The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1858-07-07
X Heroic Woman-An incident Of the
late PENNSYLVANIA Disaster,


The following we find in the Blooming.
ton (Ills Pantagraph:
"Mrs. Caroline G. Strauburg, wife of
= p. r. Stranburg, of this city, was pas
senger on the Pennsylvania, which was
burned to the waters edge in the Missis-
stppi. sixty miles below Memphis, on
Sunday morning last, l2th inst. Mrs.
s. left her berth just before the explosion
took place; and when she heard the re.
port, which shook every piece of timber in
the boat, she caught hold of her little
child, which was only two months old, and
rushed into the ladies cabin, at the very
moment that large piece of machinery
came crashing through the floor. She
ran to the captains room and told him that
the boat was on fire, but he said she was
mistaken, and advised her to be calm.-
She said she was not mistaken, and her
manner was SO earnest that the captain,
thinking she might be correct, went down
to the boiler deck. He returned in short
time, and remarked to Mrs. S., There is
no danger now-the fire has been sub.
dued.'
Mrs. S., however, would not be convin-
ced; she insisted that the boat was in
flames, and told the captain to make pre-
psrstions for saving the passengers. As
she finished speaking the flames broke
through the cabin floor, and in less than
O minute the cabin was filed with smoke.
She saw that the time for action had arri-
we'd, and she knew that her life and that
of her child depended upon her own exer-
tions, so she went down the private stair
ease, and was fortunate enough to reach
the boiler deck in safety. Knowing that
she would perish by fire if she staid on
the boat, she determined to leave it and run
the risk of meeting her death by another
method. She accordingly seized board
about seven feet long and eight or ten
inches wide, and grasping her child with
the other, plunged into the river.
The current. owing to the high stage Of
water, was very rapid, and Mrs. s. had
as much as she could do to keep herself
and child above the surface; but she was
equal to the dangerous situation in which
she was placed, and her perilous journey
down the river would not have been atten-
ded with half the danger that it was,
if her unselfsh heart had not prompted
her to save man who was unable to save
himself. A short time after leaving the
boat, she saw man struggling iu the wat
er, and she knew from his movements that
he was too much exhausted to save him
self from going to the bottom; so she gen.
crously and nobly jeoplrdized her life to
save his; she grasped him by the arm, at
che risk of being pulled from her frail sup
port, and assisted him in getting upon q
little piece of plank that was hardly sufi-
eient to keep herself and child above the
surface OF the Father Of Waters.
r. After floating for an hour and half.
the three was rescued by some men, who,
having heard the explosion, launched a
small boat and started up stream to rem
der assistance to the unfortunate sufferers.
When the man who was rescued by Mrs.
Stranburg, placed his feet in the boat, be
tried to express his gratitude which he
felt for his preserver, but his heart was SC
full of thankfulness that his tongue refused
to give full utterance to his grateful feel.
ings. Mrs. Stranburg left this city about
three months ago, and went to Clinton,
Mississippi, her berth place, where her
relatives reside. She took passage on the
Pennsylvania at Vicksburg, and was for
innate enough to arrive at her own house
In. this city on Monday evening. Her
conduct entities her to the admiration oi
Il 70