Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-04-10

Il A0uokSQ dUo lily Live,
Lost ~ Men. Women and
Children Drowned in theil
Berths Complete Details o.
the Disaster. = @
HALIFAx,N. S., April 1.-The Whit
Star steamer Atlantic, Captain William.
from Liverpool for New York, whil'
coming into this port for coal, struck OF
Meagher Rock, near Prospect, twenty.
two miles west OF Halifax, and became q
total wreck. OF thousand souls on
board upward of seven hundred were
drowned, Has,. l.,...-..t t.ttf.
The following is the Chronicles re-
port of the disaster:
1t is our painful. duty this morning
to record the most tearihle disaster that
has ever occurred on our coast-the loss
of the great ocean steamship, with about
seven hundred and fifty lives, yesterday
afternoon. A report became current
that a steamer had been wreck
ed somewhere on the coast and one or
two lives lost. The report was regarded
as one of the eunards put afioat on All
FOOLS Day and little regard was paid
to it. Soon the report became more de-
finite, and 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 pub
lie were inclined to regard the story as
a malicious hoax. A little later, however
it became known thae but a small part
Of the truth had been told the fact being
that the Atlantic had been wrecked on
Meagher's Rock near Prospect, twenty
two miles west of Halifax, and out OF
about one thousand souls on board seven
hundred and fifty were lost. Need we
say that the terrible announcement
created a profound feeling OF horror
throughout the community? Having
aseertained that one man from the
wrecked ship had arrived In town, a re-
porter went in search of him. lie prov
ed to to Mr.. Brady, the third officer of
the Atlantic. Bruised and worn out,
almost speechless, and the terrible event
of the morning, nevertheless he cheer
fully gave snch informatian as he could.
The Atlantic, Brady said, left Liverpool
Thursday, March Goth, for New York and
touched at Queenstown next day to re-
ceive mails and passengers after which
she started on her voyage across the
ocean. She had full cargo of mer-
chandise and very large number of
passengers. Brady could not give the
number, bur thought there. were more
than eight hundred steerage and about
fifty cabin. These, with her crew, would
make the total not less than one thou
sand souls. She was commanded by
Captain James Agnew Williams. Rough
weather was experienced, but nothing
worthy of note occurred until noon of
Monday the 31st. when the coal being
short Captain Williams resolved to put
into Halifax for a supply of coal. The
Captain and Brady had the night watch
up to midnight, when they were reliev-
by the cheif and fourth officer. At that
time they judged that the Sambo light
then bore north-northwest thirty-nine
miles. The sea was rough and the night
dark. The chief and fourth officers
having taken charge, Brady went be-
low and turned into his berth, The cap
tain at the same time went to his room
to lie down. What occurred between
midnight and two o'clock, the time of
the disaster. Brady cannot tell, as he
was sleeping and was walked and 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 life boat.
He observed that the captain and other
officers were engaged in clearing the
other boats. Brady succeeded in get
ting his life boat ont. This was the on.
ly boat launched, and it had no sooner
touched the water than crowd made a
rush to get into it. Brady had to use
force to prevent them crowding. He
put two women and about dozen men
into it and also himself. Just then
the steamer Sell over and sank. The
boat with its living freight was carried
down with the st,amer, and all IN 1t
were drowned except Brady. The hull
of the steamer became almost wholly
submerged, and only the bow and masts
remained above water. The greater
part of the passengers were in their
rooms below at the time and Immediately
were drowned. Indeed, SO soon after
striking did the steamer sink, hat many
of the passengers were no doubt sleep
ing peacefully in blissful ignorance OF
all that was going OF around them, and
passing into eternity without a struggle
of those on deck, numbered several hun
dred many were washed overheard
when the ship fell over, and their cries
for help as they..struggled IN vain for
life,was NEST heartrending. Many had
taken refuge In the rigging and on the
bow and we're still living, but with the
prospect of almost certain death be-
fore them, for they knew not where
they were and were in momentary ex-
pectation of the ship sinking further
and engulflng them all even as they
were clmging in desperation to the rig
ging while the sea was washing them
continually. Their situation was most
trying and every few minutes some of