Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-04-03
The Steamship Atlantic
Wrecked off Cape
Prospect.
Hundreds Of Passengers
Drowned --offlcers'
Repol Z
ATerrIflc Tornado . WeePinS
.over Tennessee a. ny
Maine.
Houses, Fences, Trees, am
Other Property Destroyed.
FOREIGN.

The steamboat Atlantic, of the
White Star Line, from Liverpool on
March 20, for New York, running
short of coal, made for Halifax, when
about 20 miles from that port, of Cape
Prospect at 80 o'clock this morning
she ran ashore on Meagher's Head.
She had on board over 1000 men wo-
men and children, OF whom only $50
succeeded in landing. The remainder,
including oil the women and children
were lost. The captain and Sd officer
were saved the first officer was lost.
On first receipt of news of the, disas-
ter, Cnnard and Government steam
er went to the assistance of the Attain
tic, but the Sd officer who arrived here
at 5 80 p. M, says that both the vessel
and its cargo were a total wreck.
The third officer, Brady, says that
the vessel experienced boisterous
weather during the passage, but all
went well until Monday noon, when
the supply of coal became nearly ex-
hausted. The Captain determined to
put into Halifax. The Captain and
third officer remained on deck until
midnight; the Captain then went into
his chart room, leaving orders to be
called If there was any change in the
vessels position. Brady went to bed
ct about the same time the Captain did
The next thing that he remembers is,
that he was thrown outaf his bunk
and heard the ship strike several times.
He then rushed on deck and foun1 the
Captain and officers there and the deck
full ofpassengers. He got an Ak and
commenced to clear away about the
cabin, and the other officers were busy
doing the same thing. Brady got this
boat out and put two women into it.
A number of men attempted to get in
it, and abouta dozen succeeded. just
at this moment the steamer fell over
on her beam ends. Only one boat had
been out and that was carried down by
the steamer and all in 1t were lost. Bra
dy scrambled into the mizzen rigging,
which was above water, and seeing
that he could do nothing there, he then
liards, being assisted by the quarter
masters spcarman and Gwen. Brady
then took the halliards, and all three
swan to rock, and then q line was
hauled ashore, and number of pass
engers landed by it. A number had
got on the rock, but as the tide was ris-
ing their position was no better than
ON the vessel. just then the fishermen
on shore came out in boats, and rescu-
ed those on the rock and large num-
Der from the rigging. Brady remained
at the scene of the disaster up to noon
to-day, when all who were ON board
who were alive had been taken from
the wreck, except the chief officer, Mr..
Firth, who was in the rigging shouting
for help. Brady says he tried to get
the crew to 60 and rescue Firth, but
the sea was SO heavy that nobody
would 60.
Altogether, about $50 persons were
saved, including Captain Williams and
the 4th officer, Mr.. Brown. The form
er, and several of the engineers and
sailors were saved. Not woman or
child was saved, most of them, as also
did hundreds of mon, being drowned
in their berths. The steamer struck
about two o'clock this morning, the
weather at the time was dark but not
thick, and the sea rough. Steamers are
going down tonight to render what
assistance they can. All the people
saved from the wreck, except Brady,
are still at Prospect, where the Asher-
men are rendering them all the atten-
ton they possibly can.