Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-12

A Thrilling stoFy-Subnsarine Adven-
ture In the Cabin OF the wrecked
Atlantic.

A Thrilling stoFy-Subnarine Adven-
ture I'm the Cabin OF the wrecked
Atlantic.
On Saturday, April 5, a newspaper cor
respondent procured diving suit, VIII tpe
permission and under the direction OF tDe
wrecker and divers who were st work upon
the hull, and descended into the interior OF
the wreck. He says: The waters were
clear and every object plainly visible around
the ship where she lay on the reef. IL was
the first time for the correspondent to seek
information beneath the waters, and the
sensation is almost indescribable. The ar
from above, which is furnished through the
rubber tube, comes with a Kissing sound,
producing a strange feeling. shudder At
the thought of being immersed SO deep
ly, and how slight an accident would
insure instant destruction. All
around the objects looked weird-like;
the glasses in the casque magnify
ing the already bloated forms into
twice their size. The waters are very cool,
and chilly feeling creeps over me at first,
but as proceed it wears away and enter
upon the task 1 have undertaking with
more nerve than I fancled possessed. The
immense hull lies well down on the port
side, which Is broken in several places from
contact with the reef. Fish were swimming
around, eagerly devouring the particles OF
| food which are to be picked up. Picking
my way towards the hull, 1 catch bold of a
rope and scramble up the deck. The place
where have descended is where the ship
| parted, and sectional view of the hull and
cargo is obtained. The forward hatch is
open and peer down the hold. OH what
a spectacle is presented! The cargo has
broken bulk and lays heaped up in a con-
| fused mass; bodies of men and women,
bruised and torn, were jsmmed among the
cases and crates. 1t Is horrible sight to
look upon, and the msgnifyiDg powers Of
the orbs through which gaze upon it rem
ders it all the more horrible. Fishes swim
in and out among the bodies
and boxes, feasting upon the bodies of the
dead. Limbs are strewn around, having
broken off from the body from the contin-
ual action of the waters, which, when agi-
tated, drive against the ugly pieces of the
broken hull that stick up here and render
my movements very hazardous. Having
seen enough of this part of the sunken hor-
ror, proceed towards one of the steerage
cabins, the one where all the women and
children were drowned as they lay in their
hunks. Scrambling along the deck, guided
by the rope above, and assisted by one of
the divers who has undertaken to conduct
me through the wreck, reach the COM
panion-way. If the sight in the hold
among the cargo was horrible, the one that
now met my gaze was ten times more so.
There, lying in an immense heap, were q
hundred or more bodies. They looked for
all the world as if they were alive, with
arms dislocated, eyes staring wildly, faces
grinning as If it were a. you, and moving
backward and forward with the under. cur
rent; some were dressed, many were half
nude. Children were clinging to their moth
ers, and stout men were clasping their
wives, and seeming as if they met their fate
with calm resignation. No description of
the bodies brought to the surface could con-
vey an idea of the horrid sight in that cabin.
l close my eyes and motion to my conduc-
tor my readiness to leave. l have seen
enough of that charnel-house, the recollec-
ton of which will never fade. My conduc-
to- motions me towards the Storage cabin
where the men were by themselves and
where there was such rush for the COM
panion-way. Peering down into that cabin
l saw a similar picture of death. Bodies of
stalwsrt men, old and young, were huddled
together on the stairway, giVing-from their
distended nostrils, gaping mouths, and star
ing, CLASSY eyes-some conception OF the
terror which seized them as they vainly
struggled to reach the deck, but were pre-
vented by the waves which swept over the
ship as she heeled over, and filed the cabin.
From another part of the vessel obtained
view Of the sleeping apartment. Here,
piled up in heaps on the port side, were
numbers of bodies of men, and strewn
among them bed clothing of one kind and
another. From continual knocking against
the stanchions and sharp, jagged woodwork,
which is splintered and broken from the lin
ings of the hunks, the faces and limbs OF
these dead are more CHASTITY than any have
ever seen. Imagination cannot picture
anything more terrible than what was in
this compartment. The flesh is torn from
the faces of many Of the dead; others again
are bruised and battered about their heads
and faces, which are red and bloody, in
striking contrast to the pale, lvid feature;
of others which the action of the
waters has not disturbed. While
stand here another of The
divers descended and commenced to senC
up some of the bodies. He, however, i.
more intent upon securing the cargo thai
sending up the bodies, and only does 81
now to gain access to some boxes and
trehks which are lying beneath them
Having seen enough of the horrors beneath
the water on thst fatal, reef-horrors of tht
deep which will never be erased from my
, vision-I decided to go above, and motion
accordingly to the men who were above il
the boat, and, pumping down to me the nee
essary supply of air to sustain life. In few
minutes was once more st the surface
gazing upon the light of heaven and ex
periencing sensation of relief at havin.
left the chambers of death in the cabins o
the Inflated Atlantic.