Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1852-11-06

us. She was propeller, and, as we
afterwards learned, tile object with
which we had come in collision. How
we had gotten SO far from her, and
remained distant SO long, is still but
partially explained, though our engine
continued to run till the water arrest
ed it. 's s',' Z
AS the propeller came up to the
wreck, there was a precipitate rush to
get aboard Of her, in which several
Hell into the lake, and her captain
feared that the crowd rushing upon
her side, together with the water she
was carrying from leaks caused by
the collision, would sink her, backed
away from, US Immediately, and lay off
some rods from us for a weary half
hour, during which, such was the tu.
multi on our wreck that nothing could
be heard from him. At. length we
succeeded in stilling the cries of our
party SO that orders from the propell-
er could be heard. Andthe sweetest
sound that fell upon the awful distrac-
ton of that whole terrific death.scene
was the stern but kind voice of COM
mand from the captain of the propel.
Ter. saying, "Obey my orders, and ]
will save every one ofyou; otherwise
/. must again back off and leave you'll"
1t was like Jesus saying, "He that
believeth in me shall be saved; he
that believeth not shall he damned. :"
We were still. Our deliverers came
calmly to our side. We assisted off
our ftmales, children, and such as
needed help, and following ourselves;
were safe. Wehad been two doleful
hours upon the wreck; during the
last one of which, well nigh, God had
held a little portion other stern above
waterin manner as especially'proy-
idential as though we had seen his
visible arm sustaining it. The doors
through which weihad rushed out OF I
the cabin, and some of which we had
yainly tried to get off, He had shut,
confning a portion Of air in her after
cabin, which held her up against all
her ponderous iron-workaan coal,
that were straining to carry US to a
fathomless bottom. ,alimus'e,
But where were scores andhundreds
of our companions a
Our thinned ranks kept asking with
fearful emphasis, sWherea The wide
death-scene, in the midst of which we
had stood SO long, alone could answer.
They had perished in the first sudden
rush Of water upon the main.deck.-
They went down in struggling masses
by rushing in awide throng from the
sinking vessel into-tlle lake. From
these two causes a large portion of
our emigrant passengers, of whom we
had two hundred ormore, found an
instant grave. Many other individu-
ais and families leftthe deck and cabin
with little or nothing to support them,
numbers of whom perished, while
some, by incredible feats Of swimming
aud providential interposition, were
rescued. fsfs
saw the hroken-hearted brother,
whose sister, unable to find him. was
last heard crying: Where is our
dear brother Z" as the waters carried
her away. l saw Mr.. Lawrence, of
Belyidere, Ill.,, who with his wife was
saved from the water, to carry home
tho heart.rending account Of two la
dies under his charge being swept
from his sigh. and drowned, just as he
gained glimpse of them and while
speaking to them. ! saw step-son,
whose aged parent, loft for moment
in the cabin, was seen no more. l
saw an interesting little Prussian girl,
from large family, including parents,
brothers aud sisters, ufwhich she was
tho sad, speechless relic, she being
unable to utter syllable of our IAN
guage. And | have come this morn
ing from the saddest survivor Of all, if
the case be as narrated. She is from
a wealthy silk merchants. family in
London, England, by the name Of
Williams. She has been travelling in
this country with an invalid sister for
the benefit of the latter, and in com.
pany with brother and his wife and
two children, six in all. Her brother
was killed by some falling object, as
he held her hand. She saw the chill
dren drop in a terrific grave; the SIS
ter.in.law and feeble sister followed.
She had seen enough: she swooncd,
and when consciousness returned, she
was in the propeller, in wet clothes,
saved, she knows not whercfrom or
how, to tell tale of grief too bitter
almost for endurance. Her brother
was about to purchase residence on
the Hudson river, and had with him q
large sum of money. A hundred and
fifty deaths will be the least supposa-
bic number lost, Accuracy can new.
or be reached. Tho saved have no.
thing but what they bore upon their
persons, which in most cases was
their night-clothes alone.