Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1856-10-03
Burning Of Iho y decentralization Of n
Mother.

board, and life sto is and floats enough for
the temporary safety of five hundred persons,
not a half dozen Of them were used. 1t was
but short time after the first discovery of
the fire until the whole upper cabin was in
flames. During This time large number of
persons had jumped overheard without any
thing to support them in the water, and in
lew moments sank. Mothers threw their chill
dren into the lake and wildly sprung after
them. The water was inenaely cold, and
none but the hardest persons could live in it
but short time. A large number Of persons
before the steamer stopped, in spite Of the APP
peals of the mate, got into the stern boat and
lowered it, when 1T swamped, and all in it
drowned. Another portion OF the passengers
filled the starbOad quarter boat, and lowered
that also, and all found a watery grave. Be.
fore the upper cabin was in flames a portion
of the more self possessed of the passengers
wrenched the state room doors off and threw
them into the water, together with tables,
chairs, stools, &c, and upon these MANY of
those in the water saved themselves. After
it had become useless to remain on board any
longer, the second engineer, carpenter, and d
portion of the crew, together with number
oil the passengers, twenty-five persons in all
lowered away the larboard quarter boat and
pulled for the shore, where the passengers
boat to render any assistance they might be
able. Capt. Miller, with number of others,
saved themselves by clinging to the wheel,
and were picked up by the boats.
The heroism and self-possession of Mrs.
Hamilton Chalmers, of Gloucester county. n.
B., is highly commended. Mr.. and Mrs.
Chalmers with eight children, the Oldest but
fourteen years of age, were on their way to the
west to settle, with but little money, but with
a world OF love for their offspring. Mrs.
Chelmers says that when the fire broke out,
she was outside the steerage cabin on the
main deck with her husband and children.
She saw the stern boat lowered, and observing
in it woman whom she knew, she thought
if the boat reached the shore, and she her
self did not, that woman would be like moth
er to her children, so she commenced throw.
ing her smaller children into it, intending to
keep the baby by her, because she could the
easier support it in the water than the Others
She had thrown two into the boat when it
showed off. She had one in her arms 10 throw,
but it was too late to throw so large a one to
the boat, accordingly she seized the baby,
supposing she had strength enough to throw it
to the retreating boat. She had not, howev-
er the baby fell INTO the water, foot from
the boat she screamed to the woman in the
boat to save it, and had the satisfaction Of
seeing her reach out, grasp it, and draw it in
to the boat.
She then directed her efforts to the five clil-
dren 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 If
they would not take him in. She thinks he
did actually reach it, but cannot be certain.
She then put her oldest child, a girl of four
teen, into water, in hopes she would cling to
something. She has heard since arriving here
that a girl of that age was rescued, and she
thinks may be it was this one. She then had
thee small children remaining. Her hus-
band 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 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, still cluging 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 ann
over stick and hang on to it, with the child
She then looked for the child she had lost.
but although many heads were around her,
and some of them children's heads. thew
were all SO begrimed with the oil and ashes
and SCOT on the surface of the water that she
could not distinguish their features, and they
sunk one after another without her being able
to recognize her own. She then directed all
her efforts to save the one in her arms, and
she feels confident that she could have done SO.
but some man-she thinks he was an old
mo LODI D,..n r
supported her. She regained her hold, and
her hand was again pulled off, and herself
pushed away by the man. Then she sank
down, down, down again. She STRUGGLED to
Use, 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 1t still in her arms She was
tDeh alone on the water without support
one mad Hoated some distance away from the
steamer, but she saw her husband upon the
capslzed 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 life
less, but it was even so. At that moment
plank struck her breast, she threw her arms
around 1t and tried to reach her husband. but
she could not propel herself in the water.
one -telt her strength now RAPIDLY failing.
HHe was ehIlrely alone she saw the schoon-
er and the Traveller, but she saw that they
We're Tar, Tar away; she knew she could not
hoIu on to her buoy until they came up, but
she remembered having head that persons in
drowning always shut their teeth irm. She
therefore seized her dress at the bottom in front
brought 1t up around the plank, and put it
between her teeth, so that 1t held the plank
fast across her breast She found that it would
support her thus, and she laid calmly back
to await the result. Sheremenbared nothing
more She was picked up by the Traveller,
and when she was restored to consciousness,
had the happiness OF seeing her husband b,
her side. But her children, where were
they?