The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-04-11
sad stories from TIE Atlantic.

The New York HerC5d gives the follow
ing sad incidents in connection with the
tbe loss of the steamship Atlantic:
MIR James :. Merritt and his wife and
sister. who resided in Thuty-fifth street,
and Miss Scrimser, formerly living with
her family in Forty-fifth street, were all
lost tooether. The tale of this family is
neculiarly sad one Mr.. Merritt was a
bachelor of about forty years of age. He
came to reside III this city some three years
ano from Poughlleepsie, where he had
formerly lived as q merchant. lie was a
man Of means and froQueuted the best So
cietv of the city. He became acquainted /
T;t5 Miss Mary Scrimser in this manner .
and proposed marriage and was accepted. /
ON the second Of April, 1872, Just one 1
+ wear ano. the couple were married, and FOR (
/ their wedding tour went to Europe IN the [
! identical vessel in which they since met (
/ Their terrible death. While in Europe they
visited all the Continental countries, and /
! about six months ago returned to Paris, /
| where Mr. Merritt Wrose inviting his Sis /
fer. Miss Merritt, and Miss Annie Scrim- /
! ser. a sister Of his wife's, to Join them
! The two young ladies started off alone, /
also by a vessel of the White Star line,
and arrived in Paris in safety. The fami-
! " then consisting of four persons, started
out together again, visiting Italy, and
| finally arrived back in London, writing to
the family here their proposed return by
the Atlantic. They did as they proposed
and left Liverpool by that steamer. They
all met death iii the same manner and by
This Sudden calamity the family of the
( Merritts is wiped out as it were il one
/ blow. Mrs Merritt and Miss Annie Scrim-
| ser both daughters of the well known dry
goods merchant, are SAID to have been Ia
dies of great personal charms and accom-
plishments, and they were well known by
| A very large circle OF acIualutanCeS III this
- 80 = =. L.. ..lt
with the greater sorrow that their youth
and beauty would seem to have promised
a long career of Joy and happiness IN this
life. Miss Merritt was q little older than
either Of the two other ladies, but was also
a genial and kind-hear.ed lady. Of all
those who have been lost in the Atlantic
no one story IS probably so sad one as
this 1t was the first trip any Of them had
made to Europe. y brother of Mrs Mer-
rift CNr. Scrimser) started for Halifax as
soon as the news Of the shipwreck had az
| rived.
ON Tuesday evening young gentleman
Of propossessng appearance and evidently
labOring under strong emotion was anHl-
ous}y asking news Of the fate of the Attain
tic at the clerks Office of the t1fLh Avenue
| Hotel. When questioned about the strong
interest he seemed to evince III the tate OF
the vessel, he said that he WAS the brother
| of two sisters who We're ON board the At
! lantic The particulars Of the loss of the
vessel were not known At that time, and
the anxiety Of the young man was SOME
thing very painful to behold. 1t proved
that his name was MIR. James Rose, and
the two sisters he was inouIlIng about SO
: | anxiousiv We're the two Misses Rose whose
- fate has stree become certain. he family
was IL good circumstances, and the two
yCGag ladies' lad gone over under the
charge of another family. They became
: hOmc~ck and wished to return Immediate
Iy, however, and they were put under the
captains charge by their friends. Both
were very young and very accomplished
Such death is a terrible bereavement to
the family for it leaves no daughter III the
| home circle.
The little fellow, the only child saved
from the wreck, ran upon deck with the
stream Of passengers when the first alarm
J was given. Ills parents and other mem
berS of his family were still below, and cvi-
dently periahcd when the ship filled and
t fel over on her side. Hustled about among
that struggling mass of excited humanity,
! the piteotis screams of the poor little fellow
went to the Stoutest heart.
He had leaped upon the back of one of
? the men i'll the hope Of saving himself :;
= but in that fearful crisis, when everybody
/ was intent upon saving themselves, few
, paid attention TO the walls OF the 10y, and
the man upon whose back he was clInging
as if for bare life, made several Intellectual
attempts to shake the boy off. The cries
f Of the boy attracted the captain, who, see
ing the tenacious manner III which he was
struggling for life, called out to the men
, who were surrounding the lines that led to
the rock and safety, 10 cndeaYor, if pOssi-
bic, to save the boy, and the poor little
5 fellow was Immediately passed over the
f heads of the struggling mass Of beings and
placed IL the boat. Men who were exert
, | ing themselves to save their own and other
| nc hay hn
l brave little lad safely landed or shore.
: Alr. Foxley, the chief engineer, says it
r was extremely narrowing to behold the
: sulferiugs Of the unfortunate creatures,
even after they were rescued. Many of
them became insane, frothed at the mouth
e and t0pped off the rock into the water and
= were drowned, while others were so chilled
and exhausted with the cold that they laid
down and died. Some died after they had
been taken to the main land.
1 wo lady caUTn passengers came on deck
> in the excitement. They hesitated a mo-
+ ment as if panic stricken, aud returned
into the companion way. Then they came
out and cndeavored to reach the forward
: part Of the ship, where the passengers were
5 sent ashore on the lines. At that moment
| a huge wave swept over the ships quarter.
| The men clInging to the rigging heard two
> heart rending shrieks, and when they
looked again the women had disappeared.
L These are only few of the terrible Incl
@ dents of the terrible wreck.
e Young men well as old became para
lyzed, and as they clung to the rigging and
the sides Of the vessel they seemed bereft
of all reason. When spoken to by the
= others to make some effort to reach the
= boat and save themselves they would roll
their eyes in their heads, stare vacantly
at the speakers, and ask them in a whining
4 tone, ''What boat?' Many again who
: were reused out of their berths had scarce
. time to put their clothes on and reached
0 the deck 60 perish with the cold. One
=, cabin passenger a young man, came up
; with only a vest He clung to the
> ships side as long as he was able and final
S | ly rolled off into the frozen to death.
. A pretty girl sobbed bitterly as she asked
! about her sister, Rachel McIlwaine, of