Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-04-06
THE ATLANTIC.
Latest News from the Wreck and
Wrecked-I'he UnfOrtunates
in Fanueil Hall.
Investigation by the Canadian
Commissioners Statement Of
Captain Williams.
List of Recent Notable Wrecks
Encouraging Reminders for
Timid Tourists.
RECOVERING THE BODIES o. THE VIC

RECOVERING THE BODIES o. THE VIC.
tbs.
HALIFAX, April A gang of mer
went down to the wreck of the Atlantic
in a tug this afternoon to assist The
fishermen in their labor of recovering
bodies. Rev. Mr.. Ancient and several
Roman Catholic priests, and Messrs
Regan and LOngard, resident magis-
trates, are looking after the personal
effects and valuabies found ON the bodies
The crew of the Atlantic will be sent
back to Liverpool by the Grst steamer.
] The collector of customs has received
instructions from Ottawa to proceed
with an investigation under the law reg
ulating trial in such case, and the form
alton of proper tribunal for that pur-
pose, which will be held tomorrow
while there are detained the several
officers and men of the steamer, and
such passengers as were in position to
/ know anything about the circumstances
immediately preceding the time when
the steamer struck.
ANOTHER INTERVIEW WITH CAPTAIN
WILLIAMS.
NEW YORK, April SIN conversa-
ton with a reporter yesterday at
Halifax, Captain Williams said he
spent the most of Thursday night at
Meagher's Hill and personally ex-
! amined the bodies. He found none of
them mutilated, but believed that many
of them had been robbed. He SAYS the
! Atlantic was sufficiently coaled before
| leaving Liverpool, if it lad not been for
the three days Of heavy weather expert
enced; that the vessel went out of posi-
! ton solely on account of the current,
which must have had a northerly set as
well as a westerly one, and he allowed
eight degrees eastward TO offset it, be-
| lieving that to be ample. Monday he was
quite sure of his position, both chro-
nometers agreeing, but the northerly
set proved greater than was allowed,
and for two or three days preceding he
had found the ship set to southwark and
eastward. Captain Williams was in the
chart-rOom, on the saloon deck, less
than thirty feet from the bridge, when
the ship struck. All the leads and lines
were in order, but they had not been
used, not deeming them necessary. He
considered Officer Metcalf, in charge of
the deck at the time of the disaster,
as thoroughly competent.
THE INVESTIGATION.
HALIFAX, April 5.-The inquiry or
dered by the Dominion government in
to the Atlantic disaster commenced to-
day in the custOm-house before Collector
+. NJ. Mcdonald, and Captain McKen-
zie, shipmaster, S. J.. Shannon and
H. Blanchard appeard for the govern
ment, and ]. n. Ritchie for the defense.
Captain Mcdonald, in opening the
court, said that the inquiry would have
the force of the English board of trade.
On inquiry he said he lad not received
a commission from the court, but had
received an official telegram stating that
it was on its way, and if all parties
would consent he would go on. They
could rely on the commission being re-
ceived in good time. Ritchie, for Cap
tain Williams, consented. Blanchard
said that unless there was full and un-
equivOcal consent he would object TO
going on. 1t mighs appear when the
commission was received that there
were special instructions which would
require them to begin again. All par
ties consenting, Captain James A. Viii
liams was called and sworn, and read a
statement.
The following is the statement of Cap
tain Williams, part CT which is a copy
of letter he has written to the owners
of the Atlantic: On the twenty-fifth of
March the engineers report showed the
Goals getting short, we having expert
enced three days Of very severe weather.
The Goals on board were three hundred
and nineteen tons, we being one thou
sand one hundred and thirty miles from
Sandy Hook. Cur speed came down
from eight knots per hour, and with
a moderate strong breeze to five
knots per hour. Hoping that the
wind would change favorably, Il
kept on until the thirty-first, when
our Goals were reduced to one hundred
and twenty-seven tons, and the ship
distant from Sandy Hook four hundred
and sixty miles in latitude 410 69N, and
longitude 630 05> aud 43'. As the ship,
by this time, was making but seven
knots per hour, the wind being at the
southwest, and a westerly swell on,
thought the risk too great to keep on, as
in the event of westerly gale coming
up we might find ourselves shut
out of all sources of supply. The
chief steward also reported the
stores short of fresh provisions enough
for the saloon for two days, and but salt
for the steerage for two days, when all
but bread and rice would be out. After
receiving the engineers report decided
to come here, ,Sambro's island being then
north five degrees east, distant seven
teen miles. During the afternoon the
wind was sOuth-southwest, with rain.
At eight o'clock in the evening the
wind veered to the west and the sky
was clear and starlit. l several times
corrected the course by the polar star.
The course steered by the compass was
north twenty-fOur degrees east, with |
seven easterly deviations, which l con-
sidered ample allowance for the west
erly set, and to lead five miles to |
the part of Sambro island. / left my
orders on the bridge as to the loolz-outs, |
which word was passed to the officers |
relieving at midnight the second and !
fourth officers. ] corrected the course |
the last time at twenty minutes past |
twelve, and when / repeated the eau
ton and orders, then went into the |
ehart-room, and sat down. In about |
fifteen minutes a Mr.. Fisher came in to |
ask some particulars about the ship, as
he was writing to a newspaper. He |
stayed about twenty minutes. My in /
tention was to run ON until three /
O'Clock in the morning, then to |
heave to, and await daylight. At |
midnight the ship was run one hundred |
and twenty-five miles, which would /
place her torty-eight miles south of
Sambro, her speed by log at twenty |
minutes after twelve O'Clock being nine /
knots per hour. The night at this time
was cloudy and clear. At forty minutes
after twelve O'Clock my servant came
up with my cocoa, when he was todd not
to awake me until three o'clock in the
morning, when the second officer would
call me. The first intimation I had of
was the ship striking on
Meagher's rock or Meagher's island.
and remaining heeling slightly to
port. The officers were onicklvl
at their stations accompanied by the
The first seas swent
away all the port boats. The shin set
Ting rapidly over soon rendered the
starboard boats useless. Every effort
was made to send the people forward to
the outside of the ship, but the terror
defeated all our efforts. The second Of
ficer was in the starboard lifeboat. /
caught two ladies, and passed them
with him, and returned for more. Be-
fore got as far as the saloon entrance,
finding the ship giving over still further
/ managed TO get hold Of the weather
rail and at the back Of the lifebOat. took
two ladies and placed them in the main
rigging; then went back and called to
the second officer to come out as the
boat would roll over, which she did in
a few minutes, carrying with her Mr..
Metcalf, and from thirty to forty men.
Finding | was of no use there l returned
to the main rigging, and found that the
ladies' had gone. The chief officer, Mr..
Firth, got up into the mizzen rigging
His retreat was soon cut off and he
had to remain there until three O'Clock
in the evening, when the weather and