The Hawaiian gazette., 1873-05-07
Esoa asSe~ Ts-k Herald
Wreck Of the Steamship Atlantic
of the White Star Line.
90 Live. I.o.t ont 81 aas.
H.nrlr. \. s. ami ,. Is7s.

epoch IN the history of the worlds Gala
mites The community here is complete
" shocked BY this terrible calamity. Oul
Commissioner went on board OF the steam
er Delta and proceeded to the scene Of
the disaster, the Cuuard line having di
recsed the Captain where to 90 at once
and render every assistance. The Delta
Was accompanied by the Lady Head
Captain Maltson, the Dominion cutter.
AT THE WRECK.
They reached Meagher's Island at an
early hour in the morning, which is some
eighteen miles distant from Halifax. 1t
Is wild, desolate, dreary spot, and the
inhabitants obtain livelihood by prose
cutting the fisheries. 1t was very soon
after davbreak the scene of the wreck
was reached; nothing was visible of the
noble steamer save the bow and part OF
the mzinysrds and mainmasts. Miserable
small boats and little fishing vessels were
towering about like the birds of prey. A
steam tug from Halifax had reached the
scene, and was putting about in busy
wav and accomplished nothing. Captain
Shaw brought the Delta to anchor in the
bay, and the tug was dispatched in quest
of the survivors, who chiefly congregated
At Lower Prospect, although many were
scattered about the isle. The tug return
ed in the course of an hour with most OF
the cabin passengers and $50 of the steer
age passengers and crew.
Captain Williams, OF the Inflated steam
er, came and was greeted by Captain
Shaw, who had leaped on board the tug,
with the following remarks =
"Irepresent the Cunard Company, who
have dispatched steamer to the scene"
JUST BEFORE SIZE STRUCK.
On board the Atlantic the passengers
refined to rest with bright hopes of home
and the new land they were coming to,
and little speculations were made as to
what they would do in Halifax while
waiting for coal But, alas their dreams
were never to be realized in this world.
Suddenly the ship struck, the second Of
fcer, Mr. Metcalf, being on duty. She
thumPed several times, being very large
and long ship, and then rolled over on her
side. Of the thousand souls on board
most Of them were ut rest Those who
could made the utmost speed to get on
deck
The RUSH FOR LIFE.
Hundreds of steerage passengers and
many Of the less vigorous in the saloon
were unable to do 50, as the water poured
in immediately. Those who succeeded in
gaining the deck mostly took to the rig
ging. Capt Williams, who had been ly-
ing down for a few minutes rest in his
room, was promptly al hand and all the
passengers agree that throughout the ter
rible scenes which followed he acted like
hero. Ii was utterly impossible to save
any Of the ladies, although strenuous ex-
ertions were made to do so. Captain
Williams conveyed Mrs Merritt and her
sister TO the ifeboat; but. finding it i'm
practicable to launch her, he placed them
IN the rigging. They were lost, as were
also every woman and child on board.
Among the MANY sad incidents of this
terrible calamity was the death of Mr.
Price pho persisted upon the side of the
vessel from exposure.
BEHAVIOR OF THE LADIES.
The ladies behaved with the utmost
beroism- Not one cry was heard from
them as they persisted. Mother and
daughter parted from each other in silent
agony. Mr.. Fishers wife besought him
TO save himself, but be refused to leave
her. Saying, l shall remain by you. We
shall meet in another and a better world. :"
They were both lost
NO CHILDREN SAVED.
One of the keenest regrets that seems
10 be felt by the officers and saloon pas
sengers is that no lady or child was saved.
They fear that it viii look selfish upon
their part; yet the only woman that they
succeeded in placing in the rigging, the
first officer very nearly lost his life in
staying by her until she was a corpse.
One young man Orr Wellington, who
had been travelling in Europe for the past
five months, and who was bringing home
= valuable collection of books, photo
graphs, trinkets, etc, and was returning
70 his friends in Boston, was never seen
after the vessel struck, and was probably
drowned in his state room. Another
gentleman-Mr. Sumner, of San Francis
co-who was also returning from trip
of several months through Europe, and
who was the most general favorite and
most accomplished gentleman on board,
found wsterY grave.
The SAILORS BEHAVE oUTRAGEoUsLY.
The sailors who were mostly Liverpool
men, behaved outrageously. The body
of Mrs Fisher was found, and some fiend
in human form had smashed her finger
with a rock to wrench from it her we'd