The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-04-03

The last | remembered was that two bells
tone clock struck. | then went to sleep
and woke up with the shock and remarked
to my mate, there goes the anchor. |
thought, OF course, we were safe in Hall
fax harbor, but as soon as she made sec
ond plunge said Good God she's
ashore With that we got up and dress
ed. lhe companion-way was thronged
with lower steerage passengers Seeing
that the sea was commencing to break
over the ship and ran down the compan-
ion way got as many as possible to take
to the hunks and hold on by the iron stan
chions. There we remained till after dav
light
THE ship had fallen over and the steer
age was full of water, one side only being
out of it. Our only chance of escape was
the portfolios. A number of men, proba
bly, twenty, got out through the ports to
the side of the vessel / remained until
all who were alive were out, There were
a great many drowned in their hunks and
others were drowned while trying to reach
the ports. | got out through the port and
held fast to the side of the vessel for about
two hours, and then went to the shore by
the life line When / left the ship there
were still great many in the rigging.
Capt Williams states ''My first init
nation of the catastrophe was the striking
Of the ship on Maris Island and remaining
there fast The sea Immediately swept
away all the port boats. The officers went
to their stations and commenced clearing
away the weather boats Rockets were
fired by the second officer Before the
boats could be cleared only ten minutes
having elapsed, the ship keeled heavily to
| port, rendering the starboard boats useless
Seeing that no help could be got from the
boats | got the passengers into the rigging
and outside the rails and encouraged
them to go forward where the shin
was highest and much less exposed tn
the water. The third officer, Mr.. Brady
Quartermasters Owens and Speekman bv
/ this time having established communica-
ton with the out lying rock, about forty
yards distant, by means of line. got fnur
other lines to the rock along which about
two hundred people posed over Between
the rock and shore was passage one hun
dred yards wide. A rope was successfully
passed across this, by which means about
fifty got to land, though many drowned in
the attempt
At five p NJ. the first boat appeared
from the island, but which wastoo small to
be of any assistance. Through the exer-
tions Of Mr. Brady, the third officer, the
slumberers were aroused and by that time
three larger boats came to our assistance
and by their efforts all that remained On
the side Of the ship and on the rock were
landed in safety and cared for by fisherman
named Clancy and his daughter. Durine
the day the survivors. to the number ot
429, were drafted off 10 various houses
scattered about. Many passengers at first
could not be stimulated to save themselves
and lay in the rigging and died from fright
and exposure | remained on board en-.
couraging, helping, and directing unit
about fifteen were landed, when, finding
that my hands and legs were becoming
useless | left the ship, two other boats be
ing close to her. On reaching the shore
dispatched the third officer to Halifax
across the country, II telegraph the new,
of the disaster and to obtain assistance
Mr.. Morrow, the Canada line agent
promptly responded, and sent two steam
ers with provisions to carry the survivor,
to Halifax, where they viii be cared tl
and forwarded to New York on the frs
opportunity, in charge Of the first anc
fourth officers, the third officer and fou
men being left at the island to care for th,
dead as they come ashore.
BosToN, April 2.-The following j.
special TO the Evening Traveller
HALIFAX, April Only three or fou
cabin passengers were saved from tn
wreck Of the Atlantic, one Englishmal
and two or three Frenchmen. Only on,
lady passenger attempted to save hersel
aud she was frozen to death in the riggin.
and fell into the water. The purser j
among the lost. "
Some Of the passengers arrived in thi
city to-day, to give the narrowing detail
Of the calamity. The Atlantic had 81,
steerage passengers and 80 sailors. Their
had been two births during the voyage
The crew numbered l42 and ii stowaway
were discovered. Three hundred III al
were saved out Of the total number. !. .03s