Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-04-18
The Wreck of the steamer Atlantic.

1
1--WE sailed from Liverpool March 90.
| Ouring the first part Of the passage we
mad favorable weather and easterly winds.
| in the oath, 25th and 26th we experienced
neavy southwest and westerly gales, which
| brought the ship down to one hundred
and eighteen miles a day. On the 81st of
March the engineers report showed but
about one hundred and twenty-seven tons
of coal on board. We were then four hun
dred and sixty miles east of Sandy Hook,
with the wind southwest and high wes-
terly swell and falling barometer, the ship
steaming only eight knots per hour. We
considered the risk too great to push on,
as we might find ourselves, in the event of
gale, shut out from any port of supply, !
and so decided TO bear up for Halifax. AT
one p. IN. on the 31st Sambro Island was
distant one hundred and seventy miles, the |
ships speed varying from eight to twelve |
knots per hour, wind south, with rain, |
which veered to westward at eight D. M,
with clear weather. AT midnight | judg- |
ed the ship to have made one hundred and |
| twenty-five miles, which would place her |
| forty-eight miles south of Sambro and |
then left the deck and went into the chart |
room, leaving orders about the lookout |
and to let me know If they saw anything, |
| and call me at three a. M, intending then |
| to put the ships head to the southward |
and await daylight. My first intimation |
of the catastrophe was the striking OF the |
ship on Meagher's Island and remaining |
there fast The sea Immediately swept |
away all the port boats. The officers |
went to their stations and |
commenced clearing away the weather |
boats Rockets were fired by the second |
officer. Before the boats could be clear |
ed, only ten minutes having elapsed the |
ship keeled heavily to port rendering the |
starboard boats useless. Seeing that no |
help could be got from the boats, l got |
the passengers into the rigging and out |
side rails, and encouraged them to GO for |
ward where the ship was highest and less |
exposed to the water. The third officer, |
Mr.. Brady and Quartermasters Owens |
and Speakman, by this time having es-
| tablished communication with the out |
going rock about forty yards distant by |
means of line, got four other lines to |
the rock, along which about two hundred |
people passed Between the rock and the |
shore was a passage one hundred yards |
wide. A rope was successfully passed |
across this, by which means about fifty got |
| to land, though many more were drowned |
in the attempt At five a. m. the first |
boat appeared from the leland, but she |
was too small to be of any assistance |
third officer, the islanders were aroused, |
and by them three larger boats came to |
our assistance. BY their efforts all that |
remained on the side of the ship and ON |
the rock were landed in safety, and cared |
for by fisherman named Clancy and his |
daughter. During the day survivors to |
the number of four hundred and twenty |
nine were drafted off to various houses |
scattered about, the resident magistrate, |
Edmund Ryan, rendering valuable assist |
ance. The chief officer having got up |
the mizzen rigging, the sea cut off his re- |
treat. 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. m. a Clergyman, the |
Rev. Mr. Ancient, succeeded In getting |
him line and getting him off. Many OF
the passengers, saloon and steerage, died |
in the rigging from cold. Among the |
number was the purser of the ship. Be |
fore the boats went out placed two ladies |
in the life boat, but finding the boat use
less | carried them to the main rigging |
where | left them, and went aft to en- |
courage others to go forward on the side |
of the ship. At this juncture the boilers
exploded and the boat rolled over to lee |
ward, the ship at this time being off her |
beam-ends. Finding myself useless there |
| went to take the ladies forward, but |
found them gone, nor did see them after |
ward. Many passengers at this time could |
not be stimulated toOhny effort TO save |
themselves, but lay in the rigging and died |
from fright and exposure. | remained on |
the side encouraging, helping and direct |
ing 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 to her, and embarked |
the remainder. On reaching the shore | |
dispatched the. third officer to Halifax,
across the country, to telegraph the news
of the disaster, and to obtain assistance.
Mr.. Morrow, the Cunard line agent,
promptly responded, and sent two steamers |
with provisions to convey survivors to |
Halifax, where they will be cared for and |
forwarded TO New York the first oppor-
tunity in charge of the first and fourth |
officers, the third officer and four men |
being left at the island TO care for the |
dead as they come ashore"
John Faxley, chief engineer, says:
"a great number Of passengers were
drowned while going from the vessel by |
rope to the rock. The cold was so intense |
that some of them, being benumbed, were
unable to hold on to the rope, and they let |
go, and we were unable to render them any
assistance. The rock that we were on is |
covered with seaweed, which made it very
dangerous to stand upon, and the edges of |
the rock were round All on the rock with
ourselves being soaking wet and cold,
were unable TO render any assistance to
those who were in the greatest of peril. A
number of them were washed uff the wreck
and drowned, and a number who were try
ing to get from the rock to the island by
line were also washed from it and drowned. |
We could see people falling from the ships |
side and rigging. Several persons who |
became completely exhausted lay down |
on the rock and died "
FaXley, who remained on the rock for |
several hours assisting passengers to land |
from the ship, says it was extremely har-
rowing to behold the suffering of the un-
fortunate creatures even after they were |
rescued. Many of them became insane,
frothed at the mouth, and toppled off the !
rock into the water and were drowned, |
while others were so chilled and exhausted |
with the cold that they lay down and |
died They would wander about, incapa-
BILE almost of helping themselves, and |
perish. Some died after they had been |
taken to the mainland. All the passengers |
speak in the highest terms of the gallant
conduct of the third officer and first en-
gineer in particular, who remained on the |
wreck for hours assisting the passengers |
to reach the rock. Two lady passengers |
came on deck in great excitement, and |
were standing near the wheelhouse; they |
hesi;ated a moment as if panic-stricken,
and returned to the companion-way as If |
looking for something, then came out and |
endeavored TO reach the forward part of |
the ship, where the passengers were sent
ashore on lines. AT that moment huge |
wave sweptover the ships quarter; the men
clinging to the rigging, heard two heart
rending shrieks, and when they looked |
again the women had disappeared.
A BOYS FRANTIC STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
The little fellow, the only child saved |
from the wreck, ran upon deck with
was given, His parents and other men,
bers of his family were still below, and |
evidently nerished when the shin filled |