Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-10-10

him on another trip; and while pleading for
assistance in MS work of humanity, the boat
in which Ire stood was stove in beneath him
INTERESTING SrATEMENT-The Evening
Journal has communicated by a correspon-
dent the following interesting statement:
Mr.. 8. Col%cI, one Of tho passengers
picked up 10y the barqHe Ellen, from the
wreck Of the i'll ,tatcd steamer Central Am.
erica, Informs me that lie was alloat peril
od Of about nine hours, during which time
he sustained himself and twenty, pounds of
gold dust and coin, bclted around hm,with
the aid of board nine inches wide aud
three feet long. When picked up, he says,
he was not in the least exhausted, but felt
as if he could easily have sustained himself
twenty -four hours longer. lie says he was,
by some means, Knocked overheard with
many Others about three minutes before
the steamer disappeared. He went over at
the bow, and sunk many feet in the water,
When he came up the bows OF the steamer
were still visible, but at this instant heavy
sea broke over her and she disappeared
from sight forever AS she went down, tho
end of the bow-sprit grazcd his shoulder.
A minute after, and the surface of the Wa
ter WAS covered with a struggling mass Of
human beings, some in groups, clinging to
and struggling with each other.
Soon those who could not swim, or those
who could, but had lost their presence of
mind, sank to rise no more. From that
moment all was quiet, each stout heart, eX-
ercisiug ti.o rvusoning fs,c~ltioe with which
he was endowed sought such means Of
support as came within his reach. They
spoke encouragngly 10 each other and ALI
hoped to be saved. The presence Of tho
bark Ellen inspired this hope.
Mr.. @. says, when the vessel went down,
he was clasped around both legs by man
struggling for life. His grasp was the grasp
of despair, and no efforts ofhs were suflf-
cient to break his hold. Tie was obliged
to take hold of the mans arms and press
downward, while, by the e&crtion of all his
strength, he drewup, first one leg and then
the other. This effort to free himself from
his unfortunate companion took him down,
he thinks, twenty or thirty feet. The lat
ter continued to sink 10 q watery grave,
! while he, moro fortunate, roso TO the SUR
| face.
lie camo up in the midst of group,sev-
eral Of whom seized upon him, and in their
struggles tore from his body his life pre-.
server and his shirt. lie finally succeeded
in freeing himself from them, aud swam
away in search of something for support.
lie found the piece of board, to which alu-
sion has been made, md which, in the end,
was the means of saving his life. lie SAYS
that but little effort is needed to keep a mau
alloat, if he preserves his presence OF mi nd
and acts with cool judgment. Fright, he
thinks, not only woakens person, but tho
struggling induced by it tends rather 10 sink
than sustain him. While swimming in
search Of some support, he found his boots
| weighing heavily upon him, when he stop
/ pea and deliberately drew them off, Mr..
G. Weighs aliuIe over 200 pounds..
Mr. G. says that some time previous to-
the final catastrophe, he was desirous, witIt
others, to construct float, and went in
search of tools for the purpose, but neither
tools and carpenters were to be found on
board the ship. The forc.and aft schooner
said TO have been seen near the wreck, and
i'll which hopes are entertained that Capt.
IIerndon may have been saved, was dis
tinctly seen by MIC.
Mr.. @. says about fifteen minutes before
the vessel went down, he witnessed the part
ing between two twin brothers, named ca
sey. They embraced each other in tears
on deck, saying that each must take caro-
, of himself they babe each other final a
, dieu. subsequently they we're picked up
by the barQuc Ellen, where he witnessed
. their meeting. He also saw two brothers,
named Harris, from Missouri, about tho
same time. They each had about 81 900
in vaIisc. They brought their valise on
deck, placed it between them, claspel
hands, taking seats on either side of it,antl
in this position went down with the vessel
Mr.. c. says that he pat Ills gold on him
, In such a way that he could, in n moment,
relieve himself of its weight, in the eventoi
its proving too much for him TO sustain
He is a man Of undoubted GOODNESS and
courage, and to the possession Of these quail.
tiles, under a kind Providence, he undoubt-
edIy owes his life.
RoBBEkY OF THE UNITED STATES MfNr
AT SAN FRANcIsco. The San Francisco
Herald, of the Goth ult,, states that Wm.
: Bcin, who had been for some time en-
> ploycd in the coincrs' department of the
!. United States Mintin That city, was ar
. rested on the previous day, on suspicion of
:. having abstracted gold from the establish
;. mcnt. His apartment was searched and
J about S., 900 in gold found, together with
I deeds for property to near the talHe of
8 $4,000. Hcadmittcd his peculation, and
= restored $1,000 Of the amount. II was
: supposed, from the wax in which the gold
. filings were found, chat he committed the
thofts by means of wax, placed undcr the
inStep of the boots, to which the gold when