The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-09-29
THRILLING INCIDENT,
Connected with the Burning Of the Steamer
Niagara.

dren from the burning w4esa y Lac Maya
rs, consumed at 4 o clock last "Wednesday,
off Por, Washington
"The greatest heroism displayei on the
oc a aston Of which we have any know ledge,
was shown by mother in her efforts to
save the lives OF her eight children, the cid
est of whom was only fourteen and the
Youngest one year old. She was picked up
by the Traveller insensible aud nearly per-
ished, but, was restored by great exer,ions.
and brought 10 this city. She did not know
last evening whether or not any Of her chill
dren were saved, but heard that three " ere
taken ashore in the only boat that pulled
off from the burning steamer. II SO, they
will reach her this morning by the Arctic
She and her husband are a, the Merchants
Hotel.
The names OF these afflicted parents are
Mr., and Mrs. Hamilton Chslmers, Of Glou.
ces,er County, New Brunswick. They had,
by great industry and economy, laid up u
few hundred dollars and were moving TO
Minnesota 10 buy snail farm and lost
every thing they had in the world on the
boat, but few shilings in their pockets. -
Bu, they say they care nothing for that, il
they had their children they could begin lite
again al the bottom Of the ladder with \
good heart. We sincerely hope that some
OF their lost ones may be restored to them.
Mrs. Chalmers Gays that when the hire
broke out she vas outside the steerage cab
in on the main deck with her husband and
children, She saw the stern boat lowered,
and observing IN it a woman whom she
knew, she thought il the boat reached the
shore, and she herself did not, that woman
would be like mother TO her children, so
she commenced throwing her smaller chill,
dren into it, intending 10 keep the baby BY
her, because she could the easier support 1t
in the water than the others. She had
thrown two into the boat when it showed of.
She had one in her hands to throw, but il
was too late ~ throw SO large one to the
boat, according she seized the baby sup.
posing she had strength to throw 1t to the
refreshing boat. She had not. however, the
b.by tell INTO the water q foot from the boat;
abe screamed 10 the woman in the boat to
ave il, and had the satisfaction Of seeing
her reach out, grasp il, and draw il into the
boat
She then directed her efforts to the tive
children about her. She pushed the Oldest
boy OF twelve years into the water, with
directions to swim after the small boat and
cling to it il they would not lake him in. -
She think. he did actually reach it, but can
not be certain She then pu, her older
child, girl OF fourteen, into the water, in
hopes she could cling TO something. She
has heard since arriving here that girl Of
that age was rescued, and thinks may be II
wss this one She then had three small
children remaining Her husband got into
the water and she passed them down TO him,
and he placed them on one Of the capsized
boats floating near. She then got down by
a rope. On reaching the water she found
the waves had washed Two of the children
off the small boat. She managed to catch
them both with one arm and hold them up,
s,ill elinging TO the rope with the other hand,
and maintaining her hold in the midst Of all
the desperate struggles around her. At
last the rope burned off above, and she sank
down, down, down, with others who had
been clinging to the same rope. When she
came up again, she had lost one child. She
managed to throw her disengaged arm over
stick and hang on TO il with the child in
the other.
She then looked for the child she had
lost, bar although many heads were around
her and some OF them children's heads, they
were all SO begrimmed with the oil and
ashes and SCOT on the surface Of the water
that she could not distinguish their features,
und they sunk one alter another without
her being able TO recognize her own. She
then directed all her efforts TO save the one
.ka dor hat
she could have done so, but some man, she
thinks he wss an old man, pulled her arm
of from the stick which supported her. She
regained her hold and her hand was again
pulled off and herself pushed away by the
man. Then she sunk down, down, down
again. She struggled 10 rise, and finally
did rise, but the last child was gone, though
she thought until she reached the surface
and saw TO the contrary that she had il still
in her arms.
She was then alone on the wafer without
support. She had hoated some distance
away from the steamer, bat she saw her
husband upon the capsized boat, holding one
OF the children. That sight inspired her
with fresh courage. Alas! she knew not
at that moment that the little one he held
in his arms was already lifeless, bat it was
even so. At that instant plank struck
her breast, she threw her arms around it
and tried TO reach her sband, but could
no, propel herself in the water She felt
her strength now rapidly failing. She was
entirely alone, she saw the schooner, and
the Traveller, and saw also that they were
far. far away; she knew she could not hold
on TO her buoy until they came up, bu, she
remembered having heard that persons in
drowning always shut their teeth firm. She
therefore seized her dress at the bottom q
front, brought il up around the plank and
put il within her teeth, 80 that il led the
plank fas, across her breast She found it
would support her thus and settled calmly
back TO await the result. She remembered
nothing more. She was picked up BY the
Traveller, and when she vac restored to con.
.ciousness, had the happiness of finding her
husband at her side But her children,
where were lheyl
The presen Of mind and heroism Of this
poor mother displayed under the cifcum-
stances are indeed remarkable, she related
the circumstances TO ne yesterday without
any apparent conviction that she had done
more than Others, but with the evident wish
that she could have done yet more for her
children. She did not weep; hers was be
yond the grief that finds relief n teare, bu,
y hen the rescued Of her little iCck are clasp
ed 10 her arms this morning her eyes will
burst or else her heart will break.