Year: 1873

The Wreck of the Steamer Atlantic.


CAPTAIN JAMES A. WILLIAMS, Of the
ill-fated steamer Atlantic, recently wreck
ed off Cape Prospect, near Halifax makes
the following statement:


eve sailed from Liverpool March 20.
During the first part of the passage we
had favorable weather and easterly winds.
On the 24th, 25th and Goth we experienced
heavy southwest and westerly gales, which
brought the ship down to one hundred
and eighteen miles day. On the 31st of
March the engineers report showed but
about one hundred and twenty-seven tons
of coal on board. We were then four hum
dred and sixty miles east of Sandy Hook,
with the wind southwest and high Wes-
terly swell and falling barometer, the ship
steaming only eight knots per hour. We
considered the risk too great to push on,
as we might find ourselves, in the event of
gale, shut out from any port OF supply,
and so decided to bear up for Halifax. AT
one p. m. on the 31st Sambro Island was
distant one hundred and seventy miles, the
ships speed varying from eight to twelve
knots per hour, wind south, with rain,
which veered to westward at eight p. M,
with clear weather. AT midnight [ .judg-
ed the ship to have made one hundred and
twenty-five miles, which would place her
forty-eight miles south of Sambro, and |
then left the deck and went into the chart
room, leaving orders about the lookout,
and to let me know if they saw anything
and call me at three a. m., intending then
to put the ships head to the southward
and await daylight My first intimation
of the catastrophe was the striking of the
ship on Meagher's 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 clear
ed, 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 out
side rails, and encouraged them to go for
ward where the ship was highest and less
exposed to the water. The third officer,
Mr.. Brady, and Quartermasters Owens
and Speakman, by this time having es-
tablished communication with the out
going rock about forty yards distant by
means of line, got four other lines to
the rock, along which about two hundred
people passed Between the rock and the
shore was passage one hundred yards
wide. A rope was successfully passed
across this, by which means about fifty got
to land, though many more were drowned
in the attempt AT five a. m. the first
boat appeared from the island, but she
was too small to be of any assistance.
Through the exertions of Mr.. Brady, the
third officer, the islanders were aroused,
and by them three larger boats came to
our assistance By their efforts all that
4I,o Ci1 do f ba
the rock were landed in safety, and cared
for bv fisherman named Clancy and his
daughter. During the day survivors to
the number of four hundred and twenty
nine were drafted off to various houses
scattered about, the resident magistrate
Edmund Ryan, rendering valuable assist
ance The chief officer having got up
the mizzen rigging, the sea cut off his re-
treat He stood for six hours by woman
who had been placed in the rigging.
The sea was too high to attempt
his rescue. AT three p. m. clergyman, the
Rev Mr.. Ancient, succeeded in getting
him line and getting him off. Many of
the passengers, saloon and Steerage, died
in the rigging from cold Among the
number was the purser of the ship. Be-
fore the boats went out placed two ladies
in the life boat, but finding the boat use
less l carried them to the main rigging,
where | left them, and went aft to en-
courage others to go forward on the side
of the ship. AT this iuncture the boilers
exploded and the boat rolled over to lee
ward, the ship at this time being off her
beam-ends. Finding myself useless there
I went to take the ladies forward, but
found them gone nor did [ see them after
ward. Many passengers at this time could
not be stimulated to any effort to save
l.oI
from fright and exposure. I remained on
the side encouraging, helping and direct
ing until about fifteen were landed, when,
finding that my hands and legs were be-
coming useless, left the ship, two other
boats being close to her. and embarked
the remainder. On reaching the shore l
DISPATCHED the third officer to Halifax,
across the country, to telegraph the news
of the disaster, and to obtain assistance.
Mr.. Morrow, the Cunard line agent,
promptly responded, and sent two steamers
with provisions to convey survivors to
Halifax, where they will be cared for and
forwarded to New York the first oppor-
tunity in charge of the first and fourth
officers the third officer and four men
being left at the island to care for the
dead as they come ashore"


John Faxley, chief engineer, says:


"a great number of passengers were
drowned while going from the vessel by
rome to the rock The cold was so intense
that some of them, being benumbed, were
unable to hold on to the rope, and they let
90, and we were unable to render them any
Resistance. The rock that we were on is
covered with seaweed, which made IL very
dangerous to stand upon, and the edges OF
the Toclx were round. All on the rock with
ourselves being soaking wet and cold
1Tare unable to render any assistance to
those who were in the greatest OF peril. a
number of them were washed OF the wreck