The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-04-04

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in iceberg we had struck, but immediate
ly aiterward the ship began to hcave or
plunge, and after three or four plunges
settled, and the water seemed TO be rush
ing in. Believing that our safety depend.
on our being on the side oil the vessel
nearest land, ! rushed to the side and
caught hold of the rigging. Then the
ship began 10 turn over gradually on her
side. got on the side Of the ship and
caught hold Of q rope. l then heard 0
dismal wall, which was fearful to listen
to. Itproceeded from the steerage pass
engers below, who were then smother
ing. It did not last more than two min
utes, when all was still as death"
John Taxley, chief engineer, says .
great number ofpasseDgers were drowned
while going from the vessel by the rope
to the rock. The cold was so intense that
some Of them, being benumbed, were una
bic to hold on to the rope and they letgo
and we were unable 10 render them any
assistance. The rock that we were on
was covered with sea weed, which made
1t very dangerous to stand upon, and the
edges ofthe 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 greatest OF peril.
A number OF them were washed oil the
wreck and drowned, and number who
were trying TO get from the rock to the
island by a line were also washed from 1t
and drowned. We could see people fall
ing from the ships side and rigging. Sew
erQl persons who became completely ex-
hausted lay down on the rock and died.
A BOYS FRANTIC STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.
The little fellow, the only child saved
from the wreck, ran upon the deck with
the stream of passengers when the arst
alarm was given. His parents and other
members OF his family were still below,
and evidently persisted when the ship
filled and fell over on her side. Hustled
about among that struggling mass OF ex-
cited humanity, the piteous screams OF the
poor little fellow went to the stoutest
heart &c had leaped upon the back oil
one Of the men In the hope Of saving him
self, but In that fearful crisis, when every
body was intent upon saving themselves,
few paid attention to the walls OF the boy,
and the man upon whose back he was
Clinglng, as If for bare lie, made several
Intellectual attempts to shake the boy OIL.
The cries oI'the boy at last attracted the
captain, who, perCelving the tenacious
manner In which he was struggling Tor
We, called out to the men who were sur
rounding the lines that led 10 the rock
and safety to endeaVor if possible to save
the boy, and the Door little fellow was i'm
mediately passed over the heads OF the
struggling mass Of beings and placed In
the boat. The men who were eXerting
themselves TO save their own and other
lives, wept almost for joy as the saw the
brave little lad safely landed on shore.
NARROWING sUFFERINGs OF PASSENGERS.
Foxley, chief engineer, who remained
on the rock for several hours assisting
passengers to land from the ship, says 1t
was extremely narrowing to behold the
suderings OF the unfortunate 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 cold
that they laid down and died. They
would wander about incapable almost Of
helping themselves, and perish. Some
died after they had been taken to the
main land. All the passengers speak in
the highest terms Of tho gallant conduct
of the third officer, and the first engineer,
in particular, who remained on the
wreck for hours assisting passengers to
reach the rock.
ANOTHER INCIDENT.
Two lady cabin passengers came on
deck in the excitement, and were stand
ing near the wheel house. They hes:
itated q moment, as II panic'strlcken, and
returned into tho companion way, as II
looking for something. They then came
out and endeavored to reach the forward
part Of the ship, where the passengers
were sent ashore on lines. At that mo-
mcrt huge wave swept over the ships
quarter. The men clinging to the rig
giug heard two heart rending shrieks,
and when they looked again the women
had disappeared.
PASSENGERS PARALYzED WITH FEAR.
These are only few Of the terrible in
Cldents oil that terrible wreck. Young
men as we'll as old became paraliZed, and
as they chung to the rigging and to tho
side OF tho vessel they seemed bcrett OF
all reason. When spoken to by others to
make some effort to reach the boat and
save themselves, they would roll their
eyes in their heads, stare vaCantly at the
speakers, and ask them in whining tone,
"What bOat?" Many, again, who were
reused out of their berths, had scarce
time to put their clothes on, and reached
tho deck TO perish with cold. One cabin
passenger, q young man, came up with
only q vest on. He chung to the ships
side as long as no was able, and finally
rolled of into the sea frozen to death.
INTERVIEW WITH CAPT. WILLIAMS.
The following Is the substance Of an
interview between reporter and Capt.
Williams, Of the Atlantic:
Reporter-To what cause do you as
cribe the disasterH
CaptOin-I can hardly say, unless It
was because we had Overrun our distance.
l thought We were going about eleven
knots, but the speed must have been
greater, or We could never have got 80
lar out OF our course.
The Captain was serious and composed,
yet at intervals when some particularly
narrowing incident was being mentioned
he broke down and seemed overwhelmed
with sorrow. Once he said to the repor-
ter: ITO think that while hundreds Of
men were saved, every woman should
have persisted. It's terrible. II l had
been able to save even one woman could
bear the disaster, but to loose all, its ter.
rible." He seemed to fully realize that
the world would hold him TO strict &C.
count for the disaster, and that whether
he was blamelesS or culpable, he, would
be by many held responsible.
HERoIsM OF THE WOMEN.
The ladies behaved with the utmost
haFnism. Not ono cry was heard from