The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25
THE R OF THE ARCTIC
STORY OF THE LAST SURVIVOR OF
GREAT DISASTER.

Thomas Garland wns n Fireman on the Collins
Liner when she Was sunk by the vestn In
1853. and WAS Ono OF tho Forty saved
when Nearly o Souls Perished.
Thomas Garland, q big, broad. shouldered
white-haircd Irish.American. who served as n
policeman under tho late Superintendent Jor-
dan when the latter was Captain, and who re-
tired from tho force on a pension eleven years
ago, believes that he Is now the only survivor of
the wreck OF tho steamer Arctic, u marine dis
aster that brought with IL the collapse of tho
Collins line. The Cunard Company controlled
the transatlantic passenger trade. f., X. Col.
Inns, inspired by the notion that Amer
leans could Guido the English in ship.
building, constructed four sidc-wheelors
and started them In competition with tho
Cunard liners about 1850. These vessels were
capable OF carrying about 600 passengers and
made swiftcr passages than the heavier Gu.
narders, and became very popular. The steam
ers were all built on the same model and were
named the Arctic, Baltic, Atlantic, and Pacific.
Brown Brothers of London were the English
agents of the line.
Tho American steamers were making steady
inroads on tho trade of the Cunard company
when the Pacific was lost. Like tho loss of tho
City of Boston years later, the disappearance Of
the Pacific was ono of the mysteries of the sea
that have never been cleared up. Not q single
vestigc of her was ever discovered. Some months
later the Arctic also foundered after a collision
Off tho Newfoundland coast, and nearly 600
souls persisted. The company could not with
stand this second disaster, which gave color to
the English assertion that the American steam
ers were not seaworthy. and the company went
out of existence. Commodore Collins himself, the
founder Of the line, was coming from Liverpool
with hia wife md family and fhny xypra apnnnov
the scores Of prominent New Workers who per
ished with the vessel. 1t Is believed that fewer
than forty men and women escaped death, and
Mr.. Garland believes that he is the only one now
alive. He Is 20 years old. He told the story Of
the wreck the other afternoon while sitting In
his dining room at his house. at 1853 West Hous.
ton street, patching an old house coat.
MY escape" he said, twas due to some of the
traditional luck of the man who can't swim. I
had heard of the saying among seafaring men
that he who can't swim stands the best chance
Of living in an ocean wreck, and I am a proof of
1t. l was then just past 80 years old. and
shipped on the Arctic as q fireman with my
elder brother. Edward. who was past 80, and my
younger brother, James. an engineers mess
boy. Both of them were drowned. / had pro-
and was promoted to he fireman. and I knew
Capt. Luce, the commander OF the Arctic. be-
to New York on the previous VOYAGE. '
1--WE started from Liverpool With a full cargo
OF general merchandise, a crew OF about sew
was in September, 1854. when it took fourteen
or fifteen days to make the transatlantic trip.
vicinity OF Cape Race. The voyage had been
pleasant and uncventful.. A dense fog, one of
In,ff tSs w ! remSm Wns snsS caIm t and sea tSc ana sSa sky.
almost as smooth as glass. We were going
Sahheen,Sd very slowly and CAUTIOUSLY. Sud
one OF the new iron propeller steamers.
came right on TO US out OF the curtain of fog.
until il was too late to avoid a " collision. She
struck us asIant abaft the starboard bow, and
then sheered or leaving part Of her iron nose
into our rigging as she struck. and scrambled.
half dead with fright, to our deck.
passengers were at dinner in the cabin. l was
below in the engineers room looking after my
not very much. and as the vesta shecred OF it
our side. Nobody aboard thought that We We're
seriously injured. Capt. Luce, in fact, thought
propeller, and he feared that she would sink.
trumpet. but got very little satisfaction.
The Vesta came to a standstill. and tho
circles with the crew on the lookout for persons
in tho water. but the four frightened sailors
who had leeaped into our rigging were all that
half an hours time, and after that the Vesta got
up steam afresh. and before Capt. Luce knew
"Iiht bSi. "hS W. " SiiC iinl blhi
off into the bank OF fog again. He fired signal
guns to bring her back sti,l believing her to be
no heed to the booming calls.
A this l found out afterward. was down
in the engine room and then | knew that there
had been some kind of a collision and that we
were injured, because the water began to rise.
1t was above my knees when the engineer called
us up to mess. He didn't know how bad things
were. When l got to mess ! could see that we
had begun to list to port-they used TO call it
shipped was beginning to pull the steamer over.
When we got up on deck we found the pas
sengers there ahead OF us huddled astern and in
a panic. The men had blanched faces and the
women were screaming and running about
wringing their hands in a frensy OF fear. Others
dren and praying for deliverance. Capt. Luce
had discovered by this time that tho vessel had
the cargo out OF the bow and middle hatchways.
to find out exactly what damage had been done.
When the holds were partly cleared, it was
found that the French propeller had knocked
q hole in our, starboard big, enough
for q man to walk through, and the sea was
compartments, and we knew she was doomed.
When went aft again. | saw Capt. Luce with n
hat all six of the metallic lifeboats had been
taken from the davits; It appeared afterward
that he had lost control Of HIS officers. who had
looked out for themselves in the scramble for tho
boats. Five boats had got away, carrying some
passengers. but mostly officers and crew,
est panic. and discipline, had gone to the dogs.
pressed forward through tho crowd, and look
iifseboat just descending from the buiwarks.
One OF the assistant engineers was in her. with
some OF his associates preparing to get Off like
the others. ! leaped over the stern, landed In
the boat. and my. weight brought her down with
n tremendous splash into the water. Capt. Luce
levelled his revolver at me.
"'Come back or I'll shoot he cried.
".'Shoot and DO damned | retorted. I'm
going TO look after this bOht.'
Capt. Luce didn't shoot, and we fastened the
painter to the stern. and held the boat there
while We were busy rigging up a raft. For
more than an hour before this probably we had
all been busy c%hopping away spars and throw
ing them overheard. along with boxes and big
crates and things that would float and hold a
man or woman up. This was before the officers
got panic stricken and deserted the steamer.
The steamer had listed far over, and from tho
boat we were witnesses OF u scene that
/ used to see every time l closed my
eyes for years and years afterward. The life
boat was nineteen feet long. and thirty-two per-
sons had climbed aboard. The load brought tho
gnnwalc within six inches of the water. To
take another person on board would have cap
sized her All Ilnsn whn Nrrn IynrLlnn nj lilo