Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-04-11
cred and added considerably to their
sIffarino When I had sufficiently ra-

cred and added considerably to their
suffering. When had sufficiently re-
covered to look around me saw lying
at my feet Mr.. John Price, a very fine
fellow, and, I believe resident of
New York. [ tried to stir him, think
ing he was exhausted or had given up
all hope of rescue, but found on fur
Their examination that he was dead.
The next lurcll of the vessel sent his
body over the side, and thus another
of nay friends disappeared. You gen.
tlemen Of New York. who only know
of this terrible disaster by reading of
it cannot imagine the feelings of the
survivors on board as they gazed at
the terrible reality on the deck. There
We're no screams of women; no yelling
of men. Every one stood still and
was silent. Those who died made no
noise except as their bodies fell to the
deck. It was now four o'clock, one
hour after the vessel had struck, and
nothing could be heard or seen but.the
men III the rigging and the mournful
whining of the wind. Those who had
thus far survived were almost frozen,
and as no stlecor appeared to be COM
ing one by one the passengers relaxed
their hold and dropped into eternity.
Some who were up on the miZzen-top
as they fell from their positions carried
several of those, beneath them along,
and they. too, were numbered among the
lost. Minute after minute made the
position of the living more precarious,
and believe not soul ON board the
vessel had the faintest hope. At last
rope was fastened to rock some 800
yards distant, and although it was al
most certain death to do SO, everybody
awaited themselves of it. Some were
saved The captain all this time was
very cool. He gave his orders, though
it was difficult feat, to his men, and
there is no doubt his control did much
to save Life. To Officer Brady great
credit is due, and, though it would
have been only human to look out for
personal safety, he worked heroically
to save others. In the rigging of the
vessel he dashed the only steerage wo-
man who reached the deck, that she
| might be saved but the poor woman
| died Of cold, fright and exhaustion.
| and wh~n the first streak OF daylight
| came she was bent and motionless, her
! pitiful sight, but the scenes of the past
tIiACC IiooA 11Ih IN I'LL
| About two hours after tn vessel struck,
Officer Brady, with a number of.others,
was at the left side of the steamer
calling on those above them. to drop
into the sea, and they would be picked
up. This order was obeyed by many
in the rigging, myself among the rest.
Ny limbs were so benumbed with cold
| that was unable to move either up or
! down, and it appeared as though my
! fingers were frozen to the ropes. /,
however, let go my hold, and closing
my eyes let myself fall felt almost
Unconscious as l did it, and in second
knew I was in the sea, but felt in1me-
| diately afterwards the efforts of the
! officers dragging me into the boat. To
| be brief with the Inatter, I at last
| reached shore and then for the first
| time wished that L had persisted with
| the others. am naturally nervous
man and not very rugged, and the
dreadful ordeal had passed through
made me utterly regardless of life"
This finished Mr.. Fick's story of the
scene, and as he appeared to have
fair knowledge of the opinions of the
| cabin passengers i'll regard to the cap
tain, the vessel and the crew, the fol-
lowing questions were asked:
"Who do you think is to blame in
this matter, Mr.. Wick %
I'm the first place the Liverpool
agents, who neglected to supply the
vesselwith her proper amount of coal.
! Ii they had done that there would have
been no cause for any disaster. In the
. second place the captain was to blame
fo~ getting out of his reckoning"
g Is the feeling among the survivors
StrnT,r no no
other officers ="
NO, ] have not heard an unkind
word uttered against either, but against
the Company the feeling is exceedingly
bitter. OF course there has been many
rumors floating about in regard to the
loose way in which things were carried
on. but l give 10 attention to these
matters, as l deem them untrue, and
think them unnecessary to mention. "
do you know if the crew of the At
lantic were all seamen ~
They were not, but a crowd of fell
lows lying around the docks. The
Company discharged all their regular
men before the vessel sailed, and were
forced to take these other fellows in
the absence of the others
- 1t has been rumored in this city
that the captain IS an Incorporate man.
Do you know If the report is true ~
q think it is untrue. To my knowl-
edge the captain scarcely ever in 'ulges
III Intoxicating liquors"
DO you know whether the bodies f
the dead were rihed and valuables
stolen 2"
~ believe they were, but the re-
ports which | read about men and wo-
men having their fingers cut off to
secure rings is exaggerated I don't
think any of the bodies were mutila-
ted