Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-04-10
TEE ATLANTIC.
'svgll Particulars ostsAa Disaster.

HALIrAx On. 81, April 2-The
greatest CONSERVATION pervades this eli
~ because of the terrible calamity to
the steamship Atlantic yester(ly morn
ing. Everybody is willing and anxious
to do all that is possible for the relief
Of the survivors. Since all the facts
have become known the people breathe
more freely, and rejoice that the mum
Der of the lost is not SO great as at first
reported. although it is terrible enough
to curdle the blood of the most thought
less. The following are the most au-.
thentie details of the disaster that can
be got hold Of at this time:
STATEMENT OF A sTEERAGE PASSENGER.
A Storage passenger on the ill fated
steamer made the following statement:
turned into my berth about IL o'clock
Monday night; the night was dark, but
starlight, and the weather fine; | knew
the ship was going into Halifax for
coal; the last that | remembered was
that two bells Zone O'clock ..struck; l
then went to sleep, and | woke up with
a shock, and remarked to my mate,
''there goes the anchor;' | thought OF
course we were safe in Halifax harbor,
but as soon as she made a second
plunge, / said, "Good God she's
ashore;" with this we got up and dress
ed the companion-way was thronged
with lower storage passengers; seeing
that the sea was commencing to break
over the ship and lower down the com
panion-way | got as many as possible
to take to the hunks and hold on by
the iron stanchions; they we're remain
ed until after daylight; tire ship had
fallen over, and the .steerage was full
of water, one eide 'only being out Of it;
our only chance Of escape was the
ports, nuraber Of Tnen-probably 20
got out through the ports to the side
of the vessel; remained until all who
were alive We're out; there were great
many drowned in their hunks, and
others were drowned while trying to
reach the ports; got out through a
port, and held fast to the side of the
ship for about two hours, and then
went to the shore by the life line; when
! left the ship there were still a great
anany in the rigging.
STATEMENT OF CAPTAIN WILLIAMS.
The following is the captains state
ment: We sailed from Liverpool March
10Th; during the first part Of the pass
age, had favorable weather and easter
ly winds; on the Oath, 25th and Goth ex-
perienced heavy southwest and wester
ly gales, which brought the ship down
to 1l8 miles day; on the 31st OF
March the engineers report showed
but about 127 tons of coal on board;
we were then AGO miles east of Sandy
Hook, with wind southwest and high
westerly swell and falling barometer;
the ship was steaming only knots
per hour; considered the risk too great
to push Oh, as we might find ourselves,
in the event of a gale, shut out from
any port of supply, and SO decided to
bear up for Halifax, at l ?. N. on the
3lst Sambro island was distant l70
miles the ships speed varying from
to - knots per hour; wind south,
with rain, which veered southwark at
P. NJ, with clear weather; at mid
night judged the ship to have made
l22 miles, which would place her 4s
miles south of Samhro, and | then left
the deck and then went into the chest
room leaving orders about the lookout,
and to let me know if they saw any
thing, and call, me at A. NJ, intend
ing then to put the ships head to the
southwark and await daylight; my
first intimation Of the catastrophe was
the striking of the ship on Meaghcr's
Island, and remaining there fast; the
sea Immediately swept away all the
port boats; the officers went to then
stations and commenced clearing away
the weather boats; rockets were fired
by the second officer; before the boats
could be cleared, only ten minutes hav-
ing elapsed, the ship keeled heavily
to port, rendering the starboard boats
useless; seeing that no help could be
got from the boats, l got the passen
gers into the rigging and outside rails
and encouraged them to go forward
where the ship was highest and less
exposed to the water; the third officer
Mr.. Brady, Quartcrmasters Owens ane
Speakerman, by this time having es
tablished. communication with the out
lying rock, about forty yards distan
by means OF line, got four other lines
to the, rock along which about two hun
dred people passed;between the rock and
shore was passage one hundred yards
wide; rope was successfully passed
! across this, by which means about fifty
got to land, through many were drown
ed in the attempt; at 5 A. M. the first
boat appeared from the island, but she
was too small to be Of any assistance
through the exertions of Mr. Brady the
islanders were aroused, and by 6 O'Clock
"A. M. three larger boats came to oul
assistance; by their efforts all that re
NAMED on the side OF the ship and on
the rock, were landed safely, and cared
for by poor fisherman, named Clancy,
and his daughter; during the day the
survivors, to the number of four hun
dred and twenty nine, were drafted of
to various houses scattered about, the
resident magistrate, Edmund Ryan,
rendering valuable assistance; the
chief officer, having got up the lnizzen
rigging, the sea cut off his. retreat; he
stood for six hours by woman who
had been placed in the rigging, the sea
was too high to attempt his rescue at
8 P. NJ. clergyman, Rev. Mr.. An
cient, succeeded in getting him line
and getting him of, many of the pass
engers, saloon and Storage died in
the rigging from the cold, among the
number the purser of the ship; before
the boats went out forced two ladies'
the life boat, but finding the boat use-