Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1851-12-18

DrDlOrnble Casualty.

OF the "Daay Express" Poor lady 70
have torn herself from friends and home.
to have escaped the pcrils Of the deep. to
have so nearly reached him, who was wsi-
ting with longing arms to receive Der. and
thus to have persisted, was indeed. cad
fate:
PACKET Boar LINK. Dec. llth, 1851.
To the Editor IF the DAILY Expyess:
Sm:-l am called upon to record Z vsry
melancholy accident, which occurred or
this Boat about 7 clock, yesterday even.
ing.
We left the wharf at Richmond s.w
minutes after six o'clock. with crowd on
hoard; had proceeded between two and
three miles, when the attention Of all wee
arrested by sudden and loud cries on tho
deck. My first impression WINS that tho
boat was on fire, and pressing through tho
crowd as fast as possible. got into the
open air, when first heard distinctly the
cry Of "a ,comaa orerboayd! J" The bont
was nearing the shore. and as soon a il
got in leapiug distance. jumped, with
Capt. Waterman, on the bank and ran rand.
ly down the tow-path about hundred
yards-many others followed; but by
dim light from n boat below. | discovered
that there We're two persons ahead Of US,
one on the path, the other in the water
The latter was young man blythe name Of
Tins or Tibbs, who deserves the highest
praise for his intrcpidity.
Seeing him struggling near the opposite
shore, we called TO know whether he had
found her at the same time urging one Of
the servants from the boat to put forward
with pole to his assistance. Mr.. Tins
answered family" Yes, - and almost al
the same moment. after a fierce struggle.
| saw him go down. The servant had
swan, in the meanwhile. near enough to
reach him the pole, which he convul.ive.
| ly grasped, and after some minutes, was
brought with difficulty to the shore, nearly
drowned. The unfortunate woman. how
ever, was not with him. Her hold on ono
Of his feet had been looscd by tho eilor, tn
pull him to shore. The water in the en-
nal running swiftly at this point, Cant.
Waterman and myself ran some Thirty yarJs
down, calling on the boat below 10 hasten
to our assistance. In the meanwhile wg
were deceived twice by portions of her
dress hich had been detached, and wcro
Heating on the surface which we drew out
under the vain hope that they might still
be connected with the body
Disappointed in this we knew not Nhn,
course to adopt-nearly all the passene. r.
had collected together on the bank but
no one could even guess where the body
lay. The boat below came up at this mo-
mcnt, furnishing additional light and assis-
lance. Capt. Waterman ordered ono on
board to draw up the line under the hope
that 1t might come in contact with the body
and raise it to the surface. This actually
unprecedented after short time il was
brought to shore, taken up to the Packet
Boat and every effort made to restore ami
nation, but IN vain. She had been too
long, (about 10 minucs) under the water
which was extremely cold Unfortunate
ly' among so many passengers, there was
not single Physician, and our little mcdi
cal knowledge extended no further than TO
have her wrapped in warm blankets, plac-
ed near the stove, aud rubbed briskly for
some hours. These efforts proved una
vailing,-death had secured his victim.
Several circumstances make this vista
ton peculiarly painful. She was foreign
er-the wife Of Capt. James kllcy, of tho
British merchant servicc,-had Just reach
cd Richmond in the morning. aud was on
her way to join her husband, who had pur.
chased farm in the county Of Mercer, aud
was engaged in preparing house for her
accommodation. Two Interesting boys,
of six and three years of age, her only
children, were with her; and an English
gentleman and his wife. under whose pro-
lection she was travelling; and whose grief
and distraction excited the sympathies of
all, while they bore strong testimony to
the virtues Of the unhappy woman. But
what most deeply touched the feelings.
was the delicate condition of the sufferer.
Fearing that the sitting mir ofthe cabin
would hasten her daily expected confino-
mcnt, she got up from the Ladies Cabin.
saying sic monid "goto tie door. and ret a
TILE pure aU'-and, being unacquain,ed
with the narrow pnss-way in front of tho
second cabin, stumbled aud fell overheard.
The plash was heard, but supposed to hayc
proceeded from something thrown from tho
kitchen; until her cries, as she FIRST rose.
some twenty yards in the rear Of the boat,
revealed the secret.
In conclusion, permit mo TO say, that |
have never seen more sympathy in any
crowd. All offered their services. The
Captain of the boat, with his bands, (onc