The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1839-09-07
Number 40.

NiO hlO1 hO'Ni AiS4S N'NSN SSSS "HNA
with hollow, reproacfuI voices besought
bread, and wondered why water was
withheld from them by the hands that were
most dear. A few, whose worst passions
were quckened by alcohol TO fend-like
fury, assaulted or wounded those who came
in their way, making their shricks Of def
ance and their curses heard above the roar
of the storm. Intemperance never display
ed itself in more distressing attitudes. At
length Death began to do his work. The
miserable creatures fell dead every hour up
on the deck, being frozen stiff and hard
Each corpse as it became breathless, was
laid upon the heap Of dead bodies, that more
space might be left for the survivors. Those
who drank most were the first 10 perish.
On the third day of these horrors, the in
habitants of Plymouth after making many
Intellectual attempts, reached the wreck, not
without danger What a melancholy spec
tacle Li(eless bodies, stlfrened into every
form that suffering could devise. Many
lay in vast pile. Others sat with their
heads reclining on their knees; others grasp
ing the ice-covered ropes; some in posture
Of defence like the dying gladiator; others
with hands held up to heaven, as if depre.
eating their fate. Orders werc given TO
search earnestly for every mark or sign Of
life. One boy was distinguished amid the
mass Of dead, only by the trembling Of his
eye-lids. The poor survivors were kindly
received into the houses of the people of
Plymouth and every effort used for their
restoration. The Captain and Lieutenant,
and few others, who abstained from the
use of ardent spirits survived. The remain
der were buried, some in separate graves,
and others in large pit, whose hollow is
still TO be seen on the southwest side of the
burial ground in Plymouth. The funeral
obsequies were most solemn. When the
clergyman who was to perform the last SER
vice, first entered, and saw more than sew
enty dead bodies, some fixing upon him their
stony eyes, and others with faces stifened
into the horrible expression of their last
mortal agony, he was so affected, as to
faint.
Some were brought on shore alive, and
received every attention, but survived only
a short time. Others were restored after
long sickness, but with their limbs so inju.
red by the frost as to become cripples for
lif.
In a village at some distance from Ply
mouth, a widowed mother, with her daugh-
ter were seen constantly attending couch,
on which lay sufferer II was the boy
whose trembling eye-ld attraced the notice
of pity, as he lay among the dead.
"MoLher," he ssId in feeble tonc,"God
bless you for having taught me to avoid ar
dent spirits. 1t was this that saved me.
After those around me grew intoxicate d, |
had enough to do, to protect myself from
them.
Some attacked and dared me to fight. 9th
ers pressed the poisonous draught to my
lips and bade me to drink. My lips an |
throat were parched with thirst. But l
knew if drank with them | must lose my
reason, as they did and perhaps blasPheme
my maker.
One by one they died, those poor infatu-
ated wretches. Their shrieks and groans,
still seem to ring in my cars. It was in
vain that the captain and other officers and
few good men warned them of what would
ensue If they thus continued to drink, and
tried every method in their power to re-
store them to order. They still fad upon
intoxicating liquor. They grew delirious
they died in heaps.
Dear mother, our suferngs from hunger
and cold, you cannot imagine. After my
feet were frozen but before lost the use of
nv hands, discovered box among frag-
ments OF the wreck, far under water. l
toiled with rope to drag it up. But my
strength was not sufficient. comrade
who was still able to move little assisted