The New York Herald Newspaper, April 3, 1873, Page 5

_ , THE CALAMITY. . » Alphabetical Lists of the Dead The Wreck of the White Star Steamer on Meagh- e's Rock, LOST AND SAVED. 560 Lives Lost Out of 978. SOULS RESCUED. "48 Awful: Scenes When the Vessel Struck. . FRANTIC STRUGGLES FOR LIFE. Death on the Rock, in the Rig- ging and the Sea. DESOLATION AT DAWN. Perishing of All the Women and Children. Rescue by the Fishermen---The Blackboard Signal. : "CHEER UP! THE BOATS ARE COMING.” Heroism and Endurance Amid the Terrors of the Wreck. TEN HOURS IN THE RIGGING. Men Becoming Crazed on the Rock and Falling Into the Sea. JTHRRLING STORIES FROM SU&VIVORS. | Statements by the Captain, First ‘} Officer, Chief Engineer, Quar- termaster and Passengers. * fauses Assigned for the Fatal Mistake—Ont- rupning Their Course---The Lights. THE SHORTNESS OF COAL. One Hundred Bodies Re- covered. Bringing the Saved to Halifax—Destitu- tion of the Passengers. Investigation Ordered by the Canadian Government. and Living. _ THE LONDON AGENT'S. HEARTLESSNESS, A Graphic Picture of the Awful Catastrophe. YVesterday it became our painful duty to announce the loss of the White Star steamship Atlantic. The calamitous news fell upon the community with a stupefying effect. We could but say that a great ocean steamship had been lost, and that three-fourths of those on board had perished. Only two names out of those saved reached us. Aware that the most intense anxiety would prevail until all the sad truth of death had been made known, ‘we obtained, through the Heratp Bureau in London, the fullest list possible of the pns- gengers on board. From Halifax, N. 8., we have procured the fullest possible list of the saved. From these lists, alphabetic- ally arranged, the lost and saved will be een at a glance. The particulars of the ‘wreck, what happened before the disaster, the blunder that led to it, the striking on the rock, the scenes of terror and death that fol- lowed, are all depicted in our special de- @petches. In order to give the reader a clear idea of tho scene of the wreck a map has been prepared. In another portion of the Heraup will be found the effects produced in this city by the ill-omened tidings. Dismay is but a feeble term to express the depth of the feelings of fear, sorrow and indignation which filled all @lasses. From the magnitude of the loss of Jife it will rank with the most deplorable eatastrophes of the century. PARTICULARS OF THE DISASTER. amie Haurrax, N. §., April 2, 1873. The lone of the Atlantic marks another @povb in the history of the world’s calamities. Tho community here ip completely shocked TLANTIC NEW YORK HERALD, THURSDA ‘by this terrible calamity. Our Commiasioner went on board of the steamer Delta and pro- ceeded to the scene of the dienster, the Canard line having directed the Captain where to go at once and render every asvint- ance. The Delta was accompanied by the eutter. aT TEE WRRCE. They reached Meagher’s Island at an early hour in the morning, which is some eighteen miles distant from Halifax. It is a wild, desolate, dreary spot, and the inhabitants obtain a livelihood by prosecuting the fisheries. It was very soon after daybreak the scene of the wreck was reached ; nothing was visible of the noble’ steamer save the bow and part of the mainyarde.and mainmests. Miserable small boats and little birds of prey. “A steam tug from Halifax had” reached the scene, and was puffing about in a, busy way and accomplished nothing: Captain Shaw brought the Delta to anchor in the bay, and the tug was despatched in questof the survivors, who chiefly congrogated at Lower Prospect, although many were scattered about the isle. The tug returned in the course of an hour with most of the cabin passengers and 150 of the steerage passengers and crew. Captain Willioms, of the ill-fated, steamer, came and was greeted by Captain Shaw, who had leaped on board the tug, with the follow- ing remarks :— REP “I represent the Cunard Company, who have despatched a steamer to the scene.'’ JUST BEFORE SHE STRUCK. On board the Atlantic the passeners re- tired to rest with bright hopes of home and the new land they were coming to, and little speculations were made as to what they would do in Halifax while waiting for coal. But, alas! their dreams were never to be real- ized in this world. Suddenly the ship struck, the second officer, Mr. Metcalf, being on duty. She thumped several times, being a very large and long ship, and then rolled over on her side. Of the thousand souls on board most of them were at rest. Those who could made the utmost speed to get on deck. ‘THE RUSH FOR LIFE. Hundreds of steerage passengers and many of the less vigorous in the saloon were unableto do 80, as the water poured in immediately. Those who sicceeded in gaining the deck mostly took to the rigging. Capt. Wil- Hams, who had been lying down for a few minutes’ rest in his room, was promptly at hand and all the: passengers agree that throughout the terrible scenes which followed he acted like a hero, It was utterly impossible to save any of the Indies, althongh strenuous exe: icje,> were made to doso. Captain Williams conveyed Mrs. Merritt and her sister to the lifebcat ; but, finding it impracticable to launch her, he placed them in the rigging. They were lost, as were also every woman and child on board. Among the many sad incidents of this terrible calomity was the death of Mr. Price, who perished upon the side of the vessel from ex- posure, BEHAVIOR OF THE LADIES. The ladies behaved with the utmost hero- ism. Not onecry was heard from them as they perished. Mother and daughter parted from each other in silentagony. Mr. Fisher's wife besought him to save himself, but he re- fused to leave her; saying, ‘‘I shall remain by you. We shall meet in another and a better world.” They were both lost. NO CHILDREN SAVED. One ot the keenest regrets that seems to be felt by the officers and saloon passengers is that no lady or child was saved. They fear that it will look selfish upon their part; yet the only woman that they suc- ceeded in placing in the rigging, the first officer very nearly lost his life in staying by her until she was a corpse. One young man (Mr. Wellington), who had been travelling in Europe for the past five months, and who was bringing home a valuable collection of books, photographs, trinkets, etc., and was return- ing to his friends in Boston, was never seen after the vessel struck, and was probably drowned in his state room. Another gentle- man—Mr, Sumner, of San Francisco—who was also returning from a trip of several months through Europe, and who was the most general favorite and most accomplished gentleman on board, found a watery grave. THE SAILORS BEHAVE OUTRAGEOUSLY. Tho sailors, who were mostly Liverpool men, behaved outrageously. The body of Mrs. Fisher was found, and some fiend in human form had smashed her finger with » rock to wrench from it her wedding ring. Purser Washington had a complete list of the Passengers, but he perished with the cold while clinging to. the wreck. SIXTY BODIES RECOVERED. When the Delta left the scene some sixty bodies had been recovered, among them those of Mrs. Fisher and Miss Mary Merritt. Mr. Markenald will remain by the wreck and take care of the bodies of his companions of the saloon, 8o far as they may be recovered. ‘The total number lost now foots up to 560; saved 418, Mesars. S. Canard & Co. provided every comfort for the rescued. The steerage passen- gers are now in good quarters. The following resolution was passed by the cabin passengers: — We, the reacned passengers of the unfortunate steamer Atlantic, devire to express our gratitude and respect for the noble conduct exbibited by SCENE OF Y, APRIL 3, , - ospect Point, as the extreme southern end of a long peninsula which forms the western boundary of Pennant Bay, is twenty-two miles to the west-northwest of Sambro Light. Mars Head is a huge mass of rock, which rises seventy feet above high water, just outside of the mainland. The waters in the vicinity are thickly studded with rocky shoals and islands. Meagher’s Rock, on which the Atlantic was wrecked, is one of those treacherous rocks lying off to the southwest. Captain Williams and all his oMcers during the terrible scenes which ensued at the wreck of the steamer on the coast of Nova Scotia. The steamer is a total wreck and is broken in two. Divers are on the spot for the purpose of recovering as much of the cargo as can be saved. RESOUE OF THE SURVIVORS. Early this morning the Dominion govern- ment steamer Lady Head, Captain Mattson ; the Cunard stéamer Delta, Captain Shaw, and the steam tug Goliah, Captain Jones, left the city for the scene of the wreck of the White Star steamer Atlantic, at Prospect, to render such assistance as they could. The Lady Head had on board a number of Custom House officers, and the Delta’s party included several newspaper reporters. The start was made about three o'clock, so that the steamers might reach the scene immediately after daylight. As the morning broke the steamers approached Prospect, and those on board quickly learned the whereabouts of the ill-fated Atlantic from the presence around her of @ large fleet of fishing schooners and small boats. THE LOCALITY isone that a mariner would be disposed to give a wide berth to if possible, the shore being a succession of large beds of rock with dangerous shoals running out for some dis- tance, while the bay is studded with innumer- able islands, large and small, all of solid rock, with scarcely a sign of vegetation or soil for anything to grow on. Yet frowning and dan- gerous as the place was there was grandeur and beauty in the scene on this bright morning, the were beating against the rocks and enveloping the shore almost continually in clouds of glisten- ing spray; but the terrible story of the ship- wreck absorbed too much of the attention of those on board the relieving steamers to allow them to spend many minutes in admiring the beauties of nature. THE BUSINESS OF THE VESSELS was to get on board the passengers and others who had been rescued from the wreck and put them on shore, where, with such a large number, such a small place, not even the large-hearted generosity and kindness of the fishermen could be expected to make them comfortable. The Delta and the Lady Head, being unable to venture near the shore, came to anchor and the Goliath, with a life boat, went in to embark the shipwrecked people. No time was lost; the Goliath and the boats soon returned filled with men, who proceeded to get on board the Delta. And such a motley party! Falstaff’s ragged regiment were well attired and respectable looking compared to these English, Irish, Scotch, Welsh, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedes, Swiss—indeed, representatives of every country in Europe andof the United States of Amorica were huddled together, talking, laughing, crying, praying and thanksgiving, producing A CONFUSION OF TONGUES of the most confused character. Scarceiy one-half of them had a complete and respect- able looking suit of clothes. The wealthy merchant of London and New York, the high- toned professional gentleman and the lowest of the foreign emigrants appeared in clothing, much of which had been given them by the good people of Prospect. Some were with- out coats, many without hats, others without boots and all had to mourn the absence of some comfort in the clothing line. Expen- sive broadcloth blended with the rough when angry waves Guernsey jacket on the one per- son. Here was an _ aristocratic-look- ing man etriving to make himeclf at home under a dilapidated-looking overcoat that had probably done duty in days of yore on the back of more than one hardy fisherman of the place, while at the same time he made desperate efforts to get on his benumbed hands a pair of lavender kid gloves. Ho had a pref- erence for kid as a rule, no doubt, but at that particular moment he was gazing enviously on A HALE-FRIGHTENED-TO-DEATH DUTCHMAN, who sported a prodigious pair of wool ‘mitts, which did great credit to the skill and sense of the fisherman's pretty daughter, who had given them tohim. But why continue the story? The scene after what I have written may be more easily imagined than described. All were warmly welcomed on board the Delta by. Captain Shaw and his officers, who spared no pains to make them as comfortable as possible. The Goliath returned to the shore and was soon back again with just such a crowd as the previous one. There were several AFFECTING SCENES on the Delta as the passengers were collecting in her from the different points where they had been stopping. Friends who had separated from each other after the Atlantic struck and never expected to meet’ again in this world, were brought face to face in the Delta’s cabin, where they grasped hands and wept for joy, and returned thanks to Him who spared them, while so many of their fellows had been sent into eternity. By twelve o'clock all those who had reached the shore safely were, excepting an officer and four men who remained, and those who walked inland, taken on board the steamers Delta and Lady Head, the former having about 330 and the latter 77. STATEMENTS OF SURVIVORS. The Captain’s Statement. The following is the Captain’s statement: — We sailed from Liverpool March 20. During the first part of the passage had favorable weather and easterly winds. On the 24th, 25th and 26th experienced heavy southwest and westerly gales, which brought the ship down to 118 miles a day. On the 3ist of March engineer's port showed but about one hundred and twenty-seven tons of coal on board. We were then 460 of Sandy Hook, with wind southwest and high ‘westerly swell and falling barometer. the ship steaming only eight knots per hour; considered the risk too great to push on, as we might find ourselves, in the event of a gale, shut out from any port of supply, and so decided to bear up for Halifax. At one P. M., 3ist, Sambro Island was distant 170 miles; ship's 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 I judged the ship to have made 122 miles, which would place her 48 miles south of Sambro, and I 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 ship's head to the southward and await daylight. My first intimation of the catastrophe was the striking of the ship on Marr's Island and re- maining there fast. The sea immediately swept away all the port boats. The officers went to their stations and commenced clear- ing away the weather boats. Rockets were fired by the second officer. Before the boats could be cleared—only ten minntes having elapsed-—tho ship keeled heavily to port, ren- the re- miles east U : 3.—QUADRUPLE SHEET. THE DISASTER. The Atlantic Coast in the Vicinity of Halifex Harbor, Show- Saree ee ee dering the starboard boats wscless. Seeing that NO HELP COULD BR GOr PROM THR BOATS 1 got the passengers into the rigging and out- side the rails and encouraged them to gé for- ward, where the ship was highest and less ex. posed to the water. The third officer, Mr. 4 Brady ; Quartermasters Owens and Speakman by this time having established communica tion with the outlying rock, about forty yards distant by measure of a line, got four other lines to the rock, along which about two hun- @red people passed. Between the rock and 4 the shore wasa passage 100 yards wide. A {| rope was successfully passed across this, by which means about fifty got to the land, though many were drowned in the at- tempt. At five A. M. the firat boat appeared ¢] from the island, but she was teo small to be of any agsistance. Through the exertions of Mr. Brady, the third officer, the islanders were aroused, and by six A. M. three larger BOATS CAMB TO OUE ASSISTANCE. By their efforts all that remained on the side of the ship and on the rock were landed in safety and cared for by a poor fisherman named Clancy and his daughter. During the day the survivors, to the number of 429, were drafted off. to the various houses seattered about, the resident Magis- trate, Edmund Ryan, rendering valu- able asistance. ‘The chief officer having got up the mizzen rigging, the sea cut off his retreat. He stood for six hours by a woman who had been placed in the rigging. The sea wat too high to attempt his rescue. At three P.M. ao clergyman, Rev. Mr. Ancient, suc- seeded in getting him a line and getting him off. Many of the passengers, saloon and steerage, died in the rigging from cold; among the number the Purser of the ship. LADIES PUT IN THE BOATS. Before the boats went out I placed two la- dies in the life-boat, but finding the boat use- less, carried them to the main rigging, where I left them went aft to encourage others to go forward on the side of the ship. At this juncture the boilers exploded and the boat rolled over to leeward, the ship at this time being on her beam ends. Finding myself useless there I went to take the ladies forward, but found them gone, nor did I sce them afterwards. Many passengers at this time could not be stimulated to any effort to save themselves, but lay in the rigging and DIED FROM FRIGHT AND EXPOSURE. Iyemained on the side encouraging, help- ing and directing until about fifteen were landed, when finding that my hands and legs were becoming useless I leit the ship, two other boats being close to, and embarked the remainder. On reaching the shore I despatched Mr. Brady, third officer, off to Halifax, across the country, to telegraph the news of the disaster and to obtain assistance. Mr. Marrow, the Cunard line agent, promptly responded, and sent two steamers, with provisions, to convey the sur- vivors 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. Captain Sheridan, diver, has received and provisional authority as to the salvage of the cargo and materials. The second officer was lost with No. 30 life- boat. The Chief Officer's Statement. J. W. Firth, chief officer of the Atlantic, in reply to the reporter's questions, made a state- ment in substance as follows: — My watch ended at twelve o’clock on Mon- day night. The second and fourth officers took charge, and I went to my berth. I was aroused by the shock of the vessel striking. The second officer came down to my room and said the ship was ashore and he was I put on a few got clear afraid she was gone. of clothing, an axe and went on deck to the boats. The ship had careened over before I reached the deck. I cleared the two starboard boats. Just then a heavy sea swept the boats away. I was holding fast to the mizzenmast rigging articles was so dark and the spray blew so thickly that we could not see well what was going on around us. I saw men on the rocks, but did not know how they got there. All who were alive on board were in the rigging. WHEN DAYLIGHT CAME I counted thirty-two persons in the mizzen- mast rigging with me, including one woman. When these saw that there between the ship and the shore many of them attempted to go forward to the lines, and in doing so were washed overboard and drowned. Many reached the shore by the aid of the lines, and the fisher- men’s boats rescued many more, At last all had either been washed off or rescued except myself, the woman anda boy. The sea had become so rough that the boats could not venture near us. Soon the boy was washed off, but he swam gallantly and reached one of the boats in safety. I gota firm hold of the woman and secured her in the rigging. I could see the people on shore and in the boats, and could hail them, but they were unable to help us. At two o'clock in the afternoon, after we had been were lines IN THE RIGGING TEN HOURS, the Rev. Mr. Avcient, a Church of England clergyman, whose noble conduct I can never and now climbed higher for safety. The night | | ble death over four hundred souls. forget. while I live, got a crew of four men td row him ont to the wreck. He got into the main rigging and procured a line, then ad- vanced as far as he could towards me and threw it to me. I caught it, made it fast sround my body and then jumped clear. & sea swept me off the wreck, but Mr. Ancien? held fast to the line, pulled me back and got me safely in the boat. I was then so exhausted and benumbed that I was hardly able to do anything for myself, and but for the clergy- man’s gallant conduct I must have perished soon, The woman, after bearing up with re- markable strength under her great trials, had died two hours before Mr. Ancient arrived/ Her half nude body was still fast in the rig« ging, her eyes protruding, her mouth foaming, A TERRIBLY GHASTLY SPECTACLE, rendered more ghastly by the contrast with numerous jewels which sparkled on her hands. We had to leave her body there, and itis probably there yet. The scene at the wreck was an awful one, such as I had never before witnessed and hope never to witness again. Comparatively few bodies drifted ashore ; most of them, with such articles as came out of the ship while I was on her, were carried out to sea. Statement of a Cabin Passenger. Freeman D. Marckwald, of “New York, @ cabin passenger, was interviewed bya Chronicla reporter and stated:—I turned into my berth at nine o'clock on Monday night and wag aroused by the shock of the ship striking. All the men in the cabin rushed on deck to see what was wrong. I went into the saloon om deck and observed by a clock that the time was three o'clock and twenty minutes. Rock« ets were being fired from the steamer. Within fifteen minutes from the time the ship struck she careened over. The Captain, who, with his officers, behaved bravely, cried out, ‘‘Take to the rigging; it’s your last chance.’ At day« break the fisherman’s boat came ont and res< cued a number of us and landed us om Meagher Island. HOSPITALITY OF THE FISHERMEN. The handfull of people on the island warmly welcomed us, gave us food and clothing, and did all for us that they could. Edmund Ryan, & magistrate, and Dennis Ryan and their wives were especially active in ministering to our wants, NAMES OF THE BRAVE SAVIORS. There were three boats’ crews whose named deserve a high place on the rollof honor; the first boat was manned by Dennis Ryan, James Collin, Frank Ryan, John Blackburn and Ben- jamin Blackburn; the second by Jamea O’Brien, Michael O’Brien, Patrick Dollard, William Tairy and T. J. Torg. i regret that I have not the names of the otheg crew. ~ To these mem belong chiefly the credit of having, at the risk of their own lives, rescued from a terri« They, ag well as several others of whose bravery I have heard, should certainly receive some re« ward for their noble conduct. Among the passengers coming up in the Delta there were ringing praises of the gallant trio of boata’ crews already referred to; of Rev. Mr. Ancient, who rescued the perishing chief officer; of Third Officer Brady and of Quartermasters Speakman and Owens, who first established eommunication with the shore. The kindness of the Prospect people wad also universally acknowledged and praised. The Reason Why. “Captain Williams,” said the reporter, ‘ta what cause do you ascribe the disaster ?’” “I can hardly say,’’ replied the Captain,’ “unless it was because we had overran our distance. I thought we were going about eleven. knots, but the speed must have been greater than that, or we could never have got so far out of our course.” THE CAPTAIN'S GRIEF. ‘The Captain was serious and composed, yeb at intervals when, some particularly harrowing incident was being mentioned he broke down and seemed overwhelmed with sorrow. Once he said to the reporter—‘‘Think that while hundreds of men were saved every womam should have perished; it’s horrible! If I had been able to save even one woman I could bear the disaster; but, to lose all, it’s terrible, ter- rible!’’ He seemed to fully realize that the world would hold him to a strict account for the disaster, and that whether he was blameless or culpable he would, by many, be held respon sible. THE COMMANDER OF THE ATLANTIC, Captain Williams, is a stout-built English- man, of about forty-five years of age, who hag followed the sea for many years. He was for along time a captain iu the Guion line. For. upwards of a year he has been in the White Star service; first as chief officer of the Celtic, and latterly, for two voyages, as captain of the Atlantic. He met with an accident a short time ago which disabled him toa certain ex« tent, and recently he has been compelled to use a stick and abstain from great exertion, Notwithstanding this, however, he so con ducted himself at the trying time as to win the highest commendations from the passen« gers. THE BODIES FOUND. When the Delta left at half-past twelve P, M. yesterday between sixty and seventy bodies! had been washed ashore and were lying on they beach. Mr. Marckweld, of New York, will stay to look after bodies of cabin passengers, and wil] send the American ones home, if possible, CONTINUED ON NINTH PAGE,