The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-09-28 00:00:00

WRECKED IN THE "METIS."

The New York Timee gives the following account, fur•
nished by a passenger who WU on board the Metes with two
lads six and eight years old :

"I ran to the children, woke them up, tied securely&
life-preserver around both of them, taking one myself,
and went with the children aft. They were as gentle
as lambs, and seemed aware that something dreadful
was about to happen, and obeyed my orders
implicitly, evincing the greatest heroism. I took
them to the after part of the boat, to the guards,
and told them they must jump into the sea with
me, and that they must put all their trust in me,
and that I would not leave them. The waves were
then very high, commencing to break over the bows of
the Metis, and the rain was pouring down in torrents.
I hesitated for is moment, thinking whether it would
not he better to remain yet awhile with the ship, but
noticing that she was breaking up forward, the timbers
commencing to fly up and her hull settling, I felt that
her doom was sealed. I still remained with the children
until the water began to wash over her main deck
and threatened to submerge us. Placing a chair by
the bulwarks with one foot no it and the other
on the side of the ship, with my left arm I hugged
the two children close to me, and, with a des-
perate leap, I sprang into the water with them.
The poor little fellows never uttered a sound of alarm
I had some slight hope of reaching a boat manned by
some of the crew of the Melia, and shouted out that if
only they would take the boys on board I could take
care of myself. The wind and rain, had there been a
boat near, would have probably prevented their hear-
ing me, With the two children I was rapidly carried
by the current to the bows of the ship There was a
quantity of floating debris there, which I was for a
time afraid would kill us. At the second effort, by
vigorously pushing against the how with my feet, I suc-
ceeded in disentangling myself and the children, re-
ceiving only three or four slight contusions. With one
arm clasping the buoys, with the other! was holding the
children as far up out of the water as I could, ex.
hurting them to keep their chins well up and out of the
water. Shortly after the second time of our being
carried forward to her bows the Mn ,s went down.
Then kegs, cases barrels, cotton-bales, and spore
seemed to spring t% the surface of the water. I tried
in vain to catch hold of some of them, but the sea was
so violent that though I hadmy hands on some of them
they eluded my grasp, and wry soon we were carried
clear of them.

About twenty-five minutes had elapsed since we
had taken to the sea. Per little Carl presently seemed
to be growing weaker and weaker. I continued my
exertions to keep his bead clear of the high running
waves. The child made no complaint—no murmur;
presently, the younger brother died. Even then
the children were together. I then exerted all my
efforts towards saving Arthur. I placed his head
higher up on my shoulder, and said, 'Do, Arthur, hold
your head up, just as high as you can; I will assist
you.' His reply was, 'I can't.' Very soon afterwards he
died. My thoughts were then centred on saving their
bodies, and restoring them, if possible, to their parents.
But very sonn I felt myself becoming weaker and
weaker, and the exertion I had made to save the child-
ren was produc ng ph) sical exhaustion. After a long
struggle in my mind whether I should part with their
poor bodies, I was reluctantly forced to let them go,
knowing that the life-preserver, still tightly secured
around them would float them, as we were drifting to-
wards the shore. It WWI just then becoming to be clearer,
and a dull murky light announced the coming day. I
had been then, I suppose, an hourandahalf in the water.
I felt myself becoming gradually weaker and weaker,
the seas dulling over me and taking away my breath.
I thought my last hour had come, when I saw a
heavy gang-plank coming toward me. I suppose
it was a gang-plank from having cleats nailed on

I was then so exhausted that it took all the efforts
of a drowning man to secure it. It was floating beneath
the surface of the water, apparently weighted down by
splinters coming from the wreck. I succeeded in getting
on it, when a wave washed me off. As I was carried
away twenty feet from it, the strings of my life-pre-
server snapped, and it slipped around my neck. This had
a tendency to keep my head under water, and I was
now so utterly weakened that I almost gave up. Just
then another wave drove the life-preserver doom
again to my waist. Row the plank was again se-
cured by me I cannot tell. My lower limbs and arms
were now so stiff and cramped that all I could do
was to hold the plank with my heel, and retain it
near me until I regained genie little strength. At
last I got to my former position on the plank, the
waves breaking over me all the time, making me icy
cold, end the quantity of salt water I had swallowed
causing me to feel ill and faint. Just then the storm
seemed to re-commence with new fury, and I again
despaired at ever reaching the shore. Presently,
however, daylight appeared, and I saw afar off
the topmast of some vowel, thouBh I could not
make out her hull. This cheered Inc. A short time
afterwards I heard some one calling me. In a few mo-
ments I distinguished Mr. McCrittis on a cork
mattress, and some distance ahead of me. I soon
neared him. Shortly after that the lifeboat came in
sight, and made for us rapidly. We were then taken
on the boat. I think we were almost among the last
in the water who were saved."