The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1857-10-29
WHOLE NUMBER 643

hundred, oil Of "a armed; that The Captain
r and crew could not have kept us back for
fiVeminotes IL We had chosen to seize the
boats. True, there were many among US
who considered the steamer saier than the
boats. But the majority Of the Californians
! knew that the former was sinking. None
to whom spoke entertained any delusiye
; hopes on shat'point. Rescue from passing
vessels was the. only resource to which nine
tenths ofths passengers looked. Yet, with
Il one or two trivial exceptions, not man in.
terfered with the emsaiks,on Of the women
and children. Considering the character
and nntecedents of the bulk Of the pusseu.
gers, this conduct appears to me to be une.
qualed in history. ,...,-,-.,...
i 1t was dark when our last hour came.--
The wind had fallen, but the sea was run.
ming in high, massive wsves. Heavy clouds
hid the sky, with occasional flashes Of light
ning' and now and then, as the clouds shift.
ed glimpse of a star, There was. gen.
era silencejcn board, interrupted now and
then by boisterOus shouts from reyslers be.
i low. ar ......
Waves had washed over us before. Ibid
not realize the difference between this one
and its predecessors till felt my feet lose
their hold, and saw all dark above. J, knew
that was going down-down-down
tried to resist the downward suction, but it
was impossible. Down, slowly, very slow
ly down, went, Till was in the depths of
the deep, and the pressure Of the water on
my ears and nose was excruciatingly pain
ful. | think l tainted in, consequence. IF
l DID, the sensation Of rapid motion through
the water revived me. was rising to the
surface | never realized the power Of wa.
ter before. My utmost strength could not
IN the least moderate or alter my motion.
Oh! it was heart rendinp to hear Tint
shrek which rose from the belly of the
waves as five hundred men rose from the
depths and found themselves floating on the
surface :: the ocean, in the night, miles and
miles from land. They rose. thick as a
siloal OF fish, striking each other, and being
struck BY the fragment the wreck which
had been submerged with the ship. What
death grapples for pieces of the wreckE
One of the last sights saw was the CLEAN
of knife as a burly fellow cut the hands
of fellow-passenger from spar in order
to keep it for himself. / needed all nv
strength, myself, to protect myself from the
deadly grasp of drowning men. a So,
8 Alter time piece of the wreck foated
toward me- A man was clinging to it,
called to Trim and asked whether il wopld
support tsol No answer. | called again.
Still no answer. swan to him, and seiz.
ed him by the arm. He was dead, but his
hands still clung to the timber. / had no
hesitationin taking place on the fragment
which, indeed, would have supported sever.
oil persons. Looking about me, to find some
one to share it with, L denr;ed "a head in
tho. darkness. andl hailed. II approached
near enough for me TO grasp it. pulled
the swimmer, and discovered that It was
the Spanish boy. ...
Poor fellow! though it was warm, and
there was no wind, he shivered from head
to foot. knew, at glance, that it was
death'shudder. | bade him hold on firmly,
lest wave should sweep him off; but Ihad
hardly said the words when saw him press
his little cross to his lips-a huge sea swept
over us--he was gone, and saw him no
more. 61- -at E@s a3
He was the last Of my fellow. passengers
whom beheid that night The cruel sea
soon separated US, and was alone. Fear
had gone from me; escape seemed utterly
out Of the question. now observed prop
er precautions-more with view uf carry.
ing out conscientously curious expert
ment than from any belief that might be
saved. Several times the thought cf pre-
ciptating my end by plugging into the sea
occurredlto me; do not know Why r re.
PEELED it. 'sh%a'a
Hours passed. Psychological students
will understand me when I say that Twas
busily engaged in composing, mentally,
business letter to accompany account sales
polishing and rounding the sentences, al
tering word here, adding phrase there,
and even inserting with most exact care
each comma and period-when a cry like
under-"Ahoy, therer'-woke me up,
and found myself close under the quarter
of ship. @'1" .s.-@ s's ~. 100.
How got ON board hardly know. That
g -. "
was saved; that lay down on board the
deck of our preserver and cried like child
for an hour or more; that was most gener-
ously and humanely treated; and that 4 life.
time of devotion would be but an adequate
return for tie Obligation incurred, ! am
here to testify. ...,,.@sr
/ E5J2F5Gag--7 -7Tz7 - tse'' --------.T
Or The keeper of a livery stable on
Cape Cod, had "a habit of cqutioniRg bis