The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1846-04-30

! and Kind look for hose with whom ne
Gas thrown: east, 0sien enough, into bad
company. he tried II least, and generally {
succeeded, 10 say OF 10 something for ~
good. lie Was known. from one end Of
lake Erie 70 the other. By the name Of ho-
nest John Maynard: and the secret Of hrs
honesty 10 his neighbours Was his love Of
God.
The land was about ten miles on. when
the captain coming up from his cabin. en-.
ed 70 ! sailor: . Dick Fletcher, what's all
that smoke | see coming ous from me
lhold!' y
-Ifs from the engine-FOOm' SIR
guess" said The man. !
"Down with you, then. and lei me
know" ui
The sailor began descending the ladder
nv which you 90 10 the hold; but scarcely
had he disappeared beneath the dFck'
when up he came again with much greater
! speed.
! captain. who by this time was standing
: close TO him. =
, The captain rushed down and found
|. the account too true. Some sparks HAD
q fallen on a bundle Of tow; no one had
g seen the accident; and now, not only much
/. of the luggage, hut the sides OF the vessel
:. were in a smouldering flame.
% All hands, passengers as well as sailors
n were called tngeiher; and, two lines being
I. made. one on each side Of the hold, buck
cts Of water were passed and repassed;
is ,hey were filled from the lake, they lew
along lire Of ready hands. were dashed
IN kissing on the burning mass, and then
nassed on 10 the other side to be Tehlled
Or For some few minutes il seemed as II ih'
Sc flames were subdued, -,
il In the meantime The women on boar
ar. were clustering round John Maynard, IN
ar. only unemployed man capable OF answer
Of ing their questions. How far is ], !
Oh, land," "How long shall be getting IN!
i,y "It is very deep!" "Can they see
from shorem The helmsman answert
,ou as well as he could. There was no boa
inc il had been left at Buffalo 10 be repaIre
! in they might be seven miles from shor
veil they would probably be in, in forty n
nutes; he could not tell how FAR the !
lace had reached. But to speak the truth
he added, we are all in great danger; q
i, of / think If there were little less fafkfH
that and a little more praying, il would be !
has better for US, and none the worse Tor
you boat" - ..... -
s,ly tain.
! 70. "West-sou-west, sir" answered M
,ure nard.
u,v. keep her south and by west" cri
,elr the captain. I" We must 60 on shore al
,a,ly where"
II happen that draft Of wind Dire
:. :. back the flames, whirh soon began
" ~. blaze up more furiously against the
-; loon; and the partition betwixt il and
sur hold was soon on fire. Then long wrea
. .nn. of smoke began 10 find their way throu
""h the skylight; and the captain seeing u
~. ordered all the women forward. The
" "" gineer put on his utmost steam; the Ar
"" rican flag was run up, and reversed, in
ken of distress; water was flung over
"a! sails, TO make them hold the wind. A
y" still John Maynard stood by the VIII,
though now he was cut off by sheet
smoke and fame, from the ships crew
Greater and greater grew the heat;
engineers fed from the engine-room;
, passengers were clustering round the
''la' sells bow; the sailors were saving pla
PPo- on which 10 lash the women: the bolt
hrie, were throwing off their coasts and wa
&c %. o. coats preparing for one long struggle
WIN life. And still the coast grew palmer
s!g' palmer; the paddles as yet worked "
nalI'- they could not be more than mile Fl
''ohs the shore; and boats were even now 81
"'o ing to their assistance.
olner "John Maynard!" cried the captain
oa a "Ay, ay, sir ~ said John.
lug mg "Can you hold on five minutes
'SD,s, gerw #
'Oo u "rll try, sir"
! III And he did try Z; the flames came n
80 er and nearer; sheet Of smoke WI
c.om, sometimes almost suffocate him; and
AVN hair was singed his blood seemed on
aha with the great heat. Crouching as
> ~, back as he could, he held the wheel f
a,;nJ " with his left hand, till the flesh
hnIJ veled, and the muscles cracked IN
7, flame; and then he stretched forth
=, ,c right, and bore the agony wllhou
70 hu- scream or groan. 1t was enough for
0n,r, that he heard the cheer of the sailor
~ tho the approaching boats; the cry OF
';,h :. captain, The women first. and then
:, ,;n,a nv man for himself, and God for us
,hom And they were the last sounds tina
-, Gte heard. How he persisted was not kno
.nn,o whether dizzied by the smoke. he los
,romld footing in endeavoring TO come iorv
WYNN and fell overheard, or whether he
, and suflocated by the dense smoke, his
u h o rades could hot tell. At the momen
son,h. vessel struck, the boats were at her
!, WAS passengers, sailors, and captain leape
" To than, or swam for their lives all.