AN OLD TIME DISASTER.
From the Cleveland Herald, Aug. 21.

Twenty-eight years ago yesterday the side-wheel lake steamer Atlantic was run into by the propeller Ogdensburg and sunk off Long Point, Canada, carrying down with her nearly 400 passengers. Both vessels plied between the leading lake ports and owing to the meagre railway facilities of the times were always well filled with passengers. Capt. Petty, now a resident of Ashtabula, was in command of the Atlantic, and Capt. Richardson commanded the Ogdensburg. They were both tried seamen, and passengers in their care always rested easy. The ill-fated Atlantic left Buffalo on her semi-weekly trip to Detroit on the evening of Thursday, Aug. 19, having on board over 300 cabin passengers and over 200 emigrants, the latter bound for points in the West. Shortly after 1 o'clock A. M. the light of an approaching vessel, the Ogdensburg, was discovered in the surrounding mist, and scarcely a moment later a terrific crash on the port side, forward of the middle gangway, was heard. In an instant the Atlantic commenced filling, and before the startled steerage passengers had recovered from the shock of the collision, they were choked and suffocated with the rushing water. The cabin passengers rushed for the open deck, and half crazed by the death cries of the hundreds below them many sprang blindly from the sinking vessel, only to find a water grave. The vessel sank gradually, leaving the stern high and dry above the water's edge many hours after other portions were completely submerged. Many of the most cool-headed passengers and officers clung to the ship for their lives, and awaited rescue. The Ogdensburg drew off a short distance, and a dangerous leak was discovered. The pumps were called into active service, and only the most strenuous efforts prevented a repetition on a smaller scale of the scenes witnessed on the Atlantic. After lying off until nearly daylight, she approached the partially sunken steamer and rescued the surviving passengers. A number of those who had taken to the water clung to planks and boards, and were picked up in an exhausted condition. But little is known of the death-struggle of the unfortunate steerage passengers, who perished by scores without even a warning.

The rescuing vessel started for the port of Erie, Penn., and on the trip met the Sultana and the De Witt Clinton, bound for ports in the West. She turned over to them those of her passengers bound for Cleveland and Detroit, and landed at Erie those who desired to return to Buffalo. A Herald reporter yesterday conversed with a survivor of the wreck, who placed the number of lost at 262---over one-half the number of people on board the vessel. Robert Smith, the chief cook of the steamer North-west, was also on the ill-fated steamer on the night of the wreck, and estimates the number lost at fully 400, claiming that the number of emigrants aboard has always been greatly underrated. He says the number of saved did not exceed 50 or 60. The Atlantic was partially out of water when the survivors deserted her, but sank out of sight before many hours.

The New York Times, New York, NY 23 Aug 1880