-statezaent by the
Ennfnln

The Wreck sf the Atlantic-stateH Haent by the
Captain.
The statement made by Captain williams, Of
| the wrecked steamship furnishes the most i'm
portant details yet received Of the wreck of the
Atlantic. He says;-
At one P. M. on the 31st Sambro Island was
distant 40 miles. the ships speed varying from
eight to twelve knots per hour, wind south, with
rain, which veered to westward at eight p. M.
with clear weather. At midnight 1 judged the
ship to have made 122 miles. which would place
her 48 miles south of Salnbro, and then left the
deck and went into the chart room, leaving Or
ders about the lookout and to let me know il
they saw anything, and to call me at three A. NJ
intnedingthen to put the ships head to south
ward and wait daylight
My first intimAtion of the catastrophe was the
striking OF the ship on Marr's Island and remain
ing there fast The sea Immediately swept away
ali the port boats The officers went TO their
stations and commenced clearing away the waa-
ther boats. Rockets were fred by the second
officer. Before the boats could be cleared. only
ten minutes having elapsed, the ship keeled
heavily to port, rendering the starboard boats
useless.
Seeing no help could be got from the boats
got the passengers into the rigging and outside
rails, and encouraged them to go forward, where
the ship was highest aud less exposed to water.
The third officer Mr.. Brady, and Quartermasters
Owens and Speakman, by this time having es-
tablished communication with the outlying rock
about forty yards distant, by means Of line,
about 400 people passed. Between the rock and
the shore was a passage one hundred yards in
width. A rope was successfully passed across
this, by which means about fifty got to land,
though many were drowned in tha attempt.
At five A. NJ the first boat appeared from the
island, but she was too small to be OF any assist
ance. Through the exertions of Mr.. Brady, the
islanders were aroused and by six A. M. three
larger boats came to our assistance. By their
efforts all that remained on the side of the ship
aud on the rock we're landed in safety, and cared
for by poor fisherman named Clancy, and his
daughter. During the day survivors to the
number Of 429 we're drafted off to various hous-
es scattered about, the resident magistrate. Ed
mund Ryan, rendering valuable assistance.
The chief officer having got up the mizzen
rigging, the sea cut of his retreat. He stood
for six hours by woman who had been placed
in the rigging. The sea was too high to attempt
his rescue.
At three P. NJ. a clergyman, Rev. Mr.. Ancient
succeeded in getting him line and getting him
on. Many OF tho passengers saloon and steer
age, died In the rigging from cold. Among the
number was the purser of the ship placed
two ladies in hfe-boat, but hnding the boat
useless carried them to the main rigging. / left
them, and went aft to encourage others to 60
forward on the side OF the ship.
At this juncture the boilers exploded and the
boat rolled over to eeward, the ship at this time
being on her beam ends. Finding myself use
less there, went to take the ladies' forward but
found them gone, nor did see them afterward.
Many passengers at this time could not be stm-
ulated to any attempt to save themselves, but
lay in the rigging aud died from fright and OK
posure.
remained on the side encouraging helping
and directing until about fifteen were landed,
when finding that my hands and legs were be-
coming useless l left the ship. Two other boats
being close by embarked the remainder.