Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1845-10-24

say that they heard him rcpne At his hard
labor ana scanty pay lie had, IN the wors'
time, a cheerful lcok and kind word iol
those with whom lie was thrown; cast o.
ten enough in tgi companp, Ire rird al
least, and generally succeeded, in saving ol
doing something for it, good. lie gas
known from one end OF Lake Erie to the
other, by the name of honest John Nav.
nard, and The secret Of his honesty to bis
neigbbors was bis love Of God.
The land was atOul ten miles off, wren
the captain coming up from his cahin, cri.
ed to sailor, Dick Fletcher, what's all
that smoke see coming on, from the Noid!'
"lt's from the engine-roonl, sir, guess, So
said the man.
"Down with sou, sir, then. and let me-
know.
The sailor began descending the ladder
by which You go to the hoIo; but scarcely
had he disappeared beneath the deck. when
lie came up with much greater speed.
"Ihe holds on Gre, sir" sad he to the
captain who was by this time standing
close to him.
The captain rushed down and fonnd the
account too true. Some sparks had fallen
on bundle Of tow; no one had seen the
accidents and now not only much of the
luggage, but the sides Of the vessel were
in smoulderIng fame,
All hands, passengers as well as sailors,
were called together, and two lines being
made, enc on each side on the hold buck
cts we've passed and respassed; they were
flied from the lake. and flew along Z line o;
ready hands, were dashed kissing on the
burning mass, and then passed on to he 9th.
er side 10 he reiiiled. For sUme moments
it tseemed asst the flames were sUbdEed,
In the mean time the women on board
Were clustering round old inhn Maynard,
the only unemployed Hian who was capa.
bic Of answering Their questions, GLOW
lar is it 10 landr "llow long shall We be
getting in!" ''Is livery deep" us there
no boat" "Can taey see as ilom the
shore" The hphnsluan answered as welt
as he could. There was no tOat; it had
Deen lett at Buffalo 70 be mcnded; they
might be eseven miles from shore; theY would
probably he in in forty minutes; he could
UoL tell how far the fire had reached. "But
20 speak The truth he added, "we are all
~ great danger ami think if there were
less taking aud a little more praying, it
would I've better lorus, and none the worse
ior the boat"
"liow's her leads" shouted the captain.
"Wesl, acu'west," answered Maynard.
Keep her sou and by west" cried tbs
! captdini 1--WE nus, 70 Gshore anywhere" ="
1t happened that a dIalt of wind bore
back tie flames, Which soon began to Blaze
mp more turousIy against the saloon; and
the partition belwiXt it and the hold was
soon oh iIe. Then long wrcalhs OF smoke
began to hold tier way through the sky
Ilghti and III captain seeing this, ordered
ali the women forward, The engineer tut
on his utmost steam, the American flag was
run up, and reversed in token oI distress,
water was flung over the sails, to make
them ho d the wind. And sulI John May
nard stood at the wheel, though now he
was cut of Iy q sheet Of smoke and flame,
from the ships crew.
Greater and greater grew the heat; the
engineers fcd lrom the engine roomi the
passengers Were clustering ound the vcs-
sells tow, lhe sailors were saving ,iank on
which to launch the women he boldest
were thloWing OF their coals and waist
coats, and preparing or one Iorg struggle
for HE. And still the COST grew palmer
and palmer; the pydd.c>, as yet, worked
well, they could not be more than a mile
from the shore and the boats were even
now starting to lteir assistance.
"John Mayr-rll" cried the captain.
AYE, aye, si.!' said John.
"Con ycu hold out FIVE minutes ongcrl"
"lN try, slr.'
and he did Try; the Games came nearer
ana nearer; sheet Of smoEe would scme-
times almost sadoca;e Lim} his hair was
5nged, his blood seemed cn are with the
great heat. Clouching as far back as he
could, he held the wheel firmly with his
left hand, I'll the flesh shriveIed, and The
muscle crcaked in the ilalht; and then he
stretched forth his right, and bore the ago
ny without a scream or 4 Groan. 1t was
enough for him thaIhe heard the cheer OF
the sailors to the approaching loal>; the
cry of the captain, ',he women first, then
every man for himself, and God for us ALL"
And they were the last sounds that he
heard. How he rPrished was not known,
whether dizzied by smoke he lost his foot
ing in endeavoring to come forward, and
fclloverloard OF whether he was sufocd-
ted by the dense smoke, his comrades could
not tell. AT the moment the vessel struck,
the boats were at her sdeg the passengers,
sailors and captain leaped into them, or
swan for their IivrsI all, save he to whom
they owed every thing, escaped.
He had died the death of christian he.
roll had almost said, of martyr; his spl.
rit was commended into his Fathers hands,
and his body sleeps in peace by the green
side of Lake Erie.
From, The National Mtelhgencer.