Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-04

line OF Liverpool steam
ers, had gone down
under circumstances of peculiar interest and
horror
She was one of the finest vessels Of her time
She was a side wheeler, had cost S7OO, 200 and
was insured for 100000.
On Wednesday, September 27, 1854, she was
on her return trip to New York, with 226 pas
| sengers exclusive of children, mostly home
ward-bound tourists; a crew of IT'S, valuable
cargo and a heavy mail, and had gotten within
sixty-five miles of Cape Race, the southeastern
extremity of Newfoundland, when, exactly at
noon, while steaming througha dense fog, she
was struck by the propeller Vesta, bound from
st. Peters to Granville.
Although the Arctic had two men in the look
out at the time of the accident. the fog was SO
thick that the Vesta was not sighted until
within minute of the time of collision.
The Arctic was making twelve miles m hour
and the Vesta eight, and they struck head on.
The stern Of the Eesta struck about twelve or
fifteen feet abaft the stern of the Arctic At
the moment Of collision the Arctic was on the
crest OF a large wave or SWELL while the Vesta
was in the corresponding trough, and the bow
OF the Arctic being elevated 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 stick
ing in the orifice. 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 Capt. Luce of the Arctic hurried on deck
and saw the Vesta he thought she must imme-
diately 60 down.
He dispatched his first mate, Mr. Gomley,
and boats crew to the Vesta to offer assist
ance 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 assistance
was needed. The Vesta, though in appearance
nondescript craft, was provided with bulk
head, which. reinforced by $50 mattresses
palliasses and other effects of the crew, kept
out the water sufficiently Especially after the
foremost had been cut away to keep the vessel
afioat until she reached port with the I49 per-
sons who still remained aboard her.
Soon after the collision Capt. Duchesne 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
capsized and all but one Of its crew we're
lost, either by being struck by the wheel of the
Arctic or by drowning. or by 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 event.
ually reached shore.
THE ARcrIC's GRAVE SITUATION.
1t was not until shortly after the Arctic had
resumed her homeward course that the gravity
of her injuries was discovered. She was found
to be taking water rapidly, and efforts we're
made to stop the break in her hull by passing
sails under her and by thrusting mattresses 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 80 firmly that it was impossible to
dslodge it to get the sails close enough to her
to keen ont the wafer The aariouspass ~ tho
situation now became apparent to Capt. Luce.
The Vesta was out of sight in the fog and con-
siderable 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 and hand pumps were both
at work. In another half hour the upper fires
were out, and then the great ship was help
less wreck.
1t seems strange as we look back at the occur
rences OF this sad day that the outcome was SO
appalling. But an i'll fate seemed to hing over
the vessel. When Capt. 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 Capt. Luce found that the Arctic
must sink he took measures to save his pas
sengers. Even then had good order and disci-
pine prevailed all could easily have been saved.
The Arctic f1oated for five and a quarter hours
after the collision (although nobody 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.
THE PANIC.
But it was not to be. sad scene Of insubor-
dination and seltishness now began to be en-
acted, relieved, God be praised, BY some flashes
of noble heroism.
Five boats remained after the first mate left,
-Four OF these were taken by the engineers,
sailors, few passengers and the remaining
officers, except Capt. Luce and Third Mate
Francis Dorian. The second mate, with two
boats and fOrty-fve passengers, reached shore
Capt. Luce, Third Mate Dorian and Mr.. Geo.
H. Burns, messenger Of Adams Express Com
pany, started the construction and provisioning
of large raft, while some of the passengers and
those OF the crew who remained worked at the
pumps and fired signal guns
The boat had been lowered to assist in build
ing the raft and Capt. Luce and some of the
| male passengers were helping keep the crowd
back when panic seized those on deck and they
| rushed over the bulwarks onto the raft at the
| same time almost sinking the boat In this
emergency Dorian cut the boat loose, and he
and those assisting him hurried it away from
tue raiI Auis noDie man DenaveO throughout
| with great presence Of mind and labored with
heroic energy. When the panic started he
cried: "For Gods sake, captain, clear the raft
80 that we can work! won't desert the ship
| while there's a timber above water!'
Thus much precious time was lost. The peo-
| pie did not believe that those who were trying
to assist them were sincere, and prevented them
| from providing means Of escape.
The captain, when urged to leave, stated that
the fate Of the ship should be his and his little
| sons.
Master Collins, son Of the proprietor Of the
vessel, when offered life preserver refused it,
| saying he would not take 1t while any woman
| on board was without one. He perished with
/ his mother and sister.
TIE HERorsN OF STEWART HOLLAND.
Another faithful one and one whose quiet
hsroism shone ont brighter - the prospect b.
came dasksr was young man named Stewart