Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-04-08
investigation in the Atlantic Disaster

Investig alton in the Atlantic Disaster.
An inquiry into the Atlantic disaster, BY
the Dominion Government, commenced Sat-
urday at Halifax. Captain Williams was
called and sworn and read the following state
| ment:
"On the 2eth OF March the engineers re-
port showed the Goals getting short, we hay-
| ing experienced three very severe days OF
weather. The Goals on board were 4l9 tons,
we being 100 miles from Sandy Hook. The
| speed came down to knots per hour, and
with moderate strong breeze to knots per
| hour; hoping that the wind would change ia.
| vorably, kept on until the 3lst, when our
Goals were reduced TO l27 tons, and the ship
was distant frnm Sandy Hook AGO miles, lati-
tude Al deg, longitude 6 80, "a dogs. As
the ship by this time was making but knots
per hour, the wind being at southwest, the
glass falling, and westerly swell on
thought the risk too great to keep on, as in
the event of westerly gale coming up. we
might find ourselves shut out Of all sources
of supply. The chief steward also reported
stores short, fresh provisions enough for the
saloon for two days, and but salt for steerage
for two days, when all but the bread and rice
would be out At P. NJ, after receiving
the engineers report, decided to come here.
Sambro light being north, 80 ceast, distant ITO
miles. During the afternoon the wind was
south southwe est, with rain. At 8 P. NJ. the
| wind veered to west, clear starlight sew
eral times corrected the course by the polar
star. The course steered by the compass
was north, "a dogs. east with dogs. easterly,
| a deviation which considered an ample al
lowance for the westerly set, and to lead five
miles to the east of Sambro Island. l left
my orders on the bridge as to lookouts, which
word was passed to the officers relieving, at
midnight, the second and fourth officers. /
corrected the course the last time at ~ 20 A.
NJ, when / repeated my caution and orders.
I then went into the chart room and sat down.
| "a about fifteen minutes Mr.. Fish came In
to ask some particulars about the ship, as he
was writing to Cosmopolitan newspaper. He
stayed about 20 minutes and left. My inten-
ton was to run on until 3 A. NJ, then to
heave to and await day At midnight the
ships run was l22 miles, which would place
her As miles south of Sambro. The speed
by log at 100 A. NJ, being nine knots an
hour. The night at this time was cloudy and
clear. At 2.40 A. NJ, my servant came up
with my cocos, when he was told not to
awake me until A. NJ, when the second
officer would call me. The first intimation
had Of anything was the ship strik;ag on
| slightly to port. The officers were quickly
at their stations, accompanied by the quarter
master. The first sea swept away all the
port boats, and the ship keeling over rapidly
soon rendered the starboard boats useless.
Every effort was made to send the people for
ward outside the ship, but terror defeated all
our efforts The second officer was in the
starboard lifeboat. | carried two ladies and
placed them with him and returned for more
Before got as far as the saloon entrance,
finding the ship going oven still farther,
managed to get hold of the weather rails, and
get back to the lifeboat. l took the ladies
out and placed them in the main rigging;
went back and called to The second officer to
come out. as the boat would roll over, which
she did in few minutes, carrying with her
Mr.. Metcalf and from thirty to forty men.
Finding that was of no use there l returned
to the main rigging and found that the ladies
had gone. The Chief Officer, Mr.. Firth, got
into the mizzen rigging, where his retreat
was soon cut on, and he had to remain there
until p. NJ, when, the weather and sea
moderating, with a falling tide, he was got
off. Mr.. Brady, the Sd officer, finding the
boat useless. went forward, and, with the as
sistance of Quartermasters Speakman and
Owens, established communication with
rope to small outlying rock, distant from
our starboard bow about forty yards. Owens
swan first, but failed to get footing. Speak.
man then tried and succeeded. A stouter
rope was hauled on the rock along which Mr..
Brady passed followed by the Oldest of the
men. By this time it was 1 A. NJ. Twas at
this time in the main rigging trying to get
the passengers there collected to make an eff
fort to get forward. Many went, but the
larger number, several saloon passengers
among them, lay there and diod. The purser
was the first to succumb to the intense cold
that prevailed. Finding myself of no use
there got along outside the ship to the fore
rigging, got the fore sheets and tacks unrove
and sent ashore. We now had five ropes to
the rock, along which men to the plumber of
200 passed safely, though nearly exhausted
on reaching the rock. Mr.. Brady, accom-
panied by Owens, Speakman and Thomas,
now got line across the inner channel,
which was about 100 yards wide and shallow,
though with heavy sea running, through
which they went up and gave the alarm, and
| sent a messenger to Halifax. About fifty got
! to the larger island by the line, though many
| were drowned in the attempt, among the
number being the chief steward, who was
drowned by the passengers crowding him
down. | with the Fourth Officer encouraged
as much as We could the people, about $50
who remainsd on the ships side, to keep
moving and keep from falling asleep. In
many cases they gave right up and died ap-
parently without any pain. Twelve men
seated together, laid down beside me, and
despite all efforts to rouse them, died and
slipped into the sea. At $50 the first boat
came, but she was too small to be of any
use.
At this point the Captains feelings over