Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-11-02

Il
assistance of many of the passengers,
who deserve great praise for their cool.
mess and energy in doing all in their
power up to the very latest moment be-
fore the ship sunk.
The Chief Engineer, with a part OF
his assistants, had taken our smallest
deck boat, and before the ship went
down pulled away with about fifteen
persons.
We had succeeded in getting the fore
and main yard and two top gallant yards
overheard, and such other small spars
and materials as we could collect, when
/ was fully convinced that the ship
must go down in very short time, and
not moment was to be lost in getting
the spsrs lsshed together to form raft,
to do which it became necessary to get
the lifeboat, our only remaining boat,
into the water.
This being accomplished, saw Mr..
Dorain, the chief officer of the boat,
taking care to keep the oars on board to
prevent them from leaving the ship,
hoping still to get most of the women
and children in this boat at last. They
had made considerable progress in col
leeting the spars, when an alarm. was
given that the ship was sinking, and the
boat was showed off without oars or
anything to help themselves with, and
when the ship sank the boat had got
clear, probably an eighth of mile TO
leeward. -...
In an instant, about a quarter to yfVe p
H., tie ship acent dotrn, carrying every
soul on board iritk her. -e ..
1 soon found myself on the surface,
after brief struggling with my own
helpless child in my arms, when again l
felt myself impelled downwards to a
great depth, and before reached the
surface a second time had nearly per-
ished, and lost tie hold Of Hy chad.-
As l again struggled to the surface of
the water, most awful and heart rend
ing scene presented itself to my view
oger t1co hundred men, acon,en and chill
dren struggling together amidst pieces Of
acreek of eUery Kind, calling on each
other for help, and imploring God to
assist them. Such an appalling scene
may God preserve me from ever wit
Messing again.
l was in the act of trying to save my
child, when a portion of the paddle
box came rushing up edgewise, Just
grazing my head, falling with its whole
weight upon the head of my darling
child. Another moment l beheld lin
lifeless in the water. l succeeded in
getting on to the paddle box, in compa-
ny with eleven others; one, however,
soon left for another piece, finding that
it could not support so many. Others
remained until they were, one by one,
by death. We stood in water
at temperature of forty-five degrees,
up to our knees, and frequently the sea
broke directly over US. We soon sepa-
rated from our friends on other parts of
the wreck, and passed the night, each
one of us expecting every hour would
be our last.
At last the wished for morning came,
surrounded with a dense fog-not a
living soul to be seen but our own party
seven men being left. In the course
of the morning we saw some water
casks and other things belonging to our
ship, but nothing that we could get to
afford us any relief. .-
Our raft was rapidly settling as it
absorbed water.
About noon Mr.. S. F. Woodruff, of
New York, was relieved by death. All
the others now began to suffer very Sc
verely for want of water, except Mr.
George F. Allen and myself. In that
respect we were very much favored. al
though we had not drop on the raft.
The day continued foggy, except Just at
noon, as near as we could Judge, we
bad clear horizon for about half an
hour, and nothing could be seen but
water and sky. Night came on thick ]
and dreary, with our minds made up
that neither of us would again see the
light of another day. Very soon three
more Of our suffering party were re-
ieved by death, leaving Mr.. Allen, a
young man, and myself Feeling N.Y.
self getting exhausted, now sat down
ior the first time, about eight o'clock in .
he evening, on trunk, which provi-
lentially had been found on the wreck.
In this way / slept little through the
hight, and became somewhat refreshed.
About an hour before daylight-now
Friday, the 29th-we saw vessels
light near TO us. We all three Of us
,xerted ourselves to the utmost of our
strength in hailing her. until we became
Iuite exhausted. In about quarter of
IN hour the light disappeared 10 the
,ast of US. Soon after daylight bark
love in sight to the northwest, the fog
having lightened little--steering ap-
for us; but in short time she
to have changed her course,
ind again we were doomed to disap-
yet l felt hopes that some of
,ur fellow sufferers may have been seen
md rescued by them.
Shortly after we had given up all
ropes of being rescued by the bark, a
hip was discovered to the east of US,
steering directly for us. We now
watched her with the most intense
lnxiety as she approached. The wind
changing, caused her to alter her course
. A kt.a~~ frsrrfr I,