Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1834-08-23
Secretary of the Treasury


Hon. Levi Woodbury.,
Secretary of the Treasury.
! From the Jonesborough (Tcnu-) Republican,.
STEAMBOAT INCIDENT
| The small boat put off To take in three
passengers who had made signals from the
shore gentleman and two ladie, whose
shawIs and ribbsnds iiuttcrcd in the fierce
wind IKE the quivering of brilliant flag Al
i masthead. The bay was exceedingly
rough, and the white caps careered all oyel
/ the watery expanse Ike the flashing mares
eff a troop Of wild horses. None but he
roine, or one totally ignorant Of the danger
would have ventaired upon such surf. The
boat was manned by Two stout seamen on
Iy; and after taking in the passengers, and
pulling out a few rods from the bore, it lay
tossing Ike fishing cork upoa the rough
Isea, making little or no progress towards the
steamboat Two sturdy rowers, taking long
and strong pulls. bent their entire strength
TO the oars. and the gentleman leaving the
ladies' whose hands he had hitherto held,
lent his aid to the oarsman nearest to him.
This moment decided the struggle! The
united strength of the two. aided by huge
wave which struck the boat on its side,
threw it off is balance, and dipping deep
into the water it capsized, and the little
crew were delivered over to the mercy OF
the pillows.
A shrill shrek went wildly over the wa
tiers; band box, cloak, and hat were visit
bic, floating high upon the surge, but for a
moment nothing else, the keel Of the boat
excepted. was 10 be seen. Unfortunately
no other small craft was attached to the
steamboat; and although she Immediately
wheeled round and ran up to the relief ol
the sufferers, yet several precious minutes
lelapsed before this could be effected. When
we came up, one of the oarsmen was drag
lging an elderly woman upon the keel gf the
lcafsized 5ott; the other making the .sfs. oil
his way Toxaads the steamboat, taking spe-
icial care of his own safety in the first place
iwhile carried TO some distance by a refluen;
wave, 1 saw for moment, distinctly, the
features ola beautiful girl, pale indeed with
alarm, yet expressing perfect conscious
ness of her situation. and bcamng with the
hope and the courage of bold heart. She
twas supported nobly by the young man, her
companion, vino struggled strongly with the
'strong waves; Isay saw all this but mo-
ment; for the next instant they went down
into the trough ofthe sea; and a succeeding
surge dipped their heads in the water far
out of SIGHT.
Three horrible minutes elapsed, and a
gain they rose 10 the surface, the young la
dy's arm twined closely round her compan
ions neck, while with his left arm around
her waist, he grdsped the faithless element
coDvulsive'g, with his right. Boxes, planks
ropes, &c. Were now thrown out to aid them
to the boat. but SO very rough, were the
waves, that all this was totally unavaiiing,
and they seemed il vitality perishing that
beautiful girl and that noble boy-when a
sturdy Old tar, a passenger in the boat, taking
the end of small cord in his teeth, and di-
rect;ng one of the crew 10 hold the end.
'lunged into the boiling waters. and dashing
them aside like giant, swan to the sinking
pair. laid his strong graspon the young man 5
arm, and hallooing 10 the crew 10 pull in.
they were drawn TO the side of the steam
boat, and lifted on deck, seemingly at the
last gasp of lfeI The same experiment
brought in the old lady and her preserver.
who mad managed, until relieved. to retain
their bold upon the keel Of the capsized
boat. When the young lady came to her.
self, (Which she did in few msnutes,) she
looked about her with wild glance, and
asked Tor her mother; with cry ofwild loy
they rushed into each others arms: and
various as WAS tie crowd that witnessed this
scene upon the deck of that boat, not an
individual bu. seemed to regard it with the
deepest feeling.
The young lady again looked up from her
mothers bosom, with even a mere alarmed
glance than before, until her eye fell upon
the very handsome features of the young
man VINO had been the companion of her
danger: and although cannot, in relating
this real little incident. adopt, the style of
the novelist, and say that tLey too rushed
10 each others embrace, yet such look of
extreme Joy as those beautiful eyes gave sud
denly filing withtcars as she atiectionately
be Id out her hand 10 the youth, would certain
II lave served as amodeI farsome fthe most
touching scenes Of romance Tie ladies'
retired to heir cabin, s. saw no more oftilem
but If that young man and that beautiful girl
aie not married within three months after
this event, s. # they are nota hpek couple,
then am no interpreter Of the 5oks and
gestures OF passion. and then have none Of
the spirit oi d:vinasion.