Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-04-04

|. saws the steamer Atlantic, of the White |
Star Line, while putting into Halifax for a
supply of coal Tuesday forenoon. ran a
shore off Meagher's Head, twenty miles
from Halifax, and was wrecked. There
we're one thousand passengers, including
men, women and children, and 1t Is report
ed that seven hundred lives were lost.
The Atlantic, Capt. Williams, left Liver
pool on March 20, with a large cargo and
GOO passengers. She touched at Queens
town the following day, where she took on
coal, freight and 400 more passengers.
While crossing the Atlantic she encounter
ed heavy head winds combined with very
rough weather. Everything worked IA
vorably and the officers expected to reach
New York on Monday.
On Saturday night the Inflated steamship
was about four hundred miles out. The
storm that swept along the coast on Satur-
day night and continued on Sunday night
ragged with great violence on the Atlantic.
The vessels coal gave out, and Captain
williams concluded to run into Halifax for
coal and also for safety.
About two o'clock, while the Atlantic
was laboring about twenty miles outside OF
Halifax, during a hurricane, it raining
heavily, she struck Meagher's Head, a dan
gerous rock on Cape Prospect. The wind
at the time was blowing toward the rock,
and at every lurch it threw her with great
force on the ledge. 1t was an impossibility
to get her of.
The crashing of the hull, combined with
the bowling wind and roaring waters, Gre
ated most painful panic. OF the 1000
people aboard at least two-thirds were wo-
men and children. The men lost all pres
ence Ct mind and only thought of them
selves.
Meanwhile the officers acted with COM
mendable courage. Everything that hui
man ingenuity or exertion could do was
done to save the vessel. 1t soon became
apparent that she could not be saved. The
wind increasing in violence, it was impos-
sible TO launch ife-boats. The $50 or 300
people who escaped got off upon the rocks.
Others in attempting to do so were swept
away and drowned.
The conduct of many of the male passen-
gers of the Atlantic was reprehensible in
the extreme. They refused to heed the
com mands of the officers, and seemed per-
fectly panic stricken. The crew ofthe YES
sci, on the contrary, behaved with great
bravery and fortitude. They were undis-
mayed and obeyed their officers like clock
work.
The scene beggared all description. In
| the midst OF the driving rain the poor
| wretches chung 10 the rock and the vessel
but were swept away by tens and scores al
a time. The shrieks OF the unfortunate'
were appalling in the extreme. Husbands
and wives, parents and children met dealt
| together.
Finally succor came for the survivors OF
the rock, in the shape of a Cunard vesse
and another steamer, who took go on board
and landed them safely at Halifax, !.
people aboard were nearly r.. oripra lis
seeking their homes in America.
TERRIBLE SCENES on THE DOOMED ~ =
Having ascertained that one ma
from the wrecked ship had arrived in Hal
flax, reporter went in search of him an
found him in an clearinghouse in uppe
Water street. He proved to be Mr.. Brady
third officer of the Atlantic. Bruised wor
out and almost speechess after the terribl
events of the morning, he was, as migt
have been expected, in no condition to tall
Nevertheless, he cheerfully consented
answer the reporters questions, and CAV
such information as he could. The Altar
tic left Liverpool, March 20 for New Yorl
J and touched at Queenstown, the next da.
10 receive the mails and passengers, aft
which she started on her voyage across IL
| ocean. She had full general cargo and
very large number OF passengers. M
Brady could not give the precise numbe
3 but thought there were more than 800
; the steerage and SO in the cabin. Thes
+. with her crew would probably make Il
8 total number not less than 1000 souls. 81
: was commanded by Capt. James Agne
Q Williams. Rough weather was experien
t ed, but nothing worthy of note occurr
o until Monday noon, the 3lst, when, the &C
If being short, Capt. Williams resolved to p
: into Halifax for supply. The captain al
: Mr.. Brady had the night watch up to mi
o night, when they were relieved by t
/
% they judged that Sambro light then be
it north northwest 80 miles. The sea W
i rough and the night dark. The chief a
al fourth officers having taken charge, n
IL Brady went below and turned in, and
1t captain at the same time went into
t room TO lie down. What occurred betwe
s. midnight and o'clock, the time at VIII
n | m
& Tell, as he was sleeping. He was awake
n, ed and thrown out of his berth by
IN shock, when the steamer struck.
c. struck heavily, three or four times.
of Brady ran up to the deck, and found It I
ry of passengers. He found an AK and co
at menced 10 clear away the starboard Ii
a. boat. He observed the captain and
" other officers were engaged clearing
n other boats. Mr.. Brady succeeded In 2
" ting his boat out.
NJ This was the only boat launched, an
be had no sooner touched tho water tina
as crowd made rush to get into 1t. Mr..
10, dy had 10 use force to prevent them fr
o. crowding in. He put two women into
a boat, and about dozen men, and also
n in himself. Just then the steamer fell o
e. and sank. The boat with its living freil
r. was carried down with the steamer and
be In II were drowned.
IA The hull of the steamer became ain
to totally submerged, and only the bow
We the masts remained above water.
ey greater part of the passengers were in Il
h rooms below at the time, and were imi
g- mediately drowned. Indeed. so soon a
on striking did the vessel sink, that man,
10 the passengers we're no doubt SLEEP
of peacefully, In blissful ignorance OF all
i'll was going on around them, and pas
he into eternity without struggle. or Il