Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-02
HE DIED LIKE A MAN.


sells had already been chronicled when,
on the Sd day of October, news reached
New York that the Arctic, of the Col
Inns line of Liverpool steamers, had
gone down under circumstances of Pc
culiar interest and horror.
She was one Of the finest vessels of
her time. She was a side wheeler, had
cost 800, 900, and was insured for $780,
600.
On Wednesday, Sept. 81, 1854, she was
on her return trip to New York with
22G passengers exclusive of children),
mostly homeward bound tourists; q
crew of 175, valuable cargo and
heavy mail, and had gotten within sixty
five miles of Cape Race, the southeastern
extremity of Newfoundland, when, ex-
actly at noon, while steaming through
a dense fog, she was struck by the
propeller Vesta, bound from st. Peters
to Granville.
Although the Arctic had two men in
the lookout at the time of the accident,
the fog was so thick that the Vesta was
not sighted until within minute of the
time of the collision.
The Arctic was making twelve miles
an hour. and the Vesta eight, and they
struck head on. The stern of the Vesta
struck about twelve or fifteen feet abaft
the stern of the Arctic. AT the moment
of collision the Arctic was on the crest
of large wave or swell, while the
Vesta was in the corresponding trough,
and the bow of the Arctic being ele-
waited the Vesta struck her below the
water line. The anchor of the Vesta
was driven through the timbers of the
Arctic and broken, and part of it was
left sticking in the orifce. The Arctic
was pierced in three places, two of the
breaks being below the water line. The
Vesta had about ten feet of her bow
literally stove in and crushed off, and
when Captain Luce, of the Arctic, hur-
ried on deck and saw the Vesta he
thought she must Immediately go down.
He dispatched his first mate, Mr..
Gomley, and boats crew to the Vesta
to offer assistance, and turned his own
vessel in the direction the Vesta had
taken, and, reaching her vicinity, he
steamed twice around her.
He found to his surprise that no as
sistance was needed. The Vesta,
though in appearance nondescript
craft, was provided with bulkhead,
which, re-enforced by $50 mattresses,
pialliasses and other effects of the crew,
kept out the water sufficiently Especially
after the foremost had been cut away
to keep the vessel afloat until she reach
ed port with the 149 persons who still
remained aboard her.
Soon after the collision Captain Du-
chesne, Of the Vesta, dispatched boat
with crew of ten men to the Arctic to
offer assistance, but in attempting to
board the Arctic their boat was cap
sized and all but one of its crew were
lost, either by being struck by the wheel
of the Arctic or by drowning, or BOTH
The single survivor was saved by the
crew of the Arctic. Mate Gomley of
the Arctic, lost his way in the fog and
did not get back to his ship, but eventu-
ally reached shore.
1t was not until shortly after the Arc
tic had resumed her homeward course
that the gravity Of her injuries was dis
covered, She was found to be taking
water rapidly, and efforts were made to
stop the break in her hull by passing
sails under her and by thrusting mat
tresses and pillows into the holes. The
anchor chains were thrown overheard
to tighten her bow, but the fragment of
the Vesta's anchor was wedged in the
timbers so firmly that it was impossible
to dislodge it or to get the sails close
enough to her to keep out the water.
The seriousness of the situation now
became apparent to Captain Luce. The
Vesta was out of sight in the fog and
considerable distance away, beyond
hearing of the signal guns. He headed
directly for Cape Race, some forty-five
to sixty miles away. For half an hour
good speed was made, but the lower
fires were then quenched by the rising
water, although the steam handpumps
were both at work. In another half
hour the upper fires were out, and then
the great ship was helpless wreck.
1t seems strange as we look back
at the occurrences of this sad day that
the outcome was SO appalling. But an
i'll fate seemed to hang over the vessel.
When Captain Duchesne, of the Vesta,
saw the Arctic steam twice around him,
he had no idea she was seriously hurt,
and afterward reported that he could
have accommodated all her passengers
and crew had he found out that they
needed assistance. He thought when
she parted from him that she had gone
straight to New York.
AS soon as Captain Luce found that
the Arctic must sink he took measures
to save his passengers. Even then, had
good order and discipline prevailed, all
could easily have been saved. The
Arctic foated for five and a quarter
hours after the collision (although no.
body knew but that she might go down
at any moment). The sea was smooth
and SO remained for twenty-four hours,
and boats and RATS could easily have
gotten to land.
But it was not to be. A sad scene Of
insubordination and selfshness now be-
gan to be enacted, relieved, God be
praised, by some flashes of noble hero
ism.
Five boats remained after the first
mate left. Four of these were taken by
the engineers, sailors. a few passengers
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