The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-04-07
The wreck Of tho Atlantic.


lLe Atlantic disaster, commenced tO'da,
IN the custom house before Collector /
NJ. Mcdonald and Captain Mcken2a. 1
slipmaster, Shannon and II. Blanchar!
.pncared for tue government, and j. N
Ritchie lor the eCaptain. MCDonaldin open
inc the Court, said that the inquiry woult
have the force Of the English Board Q
Trade inquiry. lie had not received a com
mission from the Court, but had recelv'
ed m official telegram stating that It wa
on It's way, and II all parties would con
sent he would go on, and rely on tn
commission being received In good time
Richie, for the Captain, consented.
blanchard said that unless there wa!
mi and unequivical consent he woulC
object to going on. 1t might appear thal
when tho commission was read thai
there were special instructions, which
would require US to begin again:
An plrties consenting, Captain James
Williams was called and sworn.
STATEMENT oy CAPTAIN WILLIAMS.
The following Is the statement Of Cap.
tain Williams, part Of which Is a copy oI
n letter he has written 10 the owners o
lLe Atlantic: ION the 29th Of March, the
ruViueer's report showed that coal was
ypilinc short, VIC, having eXperinCed
Ihree daYs Oi very severe weather. Tic
GOALS on board were $3.50 tons. We being
1880 miles from Sandy Hook, the speed
came down from 5 knots per hour, and
with moderate strong breeze, to knots
rer hour. Hoping that the wind would
change layora6ly l Kept on until the 3lst
ult. when our Goals we're reduced 10 1877
ions. and the ship distant from Sandy
Hook AGO miles, Latitude Al, 80, Longitude
G3. OJ, 43. As the ship by this time was
making but seven knots per hour, the
wind being at the southwest, glass falling,
and westerly swell, l thought the risk
loo great to keep on, as in the event OF 9
westerly gale coming up, VIC might find
ourselves shut out OF all sources OF supply.
The chief steward also reported the stores
short fresh provisions, enough for the
saloon for two days, and only salt for
Storage for two days, when all but bread
and rice would be out. At p. NJ, alter
receiving the engineers report, l decided
10 come here, Sambro Island being then
north, five degrees cast, distant ~ miles.
During the afternoon winds 3. w., with
rain, At s p. NJ. the wind veered to the
west and the sky was clear and starlight.
| several times corrected tho course by
the Polar star. Course steered by COM
plss was n. q E., with seven easterly de-
yiations, which considered ample allow.
ance for westerly set, and 10 lead five
miles to the east of Sambro Island. l
lett my orders in bridge, as TO lookouts,
which word was passed to the officers re.
lieving at midnight the second and
fourth officers, corrected the course OF
the shin for the last time at 1920 A. NJ,
when | repeated my caution and orders.
then went into my stateroom and sat
down. In about fifteen minutes a Mr.
Fisher came in TO ask for some particulars
about the ship, as he was writing FOR a
newspaper. He staid about twenty min
utes. My intention was to run on until
3A. M, then TO heave 10 and await day
At midnight the ships run was l22 miles
Which would place her As miles south o.
Sambro. The speed by the log at 1896
being nine knots per hour. The night a
this time was cloudy, and clear. AT 1920
NV steward came up with my coco, when
he was told not 10 awake me until y a. NJ,
when the second officer would call me.
The first intimRtion / had OF anything
wrong was the ship striking on Meagher's
Rock, or Meagher's Island, and remain.
ing, keeling slightly to the port side. The
niSlccrs were quickly at their stations
accompanied by the quartermasters. The
first sea swept away all the boats, and the
ship keeling over rapidly, soon rendered
the starboaTd boats useless. Every effort
WIS made to send the people forward 10
the outside Of the ship, but terror defeat
ed all our efforts. The second officer
was in the starboard liIe.boat, / carried
two ladies and placed them with him,
and returned for more. Before ! got as
lar as the saloon, finding the ship going
over still further, l managed, to get hold
OF the weather rail and get back TO the
liie.boAt. took the ladies out and
placed them in the main rigging; went
back and called tho second officer to
come out, as the boat would roll over,
which she did in a few minutes, carrying
with her MIR. Metcalf aud from thirty to
forty men. Finding l was OF no use
there, returned TO the main rigging, and
found that the ladies' had gone. Chief
officer Furth got up into the main rigging,
where his retreat was soon cut oil, and
had 10 remain there until U l.. ", when
the weather and sea moderated with the
falling tide, and he then got OIL. MIR.
Brady, the third officer, finding tile boats
useless, went forward, and, with the as:
sistanCe Of QuartermasteIs Speakman and
Owens. established communication with
ropes 10 q small outlying rock, distant
from the starboard bow about iorty yards
owens swan first but failed 10 got loot
ing, Speakman then tried and succeeded
A stouler rope was hauled on the rock,
along which Mr.. Brady passed, followed
by tic Oldest of men. By this time 1t was
4 A.. NJ l was OF the time in the main
rigging trying TO get the passengers there
collected 10 make an effort TO get Tor
ward. Many went, but the larger num-
her, several saloon passengers among
them, lay there and died. Tho purser
was the first to succumb 10 the intense
cold that prevailed. Finding myself Of no
use there, l got along outside the ship TO
the Iore.rigging, where ! got tho Tore
sheets and lacks unwove and sent them
ashore We now had five ropes to the
rock, along which men 10 the number Of
l2O safely landed. Though nearly ex-
hausIed on reaching the rock, hlr. Brady,
accompanied by Owens, SPeakman aud
Thomas, now got the line across the inner
strip oI water, which was about lOO
yards wide and shallow, though heavy
surf was running through. They then
went up and gave the alarm, and sent a
messenger to Halifax, About MY Igo'
to the larger island by the line, though
many were drowned In the attempt
amongst the number being the chief stew
ard. l. with the fourth officer, cncoqr
aged as much as VIC could the people In
landing About four hundred and ttty
who remained on the ships sides KEEP