Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-04-17
The Wreck Of the Steamer Atlantic.

Ialeo steamer Atlantic, recently wrecked
on Cape Prospect, near Halifax, makes the
following statement:
I'VE sailed from Liverpool March 90.
During the first part of the passage we had
favorable weather and easterly winds. On
the gath, 25th and Goth we experienced
heavy southwest and westerly gales, Which
brought the ship down to one hundred
and eighteen miles a day. On the 31st of
March the engineers report showed but
lbout one hundred and twenty-seven tons
# coal on board We were then four hun
lred and sixty miles east OF Sandy Hook,
With the wind southwest and a high Yves
erly swell and falling barometer, the ship
teaming 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. m on the 31st Sambro Island was
distant one hundred and seventy miles,
the ships speed varying from eight to
twelve knots per hour, wind southwark,
with rain, which veered to westward at
eight p. M, with clear weather. At mid
night judged the ship to have made one
hundred and twenty miles, which would
place her forty light miles south of Sam
bro, 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. H., IN,
tending then to put the shlps's head
to the southwark and await daylight
My first ntimation of the catastrophe
was the striking of the ship on Mea
ghers Island and remaining there
fast. The sea Immediately swept
away all the port boats The officers went
tn tIair nd Gle
away the weather boats. Rockets were
fired by the second officer. Before the
boats could be cleared-only ten minutes
having elapsed-the ship keeled heavily
to port, rendering the starboard boats use
less. Seeing that no help could be got
from the boats, | got the passengers into
the rigging and outside rails, and encour
aged them to go forward where the ship
was highest and less exposed to the water.
The third officer Mr.. Brady, and Quarter
masters Owens and Speakman, by this
time having established communication
with the ut-gong rock-about forty yards
distant-by means Of "a line-got four 9th
er lines to the rock, along which about
two hundred people passed. Between the
rock and the shore was passage one nun
bred yards wide A rope was successful
ly passed across this, by which means
about fifty got to land, though many more
were drowned in the attempt. At five a.
N. the first boat appeared from the island,
but she was too small to be Of any assist
ahce. Through the eXertions Of Mr.. Brady,
the 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 OIL his retreat.
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. IN. a clergyman, the Rev. MIR.
Ancient, succeeded in getting him line
and getting him off. Many Of the passen-
gers, saloon and Storage, died in the rig
ging from cold. Among the number was
the purser of the ship. Before the boats
went out | placed two ladies in the life
boat but finding the boat useless | carried
them to the main rigging, where | left
them, and went aft to encourage others to
60 forward on the side of the ship. At
this iuncture the boilers exploded and the
boat rolled over to leeward, the ship at
this time being off her bcam-endS. Find
ing myself useless there | went to take the
ladies forward, but found them gone, nor
did | see them atterward. Many passen-
gers at this time could not be stimulated
to any effort to save themselves, but lay in
the rigging and died from fright and ex-
posture. | remained on the side encour-
aging, helping and directing until fifteen
were landed, when, finding that my hands
and legs were becoming useless, | left the
ship, two other boats being close to her,
and embarked the remainder. On reach
ing the shore | dispatched the third officer
to Halifax across the country, to telegraph
the news of the disaster, and to obtain as
sistanCe.
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 peril. A
number Of them were washed off the
wreck and drowned, and a number who
were trying to get from the rock to the
island by a line were also washed from it
and drowned. We could see people fall
ing 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 I'M
fortunate creatures even after they were
rescued. Many of them became insane,
trothed at the mouth, and toppled off the
rock into the water and We're 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 engi-
neer 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
hesitated a moment as if panic-stricken,
and returned to the companion way, as if
looking for something, then came out and
pr1aoynro6 To roach no foruror5 mort of